Certificate Program

The Music Certificate Program is a one-year course of instruction designed for advanced, non-degree students wishing to pursue intense and concentrated musical study in conducting, instrumental performance, vocal performance and composition at the pre-master’s or post-master’s level. Prerequisite for enrollment is a bachelor’s degree or an acceptable diploma in music or its equivalent.

Major programmatic emphasis is placed on the development of solo and ensemble skills. Minimum residency of two semesters (summers excluded) at Bowling Green State University is required with 12 hours of earned credit in music courses. Students must maintain a 3.0 grade point average and show satisfactory performance at semester examination juries. A solo recital or concerto performance with orchestra or major musical composition is required. A major operatic role may substitute for the recital at the discretion of the Program Coordinator.

Although the Music Certificate Program is open to all qualified students, the program attracts many international musicians. Past certificate candidates include musicians from all over the world, including China, Russia, Georgia, Armenia, Germany, Italy, Romania, Poland, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Venezuela. International students may enroll in English courses in addition to the 12 credit-hour requirement. Although acceptance into the Certificate Program does not automatically constitute admission to the Graduate College, many certificate students have successfully continued their studies as graduate candidates at BGSU. A maximum of nine credits may be transferred upon petition to other graduate programs in the College of Musical Arts if the candidate is unconditionally admitted to a master’s degree program.

Materials concerning details about the Music Certificate Program at BGSU may be received upon request.

*Please check your spam/junk email folders for correspondence from BGSU. You will get several emails from the College of Musical Arts as well as the Graduate College in regards to auditions and your application and often our emails go directly into spam/junk folders. 

Application Requirements

• Graduate College Music Certificate Program Application
  
• Three Letters of Recommendation
• Official undergraduate transcript
• In-Person or Virtual audition or video uploaded to application (submission of scores for composers)
  Please make sure to review the Audition Requirements        
• Recommended TOEFL score of 61 IBT. (International students only)
  
• International students please see the International Student Services webpage for additional documentation
  

Application Deadline

Application deadlines are March 1 for entry in fall semester; October 15 for entry in spring semester.

Costs and Financial Aid

Tuition and fees for the Music Certificate Program are calculated based on 16 hours of graduate credit, reflecting a full-time load for international students on an F-1 visa. Included in the tuition rates tuition are instructional fees that accommodate a course load of eight credit hours each semester. Certificate students may expand credit and studio instruction for additional cost. Refer to the current tuition rates.

Limited financial scholarships may be available to help offset tuition costs. These competitive awards provide partial payment of instructional fees. Certain awards require full-time enrollment of nine graduate credits per semester. If applying for financial assistance, please check the appropriate box on the Music Certificate Application Form.

Room and board is not included in the estimated tuition expenditures. There is ample off-campus housing and apartment options for consideration. Information concerning housing can be obtained through Off-Campus Student Services.