How to Apply

Music Technology at MIT is situated within Music at MIT, but is connected directly with the School of Engineering. Our core is the humanistic and artistic pursuit of music creation and scholarship, yet we thrive through the world-class technical excellence of MIT science and engineering.

The result is a rich multidisciplinary community of faculty and students that is both intimate and broad, connecting through the many layers of MIT.

While here you may: conduct research leading to a published paper, perform with a jazz combo, take a linguistics class, invent a new instrument, study entrepreneurship, or history, or design, and be inspired by our faculty, our invited speakers, and your fellow students.

The one year Master’s program is intense and demanding, but exceedingly rewarding. We hope you consider applying.

Applications for enrollment will open on October 15, 2026.

The following is required of all students applying for the Master of Science (SM) degree:

• Your unofficial transcript, which should include:
  • A list of your undergraduate major(s), minors(s), and HASS concentration. We recommend a minimum overall GPA of 4.3 by the end of your junior year.
• A description of your experience as a musician, including all music classes taken and extracurricular musical activities.
• Two letters of recommendation.
• A resume or CV.
• A per-semester coursework plan showing which courses you have taken/will take to complete your degree requirements. Note that some required courses have prerequisites. 
• A description of your research and (if applicable) teaching experience, such as:
  
  • participation in UROPs or research-based internships
  • working as a lab assistant, teaching assistant, or grading assistant
  • music technology-related projects
• A one-page research statement describing what you want to work on and why. You should include specific thesis project ideas (one or more, if you are excited about more than one idea) and which faculty you think could advise you. This EECS Communication Lab provides a resource that guides you on how to get started, though we do not expect a full PhD-level research statement. 
• An optional supplemental information statement describing any additional information or extenuating circumstances.
• A plan for how you will fund your first semester in the program. If you are self-funding or already have funding, that is acceptable. If you don’t have a funding commitment right now, but think you will, please describe how that might happen. For example, what steps have you taken to secure a TAship? Which other fellowships or grants have you applied for? And so forth…

Applications for enrollment will open on October 15, 2026.

The following is required of all students applying for the Master of Applied Science (MASc) degree:

• A bachelor’s degree with high academic standing from a recognized institution or, in the judgment of the department, the equivalent of this degree.
• Unofficial transcript(s) from undergraduate and graduate institutions from which you received a degree. Official transcript(s) will be required to be submitted, if admitted to the program. All applicants must submit official transcript(s), in English, of their performance at the undergraduate and graduate institutions from which they received their degree(s) or performed graduate work. Transcripts from international (non-US) institutions must be in English and certified.
• Two letters of recommendation. Recommendation letters should be from faculty or supervisors, someone who can attest to your technical and/or musical abilities.
• A Resume or CV.
• A description of your experience as a musician, including all music classes taken and extracurricular musical activities. 
• Portfolio submission: Two projects that showcase your musical and technical abilities. At least one of the projects MUST be technical. Examples include:
  • Audio recordings of music you composed, performed, produced, and/or engineered.
  • Video recordings of you performing music.
  • A software program, web app, plugin, or other app that you have created.
  • A piece of hardware, interface, sensor, or similar device that you have designed and built.
    
    • For music recordings, tell us about the work and circumstances that led to the performance, including dates composed/created and performed, and any collaborators on the project.
    • For technical projects, include a description of the project goals, a general overview, how you created it, what inspired you, the challenges you encountered and how you overcame them. Explain one or two critical details that show us your technical skill and experience. Show how the project is used, how successful you think it was, and what you would do to improve it if you had more time. Also tell us how long you worked on it, when you finished it and, if it was a team project, what your role was. You can use text (up to 500 words) or video (up to 3 minutes) to present your project narrative.
• Coding evaluation within the application.
  • The applicant will have the choice to complete one of three music computation evaluations. It is an opportunity for the applicant to show where they are strongest or what area they are most excited about. It may be completed in any coding language but cannot use AI code generators.
• List 2-3 ideas you have for an independent project that you think you would want to work on for your capstone project. 
• Statement of objectives about career goals, what do you hope to gain from the program, etc. Statement should be kept to 250-500 words in length. 
• English language test scores (if an international student).
  • Minimum test scores:
    • TOEFL: 100 (iBT)
    • IELTS: 7 
    • Self-reported scores must have a testing date within the last 2 years. 
    • Waiver: For information on exemptions from the English Proficiency Test Requirement, please visit the Office of Graduate Eduycation.
• An optional supplemental statement describing any additional information or extenuating circumstances.
• Interview may be required if the applicant is a finalist.