Frequently asked questions
The ASU School of Music, Dance and Theatre is housed on the ASU Tempe Campus in Tempe, which is a part of the Phoenix metropolitan area. Phoenix is the capital of Arizona and the sixth largest city in the United States, with a population of 1.4 million residents (and growing) and more than 500 square miles.
The street address for the Music discipline in the ASU School of Music, Dance and Theatre is 50 E Gammage Parkway, Tempe, AZ 85281.
The street address for the Dance and Theatre disciplines in the ASU School of Music, Dance and Theatre is 1001 S. Forest Mall, Tempe, AZ 85287.
Enrollment in the School of Music, Dance and Theatre averages 1200 students. Enrollment in the music program averages 750, evenly split between undergraduate and graduate students. Roughly half of the graduate students are pursuing master's degrees and the other half pursuing are doctoral degrees.
ASU's Tempe campus population hovers around 50,000 students, while the total university population (all campuses) is around 70,000 students.
Specific enrollment numbers are reported on the ASU Facts website.
Yes, we would love to have you visit in person. The School of Music, Dance and Theatre tours are regularly offered on Mondays and Fridays (time varies depending on the season). Tours typically last 30-45 minutes. Reserve a space for the tour by submitting a Tour Request Form.
Absolutely! We are happy to try to help you schedule a visit that includes classroom, ensemble rehearsal and/or lesson observations. Please contact MDTAdmissions@asu.edu at least two weeks in advance of your anticipated visit.
The music program in the ASU School of Music, Dance and Theatre is not able to admit everyone who applies. Each music studio has a limited number of spaces that varies from year to year. We encourage you to complete a well-prepared application and audition in order to have the best chance at success. For more information on space availability, please contact the faculty in your desired area of study directly.
The number of people admitted varies by area and by year depending on the number of spaces are available in each individual studio or area. We recommend contacting the faculty in your desired area of study directly for an idea of how many students are admitted.
No. We strongly encourage all applicants to apply to ASU Undergraduate Admissions and to the School of Music, Dance and Theatre at the same time. Both applications must be on file in the School of Music, Dance and Theatre by the application deadline in order to be considered for admission.
The reality is that music major courses from the very first semester of study are designed for students who are proficient at reading music. For this reason, being able to read music is expected of all incoming students. The vast majority of successful applicants have had many years of extensive classical or jazz training in their specific area. If you have limited experience in reading music, we strongly recommend enrolling in music classes at a community college to learn basic music skills before applying to the music program in the School of Music, Dance and Theatre.
Below are sample repertoire lists for instrumental/keyboard and vocal applicants.
Instrumental repertoire list sample
You can also use this Microsoft Word document as a template for your repertoire list.
Below is a sample resume for music theatre.
An entrance audition is required of all undergraduate music degrees except the Bachelor of Arts in Music and Culture, for which an audition is required only for applicants who wish to take studio lessons as part of the degree.
There is no entrance audition for dance and theatre degrees; however, dance students are required to attend the dance admissions festival.
Complete application instructions are posted in Steps to Apply. Auditions are only scheduled for students who submit a music application in addition to the ASU Undergraduate Admissions application.
Audition repertoire requirements are posted under "Audition/Interview Dates and Repertoire" on the Auditions site.
Live auditions on scheduled audition days are performed for a panel of faculty in your instrument or voice area. Undergraduate auditions are 10–20 minutes, depending on the area. Most auditions take place in faculty studios or classrooms. Piano auditions are held in Katzin Concert Hall and occasionally in faculty studios. Voice auditions take place in the Recital Hall.
Review audition repertoire requirements for your instrument or voice area here.
On regular audition days, practice rooms are available for warming up before the audition. We ask applicants to be courteous and surrender the room after 20-30 minutes to allow other students to warm up for their auditions.
Practice rooms are available on a first-come, first-served basis on the Friday before each regular audition date.
You may submit a recorded audition as part of your Music Application in lieu of a live audition. Please note that scholarship consideration is prioritized to applicants who perform on-campus auditions.
Audition recordings must conform to the same audition requirements as an on-campus audition unless otherwise noted. DVD, CD, YouTube™ (or similar) submissions received by postal mail or email are not accepted. Refer to Recordings and Portfolios for acceptable formats and submission instructions.
It may also be possible to schedule an ad hoc (by appointment) audition directly with the faculty in your desired area of study. Ad hoc auditions are not available to voice applicants. Further instructions for scheduling ad hoc auditions are posted here.
Applicants are permitted to audition a total of three times on a single instrument, once each semester. Students who enter ASU in the Music Audition track will be required to reapply and re-audition for the music program in the School of Music, Dance and Theatre in the first semester of study, which is explained by the music advisor during orientation.
It is possible to double-major in music and another degree at ASU; however, incoming freshman are required to enter the university in one declared major and to work with an advisor toward petitioning to add a second major after 12 credit hours in the second major have been completed. while completing coursework towards a second major at the same time. Note that it may take longer than four years to graduate with two degrees.
It is also possible to double-major in two different music degrees (such as music performance and music education). The policies outlined above still apply for double-music-majors.
All applicants are automatically considered for scholarships as part of the application process. For programs that require an audition, preference is given to applicants who perform a live audition on the ASU Tempe campus.
In addition to completing the Steps to Apply, you need to submit a Transfer Release Form signed by the music executive at your current institution.