Composition

The School of Music offers a BA/BS in Composition major for students who want to study composition in addition to following their other passions in college.

Click here for more information about this Undergraduate Major Option.

The BA/BS Composition application is the same as the Bachelor of Music. 

Notice for prospective international students

UW–Madison is awaiting approval for the new BA/BS Music Composition option by the Student & Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) before we are able to accept prospective F-1 students into this named option or issue a Form I-20 for this program.

F-1 students may apply for other majors and options they have been admitted to in the School of Music, but cannot select the BA/BS Music: Composition option until the program is approved. If you have questions please contact our Academic Advisor Todd Reck at ugradadvisor@music.wisc.edu

For students who want to focus their college career predominantly on the subject of music composition, the School of Music offers a Bachelor of Music degree in Composition.

Click here for more information about this Undergraduate Degree Option.

Admission Requirements

In addition to the School of Music application process, consideration for admission will be based on (1) a portfolio of compositions, and (2) a recorded performance audition on an orchestral or band instrument, piano, voice or guitar.  

Current UW–Madison students who have taken, or are currently taking Musica Practica 1, can apply for spring admission to the composition major. All other prospective composition majors are considered for fall admission only. All materials must be submitted by January 31, with the exception of spring applicants who must submit their portfolios by November 30. Admission decisions will be communicated in early March for fall applicants, and late December for spring applicants.

The portfolio of compositions should consist of:

• Three scores of original compositions, for a variety of performance media, if possible. For example, music for solo instruments, for chamber ensembles, for orchestra, band, chorus, and/or electronic media.  At least one handwritten score is suggested, but is not a requirement.
  • Scores do not need to be computer generated.  Submitting entirely handwritten scores is acceptable, as are graphic/chart scores.
  • The submission of three complete scores is a strict requirement.  The submission of three scores of original compositions is the most important part of the composition portfolio.  Any composition portfolio that does not contain three complete scores cannot be considered for acceptance to the music major.
• Audio Recordings of the applicant’s three scores.  It is required that at least one of the recordings be of a performance by traditional acoustic instruments — that is, not a MIDI realization.
  • At least one recording must be a live performance.  This recording does not have to be from a recital but can be a home recording, if preferred.  Video recordings are acceptable.  At least one live instrumental rendition is strictly required.
• A complete list of your compositions, including dates of composition, performance media, and durations, along with a list of any awards or honors in composition that you may have received.
• The recorded performance audition should be submitted via audio or video recordings (applicant’s choice) of 10-15 minutes of music composed by someone other than the applicant (preferably more than one composition, although excerpts are acceptable). It should reflect and demonstrate, to the extent possible, the breadth and depth of the general musical performance ability of the applicant; the repertoire should be chosen by the applicant with that consideration in mind. This part of the application materials is especially helpful in the case of applicants who have little previous instruction of experience in composition.
• An essay approximately 1-2 pages in length (double spaced, standard font) explaining your desire to study composition at UW–Madison. The essay should demonstrate the ability to think logically and communicate clearly and creatively.

Materials must be submitted via Google Drive.  Composition files should be shared with the main music admissions email address (admissions@music.wisc.edu), as well as Prof. Laura Schwendinger (lschwendinge@wisc.edu) on Google Drive.

When uploading your composition portfolio to Google Drive, please label it as “Composition Portfolio – [applicant’s full name].”  Please organize your composition portfolio documents as five separate folders, one for the applicant’s three scores, one for the applicant’s corresponding audio composition recordings, one for the applicant’s composition list, one for the applicant’s recorded performance audition, and one for the applicant’s essay.  Whenever possible, please make sure that the five folders display in the order of Scores, Sound Files, Composition List, Recorded Audition, and Essay.

If you wish to submit any additional composition files for consideration (such as additional scores or additional composition sound files), you may do so via an optional sixth folder titled “Additional Materials.”  The Composition area will mainly base their music admission decisions based off the materials in an applicant’s five main subfolders, so please be sure to include your strongest work in those folders.

Admission decisions will be communicated in early March for fall applicants. The Composition area cannot provide feedback on composition portfolios.

If you have any questions about submitting your composition materials, contact the Undergraduate Admissions Coordinator at admissions@music.wisc.edu.

Admissions

Please see the Graduate Admissions page for detailed information on application requirements. Be sure to review the “Graduate Application Guide” as well as the additional information for the Composition area. When filling out the Graduate School application, be sure to apply for MM: Music Performance.

Degree Requirements

For detailed information on coursework, exams, recitals, etc., please visit the Graduate Advising KnowledgeBase. Be sure to check out the Composition degree worksheet for specifics.

Admissions

Please see the Graduate Admissions page for detailed information on application requirements. Be sure to review the “Graduate Application Guide” as well as the additional information for the Composition area. When filling out the Graduate School application, be sure to apply for DMA: Music Performance.

Degree Requirements

For detailed information on coursework, exams, recitals, etc., please visit the Graduate Advising KnowledgeBase. Be sure to check out the Composition degree worksheet for specifics as well as a 3-year timeline and explanation of doctoral milestones.

Doctoral Minor – Required for all Doctoral programs

The purpose of the doctoral minor is to add breadth and depth to the DMA or PhD degree. To insure coherence a minor program must be approved by the appropriate department, a student’s advisor, or the Director of Graduate Studies, and must include courses at the 300-level or above. Typically, a minor requires 12 credits of work.

Students have a variety of options, including completing an internal minor within the School of Music (e.g., a DMA conducting student who minors in ethnomusicology or a PhD in music theory who minors in clarinet performance), completing a minor in a department outside the School of Music (e.g., a DMA in horn performance who minors in Women’s Studies or a PhD in ethnomusicology who minors in East Asian studies).

Students may, in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies, devise a distributed minor that brings together courses from a variety of departments around a particular topic or area of interest. For example, a DMA student in voice devises a minor in vocal health that includes courses in communicative disorders, or a PhD student in musicology devises a minor in Medieval History that includes courses in art history, history, and languages.