Admission Requirements

CV or musical résumé detailing your academic and professional history, which should be uploaded within your online application to The Graduate School.

OPTIONAL for Fall 2025 Admission: Graduate Record Examination (GRE).  Official scores must be taken no more than five years before the intended quarter of entry and must come directly from the Educational Testing Service (ETS). Personal copies are not considered official, nor are attested or notarized copies. Please instruct ETS to send scores electronically to the Northwestern University Graduate School, code 1565.

Certifying English Proficiency (TOEFL, IELTS). Much of your success in graduate study will rely on your ability to understand, read, write, and speak English. If your native language is not English, you must certify your proficiency in the English language in one of the following three ways:

1. Provide official scores electronically for either the TOEFL or IELTS exam. The test must be taken no more than two years before the intended quarter of entry. For example, to be considered valid for Fall 2025 admission, TOEFL scores must be no older than September 2023. For the TOEFL, you must score 577 or higher on the paper-based test, or 90 or higher on the internet-based test. For the IELTS, you must receive a score of 7.0 or higher. You will be asked to scan and upload a copy of your score report (if available) while submitting your online application. This uploaded version is not considered “official” and will be used only for preliminary review purposes until your official scores have been received from ETS or IELTS.
2. Provide unofficial transcripts verifying an undergraduate degree from an accredited four-year institution or equivalent, where the language of instruction is English.

3. Provide unofficial transcripts verifying a graduate degree from an accredited institution where the language of instruction is English.

Unofficial transcripts. Submit unofficial transcripts from each post-secondary institution you have attended. The transcript must record all courses taken, all grades received, and all degrees earned. These must be scanned into your application—The Graduate School will not accept mailed copies of your transcript(s) during the admission process. Official mailed copies will be requested should you gain acceptance to the PhD program.

Letters of recommendation. At least two letters of recommendation are required (three for PhD music education applicants), and you will be prompted to enter your recommender information during the online admission process.