Degree and Diploma Programs
Curtis provides complete and diversified musical training.
Students study with distinguished artist-teachers in private lessons, repertoire classes, and chamber music coachings. These performance experiences are augmented by courses in the musical studies, career studies, and liberal arts departments, as well as uncommonly frequent performance opportunities.
Curtis offers studies toward a Diploma, Bachelor of Music, Master of Music, Post-Baccalaureate Diploma, and Professional Studies Certificate. Additional information about these programs can be found here.
Enrollment Procedures
Upon acceptance to Curtis, all undergraduate students are automatically placed into the non-degree, undergraduate Diploma program. Students who wish to enter the Bachelor of Music program must meet that program’s entrance requirements by submitting the most current official transcript of high school and (if applicable) college academic work, as well as standardized test results (Please note: Submitting SAT scores is optional). Any change from one program to another by post-secondary-school diploma students must be made no later than the end of the second year at Curtis. Diploma students wishing to apply for entrance to the bachelor’s degree program must complete the Degree Program Transfer Application and submit it to the registrar for consideration.
Curtis follows the AP policy of the University of Pennsylvania, available here. Foreign language AP scores of 5 may be awarded 3 college credits, if they are earned in a language that is not the native tongue of the student. No other AP credit will be awarded.
With permission from the dean, students who have completed Curtis’s liberal arts requirements for the Bachelor of Music degree may enroll at no cost at the University of Pennsylvania for additional courses not available at Curtis, under the reciprocal agreement between the two schools.
The Diploma program for post-secondary-school students lasts two to four years. The Bachelor of Music program requires three to five years. The Professional Studies Certificate, Post-Baccalaureate Diploma, and Master of Music programs may be completed in two to three years.
Bachelor of Music
The Bachelor of Music degree is given upon completion of a minimum of 133 semester hours. Students must fulfill a minimum three-year residency, pass all required courses, and have a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 in musical studies and liberal arts courses.
Post-Baccalaureate Diploma
An undergraduate degree or equivalent is required for admission. The post-baccalaureate diploma requires a minimum of 36 semester hours. The program takes two years to complete.
Master of Music
Professional Studies Certificate
This two-year, nondegree Certificate of Professional Studies Program parallels the Master of Music course of study in opera.
No undergraduate degree is required to enter the program and no degree is awarded upon completion. An individual curriculum will be designed by the dean of vocal studies and the student to meet the student’s specific needs in language, musical skills, and coaching.