Graduate Studies

Why choose Butler for your master’s degree?

We offer more. With a variety of degree options, including the opportunity for a dual Master’s degree, and competitive tuition rates, you are sure to find a home at the Butler University School of Music. Our graduate students perform in some of the best concert halls in the city located right on campus, study with world-renowned faculty, gain professional teaching experience through the Butler Community Arts School, and enjoy the endless musical and cultural activities Indianapolis has to offer.

Graduates of our program go on to prestigious employers and doctoral programs across the country with recent placements in the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University- Bloomington, the Los Angeles Opera, Princeton University, Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra, Rice University, Eastman School of Music, and more.

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We offer a limited number of graduate assistantships, fellowships, and tuition waivers to students applying for Fall entry and to returning students. Graduate awards are reviewed and renewed annually.

Note: New students applying for entry in the spring semester will not be eligible for a graduate assistantship, fellowship, or tuition waiver, but may apply for the following academic year.

Graduate assistantships and fellowships

A graduate assistantship can cover the following: up to 15 credit hours of tuition per academic year and/or an additional stipend paid over nine months. Any fees outside of tuition, such as Applied Music Instruction fees and housing, are not covered by the assistantship. Assistantships are renewable annually. All graduate assistants work with a faculty or staff supervisor to determine specific duties and schedule. In addition to the positions listed below, we also work with faculty and select students to create custom assistantship positions.

View descriptions of each of the established Graduate Assistantship positions.

Positions can include:

Tuition waivers

Tuition waivers cover part or all of tuition for one academic year. Any fees outside of tuition, such as Applied Music Instruction fees and housing, are not covered by a tuition waiver. Awards typically include:

Applying for an assistantship or tuition waiver

Prospective Students may apply for a graduate assistantship or tuition waiver on the the JCA Graduate Music Supplement portion of the Butler Graduate Application or by completing the following Graduate Assistantship/Tuition Waiver Application. Application deadline is February 1. Only students applying for Fall term entry are eligible for an award.

Current or Returning Students may apply for an award or position by completing the Graduate Assistantship/Tuition Waiver Application. Application deadline is February 1. Students seeking to renew a current assistantship or tuition waiver should express their interest to their direct faculty supervisor or the Director of Graduate Studies.

Note: Many assistantships and tuition waivers require an interview or audition. Students will be contacted via email by the School of Music office to schedule any required interviews or auditions. If you have questions or concerns, please contact JCAadmissions@butler.edu or 317-940-9656.

Additional financial aid

The Office of Financial Aid awards Federal Direct Loans to degree-seeking graduate students enrolled at least half-time (three credit hours). There is no gift assistance for graduate students awarded through the Office of Financial Aid. Federal Direct PLUS Loans for Graduate Students and Private Loans are available to those needing additional assistance.

Graduate students who are studying abroad for credit with their program may be eligible to use loans for associated costs. Learn more about Graduate Financial Aid.

Cost of attendance

For the most up-to-date graduate tuition and fees, visit butler.edu/tuition (be sure to scroll down to the “Graduate Tuition” header and find the Jordan College of the Arts line in the fee chart). In addition to tuition, graduate music students are also responsible for an Individual Music Instruction fee listed under the “Miscellaneous Fees” header; most of the other fees in this section are only applicable to undergraduate students.

Questions? Contact the Office of Financial Aid at finaid@butler.edu or toll free at 877-940-8200.

Application Deadline for Fall Admission is February 15. Contact JCAadmissions@butler.edu for Spring Admission.

Application Steps

Complete the Butler Application which includes a JCA Music Graduate Supplement.
Submit two letters of recommendation. Recommenders should comment on your musical and academic abilities. Letters may be submitted via the Application for Graduate Admission (preferred) or emailed to JCAadmissions@butler.edu.
Submit any required pre-screening materials. See Pre-Screening and Audition Requirements tab below.
Schedule an interview and/or audition. If you are invited to audition and/or interview, you will be contacted via email for scheduling by the School of Music office. If you have completed the above steps and have not yet heard from the JCA Admission office, please email JCAadmissions@butler.edu or call 317-940-9656. Audition requirements are listed below.

International applicants must also submit the following:

TOEFL scores or equivalent proof of English proficiency
A clear copy of your passport
Evidence of financial support

Pre-screening and audition requirements by degree

Please note that although you may request an audition and/or interview date on your application, auditions and interviews must be officially confirmed with the School of Music office. Please do not finalize travel plans until you have confirmed audition/interview details with the JCA Admission office (JCAadmissions@butler.edu or 317-940-9656).

Composition

Pre-screening: Submit a link to your online portfolio on your application for admission. Your portfolio should contain at least three original scores and recordings of representative compositions. It is preferred that you submit your full portfolio via one link to a file sharing service such as Dropbox, Google Drive, etc. rather than links to individual files or recordings. Be sure to set the sharing permissions to “Anyone with link can view” or similar. Questions? Email JCAadmissions@butler.edu.

Audition/Interview: You will be contacted by the School of Music regarding the results of your pre-screening. If you pass the pre-screening, you will be invited to interview with the Composition faculty via an on-campus interview. Virtual interviews are available by request. For the interview, you should bring paper copies of at least three scores to discuss with the faculty. A performance audition is not required.

Choral Conducting

Pre-Screening: Submit a link to a video recording of you in front view conducting at least one recent rehearsal and one recent performance, ideally containing the same repertoire. The repertoire should include at least two selections of contrasting style and/or period. It is preferred that video recordings be submitted as a link to an online source such as YouTube, Dropbox, Google Drive, etc. Be sure to set the sharing permissions to “Anyone with link can view” or similar. Questions? Email JCAadmissions@butler.edu.

Audition/Interview: You will be contacted by the School of Music regarding the results of your pre-screening. If you pass the pre-screening, you will be invited to interview and audition with the choral faculty. The audition will consist of conducting a portion of a Butler choir rehearsal, an informal solo performance on either voice or piano, an aural skills exam, and an interview with faculty.

Instrumental Conducting

Pre-Screening: Submit a link to a video recording of you in front view conducting at least one recent rehearsal and one recent performance, ideally containing the same repertoire, on your application for admission. The repertoire should include at least two selections of contrasting style and/or period. It is preferred that video recordings be submitted as a link to an online source such as YouTube, Dropbox, Google Drive, etc. Be sure to set the sharing permissions to “Anyone with link can view” or similar. Questions? Email JCAadmissions@butler.edu.

Audition/Interview: You will be contacted by the School of Music regarding the results of your pre-screening. If you pass the pre-screening, you will be invited to interview and audition with the instrumental conducting faculty. The audition will consist of a conducting audition, a short demonstration on your primary instrument, and an interview with faculty.

Music Education

Pre-Screening: Submit a video demonstrating your teaching abilities on your application for admission. This should be a 5-15 minute video of you teaching in a typical music setting. No particular content or context is required; this can include large or small group instruction, private lesson teaching, or peer lesson teaching. The video does not need to show the students but should have you visible for the majority of the video. It is preferred that video recordings be submitted as a link to an online source such as YouTube, Dropbox, GoogleDrive, etc. Be sure to set the sharing permissions to “Anyone with link can view” or similar. Questions? Email JCAadmissions@butler.edu.

Audition/Interview: You will work with the School of Music to schedule an interview with one or more members of the Music Education faculty. A performance audition is not required.

Musicology

Pre-Screening: A scholarly paper representing undergraduate music history/musicology work should be included in your application for admission either as a link to the document via file sharing service (ex. GoogleDrive) or as an uploaded PDF. If using file-sharing, be sure to set the sharing permissions to “Anyone with link can view” or similar. The GRE is not required for admission. Questions? Email JCAadmissions@butler.edu.

Audition/Interview: If you pass the pre-screening, you will be invited to interview with one or more members of the Musicology faculty either virtually or on campus. A performance audition is not required.

Performance

Pre-Screening: A pre-screening is required for Voice applicants only. A link to a video recording of a recent performance, such as an undergraduate senior recital, or a new recording of one to two pieces of solo repertoire should be included in your application for admission. It is preferred that video recordings be submitted as a link to an online source such as YouTube, Dropbox, GoogleDrive, etc. Be sure to set the sharing permissions to “Anyone with link can view” or similar. A pre-screening is not required for instrumental areas. Questions? Email JCAadmissions@butler.edu.

Audition/Interview: You will work with the School of Music office to schedule an in-person performance audition. Audition requirements vary by instrument area, please view the MM in Performance page for details. Remember, if you are a vocalist, you will need to pass your pre-screening before being invited to audition.

Piano Pedagogy

Pre-Screening: Submit links to two videos demonstrating your teaching abilities on your application for admission. The videos should include footage of you teaching two different students for a total of 10-20 minutes in length. In the fields provided on your application, please list the ages of the student in each video as well as how long the student has studied piano in total, and how much of that study has been with you (Ex. 6 years old, 1 year total, 1 year with me). The students’ faces do not need to be in the video. It is preferred that video recordings be submitted as a link to an online source such as YouTube, Dropbox, Google Drive, etc. Be sure to set the sharing permissions to “Anyone with link can view” or similar. Questions? Email JCAadmissions@butler.edu.

Audition/Interview: You will be contacted by the School of Music regarding the results of your pre-screening. If you pass the pre-screening, you will be invited to interview with the Piano Pedagogy faculty as well as complete a piano performance audition with the piano faculty. Students invited to audition will be asked to perform two solos from two different historical style periods (Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Impressionist, or 20th/21st Century). Memorization is required. Auditions will also include sight reading.

General admission questions

Contact the Office of Graduate Admission

Audition, assistantships, and curriculum questions

Contact the JCA Admission office:

JCAadmissions@butler.edu
317-940-9656 (local)
800-368-6852, ext. 9065 (toll free)

-OR-

Associate Director of Graduate Studies in Music, Dr. Nicholas Johnson

ndjohns1@butler.edu
317-940-9064 (local)
800-368-6852, ext. 9064 (toll free)

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