Note: the examinations described below are for students entering a Master of Music degree program. Students entering the Master of Music Therapy degree or a DMA or Ph.D. doctoral degree program in Music Performance, Composition, Music Education, or Music Therapy take different entrance examinations, which are explained elsewhere on this web site.

 

Graduate Master of Music Diagnostic Examination in

Aural Theory

 

The examination lasts approximately forty minutes and consists of a written portion in which students are asked to identify intervals and chords, to write out a harmonic dictation, and to write out a melodic dictation (played by instruments). 

 

Graduate Master of Music Diagnostic Examination in
Harmony

 

The examination lasts one hour and is in three parts as follows:

Part 1. Realization of a figured bass in either four-part chorale or keyboard style. Provide a Roman numeral analysis under the bass line.
Part 2. Provide a Roman numeral analysis of a four-part chorale style excerpt. Circle and label all non-chord tones.
Part 3. When presented with a brief melody and accompaniment, provide a Roman numeral analysis, bracket and label the cadences, and label the phrase structure.

The Harmony Diagnostic covers both diatonic and chromatic harmony, including applied chords (i.e. secondary dominants), the Neapolitan sixth chord, and augmented sixth chords.

Graduate Master of Music Diagnostic Examination in

Counterpoint

The Counterpoint Diagnostic Examination for Master's degree students is in three parts.

Part 1.  Identification of contrapuntal techniques (e.g. canon, stretto, inversion, diminution). 
Part 2.  Analysis of a fugal exposition, indicating each statement of the subject and answer (real or tonal). Indicate any statements of a countersubject.
Part 3.  Two-part writing: select one out of three possibilities (either a species exercise, free counterpoint, or canon).

 

Graduate Master of Music Diagnostic Examination in
Music History

 

The examination lasts one hour and contains objective questions (multiple choice and/or true/false) covering musical works, composers, forms, styles, terms, and instruments from 1450 to the present.  A few sample questions are:

1. The basso continuo came into use in about which year?
   (a) 1500 (b) 1600 (c) 1650 (d) 1700
2. Who composed Das Lied von der Erde (The Song of the Earth)?
   (a) Mahler (b) Bruckner (c) Brahms (d) Schumann
3. Which of the following instruments would not be found in the score of a symphony by Haydn?
   (a) horn (b) oboe (c) timpani (d) trombone (e) trumpet.