Master of Arts (MA)

Requirements and Deadlines

		Regular Decision	Late Admission
Application and Fees		Dec. 1	May 1
Essays/Recordings		Dec. 1	May 1
English Language Scores		Feb. 1	May 1
FAFSA		Feb. 15	Apr. 1
CSS Profile		Jan. 15	Apr. 1
Transcripts		Feb. 1	May 1
Recommendation Letters		Feb. 1	May 1
Interviews		Feb. 18-23	mid-May
Decision Release		Apr. 1	Jun. 1
Enrollment Deadline		Apr. 15	Jun. 5

Additional Required Application Materials

• Resume

Once you have started your application, you can save your progress and return to your application at any time.

When you have completed your application, you will be able to review and submit it before paying the application fee of $120. Your application will be considered incomplete and will not be reviewed or scheduled for an audition/interview unless we have receive the application fee. If you feel that you qualify for an application fee waiver, please email [email protected] with your request.

After submission you will not be able to make changes to the application itself, but you will be able to edit your portfolio through your application status portal.

Recommendation Letters

You will be asked to submit email addresses for three people who can speak to your performance ability. These people will automatically be emailed with instructions on how to electronically submit their recommendation. While you must submit these email addresses by the application submission deadline, your recommenders will have until the posted deadlines to submit their recommendations.

If you want to change your recommender or their email address after submitting your application, please contact the admissions office at [email protected].

English Proficiency

• International applicants for all programs must submit a verified TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or IELTS (International English Language Testing System) score by the deadlines below.
  • We do not accept the Duolingo English Test. We are now accepting the TOEFL iBT Home Edition if Covid-19 policies in your home country have prevented you from taking the TOEFL at a test center.
• International students currently studying at an institution where English is the primary language, or in the US, should submit a TOEFL/IELTS score if their period of enrollment in that school is less than two years.
  • Students enrolled for two years or longer at a school in which English is the primary language should submit a transcript from this school and do not need to submit an English proficiency test score.
• Test scores will be self-reported on the application but verified test scores must be submitted to Peabody through their respective testing agencies by the deadlines below. Peabody’s TOEFL School Code is 5532.
• Minimum score requirements: TOEFL – 79, IELTS – 6.5 overall band score.
  • We do not accept the TOEFL “My Best Scores”.

If we do not have an official score by the posted deadlines, your application will be considered incomplete and we will be unable to make an admission decision.

Transcripts

Please scan and upload your transcripts from all schools you have attended to our application.

• These transcripts may be an official or unofficial copy.
• Please include classes that are in progress for which you have not yet received grades.
• We will not accept hard copy transcripts during the application process. Transcripts must be uploaded to your application.
• If you are accepted and choose to enroll at Peabody, you must request that your school send a hard copy of your official final transcript before orientation. Without an official final transcript, you will be unable to enroll in classes at Peabody.
• International applicants are required to upload an official English translation of all transcripts

A qualifying undergraduate degree should include 3 years of study following completion of secondary school (or high school) and 25 post-secondary credit hours of non-musical study, the equivalent of 50 European transfer credits (ETCS).

Resume

Upload a copy of your resume.

Essays/Recordings

The MA program has two programs of study. Upload an essay discussing your reasons for pursuing the MA program using the prompt below for the program for which you are applying.

• Acoustics: Expand your essay (1 to 2 pages) describing your background. Include applicable coursework, research, professional, and/or other related experience in audio and acoustics. Describe what you wish to learn from the program with special emphasis on a specific area of interest within the discipline. Include a statement about how this program fits in with your plans for the future.
• Recording Arts & Sciences: Upload examples of your recording work including several kinds of recorded music, annotated with a written description and sketch of the session and/or concerts and a list of microphones used, along with your rationale for using them. Please use .WAV format for all recordings.

Financial Aid

All applicants who complete an audition/interview are automatically considered for Peabody’s merit-based scholarships.

The FAFSA/CSS Profile submission is required for admission. Please note that you must submit the FAFSA if you wish to be considered for need-based aid such as work-study and grant aid. Please visit our Financial Aid page for more information.

Interviews

About a month before your interview, you will receive an invitation from us stating the date and time of your interview. If you have selected the remote interview option, this notification will include a Zoom link. For the MA Recording Arts & Sciences, you will be asked to complete an online evaluation that will help us better assess your knowledge of microphone theory and application, signal flow, and digital audio.