Congratulations!
Congratulations on your admission to the College of Music. We are pleased that you have decided to pursue graduate studies at the University of North Texas. As an incoming graduate student, you will attend the New Student Orientation on the Monday and Tuesday before classes begin. To view a detailed orientation schedule, see the page listed in the menu above. During New Student Orientation you will become more familiar with the College of Music, meet various faculty and staff who will be involved in your education, and take a variety of exams that will ensure that you are prepared for your particular course of study (see below). Failure to attend New Student Orientation and/or take the required exams will result in a registration block on your account during subsequent semesters.
How to Communicate with Us
Upon your arrival at UNT, you must use your EagleConnect account for all UNT-related correspondence. Over the course of the summer, the Graduate Studies Office will send you periodic announcements to your EagleConnect account. We thus encourage you to start using this account as soon as possible.
Exams Taken During Orientation
Graduate Placement Exam (GPE)
Most incoming students are required to take the Graduate Placement Exams (GPE) in Music History and Music Theory; however, some are exempt from one or more of these exams based on their academic record. The Graduate Studies Office will send you an email specifying which exams you are required to take.
Graduate Writing Exam (GWE)
All incoming students must demonstrate the ability to write in English. Students who fail to do so by the end of their first semester of study will not be permitted to register for graduate-level courses in future semesters until they have fulfilled this requirement. The College of Music cannot waive this requirement. Failure to fulfill it will affect financial aid, scholarships, and TA/TF positions. Taking the Graduate Preparation Course provided by the Intensive English Language Institute (IELI) does not satisfy this requirement. Students may demonstrate writing proficiency in various ways depending on their degree program:
Area Specific Exams
Incoming students in Composition, Jazz, Piano, and Voice will take one of the following area-specific exams.
Graduate Composition Exam
All graduate composition majors are required to take the Graduate Composition Examination. This 60-minute diagnostic examination assesses the student’s knowledge of contemporary composers and repertoire (through score and listening identification), terminology, bibliographic resources, and other information pertinent to composition in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Results of this examination will be used to advise students in curricular matters and to determine placement in composition-related courses. Contact Dr. Joseph Klein if you have any questions.
Graduate Jazz Exam
MM and DMA students in Jazz Studies who have not submitted acceptable GRE scores should take the Jazz Studies In-House Writing Exam during New Graduate Student Orientation week and should consult the Jazz Studies Website for additional information on jazz studies GRE requirements and the In-House writing exam. Contact Dr. John Murphy if you have any questions.
Graduate Voice Literature and Diction Exam
All graduate voice majors are required to take vocal literature and lyric diction placement examinations. These diagnostic examinations assess the student’s knowledge of repertoire for the voice and rules of pronunciation in Italian, French and German. The results of this examination will be used to advise students in curricular matters and to determine placement in diction and literature courses. See the Voice Handbook for further details.
Planning Your First Semester - How to Register for Lessons
During orientation week, you will plan your course schedule for your first semester and begin working on your degree plan in consultation with your major professor (if you have already been assigned one) and the Senior Graduate Academic Counselor, Dr. Colleen Conlon. We urge you to meet with one or both of these individuals before finalizing your course schedule for your first semester. Before meeting with them, however, please familiarize yourself with the academic requirements associated with your degree plan in the Graduate Catalog as well as with the Schedule of Classes. Graduate level courses begin with 5xxx or 6xxx. Remember to register with the 4- or 5-digit class number, not the course prefix and catalog number.
If you already know your applied instructor, you may be able to register for lessons before orientation. Master's and doctoral students may register for either three or four credit hours of lessons each semester. Contact the appropriate administrative assistant listed for the 4- or 5-digit lesson class number (“code”) you will need to register: Jamel Jackson (Composition), Diana Cooley (Vocal Studies, Keyboard Studies, Conducting & Ensembles), Christine Hill (Instrumental Studies and Early Music Instruments). For Jazz Studies, consult the box labled "Current" on the Jazz Studies Website. If you are an international student, you will need to complete orientation with UNT-International before you can register for any classes, including lessons.