Northern Illinois University is strongly committed toartistry and scholarship in all areas of music. Admission to any undergraduate program in music is determined by specific criteria, which must be met by all applicants.
Admission is a two-part process. Prospective students must apply for admission to the university through the Office of Admissions and are subsequently admitted to an undergraduate program by the School of Music after performing an auditionand meeting other entrance requirements. Undergraduates who are admitted to NIU cannot declare a major in music without School of Music approval.
Initial requests for information aboutundergraduate degrees in music and/or application materials may be made by contacting the School of Music Coordinator of Admissions. Further information aboutthe baccalaureate experience and university undergraduateprograms can be found in the School of Music Student Handbook and in the Undergraduate Catalog. Application forms, current costs, and other important information can be found on the web page of the Office of Admissions.
Advanced Placement (AP) credit for music courses taken in high school is not automatically accepted by the School of Music. In the area of music theory, students who have high AP scores may take the transfer student evaluation examination for possible advanced placement in core courses through proficiency credit.
The School of Music offers a Bachelor of Music degree with emphases in music education, performance, and composition.
The B.A. is designed for students who wish to study music in the context of a comprehensive liberal arts experience.
The B.G.S. degree is offered by the College of Visual and Performing Arts, and allows students to construct individualized programs of study that are different from the university's regular major and minor programs. Typical B.G.S. programs in music might include computer music and new media studies, recording techniques, and other music-related topics. For information about the B.G.S., contact theAssociate Dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts. While some courses for a B.G.S. program may be in the School of Music, application and admission is made through the college, not the School of Music.
A minor in music is not currently offered at NIU.
The School of Music has a number of endowed or university-provided scholarships to help undergraduate music majors complete their baccalaureate degrees. All students are considered for such support at the time of their admission audition,when initial scholarship recommendations are made by the auditioning faculty. After admission, music students may apply for new scholarships or renewal of existing scholarships once each semester.