Application Process

1. Read through the Admissions Information page.
2. The application deadline for Fall 2023 admissions for the MM or DMA program is December 10, 2022 .  NOTE:  The application will reopen for MM and DMA applicants in Bass, Bassoon, Clarinet, Flute, and Percussion between April 3, 2023 and April 7, 2023 (applicants will have up until 11:59pm EDT on April 7, 2023 to submit the application during this reopening).
3. Complete the application on Slate, the SBU Office of Graduate and Health Sciences Admissions' application online service, found here: https://graduateadmissions.stonybrook.edu/apply/
4. Official transcripts must also be sent directly to the Office of Graduate and Health Sciences Admissions by December 10, 2022.  
5. If you send hard copies, the mailing address is:

Office of Graduate and Health Sciences Admissions
Health Sciences Tower, Stony Brook University
Level 2, Room 271
Stony Brook, NY 11794-8276

If you have an electronic transcript sent, have it sent to:

gradadmissions@stonybrook.edu

REQUIRED MATERIALS FOR APPLICATION

• M.M. in Performance

  1)    Applications – submitted through the Office of Graduate and Health Sciences Admissions'  application system (Slate) (link on this page, above).

  2)    Application Fee – paid through Slate.

  3)    Personal Statement - submitted through Slate.  Please indicate what you hope to accomplish from your graduate studies, what your career goals are, and what music or musicians have influenced your path as a musician. 

  4)    Resume/CV - submitted through Slate.

  5)    Three (3) Letters of Recommendation – recommenders submit through Slate. At least one letter should be from an instructor who is familiar with your academic work.

  6)    Transcripts – required from each college/university you attended, and submitted through Slate.  You MUST also send official transcripts to the Office of Graduate and Health Sciences Admissions by the December 10, 2022 deadline. 

  7)    One Academic Paper – Submit one original paper in music research, analysis or criticism that demonstrates your ability to carry out scholarly work in music.  The paper, typically generated in prior course work, should be at least ten pages in length and demonstrate knowledge of proper bibliographic citation practices (your paper must contain a bibliography).

  8)    TOEFL Scores (if applicable):

  Applicants whose native language is not English who have received/will receive a degree from an English-speaking institution will not have to supply a TOEFL score (or approved equivalent) for the purposes of admission. 

  Applicants who only have received/will receive an Artist’s Diploma or Advanced Graduate Certificate in an English-speaking institution will be required to  provide a TOEFL score (or approved equivalent) for the purposes of admission.

  Applicants whose native language is not English and have not received/will not have received a degree from an English-speaking institution will be required to provide a passing TOEFL (or approved equivalent- see below for acceptable tests) score in order to be admitted.  For any test, the most recent scores are counted, and the test must not be more than two years old at the time of application (this means that tests taken prior to January 2021 cannot be considered for Fall 2023 admissions).

  Tests Accepted: Stony Brook University accepts either TOEFL or IELTS scores.  For Fall 2022, Stony Brook University is also accepting Duolingo, TOEFL IBT Special Home Edition and IELTS Indicator.  Currently, Stony Brook University does NOT accept TOEFL My Best Score.  

  Reporting of Scores:

  • For TOEFL or TOEFL IBT Special Home Edition, have ETS send scores to Stony Brook University using code 2548.  Only electronic transmission of scores from ETS to Stony Brook University is considered official for TOEFL scores – copies of your results are not acceptable.
  • For IELTS, have the organization mail an official score report to the Music department. 
  • For IELTS Indicator, email the score results you receive to the Graduate School at gradadmissions@stonybrook.edu.
  • For Duolingo scores, email the score results you receive to the Graduate School at gradadmissions@stonybrook.edu.

  Minimum Scores

  Minimum score requirements are as follows:

  • TOEFL or TOEFL IBT Special Home Edition: 80 for MM applicants
  • IELTS or IELTS Indicator: An overall score of 6.5 with no subsection below 6
  • Duolingo: 105 for MM applicants

  Spoken English

  All students with a TA/GA stipend whose native language is not English and who have not received/will not have received a degree from an English-speaking institution must demonstrate a sufficient level of English-speaking proficiency and may be required to take English courses based on these measures. Proficiency is determined by the speak subsection score. For TOEFL/TOEFL IBT Special Home Edition and IELTS/IELTS Indicator speak subsection scores, please see the chart below:

  TOEFL iBT Speak	IELTS Speak	Course Requirement	Result
  25-30	7.5 or higher	none	Eligible to TA
  22-24	6.5-7	OAE 594	Eligible to TA
  19-21	6	OAE 592	Eligible to run recitation and lab sessions and/or grade
  15-18	5-5.5	OAE 590	Not eligible to TA

  Duolingo scores will be assessed by Stony Brook University’s Linguistics department for placement into OAE courses for doctoral students and masters students who were given a TA or GA.

  More information

  Please see the Graduate Bulletin for further information:

  https://www.stonybrook.edu/sb/graduatebulletin/current/admissions/requirements/english.php

  9)    Pre-Screening Recordings – ALL Bassoon, Clarinet, Flute, Jazz, Violin and Voice applicants MUST submit a pre-screen recording (on Slate) in order to be considered for a live audition (both MM and DMA).  Since this is submitted through Slate, the recordings must be uploaded to Slate in order for the application to be submitted by the December 10, 2022 deadline.  

  10)   GRE Scores - GRE scores are not required for applicants to the MM program.

• D.M.A. in Performance
   

  1)    Application – submitted through the Office of Graduate and Health Sciences Admissions' application system (Slate) (link on this page, above).

  2)    Application Fee – paid through Slate.

  3)    Personal Statement - submitted through Slate.  Please indicate what you hope to accomplish from your graduate studies, what your career goals are, and what music or musicians have influenced your path as a musician.
  

  4)    Resume/CV - submitted through Slate.

  5)    Three (3) Letters of Recommendation – recommenders submit through Slate. At least one letter should be from an instructor who is familiar with your academic work.

  6)    Transcripts – required from each college/university you attended, and submitted through Slate.  You MUST also send official transcripts to the Office of Graduate and Health Sciences Admissions by the December 10, 2022 deadline. 

  7)    Two (2) Academic Papers – Submit two original papers in music research, analysis or criticism that demonstrate your ability to carry out scholarly work in music.  The papers, typically generated in prior course work, should each be at least ten pages in length and demonstrate knowledge of proper bibliographic citation practices (each paper must contain a bibliography).

  8)    TOEFL Scores (if applicable):

  Applicants whose native language is not English who have received/will receive a degree from an English-speaking institution will not have to supply a TOEFL score (or approved equivalent) for the purposes of admission. 

  Applicants who only have received/will receive an Artist’s Diploma or Advanced Graduate Certificate in an English-speaking institution will be required to  provide a TOEFL score (or approved equivalent) for the purposes of admission.

  Applicants whose native language is not English and have not received/will not have received a degree from an English-speaking institution will be required to provide a passing TOEFL (or approved equivalent- see below for acceptable tests) score in order to be admitted.  For any test, the most recent scores are counted, and the test must not be more than two years old at the time of application (this means that tests taken prior to January 2021 cannot be considered for Fall 2023 admissions).

  Tests Accepted: Stony Brook University accepts either TOEFL or IELTS scores.  For Fall 2022, Stony Brook University is also accepting Duolingo, TOEFL IBT Special Home Edition and IELTS Indicator.  Currently, Stony Brook University does NOT accept TOEFL My Best Score.

  Reporting of Scores:

  • For TOEFL or TOEFL IBT Special Home Edition, have ETS send scores to Stony Brook University using code 2548.  Only electronic transmission of scores from ETS to Stony Brook University is considered official for TOEFL scores – copies of your results are not acceptable.
  • For IELTS, have the organization mail an official score report to the Music department. 
  • For IELTS Indicator, email the score results you receive to the Graduate School at gradadmissions@stonybrook.edu.
  • For Duolingo scores, email the score results you receive to the Graduate School at gradadmissions@stonybrook.edu.

  Minimum Scores

  Minimum score requirements are as follows:

  • TOEFL or TOEFL IBT Special Home Edition: 90 for DMA applicants
  • IELTS or IELTS Indicator: An overall score of 6.5 with no subsection below 6
  • Duolingo: 110 for DMA applicants

  Spoken English

  All students with a TA/GA stipend whose native language is not English and who have not received/will not have received a degree from an English-speaking institution must demonstrate a sufficient level of English-speaking proficiency and may be required to take English courses based on these measures. Proficiency is determined by the speak subsection score. For TOEFL/TOEFL IBT Special Home Edition and IELTS/IELTS Indicator speak subsection scores, please see the chart below:

  TOEFL iBT Speak	IELTS Speak	Course Requirement	Result
  25-30	7.5 or higher	none	Eligible to TA
  22-24	6.5-7	OAE 594	Eligible to TA
  19-21	6	OAE 592	Eligible to run recitation and lab sessions and/or grade
  15-18	5-5.5	OAE 590	Not eligible to TA

  Duolingo scores will be assessed by Stony Brook University’s Linguistics department for placement into OAE courses for doctoral students and masters students who were given a TA or GA.

  More information

  Please see the Graduate Bulltin for further information:

  https://www.stonybrook.edu/sb/graduatebulletin/current/admissions/requirements/english.php

  9)    Pre-Screening Recordings – ALL Bassoon, Clarinet, Flute, Jazz, Violin and Voice applicants MUST submit a pre-screen recording (on Slate) in order to be considered for a live audition (both MM and DMA).  The recordings must be uploaded to Slate in order for the application to be submitted by the December 10, 2022 deadline.

  10) GRE Scores - GRE scores are not required for applicants to the DMA program.