UNT College of Music: Home

Composition Portfolio Information

Application to the graduate program is a two-part process, including application to the Toulouse Graduate School and to the composition program in the College of Music.

​

Additional information is available on the College of Music Graduate Studies website. Both parts of this application process must be completed by the December 31 to ensure that the application will be evaluated.

​

Graduate students interested in requesting Composition, Computer Music Media, or Contemporary Music Performance as a related field should proceed to the Related Fields section of this website.

​

Applying to the University and the Toulouse Graduate School

Current guidelines regarding application to the University may be obtained as follows:

l  U.S. citizens and permanent resident aliens — refer to the Toulouse Graduate School website (http://www.tsgs.unt.edu).

​

l  International students — refer to the International Admission and Programs website (http://international.unt.edu/international-graduate-application-checklist).

​

​

Applying to the Composition Program and the College of Music

Qualifications

l  Qualified applicants will be expected to have an undergraduate degree in music composition, a portfolio of works, a consistent record of performances, and a commitment to the field of composition as a profession.

​

l  Applicants without a degree in composition will be considered if they can demonstrate competency and potential as a composer, and have successfully completed the following undergraduate courses:

​

ü  Instrumentation

ü  Electroacoustic/Computer Music

ü  18th-Century Counterpoint

ü  Form and Analysis

ü  Composition lessons (at least two semesters)

l  Demonstrated competency in the above areas may be determined during orientation, in lieu of actual coursework. These competencies are the minimum requirements expected of entering graduate students in composition; performance experience is not an application requirement, but is strongly encouraged. Applicants with undergraduate degrees outside of music are encouraged to obtain a second Bachelor's degree in Music, or take equivalent coursework, prior to application.

​

​

Application Procedures

Applicants to any of the graduate programs in composition must submit a completed application and portfolio to the College of Music Admissions Office by December 31 to ensure consideration for acceptance in the following academic year. The portfolio must be submitted electronically with the application, and will include:

​

l  Scores of three representative works.

​

l  Recordings of three representative works, at least two of which should correspond with the scores submitted. MIDI realizations may be used in exceptional cases.

​

l  A current résumé or vita, which includes the following:

ü  A list of original compositions, including title, medium, date composed, and duration.

ü  A list of performances of original compositions, including date, location, and performers.

ü  A list of prizes, commissions, grants, or other honors recently received.

l  Academic transcripts; required from all institutions at which you have enrolled, should be sent to the Toulouse Graduate School directly.

​

l  Official GRE scores; should be sent directly to UNT using the reporting code - 6481 In lieu of the GRE, applicants may request to take a Graduate Writing Examination, administered online by the UNT College of Music between February 1 and March 1 each year.  Please contact the administrative assistant in Composition Studies to make arrangements for this option.

​

l  Letters of recommendation from three persons qualified to evaluate the applicant's accomplishments and merits.

​

l  Writing samples (e.g., research paper, thesis, etc.).

​

l  Personal statement that addresses the following

:

ü  Compositional aesthetics and influences.

ü  Statement of purpose: why are you interested in pursuing graduate studies at the University of North Texas?

ü  Long-range professional goals.

The portfolio materials may be submitted as attachments or linked by URL to a personal website. Physical copies of portfolio materials will not be accepted.

Degree Requirements

Degree requirements for the MA degree and PhD degree in Music with a concentration in composition are listed on the UNT website.
 

General Application Information

l  Please note that application to the Toulouse Graduate School is separate from application to the College of Music, and that admission to the Graduate School does not imply acceptance to the composition program.

​

l  Applications are reviewed at one time each year for acceptance the following fall semester; new applications will not be considered for the spring semester. Applications received after the posted deadline may not be considered.

​

l  Applicants who are selected after the first round of reviews will be notified by the end of January and are expected to schedule an interview at the UNT campus prior to the first Monday in March.

​

l  Applicants will be notified by early April concerning the status of their applications.

​

l  Applicants are expected to submit GRE scores at the time of application in order to be considered for graduate studies in composition. The Graduate Preparation Course (GPC), provided for international students by the Intensive English Language Institute (IELI), will not be accepted as a substitute for the GRE requirement.

​

l  International applicants in composition must apply to the composition program prior to beginning studies at the Intensive English Language Institute (IELI). Acceptance to and/or studies in IELI in no way ensures acceptance to the composition program.

​

l  No performance audition is required in order to apply to the graduate program in composition.

​

                                                                                                                             Updated on 04/26/2019