How to Apply

  1. Apply to CSU East Bay via CSUApply.
  2. Submit official transcripts and other required documentation to CSUEB's Admissions Office.

    Check the status of your application and see your outstanding requirements through MyCSUEB.

  3. Check the additional music application information below.
  4. Accept or deny your admission offer.
    1. Log in to your MyCSUEB account and choose the "Admissions" tile.
    2. Select "Accept Admission" from the list and pay the $110 required, non-refundable pre-enrollment fee, applied toward orientation. Once the payment is processed, your admissions status will automatically be updated.
CSUApply
CSUEB Admissions Deadlines

Additional Music Application Information

B.A. in Music

 Official admission offers are sent by the University Admissions office, not the Music Department. If you are admitted to the University, you are admitted into the B.A. in Music.

A few things to know:

  1. It is required for all B.A. in Music majors to successfully take at least 4 semester units of applied (private) lessons.
  2. All music majors in the B.A. in Music program require a successful applied area placement to start taking lessons in their primary area of study. Students only do this once. Once in lessons, students follow the applied jury schedule depending on their entry level.
  3. You don't need to complete your applied area placement right away when you start the B.A. in Music (very common for first-year students, who can build up musicianship before taking lessons), but if you want to graduate in 2 years (most transfer students), you should expect to start lessons right away.
  4. Scholarship audition materials will be considered applied area placements for those applicants who complete them during the application process. See below.

Scholarship Auditions & Applied Area Placements

All music applicants are highly encouraged to apply for a Music Department Scholarship during the application process. You can submit your materials online or audition in person. In-person auditions are preferred, though we understand that not everyone can travel to Hayward. In-person audition dates are announced each application season.

Scholarship auditions have fixed deadlines set in the application season. A standalone applied area placement is more flexible and can happen any time before the end of the first week of the fall or spring semester. If you do not audition for a scholarship, arrange your placement by contacting the music office.

What to prepare

What to prepare depends on your area.

Classical

Area What to prepare
Piano 2 or 3 works of contrasting styles, at least one memorized. Choose from the standard classical repertoire, no more than 10 minutes in total. 20th- and 21st-century works are welcome. Individual movements of multi-movement works, such as sonatas or suites, are acceptable.
Voice 2 contrasting selections totaling no more than 10 minutes. At least one song in a language other than English. Classical songs or arias, folk songs, and musical theater selections are preferred. Selections should be memorized and sung with accompaniment.
Percussion 2 contrasting works totaling no more than 10 minutes (sections of works are acceptable to stay within the time). Show a contrast of instruments, such as snare drum and marimba.
All other instruments 2 contrasting works totaling no more than 10 minutes (sections of works are acceptable to stay within the time).

Jazz

Area What to prepare
Drums Demonstrate the following styles: medium tempo swing, up-tempo 50s bebop, medium tempo jazz waltz, bossa nova (medium), Afro-Cuban (medium to fast), funk, and hip hop (any tempo). Bluetooth access will be provided for backing tracks.
All other instruments 2 contrasting works totaling no more than 10 minutes (sections of works are acceptable to stay within the time). You will also demonstrate improvisation skills. Bluetooth access will be provided for backing tracks.

Composition and production

Area What to prepare
Composition 2 original compositions (PDF scores and audio) that best represent your musical potential and creativity. Any genre or instrumentation. We are looking for both scores and recordings (MIDI export from your notation program is fine).
Production 2 original songs (audio only) that best represent your musical potential and creativity. Any style is welcome.
Sign Up! Scholarship Auditions

M.A. in Music

To be admissible to Cal State East Bay as a classified graduate student, applicants must meet both the University admission requirements and the Music Department's requirements.

University admission requirements

You can find CSU East Bay's graduate admission requirements on the Office of Graduate Studies website. California residents and U.S. citizens with international transcripts are evaluated as international students and processed by the International Admissions Office, though they pay resident fees if they meet the California residency requirement.

Music Department admission requirements

The graduate program requires good academic standing at your most recent college or university.

A bachelor's degree in music from an accredited institution is the usual preparation, and we strongly encourage it, though it is not a strict requirement. We review applicants without one case by case, and self-taught musicians have entered the program and completed it successfully. Where a background has gaps, most often in theory and analysis or in conducting, we may ask you to take a few undergraduate courses alongside the graduate sequence to build the foundation the degree assumes.

Application materials

Applicants submit the following during the CSUApply process:

  1. A curriculum vitae (CV) or résumé.
  2. 2 letters of recommendation, from teachers or colleagues who can assess your readiness for graduate study.
  3. A statement of purpose (2 pages) describing your objectives for a graduate degree in music and your short- and long-term goals.
  4. Evidence of your abilities in your area of emphasis, described below.

Evidence of abilities

Area What to submit
Classical performance, piano A video recording or link of 3 or 4 pieces from multiple style periods, drawn from your senior recital or comparable repertory, including a complete sonata by Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, or a contemporary. Memorization is required.
Classical performance, voice A video recording or link, memorized, including a Baroque aria (sacred or secular) or an operatic aria in Italian; a song by a German Romantic composer, or a French song by Debussy, Ravel, Fauré, Poulenc, Duparc, or Chausson; and a song composed after 1950.
Jazz performance A video recording or link with a blues melody and solo over 3 to 5 choruses, and the melody and solo over 1 to 2 choruses of either a Great American Songbook standard (such as "Stella by Starlight" or "All the Things You Are") or a jazz standard (such as "Moment's Notice" or "Stablemates").
Choral conducting A video recording or link with at least 15 minutes of a rehearsal with a vocal ensemble or choir. You may also include a concert performance video. Final candidates will be invited to campus to audition.
Composition Scores (PDF) and audio recordings (MP3) of 3 or 4 representative compositions for various combinations of instruments and voices. For electroacoustic or tape music, include a PDF information page listing the titles, the software used, and a brief description of your compositional process.

Single Subject Matter Preparation Certificate in Music

The certificate can currently be obtained in 3 ways:

  1. While pursuing a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Music at CSUEB. You must be admitted into the B.A. in Music degree to start the certificate, and follow the B.A. in Music application requirements listed above.
  2. While pursuing a Master of Arts (M.A.) in Music at CSUEB. You must be admitted into the M.A. in Music degree to start the certificate, and follow the M.A. in Music application requirements listed above.
  3. As a stand-alone graduate certificate, for applicants who already hold a bachelor's degree. These applicants apply directly through CSUApply and provide:
    • A curriculum vitae (CV) or résumé.
    • Contact information for 2 references, who will later submit recommendation letters on your behalf.
    • A statement of purpose (2 to 3 double-spaced pages) describing your formal background and training in music and your reasons for wanting to become a K-12 music teacher.
    • Unofficial transcripts from previous higher education institutions.