Graduate Program Admissions

If you are considering applying to one of Columbia University's DMA or PhD programs in Music, please make sure to read the information below carefully, before contacting anyone in the department. The Department of Music has two graduate programs, PhD in Musicology (in the areas of Ethnomusicology, Historical Musicology or Music Theory) and DMA in Composition. Through a joint program with School of the Arts, there is also a Sound Art MFA Program. Music does not offer any of the following:

  • Graduate degree programs in performance.
  • Graduate degree programs in music education (offered by Teachers College of Columbia University only).
  • Distance learning or online programs. A sustained period of residency in the New York City area is required for Music's PhD and DMA. Doctoral students must be in residence at Columbia for a minimum of 3 and usually 4 years before entering doctoral candidacy.
  • Stand-alone MA programs. Typically, all doctoral students earn the MA by the end of their second year. If you already have an MA in Music, you may be eligible for transfer credits to accelerate your program here, but you will still earn a Columbia MA in the process.

Admission to our graduate program is extremely competitive, and only strong and well prepared candidates for doctoral study should apply. We normally admit between 8 - 11 new students annually in the Fall (there are no mid-year admissions) and receive several hundred applications for these few positions. While Composition, Historical Musicology & Music Theory admit cohorts annually, Ethnomusicology admits cohorts in 2 out of every 3 years (the next application window for Ethnomusicology will be in Fall '24 for Fall '25 admission).  All admitted students are fully funded for five years of study. We do not admit unfunded students, however, we strongly encourage qualified applicants to apply for external funding (i.e. Javits, Ford, NSF fellowships, etc.).

The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) student application opens every year around August 1st. Applications are typically due in mid-December and offers are made in March. Admitted applicants must respond to an offer of admission to accept or decline by April 15th.

The requirements listed below are specific to the Department of Music and must be read in conjunction with the general requirements of GSAS. Prospective applicants should be sure to read the GSAS Prospective Students page, the GSAS Department of Music Admissions page and the GSAS Admissions page. This is the portal for online application and contains key information regarding requirements and deadlines for applicants.

Admissions Requirements for Music

  • Proficiency in advanced contrapuntal writing and mastery of tonal forms are desirable.
  • Demonstrated proficiency in English, either through native language or qualifying exam.
  • Curriculum Vitae (CV)
  • 3 audio or video work samples, each accompanied by musical scores and/or other documentation of process (should be submitted via the Supplementary Media section of the online application).
  • 1 writing sample/essay on a musical topic (8-10 pages).
  • 3 letters of recommendation (at least two of them from academic recommenders).

We strongly encourage all applicants to use the online application system to directly upload these materials with the application. If you are prevented from doing so by technical difficulties, you may send scores and recordings by mail as hard copy to the following address:

Columbia University
Department of Music
MC1813
2960 Broadway
621 Dodge Hall
New York, NY 10027
USA
Attn: Gabriela Kumar Sharma

Mark the envelope as "DMA APPLICATION MATERIALS". If you would like such materials returned, send packaging that is self-addressed and has appropriate postage attached. We will make every effort to return such materials but we cannot guarantee their safe transit. Please do not send us your only copy of any score, recording, etc.​​​​​​

  • Background in social sciences, preferably in cultural anthropology, is desirable.
  • Demonstrated proficiency in English, either through native language or qualifying exam.
  • Curriculum Vitae (CV)
  • 2 writing samples/essays (10-15 pages each) or 1 long-form writing sample of no more than 40 pages (i.e. BA thesis, MA thesis chapter, seminar paper or published article)
  • 3 letters of recommendation (at least two of them from academic recommenders).
  • Strong foundation in the history and theory of Western music.
  • Demonstrated proficiency in English, either through native language or qualifying exam.
  • Curriculum Vitae (CV)
  • 2 writing samples/essays (10-15 pages each).
  • 3 letters of recommendation (at least two of them from academic recommenders).
  • Strong foundation in the history and theory of Western music.
  • Demonstrated proficiency in English, either through native language or qualifying exam.
  • Curriculum Vitae (CV)
  • 2 writing samples/essays (10-15 pages each).
  • 3 letters of recommendation (at least two of them from academic recommenders).

Additional Info

Please make sure you have read the information on this page and the GSAS pages carefully before contacting anyone in the Department of Music. The Director of Graduate Studies can answer most specific questions about the application process or forward your inquiry to the appropriate faculty member. You can also contact the Area Chair for the subdisciplinary program to which you are applying. When you write an email of inquiry, please include a Curriculum Vitae (CV or résumé) detailing your prior education and any academic accomplishments or relevant employment, and include a succinct description of your research interests and your prior scholarly or compositional training.

For extremely urgent procedural questions that require an immediate answer, you can contact Gabriela Kumar in the Department of Music administrative office at 212-854-2346.

For questions about the details of the admissions process and general admissions requirements, you should contact the GSAS admissions office:

Columbia University
GSAS Office of Admissions
107 Low Memorial Library, MC 4303
535 W. 116th Street
New York, NY 10027
Phone: 212-854-6729
E-Mail: [email protected]

It is quite common that English language proficiency exams scores and some letters of recommendation reach us a few days or a week or two after the deadline. We will review "substantially complete" applications missing one or two items, but if a required item is not submitted by the second week of January, it may not be considered as part of your application, and we will not extend an offer of admission based on an incomplete application. Be aware that the application itself, the part completed online by the candidate through the GSAS website, MUST be completed by the mid-December deadline for consideration.

The GSAS site provides detailed information for international applicants.

For the most commonly asked questions related to admissions, please refer to the GSAS FAQ page.