Prerequisites for Admission             

The applicant must:

  1. have a high school diploma, GED, or home school equivalency
  2. have full manual dexterity and be able to lift a significant weight (e.g. grand action with keys), and be able to move around with it without aid
  3. be capable of standing at and moving around a piano for many hours at a time
  4. have no impairment that would preclude completion of the entire curriculum as depicted, with the goal of achieving a Certificate from CSPT
  5. have a current tetanus shot
  6. complete an Application process, including the Self-Evaluation, Piano Keyboard Music Assessment, and interviews

Enrollment Policy

The Curriculum is divided into four quarters, each 10 weeks long. Students are required to be enrolled in, and attend, all classes each quarter. The Curriculum offers alternative class sections for flexibility in scheduling. For example, the Fall 2010 Curriculum will preliminarily offer two sections, one on Thursday all day, and one on Saturday all day. Students may choose whichever section works for them, but, once chosen, students must remain in their chosen section for the entire curriculum unless class sizes permit a change and there is a compelling reason. CSPT would prefer to keep class sizes as small as possible (but no fewer than 3) in order to pay proper attention to students' needs. If a section is filled, an accepted student will be requested to study in another section which is not filled; applicants should be prepared to be flexible in their section preferences.

Acceptance into the Curriculum year, and section preference, is on a first-come, first-served basis. Only a signed Enrollment Agreement from you will assure you of acceptance at CSPT as an enrolled student, and some preference for your class section. This is a time-sensitive process.

Once enrollment is filled, applicants will be accepted on a "wait-listed" basis until there might be an opening for that calendar year due to another student's change of decision, or the applicant will be asked to wait until the following year. Applicants who are agreeable to being wait-listed until the following year will pay tuition at the prevailing rate of that following year.

As sections fill, they will be closed, and any section not meeting minimum enrollment requirements will be cancelled. Students wishing for sections which are closed or have to be cancelled will be encouraged to switch to another available class section. Each section may hold up to 6 students (but no fewer than 3). Total enrollment may be as many as 15.

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Requirements for Certificate

In order to receive a Certificate from The Chicago School for Piano Technology, the student must successfully complete each course in the curriculum. Successful completion in all cases will be measured by the instructor's grading of pass or fail. The instructor will measure progress throughout each course against a set of learning criteria set out for each class. The student is strongly urged to complete the curriculum within one year, but a Certificate may be awarded if any student has an emergency need to extend their course of study to longer than one year, but no longer than two years.

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Courses of Instruction

All courses of instruction are in-class, combined lecture and demonstration, but primarily hands-on. All classes will have outside practice requirements, and other classes may have homework assignments. The total curriculum is 40 weeks over four quarters, each 10 weeks in length, with an additional required practice Inter-term between the 1st and 2nd quarters. With outside practice requirements, each student will experience approximately 950+ hours of required instruction and practice. The Basic Curriculum is offered every year, starting in Fall. Students interested in the Advanced Curriculum should be in touch with us to inquire about schedules and options.

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Advanced Placement (Tuning I, or Tuning I and II only)

Any student may apply to advance place out of portions of the Tuning Curriculum by scoring 70% or better on the initial Self-Evaluation (Tuning section only); as well, to place out of the tuning curriculum requires a Tuning Test (passed at 70% or better) and a Tuning Written Test (passed at 75% or better), and does not include placement out of the remainder of the tuning curriculum. The cost for these tests is $425.00. There is no advanced placement out of any other portion of the curriculum. Any student who advances will gain a prorated discount on tuition (1/2 of the calculated cost per course out of which the student has placed).

The Chicago School for Piano Technology admits students of any age, race, color, national and ethnic origin, gender or gender-preference or orientation, to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, national and ethnic origin, gender or gender-preference or orientation, in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and other school-administered programs.

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