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Interested in Music at Dartmouth?
Admissions
Dartmouth's Admissions Office welcomes vocal and instrumental recordings and performance videos from first-year applicants who wish to demonstrate extraordinary talent in the performing arts. Please consult the information provided on the Undergraduate Admissions website to submit a Music portfolio with your application. Portfolios must be submitted electronically through the Application Portal; do not send your materials to the Department of Music.
For more information, review these instructions (PDF) and this walkthrough video. Recordings are reviewed by Music Department faculty.
Requirements (PDF)
Major and Minor
Flexible rigor is the guiding philosophy behind our newly redesigned Major, Modified Major, and Minor in Music, each of which functions on an open course count model. This framework centers student agency, maximizes curricular flexibility, and offers pathways as vibrant and varied as the students we serve.
2023-2024 Courses
Our current course offerings are posted on our website. Please note that courses and times are subject to change. For the most up-to-date information, consult the Timetable of Class Meetings.
As you build your course schedule, please note:
- MUS 99 (Proseminar), required for the major and modified major in music, is only offered in the fall term.
- The following courses are offered every fall, winter, and spring term: MUS 53-58 (Individual Instruction Program), MUS 50.1-50.4 (Performance Laboratories), and MUS 59.1-59.6 (Hopkins Center Ensemble Performance and Leadership).
- MUS 50.1 (Performance Laboratory in Chamber Music) is offered every summer term, but IIP courses, other Performance Labs, and Hop Ensemble Performance and Leadership courses are not.
Should I take MUS 1 or MUS 20?
Both MUS 1 (Beginning Music Theory) and MUS 20 (Creative Music Theory I) are intended as welcoming and stimulating introductions to music theory at Dartmouth. MUS 20 is recommended for students with some prior knowledge of music theory fundamentals (e.g., staff notation and simple scales and chords), while MUS 1 assumes no prior knowledge whatsoever of music theory or notation. There is no placement test or prerequisite for either class. Instead, every student may determine for themselves which course is most suitable.
Honors
The Honors Program provides an opportunity for work of greater scope and depth than the music department's standard course offerings. Honors projects typically take the form of independent work that is undertaken over at least two terms and is supervised by one or more members of the music faculty. Please visit our website for a list of previous Honors projects in the Department of Music.
Learning Outcomes
At graduation, music majors will be able to:
- Engage critically with the roots and lineages of multiple musical traditions
- Control and apply tools and techniques that structure sounds into forms
- Demonstrate proficiency in a creative practice that involves musical performance, composition, and/or improvisation
Individual Instruction
Through courses in the Individual Instruction Program (MUS 53-58), student musicians receive weekly private lessons with some of the region's finest instructors. IIP courses are open by audition to all Dartmouth students, regardless of major.
To schedule an audition, please contact the relevant instructor from the list on our Performance Faculty page.
Performance Labs
Performance Laboratory courses (MUS 50) provide weekly coaching and instruction in diverse styles of music in a focused, small-group setting. These courses are open by audition to all Dartmouth students, regardless of major.
- MUS 50.1: Chamber Music
- MUS 50.2: Contemporary Music
- MUS 50.3: Jazz Improvisation
- MUS 50.4: Opera Lab
Hop Ensembles
Auditions for Hop Ensembles are held just before the beginning of the fall term, with winter and spring term auditions scheduled only by arrangement with the ensemble director. Audition requirements differ for each ensemble; please see the ensemble's dedicated webpage for audition information. Questions can be sent to the ensemble directors.
Instruments, Lockers and Practice Rooms
Please see our Facilities and Equipment page for information about practice rooms, instrument and storage locker requests, and room reservations.
