Program Classification, Status, and Credit Limits

Students are only admitted to degree programs on the basis of scheduled auditions/interviews conducted during the normal admissions cycle and must matriculate in the fall semester that begins the next academic year.  Peabody does not defer admissions. In some cases, students may matriculate to a diploma in a spring semester. Extension students may begin study in any semester depending on course and teacher availability.

Year of Study

Year of study classification is reviewed as part of the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) process each year. For music students, in addition to SAP credit completion requirements, the number of semesters of major lessons is considered for year of study determination. For dance students, in addition to SAP requirements, the year of study correlates to the cardinal number in the technique classes: ballet and modern. Unlike some other numbered classes (Music History), the dance technique classes cannot be taken out of sequence. 

Procedurally, year of study is generated in the Student Information System (SIS) through a technical process coordinated by the Office of the Registrar. Further adjustments occur per determinations made after the SAP and year of study review process described above and communicated through the Office of Academic Affairs and Advising. 

Multiple Degree Programs or Majors

Students may only pursue multiple majors or multiple degree programs if they are admitted to both programs through the regular admissions process. Students enrolled in multiple programs must complete all requirements specific to both majors and may only overlap credits for supportive courses in music, professional studies, general studies, and electives.

UNDERGRADUATE

Students admitted to the Music Education and Recording Arts Bachelor of Music programs are considered students with multiple majors: a performance (or composition or computer music) major plus Music Education or Recording Arts. No other major may be added to these programs. Similarly, students in the double-degree program with the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences or the Whiting School of Engineering may pursue only one Peabody major.

Bachelor of Music Students majoring in Performance, Composition, Computer Music, and Music for New Media may add a second major, subject to the following conditions:

  1. Students must pay for the second major lesson at the rate specially designated in the tuition schedule.
  2. Performance majors may not add a second major on the same instrument with a different repertoire or style. Examples include Voice and Historical Performance Voice and Double Bass and Jazz Bass. 
  3. Students may not combine majors in the same department, such as Violin and Viola or Piano and Organ. 
  4. Finally, the majors Composition, Computer Music, and Music for New Media are mutually exclusive: no two may be combined. While Composition or Computer Music may be combined with Recording Arts, the Music for New Media may not be combined with Recording Arts.

Undergraduate students may add only one minor. The Performer Certificate may not be combined with any other program. Special instructions for students in the five-year BM/MM or BMRA/MA program are noted in Accelerated Graduate Degrees. 

GRADUATE STUDENTS

Graduate students may not pursue two majors that result in two degree recitals in a two-year degree timeframe. Additionally, graduate students may not pursue simultaneously the Master of Music and Master of Arts degrees.

Students in the Master of Music degree may be admitted into Performance Pedagogy, which for the purposes of these rules counts as a second area of focus. Students in the Master of Music degree may apply for a second major in Music Theory Pedagogy or Musicology. Students in the Doctor of Musical Arts degree may be admitted into the Master of Music in Music Theory Pedagogy or the Master of Music in Musicology. Graduate students who previously earned a Master of Music degree elsewhere may not pursue the Master of Music degree at Peabody in the same discipline. Master of Music students pursuing two majors will receive a single, Master of Music degree. Doctor of Musical Arts students in a concurrent Master of Music Theory or Musicology program will receive two degrees (MM and DMA). 

The Graduate Performance Diploma, Master of Arts Degree, and the Artist Diploma programs may not be combined with any other program. Students in the Doctor of Musical Arts Program who are also pursuing a Master of Music in Music Theory Pedagogy should refer to the guidelines of their DMA program. 

Credit Limits

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

Undergraduate students comprise all students who have matriculated to degree and diploma programs: Bachelor of Music (including Recording Arts and Music Education), Bachelor of Fine Arts, and the Performer’s Certificate. Students who have been admitted to the five-year BM/MM program are undergraduate students until their fifth year. These students must enroll in a minimum of 12 credits each semester to maintain full-time status. Undergraduate students must enroll as full-time students for eight semesters and enroll in major studies in each of those semesters. Any enrollment that  puts a student below full-time status must be approved through the academic petition process and may impact financial aid, scholarship, and status for F-1 student visa holders. 

Students at the undergraduate level are encouraged to take approximately 18 credits per semester. Undergraduate students may register for a maximum of 25 credits per semester.  Some combined degree programs require more credits and students will be allowed to take the extra classes as prescribed by their requirements following an approved Academic Petition.  In any other scenario, students with compelling reasons to take classes above the credit limit may petition Academic Affairs.

GRADUATE STUDENTS

Graduate students comprise all students who have matriculated to degree and diploma programs: Master of Music, Master of Arts, Doctor of Musical Arts, the Graduate Performance Diploma, and the Artist Diploma. Students who have been admitted to the five-year BM/MM program are graduate students in their fifth year. Note that the credit limits vary for degree and diploma programs. Performance, Conducting, and Composition students are required to remain enrolled in one-hour major lessons for four semesters of full-time study. Musicology and Music Theory Pedagogy majors are required to maintain full-time enrollment for four semesters of study.

GRADUATE DEGREE PROGRAMS

Graduate students in the Master of Music, Master of Arts, and Doctor of Musical Arts program must enroll in a minimum of nine credits each semester in order to maintain full-time status. Any enrollment that  puts a student below full-time status must be approved through the academic petition process and may impact financial aid, scholarship, and status for F-1 student visa holders. 

Students in the MM, MA, or DMA program may register for a maximum of 18 credits per semester including lessons, ensembles, recitals, and a maximum of six credits of graduate seminars each semester. Students who enroll in any Music Theory and Musicology courses beyond the six-credit limit will be administratively withdrawn from those classes. If a student has compelling reasons to take classes above the credit limit, they may petition Academic Affairs.

GRADUATE DIPLOMA PROGRAMS

Graduate students enrolled in the Graduate Performance Diploma, and the Artist Diploma programs must enroll in a minimum of four credits each semester in order to maintain full-time status.  There is no part-time status for the GPD or AD. In addition to lessons, vocal coachings, ensembles, and recitals, students in the GPD and AD programs are allowed to enroll in a maximum of four additional elective credits each semester. Students who enroll in any classes beyond the four-credit limit will be administratively withdrawn from those classes. If a student has compelling reasons to take classes above the credit limit, they may petition Academic Affairs. Students in the one-year GPD program may enroll in additional credits if required to satisfy elective requirements. Ensembles do not apply to the credit limit. 

Classification Program Minimum Credits for FT Status per Semester Maximum Credits Allowed per Semester
Undergraduate Students Bachelor of Music 12 25
Bachelor of Fine Arts 12 25
Performer's Certificate 12 25
Graduate Degree Students Master of Music 9 18
Master of Arts 9 18
Doctor of Musical Arts 9 18
Graduate Diploma Students Graduate Performance Diploma 4 4 elective credits
Artist Diploma 4 4 elective credits