Application Deadlines

The Fall 2025 Application Is Open

Priority Deadline: January 15, 2026
Final Deadline: June 15, 2026

Admission is competitive and space is limited. Applications will be accepted until the final deadline or until space is filled. Please contact admissions at sound@northwestern.edu or 847-467-5267 with any questions about deadlines.

Application Process

The MA in Sound Arts and Industries application consists of the following items:

• Completed online application, including a statement of purpose, personal statement (prompt in application), resume, and $40 application fee.
• The names and addresses of three (3) people who will submit recommendations for you. Recommenders should be familiar with your professional or academic work and should be able to comment meaningfully on your potential for success in a graduate course of study.
• Transcripts from all colleges and universities attended. An unofficial copy of each transcript, including the most recent completed semester or quarter grades if the applicant is still enrolled in an undergraduate program, should be included with the online application. Once admitted, official transcripts must be submitted before the first day of classes. Before starting the Sound Arts program, admitted students must hold a four-year U.S. bachelor’s degree — or a comparable non-U.S. degree — from a regionally accredited institution. Students may be considered for admission before they finish their undergraduate degree, but the student must complete that degree before they enroll at Northwestern.
  • Applicants who earned or will earn their bachelor’s degree outside of the U.S. must submit all transcripts to Educational Credential Evaluators (www.ece.org) or World Education Services (www.wes.org) for a course-by-course verification. Applications will not be reviewed without the degree verification. Note that many departments at Northwestern University use these services, so please be sure to select the MA in Sound Arts and Industries program as the recipient of your evaluation.  Foreign transcripts sent directly to our office will not be accepted.
• Official TOEFL (https://www.ets.org/toefl.html) or IELTS (https://ielts.org) score for international applicants
  • The program does not accept DuoLingo or TOEFL Essentials.
  • The TOEFL/IELTS may be waived for applicants who earned their bachelor’s or graduate degree from a university where English was the primary language of instruction. Check the ‘Yes, English is the primary language of instruction at this institution’ box in the Academic History section of the Sound Arts and Industries application.
  • Applicants may indicate language test scores in the application, but the application will not be considered complete until the program has received official documentation directly from TOEFL or IELTS per the instructions below.
  • Tests must have been administered no more than two years prior to the application date.
  • TOEFL: A minimum overall score of 100 is required with a minimum score of 26 on the “Speaking” section. Students with TOEFL scores below these standards will not be accepted. The TOEFL code is B399.
  • IELTS: A minimum overall band score of 7.5 is required. Contact the test center directly where you took the IELTS test and request that your official test scores be sent electronically using the IELTS system. All IELTS test centers can send scores electronically to our institution. The MA in Sound Arts and Industries is not part of The Graduate School.

TOEFL scores may be emailed to sound@northwestern.edu or sent to the address below:

MA in Sound Arts and Industries
Northwestern University
2240 Campus Drive, Room 1-102
Evanston, IL 60208

The MA in Sound Arts and Industries is not part of The Graduate School.

Examples of sound-related work are not required for admission consideration but are required for scholarship consideration. The choice to submit or not submit examples of work will not adversely affect the likelihood of an applicant’s enrollment decision. Please see the Tuition and Financial Aid page for more information.

GRE/GMAT scores are NOT required and will not be reviewed by the admissions committee.

Questions and Status Updates

Contact admissions at sound@northwestern.edu or 847-467-5267 with questions regarding the application process or for an update on the status of your application.

Next Steps

If you are accepted, please submit a non-refundable $500 tuition deposit by the deadline listed in your acceptance letter. Your place in the incoming class is not secure until your deposit has been received. Students risk losing their space in the upcoming class if they do not submit their deposit in a timely manner. If you are unable to submit your deposit promptly, contact Sound Arts and Industries at sound@northwestern.edu or 847-467-5267.

Accepted Student Checklist:

• Submit a non-refundable $500 tuition deposit.
• Activate your Northwestern email account upon receipt of Net ID activation code.
• Arrange for your official undergraduate transcript to be sent directly to our office. Official transcripts must be sent directly to our office by the issuing colleges or universities. Transcripts not received in this manner are not considered official and will not be accepted.

  • Transcript Submission Instructions
    Electronic Transcripts	If your school uses Parchment: Enter soctranscripts@northwestern.edu as the transcript recipient. If your school uses another electronic delivery service (e.g., National Student Clearinghouse, eSCRIP-SAFE, etc.): Enter sound@northwestern.edu as the transcript recipient.
    Mailed Transcripts	If your school cannot send transcripts electronically, have them mailed directly from your institution to the following address: MA in Sound Arts and Industries Northwestern University 2240 Campus Drive, Room 1-102 Evanston, IL 60208

• Complete the Entrance Health Requirements for Non-Healthcare students as mandated by the state of Illinois.
  • Students are eligible to enroll in the student NU/Aetna health insurance plan on a voluntary basis. To enroll, students must complete the application and submit payment during the first quarter of enrollment. Students who do not elect coverage in the first quarter of enrollment will not be able to enroll in health insurance thereafter.
• If eligible, apply for Federal Loans. Visit Northwestern University’s Student Financial Services Office. Please note that the Sound Arts and Industries program is under the School of Communication and is not connected with The Graduate School.
• If you were in the process of completing your degree when you applied, have your degree-awarding institution issue an official copy of your final transcript directly to the MA in Sound Arts and Industries program. The MA in Sound Arts and Industries is not part of The Graduate School.
• International students should begin the student visa process after submitting the Intent to Register form and non-refundable tuition deposit.