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.
Diploma
The Diploma is given upon completion of a minimum of 70 semester hours. A minimum two-year residency is required.
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Details and Requirements
Learn more about the Diploma course requirements at Curtis.
Students aged 17 or younger are classified as younger students at Curtis. Without a high school diploma or equivalent—and meeting the full requirements for the Bachelor of Music program—younger students are considered candidates for the Diploma.
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.
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Details and Requirements
Learn more about the Bachelor of Music course requirements at Curtis.
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.
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Areas of Study
The following areas of study are offered as options within the Post-Baccalaureate Diploma program:
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Details and Requirements
Learn more about the Post-Baccalaureate Diploma requirements at Curtis.
Master of Music
An undergraduate degree or equivalent is required for admission. The Master of Music degree requires a minimum of 40 semester hours. The program takes two years to complete.
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Details and Requirements
Learn more about the Master of Music degree course requirements at Curtis.
Professional Studies Certificate
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Area of Study: Opera
This two-year, nondegree Certificate of Professional Studies Program parallels the Master of Music course of study in opera.
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Details and Requirements
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.
Enrollment Procedures
Upon acceptance to Curtis, all undergraduate students who have been accepted into the Bachelor of Music program must submit 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). The Registrar’s Office must receive all required transcripts and test scores by July 15.
AP credit will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
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.
All entering students must request that their most recent school and any applicable testing centers have sent their official final transcripts and test score reports to the Registrar’s Office at Curtis before July 15.