Apply to the School of the Arts
Are you interested in majoring in the arts?
The School of the Arts at Binghamton University offers undergraduate degree programs
in Art & Design, Art History, Cinema, Music, and Theatre.
Because the School of the Arts is part of the Harpur College of Arts and Sciences, which provides a great degree of flexibility in your fields of study, prospective students begin by applying to Binghamton University through Harpur College.
After you apply to Binghamton University, your next steps depend on the arts degree you want to pursue - BA or BFA/BMus. BA programs in the arts do not require a portfolio or audition as part of the university application. BFA and BMus applicants must submit portfolio or prescreen materials. A live audition is also required for the BFA in Musical Theatre and BMus in Music Performance.
Deadlines
| BA (Early Action) | BA (Regular admissions) |
|
Nov. 1, 2026 No portfolio or audition required |
Jan. 15, 2027 No portfolio or audition required |
| Art & Design BFA - Priority Applications |
Art & Design BFA - Regular Admissions |
|
University application: Dec. 1, 2026 Portfolio required |
University application: Jan. 15, 2027 Portfolio required |
| BFA Musical Theatre, BMus Music Performance (Priority applications) | BFA Musical Theatre, BMus Music Performance (Regular admission) |
|
University application: Dec. 1, 2026 Selected applicants will be invited to audition in Feb, 2027 (details below). |
University application: Jan. 15, 2027 Applicants are particularly encouraged |
Audition Dates - by invitation only
| BFA Musical Theatre |
|
Binghamton University: Feb. 6, 2027 |
| BMUS Musical Performance |
| New York City: Feb. 20, 2027 Binghamton University: Feb. 26-28, 2027 |
Auditions are required for entry into the BFA Musical Theatre and the BMus Musical Performance. Selected applicants will be invited to a live audition. Auditions are offered on campus and in New York City, with details provided in the audition invitation.
Choosing between a BA and BFA/BMus
Both degree paths allow you to study the arts as well as your other fields or interests. A BA offers greater flexibility to pursue a second major, add a minor, or connect your arts education with other academic interests. A BFA or BMus provides a more intensive, pre-professional experience, with a larger concentration of studio, rehearsal, performance, and specialized coursework.
Bachelor of Arts (BA)
No portfolio or audition is required as part of your application to Binghamton University for a School of the Arts Bachelor of Arts program. Once you are enrolled in Harpur College, you can declare your BA major, subject to any department-specific declaration requirements.
BA programs
| Art & Design |
|
| Art History |
|
| Cinema |
(Film/Video Production and Film Studies) |
| Music |
|
| Theatre |
|
Students pursuing the BA in Music must successfully audition for studio lessons before
declaring the major.
A BA offers a balance of creative and academic coursework and provides flexibility
for students who want to double major or pursue additional areas of study.
Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) and Bachelor of Music (BMus)
The BFA and BMus are pre-professional degrees with more intensive studio, rehearsal, performance and specialized coursework. These programs require additional portfolio or audition materials as part of the application process.
A live audition is also required for the BMus in Music Performance and the BFA in Musical Theatre.
How to apply for a BFA or BMus
- Apply to Binghamton University through Harpur College by the applicable application deadline.
- Verify your intended degree path (BFA or BMus) by completing the response form found within your application status checker.
- Upload your required portfolio/pre-screening materials through your application status checker by the portfolio deadline.
- Applicants selected as finalists for the BMus in Music Performance or BFA in Musical Theatre will be invited to complete a live audition.
Admission to a BFA or BMus program requires both admission to Harpur College and acceptance
by the individual arts program.
If you are admitted to Harpur College but are not accepted into a BFA or BMus program,
you may still pursue a BA program. Some programs may also allow enrolled Binghamton
students to apply or audition for the BFA or BMus later, depending on program requirements
and available space.
BFA programs
| Art & Design |
|
| Theatre |
|
BMus program
| Music |
|
Review the program-specific requirements:
-
Art & Design BFA Portfolio Requirements
A complete portfolio includes:
- 10-15 examples demonstrating the depth and diversity of your creative practice
Documentation of your creative work uploaded as a single PDF, with web links to time-based media when applicable - Statement of interest (optional)
- Résumé (optional)
- Letter of reference from a teacher who knows your artistic abilities well (optional). Letters must be emailed directly from the recommender to portfolio@binghamton.edu.
Portfolios are reviewed by a faculty committee that evaluates the artistic proficiency and creative promise demonstrated by the work.
For questions about applying to Binghamton University, contact Undergraduate Admissions at admit@binghamton.edu.
For questions about Art & Design or portfolio requirements, contact Department Chair Hans Gindlesberger at hgindles@binghamton.edu. - 10-15 examples demonstrating the depth and diversity of your creative practice
-
BFA Musical Theatre prescreen and audition requirements
After submitting your application to Binghamton University, upload the following materials through the application status checker:
- A personal statement explaining the type of training you hope to receive through a BFA in musical theatre
- A theatre résumé
- Videos of two contrasting songs:
- Each video should be 60-90 seconds long
- The songs should contrast in style, mood and/or character
- At least one song must be from the musical-theatre canon
- The second may be another musical-theatre song or a song from another genre or time period
- Both videos should include accompaniment that does not overpower your voice.
- One 60-90-second video of a monologue from a published play or written by a professional writer
- Optional: one "wild card" video that shares your personality, interests, experiences, or another skill.
Dance and ballet videos are not required. Submit all materials through Binghamton University's application status checker, not through Acceptd.
Binghamton follows the 2026-27 Musical Theater Common Prescreen guidelines. Film and upload each piece as a separate video. Use a simple background, adequate front or side lighting and an eye-level camera positioned horizontally. Frame songs and monologues from approximately the waist up, test the sound and image before submitting, and label each file with the piece, show or playwright, and your full name.
Callbacks for the BFA Musical Theatre program
The Musical Theatre faculty will review the submitted materials. Selected applicants will receive an invitation and additional instructions for a live audition.For questions about the BFA in musical theatre or its prescreen and audition requirements, contact Tommy Iafrate at tiafrate@binghamton.edu.
-
BMus Music Performance portfolio and audition requirements
The portfolio must include:
- A current résumé in PDF format summarizing:
- Your instrument or voice type and the number of years studied
- Your private teachers, if applicable
- Ensembles and organizations with which you have performed and your role in each
- Awards and honors (including all-state ensembles, etc.)
- Major solo repertoire studied
- A high-quality performance recording between five and 12 minutes long
- A letter of recommendation from a teacher who knows your musical abilities well, preferably a private-lesson teacher or an ensemble director who has worked with you individually.
The recommendation must be written specifically in support of your BMus application, even if the teacher has already submitted a recommendation for your general university application. The recommender must email the letter directly to portfolio@binghamton.edu.
Recording Guidelines
The following guidelines demonstrate the expected range and proficiency level but are not strict requirements. Within the 12-minute limit, choose the most challenging repertoire you can perform well. Repertoire should generally be comparable to NYSSMA Level 5 or 6.
- Voice
- Two contrasting classical pieces performed from memory
- At least one selection in Italian and one in English
- Piano accompaniment
- Optional: a third selection in a contrasting classical or musical-theatre style.
- Piano
- At least two pieces in contrasting historical styles that demonstrate technical level and expressive ability, memorized when possible
- One major and one minor scale and arpeggio, performed across four octaves in quarter notes, eighth notes and sixteenth notes.
- Brass and Woodwind
- One solo demonstrating musicality (phrasing), technical level and control of intonation, articulation and rhythm
- One étude, study or other contrasting work
- Two major scales across the instrument's standard range of two to three octaves.
- Percussion
- Two solo pieces performed on different instruments and demonstrating musicality, technique and varied dynamics and articulation.
- Strings
- Two solos demonstrating musicality and a variety of techniques
- One major and one minor scale of your choice across two to three octaves, demonstrating bow control and articulation
- Piano accompaniment is encouraged but not required.
- The video should show the applicant from the front with both hands visible.
- Organ
- One organ work by J.S. Bach
- One contrasting work from the Romantic or modern repertoire for solo organ.
- Jazz Instrumentalists
- Perform and improvise on a blues melody or standard tune with live or recorded accompaniment
- Play the melody, improvise for at least two choruses and conclude by playing the melody again.
- Jazz Vocalists
- Perform a standard tune of choice: sing the melody, scat sing a chorus or two, then sing the melody of the tune again.
Selected applicants will receive an invitation and additional requirements for the live audition. In-person auditions are preferred. Requests for a virtual audition may be made to the appropriate program director after an audition invitation is received.
For questions about the BMus in Music Performance or its portfolio and audition requirements, contact:
- for voice - Thomas Goodheart at tgoodhea@binghamton.edu
- for instrumental performance - Jingqi Zhu at jzhu28@binghamton.edu
- for jazz - Gregory Evans at gevans1@binghamton.edu.
- A current résumé in PDF format summarizing: