Placement examinations
All incoming students to the School of Music programs are required to take proficiency examinations in music theory and history to determine eligibility for enrollment in theory courses.
All music majors and students pursuing programs requiring a music theory course are required to take the “Music Theory Entrance Exam” prior to enrolling in MUS 203 Music Theory I. For incoming freshmen, your advanced registration will not be complete until we receive the official score for this test.
Instructions for taking the exam
- Incoming students: Activate your NetID. Students must have an active NetID to be able to access the exam. if you have not already done so.
- Request access to the exam. This exam is hosted on Canvas (WebCampus). To request access, speak with your advisor in the School of Music, or email Kevin Miescke at kmiescke@unr.edu.
- Take the exam. Once you receive access to the Music Theory Entrance Exam course on Canvas, you can take the exam at any time. Please read all the instructions before taking the exam. This exam is timed, and you will have 50 minutes to complete it. You may only take the exam one time. You can find a direct link to the exam on the home page of the Canvas course.
Once you have completed the exam, you will be permitted to register for MUS 203 Music Theory I. If your entrance exam score is below 70%, you will be required to register in the MUS 203L Music Theory I Support Lab course concurrently with MUS 203. In addition to the regular lecture meetings for MUS 203, the MUS 203L support lab will have an additional weekly meeting designed to provide students additional support in learning the fundamentals of music theory.
For questions about the placement exam, please contact Kevin Miescke at kmiescke@unr.edu.
All incoming graduate students of music are required to take the "Graduate Theory and History Proficiency Exams" on the Saturday before the first official day of class. The results of these exams will determine your eligibility for enrollment in graduate theory and history seminars. Passing both of these exams is also crucial in maintaining your assistantships.
For more information on these exams and to find out the dates offered, email Kevin Miescke at kmiescke@unr.edu or Julianne Lindberg at jlindberg@unr.edu.