BM Composition at University of Cincinnati

Programme overview

Composing is the act of creating original music. It draws upon both intuitive and intellectual talents, challenging the student to write music of value to composers, performers and audiences. The purpose of the undergraduate degree program in composition is to provide a structured course of study that will lay a foundation for possible graduate work in this field. Career opportunities as a professional composer often require studies beyond the bachelor's degree.

Faculty: College-Conservatory of Music | Duration: 4 years | Study mode: full-time | Location: Cincinnati, OH, United States

Career pathways

Graduates of CCM’s Composition, Musicology and Music Theory programs pursue careers as writers, researchers, analysts, scholars and creative professionals. CCM places great emphasis on merging the theoretical with the practical via biennial graduate student conferences, an in-house and student-run journal, residencies by leading composers and a robust lecture series featuring

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Admission to this major follows the university/college admission requirements: CCM’s admission requirements vary by program. Please visit the CCM Admissions website for additional information. All programs require both the appropriate University application followed by a pre-screening submission via CCM's Acceptd website , which must be completed and uploaded by Dec. 1.

Tuition is charged per credit, so the total depends on the modules you register for each year. Current fees are listed in the official fee schedule.

Entry terms: Fall, Spring and Summer semesters for first-year and transfer students; the College-Conservatory of Music generally accepts transfer applications for fall only, except BA Music and Electronic Media.

First-year: Early Action deadline November 1 (fall only); fall application deadline March 1 (rolling admission), spring November 1, summer March 1. Confirmation deadlines: May 1 (fall), December 1 (spring), April 1 (summer). The BSN has a priority deadline of November 1 and CCM applicants are encouraged to submit pre-screening materials by November 15.

Transfer: fall application deadline July 1, spring November 1, summer March 1. CCM programmes: December 1 application deadline for fall; DAAP programmes: March 1 application deadline for fall.

First-year applicants apply through the Common Application; ACT/SAT scores are optional for fall 2025 and fall 2026 entry.

Graduate applications: programmes set their own deadlines and decision schedules. Most programmes use the UC Graduate Admissions Application; Nursing uses NursingCAS, Occupational Therapy OTCAS, Physical Therapy PTCAS, Athletic Training ATCAS, Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology CSDCAS, and Public Health SOPHAS.

Apply through the official page: https://ccm.uc.edu/admissions-and-aid/admissions/apply.html

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