Graduate Admissions

Applying for graduate studies at the University of Northern Iowa School of Music requires five basic steps:

How to Apply - UNI Grad Studies

1. Complete the University Graduate College Application. 

Include the following required materials with your application:

  • Two letters of recommendation (a third letter of recommendation is optional). Letters may be uploaded in PDF format and must contain the recommender’s contact information (email, telephone, and address) or your references may send their letters directly to UNI via email to admissionsprocessing@uni.edu (IMPORTANT – please make sure they include your full name that matches your application exactly).
  • Statement of Goals/Objectives (personal statement)
  • Resume or CV
  • Any other area-specific requirements that need to be submitted (see Special Area Requirements below)
     

2. Submit your Official Transcripts

  • (all students - must be sent directly to UNI from your undergraduate institution – transcripts issued to student are not considered official)
  • and TOEFL/IELTS scores (International students only - please arrange to have these scores sent directly to UNI Admissions from the testing center).
     

3. Complete the School of Music Graduate Studies Application form (Not required for Online Masters in Music Education program applicants).

4. Submit your audition video

  • see Special Area Requirements below

The deadline for submitting your video audition for scholarship consideration is February 1. Audition videos for acceptance into the program (only) are accepted on an ongoing basis all year.

5. Apply for Graduate Scholarships and Assistantships

if you wish to be considered for these (on-campus applicants only).

Further details on these steps, as well as additional information related to admission requirements, fees, deadlines and special area requirements (major-specific information) can be found below. Questions can be directed to Graduate Coordinator Ann Bradfield (ann.bradfield@uni.edu).

School of Music
sheet music

Application Deadlines

For fall admission, all application materials/paperwork [i.e. steps 1, 2, 3 and 5 above] must be submitted online or sent directly to the Office of Graduate Admissions, and these materials must be received prior to February 1. Auditions and interviews must be completed by February 15 for the following school year. For spring admission, all materials must be received and auditions/interviews completed by November 15 for the following spring.

UNI Graduate Application
SOM Graduate Application
Submit Audition Video

How to Apply - Step by Step

Step one:
FILL OUT University Graduate College Application
 

In addition to the School of Music application, the university requires the submission of an Application for Graduate Study (for domestic students) or an International Application for Admission (for international students).

Applications are available from the university or online at http://uni.edu/admissions/apply (domestic and international). Paper copies may also be requested. Applications should be sent directly to the Registrar’s Office (domestic) or Office of Admissions (international) at the address below.
 

‌Grad College Application Process

Step two:
Submit the following documentation directly to the Office of Admissions


Official Transcripts
Official transcripts, sent directly to admissions by the issuing institution (unofficial transcripts or transcripts mailed directly by the student are not acceptable). Electronic transcripts may be requested; contact the admissions office for information

International Students
TOEFL or IELTS score, sent directly from testing agency to Admissions Office

International students (from non-English speaking countries) are required to submit proof of a minimum TOEFL score of 550 (written), 213 (computer) or 79 (Internet). Scores should be sent directly to Office of Admissions at the address below.

Application Fees
(see UNI Graduate Application for detailed information)

 

Where do I send my materials?

Option 1: ELECTRONIC SUBMISSION (preferred)
Most things can be attached to your main application. Anything else can be emailed to admissionsprocessing@uni.edu

Option 2: To submit paper applications and hard copies of materials, mail to:

UNI ADMISSIONS
002 Gilchrist Hall
University of Northern Iowa
Cedar Falls, IA 50614-0018

Please note: The Graduate Record Examination (general test) is NOT required for admission to the MA or the MM degree programs.

 

Step three:

FILL OUT School of Music Application Form
 

‌Complete the Online Application

To request an application packet by U.S. mail, please contact:

Graduate Studies - School of Music
Russell Hall 115
University of Northern Iowa
Cedar Falls, IA 50614-0246
319-273-GRAD (4723)
music@uni.edu

Step four:

Special Area Requirements – arrange and/or submit your audition, interview, and/or portfolio

Please refer to the specific instructions for your area of application under "SPECIAL AREA REQUIREMENTS" at the bottom of this page.

View Special Area Requirements

 

Step five:

Graduate Assistantship and Scholarship Applications

If you wish to apply for GA and/or scholarship support, please fill out and submit the GA and scholarship applications – follow the instructions on the forms.

‌Application for GA & Position Descriptions

‌Application Form for Graduate College Tuition Scholarship

Special Area Requirements

Master of Arts

In-person interview/audition in area of concentration (audio recordings are permissible if an in-person audition would pose undue hardship), or submission of scores or writing samples if you wish to focus on composition, theory or music history. See Master of Music - Performance for area listings for applied study.

Master of Music - Composition

Interview and portfolio with recordings of compositions.

Contact Dr. Daniel Swilley for specific requirements: daniel.swilley@uni.edu. 

Master of Music - Conducting

In-person audition and interview with at least two members of the Graduate Conducting Faculty. It is also recommended that the applicant have two years of conducting experience beyond the baccalaureate degree. A video/DVD recording may be submitted in lieu of the in-person audition, but may not satisfy the audition requirement.

Tapes/DVD's should be of high quality and show the applicant in rehearsal situations, though performance recordings may also be included. Video recordings should include two (2) or three (3) works of varying styles, and be taken so as to clearly indicate the conductor's facial and other physical gestures. Contact Dr. Danny Galyen for additional information: danny.galyen@uni.edu.

Master of Music - Jazz Pedagogy

In-person audition and interview. Also, applicants must submit an essay of interest (no more than 2 pages) outlining experiences in jazz performance, composition, arranging and/or teaching, as well as stating professional goals in any or all of these areas.

Contact Chris Merz for additional information: chris.merz@uni.edu.

Master of Music - Music Education

For information on the online Music Education MM program visit https://online.uni.edu/online-programs/graduate-programs/music-educatio…

Please note: the distance learning program is offered cooperatively with the Online & Distance Education program and is NOT eligible for Graduate College scholarship or assistantship support, but returning UNI students ARE eligible for the PACE scholarship.

Master of Music - Music History

Interview and writing samples consisting of scholarly paper(s) from undergraduate studies coursework. Contact Dr. Alison Altstatt if you need additional information: alison.altstatt@uni.edu.

Master of Music - Performance

In-person audition (audio recordings are permissible if an in-person audition would pose undue hardship). If you are sending a recording, a DVD or video files are the preferred media for submission. You may send DVDs directly to the Office of Graduate Admissions. If you are submitting a video file, please email the file directly to music@uni.edu. 

Audition Requirements & Contacts

String Applicants

Contact Dr. Erik Rohde for audition requirements and to arrange your audition date: erik.rohde@uni.edu. 

Piano/Organ Applicants
  1. Perform three contrasting, memorized works. *In-person audition (audio recordings are permissible if an in-person audition would pose undue hardship).
  2. Provide solo repertoire list.
  3. Provide vocal and instrumental accompaniment/chamber music list. 

Contact Prof. Randall Harlow at randall.harlow@uni.edu to arrange your audition.

Percussion Applicants

Please prepare solos/etudes on the following three instruments: concert and rudimental snare drum, mallet keyboard (marimba, vibes, or xylophone), and timpani. Auditionees are encouraged to prepare additional areas such as multi-percussion, world-drumming, drumset, or orchestral excerpts for full music scholarship eligibility. Please reach out to the percussion faculty at percussion@uni.edu for further guidance regarding audition repertoire.

Graduate Percussion Audition Requirements:

  • Snare Drum
    • Orchestral Snare Drum Solo/etude (Delecluse or similar)
    • Rudimental Snare Drum Solo/Etude (Pratt, Tompkins, etc)
  • Mallets
    • One substantial works for marimba/vibraphone appropriate for a recital that demonstrates technical and musical proficiency
  • Timpani
    • 4-Drum Solo or Etude (Carter, Firth, Delecluse, Hochrainer, etc.) which demonstrates proficiency in tuning, technique, and musicality
  • OPTIONAL: You may also demonstrate proficiency in one or more of the following areas (these elements may be video recorded):
    • Multi-Percussion
    • Drum Set
    • World Percussion
    • Orchestral Excerpts
Woodwind Applicants

Flute: 

  1. Mozart Concerto in G Major or D Major, complete, including cadenzas; memorization encouraged but not required.
  2. A complete multi-movement sonata, a through-composed sonatina, or a concerto from the major repertoire. Examples include works by Bach, Bonis, Coleman, Dutilleux, Feld, Hindemith, Ibert, Martinu, Nielsen, Poulenc, Prokofiev, Reinecke, etc.
  3. A 20th/21st Century work for unaccompanied flute.
  4. Three contrasting orchestral excerpts. 

Please contact Dr. Porter-Occeña at hannah.porter-occena@uni.edu for further guidance regarding audition repertoire.

Oboe: 

  1. A movement from a major concerto. Examples include Mozart, Vaughan Williams, Strauss, Martinu, Vivaldi, etc.
  2. A complete sonata, unaccompanied work, or work with electronics
  3. Two contrasting major orchestral excerpts 

Please email Dr. Peyton at heather.peyton@uni.edu for further guidance regarding audition repertoire.

Clarinet: 

  1. All major and minor scales from memory
  2. Mozart Clarinet Concerto, mvt. 1 exposition
  3. A second complete work of your choice, preferably from the 20th or 21st century
  4. Choose three from the following list of orchestral excerpts
    1. Beethoven Symphony No. 6 mvts. 1 and 2
    2. Beethoven Symphony No. 8 mvt. 3
    3. Borodin Polovtsian Dances No. 8 solo
    4. Brahms Symphony 3 mvts. 1 and 2
    5. Kodaly Galanta Dances
    6. Mendelssohn Scherzo from a Midsummer Night’s Dream
    7. Prokofiev Peter and the Wolf
    8. Rachmaninoff Symphony No. 2 mvt. 3
    9. Respighi Pines of Rome
    10. Rimsky-Korsakov Capriccio Espagnol mvt. 1
    11. Stravinsky Firebird, Variation
    12. Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5 mvts. 1 and 2

Please contact Dr. McCandless at amanda.mccandless@uni.edu with any questions.

Bassoon: 

  1. Two scales of your choice (one major and one minor, in three octaves). 

  2. Two contrasting movements from a standard Baroque, Classical or Romantic Concerto: Antonio Vivaldi, W. A. Mozart, C. M. Von Weber, A. N. Hummel, etc.

  3. One movement from a standard 20th/21st-Century work for bassoon and piano or a solo unaccompanied 20th/21st-Century work

  4. Three contrasting standard orchestral excerpts (examples: one technical, one high register, and one lyrical excerpt)

Please email Dr. de Paula at brisa.depaula@uni.edu with any questions regarding audition repertoire.

Saxophone: 

  1. All Major and minor scales, full range
  2. A full standard concerto, such as:
    1. Paul Creston, Concerto
    2. Pierre Max Dubois, Concerto
    3. Alexander Glazunov, Concerto
    4. Husa, Concerto
    5. Jacques Ibert, Concertino da Camera
    6. Lars-Erik Larrson, Concerto
    7. Jeanine Rueff, Concertino
    8. Henri Tomasi, Concerto
  3. A standard sonata or other work for saxophone and piano, such as:
    1. Fernande Decrucke, Sonate en ut#
    2. Alfred Desenclos, Prelude, Cadence, et Finale
    3. Jindrich Feld, Sonata(Alto)
    4. Ida Gotkovsky, Brilliance
    5. Claude Pascal, Sonatine
  4. A late 20th or 21st century unaccompanied composition, such as:
    1. Ryo Noda, Mai
    2. Christian Lauba, Balafon
    3. Barry Cockroft, Kuku
    4. Jindrich Feld, Suite Rhapsodica
    5. Joan Tower, Wings
    6. Victor Morosco, Blue Caprice

Please email Dr. Bradfield at ann.bradield@uni.edu if further guidance is needed regarding audition repertoire.

Brass Applicants

Contact the applied teacher for the area in which you wish to study for audition requirements and to arrange your audition date. 

Audition requirements for MA/MM Horn candidates:

  • 1st Movement of Mozart 2 or 4 (with cadenza)
  • Twentieth Century/Contemporary Unaccompanied Solo
    • Examples:
      • Arnold Fantasy
      • Krol Laudatio
      • Likhuta I Threw a Shoe at a Cat
      • Raum Confessions of St. Augustine
  • Excerpts:
  • Two Octave Scales & Arpeggios (one of each):
    • Major
    • Natural Minor
    • Harmonic Minor
    • Melodic Minor
    • Chromatic Scale (three octaves)
Vocal Applicants

Graduate and artist diploma voice audition repertoire requirements: 15-20 minutes of stylistically varied classical vocal repertoire demonstrating the applicant’s ability to sing in the following languages: English, French, German and Italian. Other foreign languages are permitted in addition to the four required languages listed above. With the exception of an oratorio aria, all selections are to be sung from memory. Audition selections should not include musical theater, choral, hymns, popular music, jazz, or selections outside of "classical" vocal literature. 

Please review the voice division information for graduate applicants on their page here: https://music.uni.edu/voice. Please email voice@uni.edu to schedule an audition or interview. While on-campus auditions are encouraged, video submissions and Zoom interviews may also be arranged. 

Master of Music - Piano Performance and Pedagogy
  1. Perform three contrasting, memorized works. *In-person audition (audio recordings are permissible if an in-person audition would pose undue hardship).
  • Provide solo repertoire list.
  • Provide vocal and instrumental accompaniment/chamber music list.
  • Provide a scholarly paper from undergraduate studies coursework.

Please contact Prof. Andrea Johnson (andrea.johnson@uni.edu) to scheduled your audition. 

Artist Diploma

Please contact the applied professor or area chair for your instrument or voice, as listed above.