CU Denver - Music & Entertainment Industry Studies Department

The CU Denver Music & Entertainment Industry Studies (MEIS) Department prepares students for careers in the modern music and entertainment industries. MEIS is internationally known as one of the best contemporary music industry programs in the U.S. MEIS offers four emphasis areas of study: Performance, Singer/Songwriter, Music Business, and Recording Arts. All students are able to take coursework in all of these areas, but choose one to major in for the majority of their classes.

MEIS offers both audition track and non-audition track programs. The audition track programs (Music Performance, Singer/Songwriter, Songwriter/Entrepreneur, Music Business-Audition Track, and Recording Arts-Audition Track) are designed for students who want performance to be a big part of their future music career. In addition to being admitted to CU Denver, audition track must complete and pass an audition. Please review the MEIS Entrance Requirements for complete information. Also, make out to check out the Frequently Asked Questions page on our website for answers to many common questions. The non-audition track programs (Music Business and Recording Arts) are designed for students who hope to have careers working behind-the-scenes in the music industry. Students just need to be accepted to CU Denver to start in one of these programs.

All students applying for an audition track program must either audition by video (here through Acceptd or through their CU Denver application portal) or schedule a live audition with our faculty. Information about how to schedule a live audition is listed on our website here. We offer four live audition dates each academic year (usually one in December, two in February, and one in March). MEIS faculty will review audition videos within a month after submission. Applicants will be contacted about results and next steps. 

Important Deadline Information for Audition Track Applicants

Early Application Period (Sept 1 - Jan 1): The early application period deadline for audition track applicants is January 1st. Applicants who have been admitted to CU Denver and have completed all of the MEIS application requirements by January 1st will be notified of their MEIS admission status by January 20th. Please note that it's not easier to be admitted if you apply early. The benefit of applying early is that you find out if you are admitted to MEIS sooner.

Regular Application Period (Jan 2 - April 15): During this period, MEIS will review applications on a rolling basis. The MEIS Regular Application Period deadline for audition track applicants is April 15th. We recommend that all application materials are received by this application deadline. 

Late Application Period (April 15-June 30): We will accept late applications through June 30th. These applications will be considered as space allows and on a case by case basis. 

Audition Dates and MEIS Open Houses: The audition dates for Fall 2026 applicants are scheduled for:

Friday, December 5, 2025
Friday, February 6, 2026
Friday, March 13, 2026

We will host MEIS Open Houses on each of our audition dates. The MEIS Open House events will feature a MEIS Department Overview session, a student panel, a faculty panel, and a music facility tour!  Learn more about the MEIS Open House events and RSVP on our website here. 

Thank you for your interest in CU Denver's Music & Entertainment Industry Studies Department. We look forward to receiving your application! Please contact us if you have any questions.

Dave Walter - Director of Enrollment Management, CU Denver College of Arts & Media. Phone: 303-315-7487; E-mail: david.walter@ucdenver.edu

Music & Entertainment Industry Studies Department. Phone: 303-315-7450; E-mail: meis.dept@ucdenver.edu 

For technical questions, please visit the Acceptd Help Desk.