Diploma
The diploma is given upon completion of a minimum of seventy-two semester hours (s.h.), as outlined below. A minimum two-year residency is required.
Additional departmental requirements
Transfer process from Diploma to Bachelor of Music
General Requirements
Performance |
36 s.h. |
| Major lesson | 24 s.h. |
| Additional departmental requirements (listed below) | 12 s.h. |
Musical Studies |
35 s.h. |
| Fundamentals | 2 s.h. |
| Harmony I, II | 7 s.h. |
| Counterpoint I, II | 6 s.h. |
| Form | 2 s.h. |
| Solfège I, II | 8 s.h. |
| Music History I, II | 10 s.h. |
| (Some majors require additional performance and musical studies courses: See Additional Departmental Requirements below.) |
|
Career Studies |
1 s.h. |
| The Twenty-First-Century Musician | 1 s.h. |
Liberal Arts |
|
| No specific requirements | |
Additional Departmental Requirements
Composition Majors
Performance |
12 s.h. |
| Composition Seminar | 6 s.h. |
| Supplementary Piano | 6 s.h. |
Musical Studies |
6 s.h. |
| Applied Orchestration | 4 s.h. |
| Score-Reading | 2 s.h. |
Private Instruction
Diploma candidates (students with a Bachelor’s Degree, equivalent, or higher) in the composition program are expected to study a minimum of one semester with another instructor of their choice, based on availability, and should consult with their intake teacher to determine the best semester to do so.
Diploma candidates also are expected to take one course per semester and two per school year—one music and one nonmusic—at Curtis or at the University of Pennsylvania under the reciprocal agreement.
Conducting Majors
Performance |
18 s.h. |
| Lab Orchestra | 6 s.h. |
| Score Analysis | 6 s.h. |
| Supplementary Piano | 6 s.h. |
Musical Studies |
6 s.h. |
| Applied Orchestration | 4 s.h. |
| Score-Reading | 2 s.h. |
Career Studies |
6 s.h. |
| Conductors' Forum | 6 s.h. |
Keyboard Majors
(Major Requirements: P=Piano, H=Harpsichord, O=Organ)
Performance |
30 s.h. |
| Chamber Music | 6 s.h. (P, H) |
| Piano Repertoire Seminar | 6 s.h. (P) |
| Supplementary Piano | 6 s.h. (O, H) |
| Graduation Recital - Required | (P) |
| Organ Class | 6 s.h. (O) |
| Early Music Performance | 6 s.h. (H) |
Musical Studies |
4 s.h. |
| Keyboard Studies I, II | 4 s.h. |
Career Studies |
4 s.h. |
| Sacred Music Seminar | 4 s.h. (O) |
Orchestral Instrument Majors
(Major Requirements: T=Timpani/Percussion, Va.=Viola, Clo.=Cello, Vn.=Violin)
Performance |
32 s.h. |
| Chamber Music | 6 s.h. |
| Orchestra | 18 s.h. (age sixteen and older) |
| Orchestral Repertoire Class/Sectionals | 6 s.h. (string, woodwind, brass, or percussion) |
| Supplementary Piano | 2 s.h. |
| Performance - Required | (T) |
| Graduation Recital - Required | (Vn., Va., Clo., T) |
Guitar Majors
Performance |
14 s.h. |
| Chamber Music | 6 s.h. |
| Guitar Seminar | 6 s.h. |
| Supplementary Piano | 2 s.h. |
| Graduation Recital - Required |
Voice Majors
Performance |
35 s.h. |
| Acting Seminar | 6 s.h. |
| English, French, German, and Italian diction classes and coachings | 12 s.h. |
| Supplementary Piano | 2 s.h. |
| Voice Performance Seminar | 6 s.h. |
| Voice Repertoire Coaching | 9 s.h. |
Musical Studies |
6 s.h. |
| History of Singing | 6 s.h. |
Transfer process from Diploma to Bachelor of Music
Diploma students who wish to transfer to the bachelor’s program must provide all required application documents by September 1 for a first-semester transfer or December 1 for a second-semester transfer.
Diploma students may take no more than two one-semester liberal arts courses prior to an official transfer to the bachelor’s program.
The GED will be accepted by Curtis as a supplement to evidence of exceptional academic achievement as part of the application for the bachelor’s program only when prior permission has been obtained from the dean, the registrar and associate dean of academic affairs, the associate dean of student services and financial assistance, the chair of the liberal arts department, and the chair of the musical studies department. A permission form is available in the Office of the Registrar and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs.
