The three-year Doctor of Musical Arts (D.M.A.) degree in Conducting trains students in the artistic, technical, physical, and leadership skills required of successful conductors at the professional and post-secondary levels. Intensive coursework in conducting, score study, analysis, musicology, and theory is combined with regular opportunities to conduct university ensembles.
Applying to The University of Texas at Austin as a graduate music major is a two-part process that requires separate applications to the University and the Sarah and Ernest Butler School of Music. The Butler School of Music accepts applications for fall semesters only .
Currently enrolled Butler School of Music students applying to continue into a new degree program in the same major or to change graduate majors without a break in enrollment must submit both applications in full.
Former Butler School graduate students who wish to apply for readmission must submit a graduate readmission application. If you are on an official leave of absence, the application fee is waived and readmission is automatic. Former students who are not on official leave may require additional procedures or materials. Consult with the graduate admissions coordinator at the earliest opportunity for instructions specific to your circumstances.
| Application Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Butler School of Music application opens | September 1 |
| University of Texas application due — To meet the regular deadline students should submit the online application by December 1 and all required transcripts and test scores by December 11. | December 1 |
| Butler School of Music application due | December 11 |
| Letters of recommendation due | December 11 |
| Prescreen results and live audition invitations | Mid-January |
| FAFSA priority deadline | January 15 |
| Auditions | January & February |
| Admissions decisions | On or before March 1 |
| Butler School merit-based scholarship award notifications (no additional application required) | On or before April 1 |
| Response deadline | April 15 |
| New student orientation | Mid-August |
You must submit the university application prior to beginning the Butler School of Music application. Detailed application instructions and policies are available from the Office of Graduate Admissions (OGA).
Submit your application for graduate study and pay the required fee.
Three recommendation letters, written within the last twelve months, pertaining to your potential for graduate study in music.
You must submit an official transcript from every senior college you have attended. Even if courses taken at one institution are recorded on a transcript from another college, a transcript must be submitted from the institution at which the courses were taken.
Official transcripts must be complete, must have been generated within the last calendar year, and must show coursework and grades at least through the spring 2024 semester. Unofficial, old or incomplete transcripts will be rejected. International transcripts must include both the original language documents and an official or certified English translation.
Transcripts can be uploaded through your MyStatus page. You do not need to mail paper transcripts to The University of Texas or the Butler School of Music for admissions purposes. Electronic transcripts can also be submitted directly to OGA using Parchment or SPEEDE.
This program does not require a GRE score.
International applicants should review the OGA instructions to determine whether they are required to submit a TOEFL or IELTS score.
Submit a one to three minute video recording on which you verbally introduce yourself and discuss your musical and non-musical interests, goals, creative or volunteer work and reasons for applying to the Butler School of Music.
A 500-word essay outlining your objectives for graduate study, career plans and reasons for applying to our program.
A résumé or curriculum vitae (CV) providing complete information concerning musical training, experience, awards, honors, publications and performance.
A list of all works that you have conducted or rehearsed. If appropriate, you may optionally include a representative list of solo or chamber repertoire you have performed on your primary instrument, including concertos and other large ensemble works featuring prominent solo passages.
The faculty use your prescreening recordings to determine whether or not to invite you for a live, on campus audition. Current Butler School students applying for a further degree and graduate students who are reapplying to end an official leave of absence are exempt from the prescreening requirement. Prescreening results are released in mid-December. Each required repertoire selection should be uploaded as a separate video file.
Indicate your first and second choice audition dates. Please do not make travel plans until you have received an audition confirmation email. We do our best to place applicants on their first choice audition date. If an audition date fills up, we give first choice preference to applications submitted earlier.
