The Tianjin Juilliard School’s mission is to train musicians who will become global ambassadors in their respective fields, and English proficiency is a key component of this international status. English is the medium of instruction at Tianjin Juilliard, and specialist language support is a central feature of the Tianjin Juilliard experience.
About Academic Communication and English (ACE)
The Academic Communication and English (ACE) program is for students who have been admitted to The Tianjin Juilliard School’s MM degree programs, but whose English is not at the level required for direct entry to the MM.
ACE is a qualifying requirement for the MM degree. Completing ACE is required for students to obtain their degree. Students will take a placement test during the new student orientation in August. If students do well on the test, they may be able to skip further English study and enter the MM program right away. It is recommended that students accepted with the ACE focus on improving their English over the summer to increase their chances of passing the test.
About ACE
All students accepted with the ACE requirement must attend ACE Summer. Then, depending on the placement test results, some students will continue study on one of two English learning paths: Graduate English Seminar (GES) or English and Communication (ENC) + GES. To finish ACE, students must successfully complete the required GES modules for their designated pathway.
ACE Summer
ACE Summer is compulsory for all students admitted to the MM with the ACE requirement. ACE Summer is a two-week online + on-site program of study, the schedule of which is below:
- Week 1：August 11-14, 2025 (online, via Microsoft Teams)
- Week 2：August 18-21, 2025 (on-site at the Tianjin Juilliard School)
Placement Test
The placement test (Cambridge Michigan Language Assessment or CamLA) is an 80-question test of listening, reading, grammar and vocabulary. The CamLA will be administered to all ACE students during orientation week.
- Students who score 71-80 on CamLA do not have to study English further and will be permitted to exit ACE.
- Students are matriculated to Graduate English Seminar (GES) pathway if they score 64-70 on CamLA.
- Students are matriculated to English and Communication (ENC) + GES pathway if they score 63 or below on CamLA.