Prospective Students FAQ

Admission and acceptance to the School of Music is a multi-step process. The first step is to apply to the California State University system through CalState Apply.

• The deadline for undergraduate applications for fall '26 was November 30, 2025;
• The deadline for graduate applications for fall'26 is May 1, 2026.
• The deadline for application to the 3-summer  Master of Music Education program is April 1, 2026.

You will be contacted by the School of Music when your initial application is complete.

The final step is an audition.  Each year, the audition dates change, so make sure to consult this year's audition information.

We recommend that all prospective students audition during the regularly scheduled scholarship auditions. If you live beyond the 250-mile radius of San José, or cannot attend the regularly scheduled auditions, please contact the Area Coordinator for your primary instrument or voice.

SJSU's School of Music awards a variety of competitive, merit-based music scholarships each year, with typical awards ranging from approximately $1,000 to $9,000 per academic year. These scholarships are intended to recognize outstanding musical achievement and potential, as well as a strong commitment to the School of Music.
All declared music majors are considered for these awards, regardless of emphasis or class level, provided they meet basic eligibility requirements such as full-time enrollment and good academic standing. In many cases, no separate scholarship application is required beyond your admissions and School of Music materials.
For most awards, your entrance or continuing-student audition is the primary basis for scholarship decisions, including the quality of your performance, musical preparation, and overall artistry. Faculty also take into account additional factors such as your academic record, ensemble needs, and recommendations when finalizing scholarship offers.

Lessons are scheduled weekly.

• Bachelor of Music Performance and Music Education majors receive one-hour lessons for eight semesters of applied study;
• Jazz Studies majors receive half-hour lessons as freshmen and sophomores, and one-hour lessons as juniors and seniors.
• Composition majors receive half-hour lessons as freshmen and sophomores in both their major instrument and in composition, and one-hour lessons in composition as juniors and seniors.
• Graduate students receive one-hour lessons each week on their primary instrument or voice, and/or half-hour lessons on a secondary instrument or voice.

Approximately 350 music majors are currently enrolled in the School of Music.

The School offers the following major ensembles:

• Choraliers (chamber choir)
• Collegium Ensemble (Baroque, Renaissance)
• Concert Choir (large SATB ensemble)
• Glee Club (low voices)
• Jazz Orchestra (big band)
• Jazz Singers
• Laptop Ensemble (Modlark Ensemble)
• Latin-Jazz Band
• Mariachi San Jose
• New-Music Ensemble (Disrupt)
• Opera
• Spartan Marching Band
• Spartan Pep-Band
• Symphonic Band
• Symphony Orchestra
• Treble Choir (high voices)
• Wind Ensemble

We also have a number of smaller ensembles: Brass Ensemble,  Chamber Music Ensembles, Clarinet Ensemble, Guitar Ensemble, Jazz Combos, Horn Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, Saxophone Ensemble,  Trombone Choir, Trumpet Ensemble....and others.

In addition, we offer a number of weekly masterclasses, such Composition Master Class, Music Technology Master Class, Piano Master Class, Voice Master Classes, and more.

Yes, all ensembles are open to all SJSU students.  Some ensembles are audition based; some are not.  Check with the Music Office for more information. 

Based on your audition, all music majors will be placed into a specific studio with a specific instructor.

Students may petition to study two primary instruments/voices.  Please contact the Director of the School of Music, Dr. Cohen

Several chamber ensembles are available in each area. Students are encouraged and supported in their collaboration with other artists, both within the School and in the community at large.

• Brass: brass quintet, horn choir, trombone choir, trombone quartets, trumpet ensemble, tuba/euphonium ensemble, and brass ensemble.
• Woodwinds: saxophone ensemble, saxophone quartets, flute choir, clarinet ensemble, bassoon quartets, chamber music.
• Strings: string quartets and trios, and mixed chamber music with winds, voice, and piano.
• Voice: Choraliers (chamber vocal ensemble) and multiple student-run vocal ensembles including Pitch, Please! and the Spartones.

Yes! You are invited to tour our campus, meet with faculty, and sit in on classes and ensemble rehearsals. Please contact us to set up a visit. Additionally, Be a Music Major for a Day provides an opportunity for prospective students to take a look at the campus, sit in on classes, play in the music ensembles, and experience a little of what it is like to be a student at the School of Music.  Please refer to "Be a Music Major for a Day" on this website. 

Learn all about the Spartan Marching Band, directed by Dr. Grant Knox.

Yes, instruments are available to music students and may be used for any of School ensembles or music education fundamentals classes.

Yes, lockers are available for music students based on the size and number of instruments needing to be stored.  Please see Mr. Paul Olivo in the Music Building.

Yes, you may play in more than one ensemble.

The School offers several undergraduate degrees:

The Bachelor of Music degree is available in several areas:

• Performance (Bassoon, Cello, Clarinet, Double Bass, Euphonium, Flute, Harp, Horn, Oboe, Percussion, Piano, Saxophone, Trombone, Trumpet, Tuba, Viola, Violin, Voice);
• Music Education;
• Composition; and
• Jazz Studies.

We offer two Bachelor of Arts degrees

• Bachelor of Art in Music
• Bachelor of Art in Music (Music Technology Concentration)

We also offer a Music Minor.

The School offers two Masters Degrees:

• Master of Music with Concentration in Composition, Conducting, Jazz Studies, Music Education, Musicology, and Performance.
• Master of Arts in Music Education (three-summer hybrid program)

The School offers one graduate certificate: 

• Artist Diploma Certificate

The SJSU School of Music sponsors two large music social organizations: Mu Phi Epsilon and International Music Fraternity. We also have a fraternal honor society, Kappa Kappa Psi. In addition, the School hosts chapters of the NAfME California Music Educators Association, the ACDA American Choral Directors Association, and the ASTA American String Teachers Association.

There are currently 16 full-time faculty members in the School of Music in addition to 57 part-time faculty members.

There are seventeen students to every one faculty member. This excellent faculty/student ratio means that professors are more readily accessible, and private instruction is provided only by experienced faculty members rather than graduate students or teaching assistants.

SJSU and the city of San José jointly operate the eight-story Martin Luther King Jr. library, which has a large selection of materials available to students. In addition, located on the fifth floor of the library is the world-renowned Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies, which contains the largest number of Beethoven artifacts outside of Europe. The Music Building also houses a resource center, which contains an abundance of music available to students.

Most major ensembles perform a minimum of two concerts per semester. All smaller ensembles perform at least one concert per semester. In addition, Music students are featured in twice-weekly Listening Hour performances, open to the public every Tuesday and Thursday.

The Silicon Valley is home to numerous professional musical organizations that often hire School of Music students.

Opera San José and Symphony San Jose are located only a few blocks from San José State University. The downtown area—home to SJSU's Hammer Theater—is a thriving community of live concerts featuring both classical and jazz performances. San Francisco, located only one hour north of San José, features some of the best live music in the country.

Major ensembles typically tour regionally and/or nationally or internationally each year.

Tickets may be purchased online, and typically go on sale about 6 weeks before the event. For purchases at the door, the Box Office opens about a half-hour before the concert begins. Most concerts start at 7:30pm.

No flash photography is allowed during the concert.

Yes—see the online ticket sale website for details.

Directions to SJSU

The concert hall is located on the west side of the Music Building, directly across the hall from the main entrance. The Music Building is in the center of campus. The closest parking structure is the 7th St/San Salvadore Garage. For special accommodations, contact the main office at (408) 924-4673 or email music@sjsu.edu.