Graduate Entrance Exam Results

Accessing your Results

If you completed the submission form at the end of your exam, the results of your exam will be posted within two weeks to the spreadsheet below. Please be advised that this spreadsheet is only accessible to NYU email addresses. You'll need to sign in to your NYU account to access your results. 

DMA Applicants: If you included your application number in the submission form, you can access the results of your exam prior to being admitted here.

Interpreting Results and Completing Remedial Coursework

See below for assistance interpreting your results. Note that your advisor also has access to your results and will be able to advise on an appropriate course plan. Remedial coursework must begin in the first semester or as soon as possible, and must be satisfied prior to graduation. All remedial courses require a registration code; your advisor can register you for any of these courses or you may request a permission code to register using the registration consent form here. Note: Remedial courses cannot be used to meet degree requirements. 

Did you take the exam prior to Spring 2024? Our graduate entrance exam and remedial requirements have changed. If you completed your exam prior to Spring 2024, see the second section below "For Graduate Students Admitted Prior to Spring 2024."

Remedial Music Theory Courses Required:

This column lists any required remedial music theory courses, based on the results from your music theory entrance exam. 

• PASS: Indicates that no remedial music theory courses are required. You may begin taking graduate music theory electives. See the list of options here. 

• FUND: You are required to take Music Fundamentals (MPATC-GE 2301). This course covers topics in both written and aural fundamentals. If this course is required, it must be completed prior to registering for Graduate Review of Theory or Graduate Review of Aural Skills. This course is offered in both the fall and spring semesters.

  • • This course is also offered in the summer as an online accelerated course. If you placed into Fundamentals with the note:  "Eligible Summer Fundamentals", you are eligible to enroll in the course and can fill out the registration form here. If you placed into Fundamentals without the note "Eligible Summer Fundamentals",  you will need to enroll in the full-semester Fall or Spring Fundamentals course rather than the accelerated summer version. For more information, see here. 

• Theory: You are required to take Graduate Review of Theory (MPATC-GE 2232). This course covers more advanced topics in written music theory. This course is offered in both the fall and spring semesters. If Fundamentals is also required, Fundamentals must be completed before taking Review of Theory.

• Aural: You are required to take Graduate Review of Aural Skills (MPATC-GE 2035). This course covers more advanced topics in ear training and sight singing. This course is offered in both the fall and spring semesters. If the Graduate Review of Theory course is also required, this course must be completed prior to or concurrently with Graduate Review of Aural Skills. 

• Exam not submitted or pending review: This means that we either we haven't received your exam yet, or it is pending review. If you completed the exam more than two weeks ago, see "Don't See Your Results?" below. 

Number of Remedial History Credits Required: 

Students who have completed a minimum of two music history courses (equivalent to two 2-credit history courses at NYU) as part of their undergraduate or graduate degrees prior to arrival are exempt from supplemental coursework in music history.  If supplemental coursework is required, this column indicates the number of credits still needed. This is based on your advisor's review of your transcript. 

• 0: If "0" is listed, no remedial music history courses are required. You may begin taking graduate music history electives. See the list of options here. 

• 1–4: If a number between 1 and 4 is listed, this is the number of credits you'll need to take from one of the remedial music history courses listed below in order to complete your entrance requirements. Please work with your advisor to select courses most appropriate for your program of study. 

If you disagree with your advisor's review of your music history credits and wish to appeal, you must: 

• Make a request in writing to your advisor’s NYU email address within one week of the results being posted. The request should include the name(s) of the undergraduate course(s) taken that you wish to be re-reviewed. Note: History courses must have been completed within the last five years for Masters and Advanced Certificate programs and within the last 7 years for doctoral programs.  

• If you are not satisfied with the outcome of the discussion and wish to appeal the review further, a formal written appeal should be submitted to the Music Theory/History Program Director, Dr. Sarah Louden, within one week of the email exchange with your advisor.

Graduate Students Admitted Prior to Spring 2024

If you took your exam prior to Spring 2024, your results are in the spreadsheet above, but you'll need to navigate to the appropriate year using the tabs at the bottom of the spreadsheet. Note that the entrance exam and remedial requirements have changed. Please see your advisor or the contact the music theory program if you are still completing your requirements and need assistance in determining any 

Music Theory Result Notes: 

• Fundamentals: This course is offered in both the fall and spring semesters, and during the summer as an online accelerated course. The course number is MPATC-GE 2301. Fundamentals must be completed before taking Review of Tonal Theory I or II. 

• Basic Musicianship 1 or 2: If you took your exam prior to January 2023 and placed into Basic Musicianship I or II, you will now need to take Fundamentals (MPATC-UE 1300) to fulfill the requirement. This single course fulfills the requirements for both Basic Musicianship I and 2. See above. 

• Review of Tonal Theory 1 and 2: These courses are both offered in the Fall and Spring semester. They must be taken in sequence. The course numbers for these courses are MPATC-GE 2930 and MPATC-GE 2931, respectively. 

• PASS: You have passed the music theory portion of the exam and are eligible to take music theory electives. Please check the Course Registration page for a list of available options for the 2022–2023 academic year. 

Music History Result Notes: 

• Music History I, II, III, and IV are offered in both the Fall and Spring semesters. These courses do not need to be taken in sequence. 

  • • The course numbers for these courses in Albert are MPATC-GE 2067, 2068, 2077, 2078 respectively. 

    • Note: These courses will not be offered after Spring 2025. 

• Prerequisite Requirements: 

  • • Music History II: If you placed into Fundamentals on the music theory exam, you'll need to complete this course and register for the Grad Review of Theory before taking this course. 

    • Music History III: We recommend graduate students take this course in the Spring. This course requires Review of Tonal Theory I OR Grad Review of Theory as a prerequisite, placement into Review of Tonal Theory II, or a PASS on the Music Theory Placement Exam. 

• PASS: You have passed the music history portion of the exam. No remedial history courses are needed. 

• EXEMPT: If you are a vocal performance or screen-scoring student, you are exempt from this exam. No results are needed. 

Don't See Your Results?

1) Has it been over 2 weeks since you've taken the exam? 

• Yes: See question 2 below. 

• No: Please allow at least 2 weeks for your exam to be graded. If you don't see your results then, you may return to this page for further instructions. 

2) Did you complete the submission form at the end of the exam? 

• Yes: See question 3 below. 

• No: You will need to complete the submission form before your exam will be graded. Please allow at least 2 weeks on the exam has been submitted. You may access the submission form here: 

  • • Graduate Music Theory Exam

    • Graduate Music History Exam

3) Are you a DMA applicant? 

• Yes: If you are a DMA applicant and did not include your application number in the form, your results will not be posted to the DMA spreadsheet. You may email the music theory program (smusic.theory@nyu.edu) directly two weeks after you have completed your submission form. Once you are admitted as a student, your results should appear on the sheet above. 

• No: If you are sure you completed the submission form and it's been over 2 weeks, please email the music theory program (smusic.theory@nyu.edu) directly to inquire. Include your full name, N number, and the name of the exam you completed (the graduate music theory or graduate music history exam.)