phd music topics

Graduate Program in Music and Sound Studies

Cornell awards the Ph.D. for original contributions to the study of music, considered broadly to include a wide range of repertories, traditions, and methodologies. While the program encompasses ethnomusicology, music theory, and historical musicology, Cornell offers a single Ph.D. in music and sound studies.

The music and sound studies program at Cornell is designed to lead to the Ph.D. degree; a terminal M.A. is not offered, but students who enter the doctoral program without having already earned an M.A. receive this degree in the course of their studies. Students accepted into the Ph.D. program are guaranteed five full years of financial support, in the form of two years of fellowships (usually taken in the first and fifth years) and three years of teaching assistantships.

The doctoral program in music and sound studies is uniquely flexible; it is developed individually, in consultation with the student’s Special Committee, and students may combine their study in the Field of Music (music and sound studies, composition and performance practice) with work in other Fields of study at Cornell.

There are no formal course requirements in the Field of Music; nevertheless, students are generally expected to take graduate research seminars with at least six different faculty members. As part of the six required seminars, students must take Music 6201 (Introduction to Bibliography and Research), at least one course on an ethnomusicological topic and at least one course on either a topic of music analysis or a popular music topic. Students are also encouraged to take courses outside of the department, which may be used to form the basis of a Graduate Minor in another discipline.

Music and Sound Studies Admissions

Academic Requirements:

Students wishing to enroll in the Ph.D. program in music and sound studies must have a B.A., B.Mus., or M.A. and have completed formal study of a foreign language.

Application Deadline:

December 1st for Fall admissions.  (The Fall semester begins at the end of August.)

Application Materials:

The following materials must be submitted online via the Cornell University Graduate School  online application system :

• Cornell Graduate School Online Application form
• Application Fee
• Academic Statement of Purpose
• Personal Statement
• Transcripts and evidence of foreign language study. (If transcripts do not show this evidence, provide another form of documentation).
• TOEFL scores (see  Graduate School TOEFL requirements  for further details)
• Three letters of recommendation from faculty members acquainted with your work
• Two essays (term or honors papers). Preferably one on a broad topic in music studies and the other showing detailed study of one or a few pieces of music or recorded sound.
• Optional: A recorded performance on a musical instrument or as a singer (if unable to submit online, a copy may be mailed to: Graduate Field Assistant in Music, Cornell University, 101 Lincoln Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853-4101)

Every student accepted into the Ph.D. program at Cornell receives five years of guaranteed funding, including financial support for four summers. Every student is given a fellowship for the first year; a second year of fellowship year may be taken in the fourth or fifth year, or may be deferred if outside funding is procured by the student. The remaining three years of funding are in the form of teaching assistantships. Student Health Insurance is provided under fellowship and teaching assistantships. Partners, spouses, and dependents can be included for additional charges.

Although it is possible to complete the Ph.D. within five years, most students require one or two more years. When possible the department may offer additional semesters of teaching, but such support is not guaranteed. Many students seek outside fellowships (such as A.M.S. 50 or Fulbright Fellowships) beginning in their fourth and fifth year. There are also a few dissertation fellowships available through various Cornell programs. Entering students are encouraged to apply for Javits, Mellon, or other outside fellowships as another means of extending their graduate support. For a list of external and internal graduate fellowships (searchable by keyword, program name, or deadline) see the  Graduate School Fellowship Database.

The Department of Music offers a wide variety of teaching experiences, and students are free to request a specific teaching assignment. The faculty makes every effort to match interest and skill to course offerings. Click here to learn more about teaching assistantships .

In addition, fourth and fifth year graduate Ph.D. students who have passed their qualifying exams may be given the opportunity to design and teach their own course as a  First-Year Writing Seminar.

Program Guide and Requirements

The phrase Field of Music, or Field, is the official Graduate School designation for the graduate programs and the Graduate Faculty in music. The Graduate Faculty includes Professors Appert, Balance, Bjerken, Boettcher, Ernste, Hicks, Krumhansl, Miller, Moseley, Ogonek, Papalexandri-Alexandri, Peraino, Piekut, Pond, Richards, and Yearsley. Retired members of the Graduate Field may also continue to participate on graduate student committees; currently they include Professors Bilson, Groos, Harris-Warrick, Hatch, Holst-Warhaft, Rosen, Sierra, Webster, and Zaslaw. The Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) coordinates the activities of the Field, including such concerns as admissions, financial aid, advising, and job placement, and represents the Field vis-à-vis the Graduate School. As of the academic year 2023-24 the DGS is Professor Appert. More information about the structure of the Field and major and minor concentrations may be found at the end of this document.

The minimum residence requirement is six residence units (a unit equals one satisfactorily completed semester of full-time study). At least two of the minimum six units must be spent in consecutive semesters of full-time study on the Ithaca campus. At least two of the six must follow successful completion of the Admission-to-Candidacy exam (colloquially “A Exams”; see below, although this requirement, too, can be waived upon petition).

Diagnostic exam:

Entering students meet individually with the Chair and the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) at the beginning of their first semester of residency to discuss their teaching experience, skills, and expectations for their teaching assignments during their studies at Cornell. They also discuss specific gaps in skills or areas of knowledge, and how the student would like to address them in the coming years. The Chair and DGS will discuss possible options and alert relevant members of the faculty so that students feel supported in their development at Cornell.

Language study:

The ability to have conversations and to read texts in languages other than English is critically important in music and sound studies. The Field of Music requires reading proficiency in two foreign languages that, ideally, will be necessary to advanced work on the dissertation or a secondary area of specialty. Students must pass one of the two language exams prior to the completion of the A exam (i.e. the Special Field portion); the second language exam can be delayed until after the Special Field exam, but must be passed before the beginning of your 5th year.  Students who have not already gained proficiency in two suitable languages are advised to begin this work during the summer before they arrive at Cornell. German, French, Italian, and Spanish exams are given regularly by the Graduate Field. The Field considers computer coding languages to be equivalent to other languages.

Exams in other languages may be requested and arranged with suitable faculty outside the music department, in consultation with the DGS. Native speakers of languages other than English may take an exam requiring translation from their native language into English to fulfill one language requirement.

Graduate language exams test for reading comprehension of substantial pieces of prose and for ability to translate accurately shorter passages of prose and poetry. Sample exams are available in the Music Library. Exams are generally offered in the week before a semester begins.

With the approval of the special committee, one language requirement may be satisfied by the successful completion of language coursework in the relevant department at Cornell, at least some of which is set at an intermediate level. The meanings of “successful completion” and “intermediate level” will be clarified at the discretion of the individual committee.

During the first two years (4 semesters) students are expected to take graduate research seminars with at least 6 different music faculty members, within the guidelines described below. The distribution of faculty members ensures a broad grounding in topical areas and methodologies, and a sufficient number of seminar research papers from which the student will choose one to revise for the General Exam (see below). This policy also allows time for students to take courses outside the music department. During the third year, students should take at least two seminars; there are no formal requirements for the fourth year and beyond, although students are encouraged to enroll in seminars of interest.

Course/distribution requirements:

As part of the 6 required seminars, students must take:

• The introductory course on Research and Critical Methodologies is team-taught by the Music Librarian and a musicologist or ethnomusicologist, and typically taken in the first semester of residency;
• At least one course on an ethnomusicological topic and
• At least one course on EITHER a topic of music analysis OR a popular music topic.

Graduate seminars are normally taken for a letter grade, but it is possible to take one research seminar per semester on an S/U basis, with the instructor’s permission; students taking the S/U option are required to participate fully in the seminar, but are not required to write the final paper.

Students are required to submit what they consider to be their best seminar paper from their first year of residency at the beginning of their third semester. Students will receive written feedback on their submission and their overall performance in seminars during their first year, reflecting their progress during the first year and suggesting any areas for improvement.

Students are required to take the first part of their A Exams during the week preceding the beginning of their fifth semester of study, and the Special Areas Exam (part two of the A Exams) no later than the end of their sixth semester.

Recommended schedule:

Year 1: Seminars: 3 plus 3 (may include a language; discuss with the DGS) Summer 1: language study, if the language requirement is not yet satisfied

Year 2: Seminars: at least 2 plus 2; teaching Summer 2: Generals exam study

Year 3: General qualifying exam at beginning of year; Special Areas Exam at end of year. Seminars: at least 1 plus 1; teaching. Begin to work on dissertation area as well as prepare for Special Areas Exam.

Summer 3: prepare dissertation proposal and topics for Special Fields exam

Year 4*: Special Field Exam in August prior to the start of the semester; teaching plus optional seminar; dissertation research and writing

Summer: dissertation research and writing

Year 5: Dissertation research and writing

*Note: One of the two post-A's years (Years 4 and 5) will include teaching duties; the choice of which is made by the Chair in consultation with the DGS.

Special Committee:

Each graduate student’s program is supervised by a “Special Committee” of professors. Although the Field as a whole sets policies, it is the Special Committee that certifies that the various requirements for graduate degrees have been satisfied. The Special Committee of a doctoral candidate comprises three or four professors who are members of the Graduate Faculty; each student selects the members of his or her Committee, subject to their agreement. Every Committee comprises a Chair and two or three “minor members.” The Chair always represents the major subject. Two minor members also represent official subjects or concentrations (see “Graduate minor” below). Retired professors with the status of Graduate School Professor may co-chair a committee; however, a second co-chair from the active faculty must also be chosen.

If students wish formal supervision in an area that is not adequately represented at Cornell, they may, with the approval of the Special Committee, petition the Graduate School to permit the appointment of an authority from outside Cornell. Students must have three Cornell members on the Special Committee; the outside authority serves as an additional member.

All decisions regarding the composition of the Committee are subject to the approval of the entire Committee.

Graduate Major Subject and Concentration:

The Field of Music includes two major subjects, each with one or more associated “concentrations” that represent our three degree programs. As a Ph.D. student, the major subject is “music,” and the concentration is "music and sound studies." By contrast, the major subject for D.M.A. students is “music”; their concentration will be either “composition” or “performance practice.” Below is a list of the current faculty and their concentrations.

Music and Sound Studies: Appert, Balance, Boettcher, Ernste, Hicks, Krumhansl, Moseley, Peraino, Piekut, Pond, Richards, Yearsley.

Music Performance: Bjerken (piano), Richards (organ), Yearsley (organ, harpsichord, clavichord).

Musical Composition: Ernste, Papalexandri-Alexandri, Ogonek.

Students must make sure that their committee members, whatever the Graduate Field, represent an official concentration. The “Academics” page of the Graduate School website has a link to a PDF file listing officially recognized “Fields, Subjects, and Concentrations.”

Graduate minors:

Students in the Field of Music are required to have one minor subject of study, represented by at least one member on the special committee, and course work in that area as deemed suitable by that committee member. The graduate minor can be chosen among the three distinct subjects within the Field of Music, which are 1) music and sound studies 2)  performance practice, and 3) composition. (Ph.D. students with a major concentration in music and sound studies may also choose a minor concentration in music and sound studies, in recognition of the heterogeneity of methods and topics in music and sound studies.) A graduate minor subject may also be taken in an area of study outside of the Field of Music, such as Comparative Literature, Psychology, History, English. Some academic programs, such as the Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program (FGSS), offer graduate minors as well.

Those who hold minor member status on the Graduate Faculty may only participate as a minor member of the committee. Students may also petition the Field for permission to include as a minor member of the committee other members of the Music Department faculty who are not on the Graduate Faculty (e.g., Professor Spinazzola).

During students’ first year, the DGS, acting as temporary Chair, will sign the necessary forms and can offer advice about forming the Committee. Students must choose at least a Committee Chair by the beginning of their third semester; ideally, the entire committee will be established then, which must in any case happen before the end of the third semester. The most effective way to get to know the professors in the Field is to take courses with them or work with them independently. A professor's participation should not be taken for granted; any professor may decline to serve on any Committee. Requests to serve should be preceded by extended acquaintance and prior consultation.

The Field requires that students meet with their Special Committee every semester; it is the student’s responsibility to organize the meetings.

Students may change the membership of their Special Committees if their academic focus changes or if other circumstances warrant a reformulation. Unless students have already passed the second part of the A exam (see below), no special permission is required except that of the remaining and new members of the reformulated Committee. (The DGS must also sign the form, so that the Field as a whole understands the reasons for the change.)

Admission-to-Candidacy Exam (General and Special Areas):

The A Exam consists of two parts: the General Exam and the Special Areas Exam. The purpose of both exams is to assure professional competency in scholarship, teaching, and public presentations. Students will be able to demonstrate their knowledge and critical skills in written and oral form, developing a body of polished scholarly work and exercising their skills at oral discussion and argument.

The purpose of the General Exam is to develop a portfolio of six topics that reflect your course work in seminars, teaching interests, and a certain breadth of knowledge of repertories and scholarly issues in order to be broadly conversant with your chosen subfield of music and sound studies. The purpose of the Special Area Exam is to develop special expertise in the larger area that circumscribes the dissertation topic, as well as one secondary area (the minor).

Paperwork to schedule the Special Areas segment of the A Exam must be sent to the Graduate School at least 7 days in advance of the exam, and the report of the exam must be sent within 3 days of completing the exam. If a committee member must participate remotely, a petition must be filed with the Graduate School in advance of the exam. The Graduate Field Assistant is available to assist with these requirements and to ensure that forms are submitted in a timely manner.

Cornell’s committee-driven system means that minor variations to the exam structure outlined below may take place as deemed appropriate by the committee; major diversion from this structure may require approval from the Graduate Field.

I. Generals: to be taken no later than the start of the 5th semester

The entire cohort will take this exam at the same time, during the week prior to the start of their fifth semester. This exam consists of 4 parts

This portion of the exam is designed to give the student practice in the kind of revision required of any peer-reviewed article, as well as potentially lead to the publication of an article prior to entering the job market. The revised seminar paper is due least two weeks prior to the Exam date.

• One annotated undergraduate-level syllabus NOT RELATED TO a seminar they have taken. In consultation with the student’s committee, this syllabus can be designed for a general non-music major audience, or an upper division music major audience. Annotation means that a written justification of the lecture topics, readings, writing, listening, and viewing assignments must accompany the outline of the class. Textbook chapters may be assigned but finding supplemental reading is required. The student should have familiarity with all assigned reading and listening, viewing, and should be prepared to be questioned on these items during the oral portion of the exam. This syllabus can be used as draft for the Randel fellowship, incorporating feedback received during the oral.

During the exam period, students will be given one question for each of the topics no later than Friday 9:00 AM of the weekend period. All essays are due to all committee members (usually as electronic attachments) by 11:59 PM Monday.

This portion of the exam is designed to ensure that the student has the requisite skills of being able to craft on-the-spot oral explanations, arguments, and analyses required for the profession in the form of job interviews, Q&A, and teaching. It is highly recommended that students rehearse oral exams with their peers.

Categories for General Exam Topics

• Renaissance
• The long 17th century (chronological range dependent on topic)
• The long 18th century (chronological range dependent on topic)
• The long 19th century (chronological range dependent on topic)
• 20th-21st century
• Performance practice
• Popular Music
• Non-Western Area Musics
• Ethnomusicological methods and theory
• Music Theory and Analysis
• Music and Constructions of Identity (including Gender, Sexuality, Class, Race, Nation, Ethnicity, Geographic Regions)
• Critical Theory and/or Aesthetics and Criticism (including Sound Studies, Improvisation Studies, and other interdisciplinary configurations)

II. Special Areas: to be taken no later than the end of the 6th semester

Students will develop bibliographies, repertoire lists, and probing topical questions for three areas under the supervision three different committee members. One essay topic must represent the graduate minor subject; the other two essay topics should relate to the student’s conceived area of specialty and provide a context for the student’s dissertation topic or associated teaching interests.

At the end of a designated period of development and study, three successive weeks of one month (usually August) will be devoted to generating the essays. Essay length will be based on one week of writing on each question (one week = Monday 9:00 AM through Friday 11:59 PM, with two 2 days “rest”). Books and notes may be used. Essays should be submitted to the committee in succession, at the end of the designated week of writing for that topic.

The dissertation proposal is due at the same time as the last essay. The proposal should include at least:

• A proposed topic for the PhD thesis with a clearly argued rationale for its relevance and contribution to the field
• A scholarly context in the form of a preliminary literature review (be sure to survey other dissertations registered with Doctoral Dissertations in Musicology [DDM])
• An annotated chapter outline and an outline of a research and writing schedule
• A preliminary bibliography (more expansive than the literature review)

Drafts of introductions or other chapters are also desirable, but not required.

• 3. A two-to-three-hour oral examination on covering the topics of the essays and the dissertation proposal. Students will be expected to show an in-depth knowledge of the musical repertory, the important scholars past and present, current issues of their chosen areas of expertise, and to demonstrate a facility with oral presentation and argument. Scores and/or texts chosen by the Special Committee may be discussed in the exam, and will be given to students shortly before the exam.

The Final Examination (B exam), also known as the thesis defense

After the student has written and revised a complete draft of the PhD thesis, the student must complete two portions of a dissertation defense (known as the B exam in Graduate School documents). This consists of two parts:

• A public colloquium of 45-50 minutes on a topic drawn from the dissertation, to be given during the same semester that the student plans to submit the entire thesis to the Special Committee.
• A formal meeting with the student’s Special Committee to defend the dissertation. Students are expected to submit a complete draft of the thesis - including an abstract not to exceed 600 words - to all members of their committee six weeks before their defense, unless otherwise specified by the Committee.

Both parts of the dissertation defense must be announced to the Graduate Field no later than 7 days in advance of the dates; the thesis defense must also be scheduled with the Graduate School at least 7 days in advance of the exam, and the results must be submitted within 3 days of the exam. Ideally the public colloquium should take place during the regular departmental colloquium time as part of that series of lectures; therefore the student will need to submit a title and abstract to the Lecture Committee one semester in advance to facilitate scheduling. Exceptions due to scheduling conflicts will be accommodated.

[Note: the Thesis and Dissertation Guidebook, as well as formatting guidelines may be found at http://www.gradschool.cornell.edu/thesis-and-dissertation ]

A Exam Quick Guide:

Day 1: General Exam (1+1+4+oral)

1 seminar paper rewritten 1 syllabus NOT RELATED TO a seminar 4 shorter essays based on 4 topics, each with 10 representative pieces (closed book/open note)

• 1 of the 4 essays (but no more than 1) can be related to a seminar taken
• The four shorter essays should be written over a weekend (defined as Friday 9:00 AM to Monday 11:59 PM)

Oral exam (2 hours)

Day 2: Special Field: (3+1+oral)

3 long essays, one tied to each committee member; 1 WEEK of writing on each

A completed dissertation proposal.

Oral examination (2-3 hour)

The General exam must be taken in August on the weekend BEFORE the first week of classes in the third year, with the orals to follow the next week.

Special Fields exams: The Grad School stipulates that the A exam (i.e. the completion of the Special Field Exam) must occur BEFORE the beginning of the seventh semester (i.e. year 4). Thus: writing in weeks 1-3 of the August before the seventh semester; orals in orientation week or week 1. Also possible: Writing in weeks 1-3 of May of the sixth semester; orals at end of May.

http://gradschool.cornell.edu/requirements/exams/exams-phds

General Calendar

Week before classes

• Orientation
• Language exams
• Diagnostic exam
• Choose courses for the fall

Fall semester

• Language study, as necessary
• Choose courses for the spring
• Meet with the DGS at least once

Spring semester

• Begin thinking about Special Committee Chair
• Participate in prospective student visits
• Identify Special Committee chair; file necessary form; with the chair, choose other committee members

Second year

• Special Committee Chair must be selected by the beginning of the semester, and the rest of the committee by the end
• Complete language exams
• Meet with Special Committee at least once
• A Exam General preparation, especially for those entering in Fall 2014 and later
• A Exam preparation

Immediately prior to the beginning of the Fall semester

• A Exam General for those entering in Fall 2014 and later
• Prepare for A Exam (Fall 2013 and earlier)
• Choose course(s) for spring
• For those entering in Fall 2013 and earlier, complete at least the Generals Exam; ideally the Special Areas exam will also be completed during this semester; the Special Areas exam must be scheduled at least seven days in advance and the report must be filed within three days of the exam – consult the grad field assistant for help (see http://www.gradschool.cornell.edu/forms for required forms)
• For those entering in Fall 2014 and later, Special Areas exam preparation and completion; this exam must be scheduled at least seven days in advance and the report must be filed within three days of the exam – consult the grad field assistant for help (see http://www.gradschool.cornell.edu/forms for required forms)
• Work on dissertation proposal
• For those entering in Fall 2013 and earlier, complete the Special Areas exam, if not completed during the previous semester
• Dissertation proposal

Fourth year

• Dissertation proposal must be accepted
• Possible seminar
• Dissertation research and writing
• Possible FWS assistantship
• Possible Randel fellowship
• Possible dissertation defense; defense (B Exam) must be scheduled at least seven days in advance and the report must be filed within three days of the exam – consult the grad field assistant for help (see http://www.gradschool.cornell.edu/forms for required forms)
• Dissertation defense

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The PhD in Music is available as a full-time programme lasting three years, or a part-time programme lasting five years. It is available in all areas in which we can offer supervision, including historical musicology, analysis, ethnomusicology, sound studies, music cognition, composition and practice-based research in performance.

The majority of postgraduate students in the Faculty undertake research that is directly connected with the particular research interests of specific Faculty members. If you are planning an application, we recommend that you initially get in touch with the member of staff whose interests seem most in line with yours. Our  Research Themes page gives an overview of the principal areas of the Faculty’s research and the academic staff who work in these areas.

Because of the diversity of research topics pursued, the PhD programme in music at Cambridge does not involve a core taught component. There are a variety of skills training opportunities, and some incoming research students audit courses offered within our MPhil programme, but in general you will be working primarily with your individual supervisor. Your formal studies will be complemented by attendance at Faculty colloquia and seminars, while membership of a college will enable you to socialise with students and others from a wide variety of disciplines. Studying for a PhD at Cambridge gives you access to facilities and a range of  Research Resources  that compare favourably with anywhere in the world.

Recorded performances may now be included within a doctoral submission, along with an academic thesis of the standard length. Students who wish to pursue this possibility are encouraged to make contact with the member of staff most relevant to their particular performance-related interests.

We realise that for many potential applicants, funding is a major issue; see  Funding Postgraduate Study  for information on costs and funding options. Applicants whose proposals involve fieldwork, performance tuition, or other substantial additional expenses should include an indication of approximate total costs as part of their application.  While small grants may be available for research and travel purposes, these should not be expected to cover funding for your case studies, performance tuition or major fieldwork expenses. Some support for doctoral students undertaking fieldwork is also available from the School of Arts and Humanities.

The PhD programme is available on a part-time basis over five years, but please note that this is not a distance learning course and you will be expected to attend supervisions and participate in other Faculty activities in person, even if you don't live in Cambridge. If you come from outside the EU, please note that it is not possible to obtain a student visa for part-time study. See the University’s Graduate Admissions pages for further details on part-time study .

Further details of postgraduate life at Cambridge may be found on Cambridge Students webpages.

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PhD programs

The Harvard Department of Music does not discriminate against applicants or students on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry or any other protected classification.

Musicology at Harvard offers intensive training in historical and cultural approaches to the study of music. While our program has an emphasis on Western music, students increasingly explore wide-ranging geographies and subjects. We take an expansive view of the field and encourage our students to do the same. Most graduate courses in musicology are research seminars; many treat specific topics and theoretical approaches, while others deal with methodology and recent trends in the field. The musicology faculty also offer proseminars that are open to both graduate and undergraduate students. At the end of two years of study, graduate students take a General Examination. In year three, having passed the General Exam, students begin to teach and craft a Ph.D. dissertation proposal; subsequent years are devoted to teaching, research, writing, and professional development. An important aspect of the Harvard program in musicology is its interdisciplinary breadth, which includes training in ethnomusicology and music theory. Students often also take seminars in other departments – and are encouraged to do so. Accreditation in secondary fields is available through many programs, such as  American Studies ,  Critical Media Practice ,  Medieval Studies ,  Romance Languages and Literatures , and  Studies of Women, Gender, and Sexuality , to name a few.

Special Resources

The deep holdings of the  Eda Kuhn Loeb Music Library  include a substantial recording archive, and the  Isham Memorial Library  houses rare original books, scores, and personal archives ranging from the Randy Weston Archive to Sir Georg Solti’s annotated conducting scores. Additional resources on campus include the Special Collections at  Houghton Librar y and the  Harvard Theater Collection , one of the largest performing arts collections in the world. The department also maintains a selection of musical instruments for study and performance, including early keyboards and a consort of viols. The  Mahindra Humanities Center ,  Film Study Center ,  Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies , Harvard University  Center for Italian Renaissance Studies at Villa I Tatti  (Florence),  Hutchins Center  for African & African American Research,  David Rockefeller Center  for Latin American Studies,  Charles Warren Center  for the Study of American History, and several other campus institutions provide additional intellectual resources and funding for graduate student research. Faculty and graduate students hold conferences each year on a variety of topics; artists in residence and visiting artists often enrich coursework, and some courses provide opportunities for students to perform.

Language Requirements for Musicology

Two languages are required. The languages will be chosen in consultation with the program’s graduate advisor, and wherever possible should be relevant to future research. We encourage students to pass both languages before taking the general exam. In the event this is not possible, both languages need to be passed by the end of the fall semester of the third year.

Ethnomusicology at Harvard offers intensive training in ethnographic method as well as study of theories, problems, and approaches relevant to the study of any living musical tradition in its cultural setting. By the end of the second year of study, students select primary and secondary fields of specialization, which may be defined by region (for example, Turkish or West African music); by musical styles (such as jazz or popular music); or by topic or theoretical approach (organology or aesthetics). The Harvard program has particular strengths in regions stretching from the Mediterranean to India, in Africa and African diasporas, and in urban America. There are excellent resources both in the music department and across the disciplines at Harvard in critical theory. Collaborations are encouraged among ethnomusicology and  other music department programs in historical musicology, music theory, composition, and creative practice and critical inquiry. Six to eight ethnomusicology courses—usually four seminars and four proseminars or undergraduate classes—are offered each year as part of the regular curriculum. Graduate seminars explore ethnomusicological methods and theories as they are applied to the study of music, as well as a wide range of issues and materials, while proseminars focus on music styles or distinctive musical settings. An important aspect of the Harvard ethnomusicology program is that students receive training in Western music and its history as well as exposure to the methods and theories of historical musicology and music theory. A vital aspect of ethnomusicological training at Harvard is exposure to other disciplines, with particular emphasis upon anthropology, history, area studies, linguistic training, and theoretical frameworks related to the student’s specialization.

The Ethnomusicology laboratory ,  Archive of World Music , special library collections,  Peabody Museum , musical instrument collection (India, Iran, Mali, Zimbabwe), extensive sound and video archives (including the Archive of World Music and  Hiphop Archive & Research Institute ). The  Asia Center ,  Reischauer Institute ,  Center for African Studie s,  Center for Middle Eastern Studies ,  Hutchins Center  for African & African American Research, South Asia Institute,  David Rockefeller Center  for Latin American Studies, and several other campus institutions provide additional intellectual resources and funding for student research and language study. Faculty and graduate students hold conferences each year on a variety of topics; music faculty, artists in residence, and visiting artists often enrich coursework and provide opportunities for students to perform. 

Language Requirements for Ethnomusicology

The PhD in music theory is characterized both by a deep involvement in the inner workings of music and by an engagement with the wider philosophical, cultural, and psychological questions surrounding music. The program reflects this interdisciplinary interest of our students, and its structure is designed to explore the links of music theory to other areas of critical engagement. The graduate curriculum in music theory was fundamentally revised in 2018 with the view to the specific needs of professional music theorists in the twenty-first century.  The diverse dissertation projects that our doctoral students propose reflect the unique combination of interests. Recent and current PhD topics include microtonality and colonialism in the 19th century, musical forgery and forensics, the practice of recomposition in music theory, Scandinavian death metal, transformation theory and Hollywood film, and musical and visual lines in the early 20th century. Many of our students establish their interdisciplinary credentials by taking formal qualifications in a  secondary field  outside of music. Students receive a solid basis for their research by honing their musicianship and analytical skills, particularly during their first year in the program. All students take courses on Schenkerian theory and on a range of tonal and post-tonal analytical practices, as well as an introductory course to explore current issues in the field. At the same time, the program also encourages students to build a framework in which to place these techniques and to reflect on the underpinnings of music theory. Regular courses on questions in psychology, temporality, history of music theory, hermeneutics, and aesthetics round off our course offerings and often take music theory into interdisciplinary territory. In addition to studying canonic repertories, graduate courses on challenging repertoires—e.g. modal theory, non-Western music, or very recent composition—expand the field in new directions.  Our course offerings are complemented by a regular workshop in music theory, currently called Theory Tuesdays, in which faculty and students discuss current work, practice analytical techniques, or engage disciplinary and transdisciplinary questions in an informal setting. Our faculty are actively engaged in Harvard’s numerous interdisciplinary centers ( MBB ,  Medieval Studies ,  CES ,  HUCE , etc.). Harvard’s state-of-the-art  Sound Lab  provides the tools and expertise for digital and media-based research, and provides a conduit for music theory to the field of sound studies.

Language Requirement for Theory

Theorists must pass translation exams in two relevant research languages. The languages will be chosen in consultation with the graduate advisor, and should reflect, wherever possible, languages that will be useful to future research. One language requirement must normally be completed before generals, and the second must be completed in the fall semester of the third year.

Harvard’s program in composition is designed to give students the time and opportunity to develop as composers by offering general musical guidance as well as specific individual criticism of their works. The program is centered around the students’ achieving clarity of expression through developing their command of compositional technique. In addition, acquaintance with the literature of the past and present through analysis and performance is considered indispensable. Most courses are seminars and deal with specific topics or student works.PhD candidates in composition take 16 courses throughout their first two years. Students get a weekly individual composition lesson, and choose from composition and electronic music courses and other offerings within the department in theory, historical musicology, ethnomusicology, and CPCI, or graduate courses from other departments at Harvard. When needed, in the first year there is also a remedial course in harmony and analysis. Students of all years are required to attend the weekly composition colloquium.

The third, fourth, and fifth years are devoted to work on the dissertation and teaching, as well as active participation in composition colloquia and Harvard Group for New Music concerts. Composers may spend one term during their 4th year at another art institution or university if a particular research project or artistic residency can be obtained.

On the completion of preparatory training and the passing of the General Examinations (during the summer before the third year), PhD dissertations comprising a substantial portfolio of between five and seven pieces of varied scoring and length may be submitted.

Language Requirement: once enrolled, Composition students must pass a language exam in German, Italian or French unless an alternative language is approved in writing by the graduate advisor.

The program in  Creative Practice and Critical Inquiry  is designed as a special opportunity for exceptional, engaged artist-scholars. Such individuals might frame themselves as composer-performers whose work is driven by a research sensibility, or as committed scholars whose concurrent active involvement in music-making informs and propels their intellectual projects. Candidates interested in this category should clearly lay out their academic interests and musical experience, including research goals and a portfolio of creative work. They should present a clear rationale for the integrated, cross-disciplinary nature of their work.

In the first two years of coursework, students survey multiple fields of intellectual inquiry while nurturing and refining their creative work. Students in the program may take any of the graduate courses offered by the Department of Music, and occasional courses in other departments and programs with approval from the graduate advisor, as well as practice-based music-making courses (composition, improvisation, creative music, and interdisciplinary collaborations). 

During the summer after the second year of study, candidates will take three to four exams, to be determined in close consultation with the faculty. These include a preliminary portfolio of creative work, written exams on theoretical/analytical and historical/cultural topics relevant to the candidate’s individual research goals, and an oral exam encompassing all of the above.

The dissertation should offer original research and creative work that strikes a balance within this unique combination of interests.

Language Requirement: Once enrolled, CP/CI students must pass a language exam in a language relevant to their research interests, to be approved in writing by the graduate advisor.

Admission to the Graduate Program: Frequently Asked Questions

The Music Department does not require applicants to submit GRE scores. Submission of scores is permitted, and when submitted, GRE scores are taken into account during the admissions process. But those who do not submit such scores will not be penalized.

Note: Those who choose to take the GRE and submit their results do not need to take the Music GRE test, and should take the general GRE (math/language).

We take GRE scores into consideration along with the entire dossier, not as a single factor that determines the outcome of an application.

The annual deadline is usually January 2 for entrance the following fall term. Check the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin GSAS website for each year’s deadline.

Yes. If you are accepted into our PhD program, the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences will offer you a financial package that guarantees funding for six years, and includes both tuition and living expenses. Teaching stipends may make up part of the package from the student’s third year on. There are also opportunities for additional funding. The Department (and Harvard Griffin GSAS) awards prizes, fellowships, stipends, and grants each year to graduate students for language study, dissertation completion, research assistance, and travel, among other pursuits.

Yes. You need to support your application with samples of your work, be it scholarly or creative.

Students whose native language is not English or who do not have an  undergraduate  degree from English-speaking university are required to take and pass the TOEFL. The recommended passing score is 80.

While many of our entering students do have degrees in music, backgrounds and degrees vary widely. We look at all-around preparation of our applicants and their overall excellence. As a Music Department, we do look for training and expertise in one or more music traditions and an ability to deal successfully with a curriculum that has requirements across the music subdisciplines as well as interdisciplinary studies.

The Harvard graduate program in Music is a doctoral program. The subdisciplines of musicology, ethnomusicology, composition, creative practice/critical inquiry, and music theory do not admit candidates for the Master’s Degree only.

We permit transfer of credit for no more than two courses. Students are allowed to request transfer credit if they are in good standing after the first year of coursework at Harvard and on submission of details about the course for which credit is requested. Graduate courses taken as an undergraduate student may not be presented for credit if those courses counted toward the undergraduate degree.

Our programs both require and encourage coursework in other sub-disciplines of music.

We have graduate programs in historical musicology, ethnomusicology, theory, creative practice/critical inquiry, and composition. Our programs are small, so it is important that you apply to the program closest to your major interests. If the faculty feel your application would be better served in another sub-discipline, they will direct it there.

Harvard has extraordinary course offerings across the disciplines and we encourage our graduate students to take courses that will enhance their knowledge.

You can enroll in language courses to meet the language requirements of our programs, but these courses do not count toward credit for the PhD.

The Harvard Griffin GSAS offers admitted Music students six years of full funding, in the form of stipends, teaching fellowships and finishing grants (this amount covers living expenses as well as tuition). Departmental resources include special funds for summer research and some additional fellowships.

Although we encourage performance, our graduate program is an academic one and performance activities do not count towards a degree (with the exception of creative practice/critical inquiry). As a Department of Music which does not have a performance faculty, we are not able to provide vocal or instrumental lessons. There is a lively musical scene on campus and graduate students are welcome to join many University ensembles, including those sponsored by Dudley House. Graduate student musicians sometimes perform on the special noontime University Hall Recital Series. The Harvard Group for New Music performs student compositions. Boston is home to an active musical world and many students participate as performers in music traditions ranging from early music to jazz.

No. Unfortunately, faculty are not usually available to meet with prospective students.

Prospective graduate students can email [email protected] to ask questions. If you visit the campus you may be able to talk with other students, sit in on a class, or attend a concert or lecture; email ahead to see what is possible.

Admissions Requirements

Phd program.

To apply to the PhD program in musicology, ethnomusicology, theory, composition or CPCI, you must make an application to the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (Harvard Griffin GSAS). All applications are online, and may be found (along with all the requirements, fee information, and procedures) at  http://www.gsas.harvard.edu/apply All recipients of a four-year college degree or its international equivalent may apply (students with and without master’s degrees may apply). If you are unsure whether you are eligible, please read the Harvard Griffin GSAS guidelines. Admissions decisions are made by Music Department faculty, who weigh a combination of factors such as past academic record, strength of scholarly (or compositional or performance) work, and recommendations. The TOEFL test may be required if English is not your first language (recommended minimum score is 80). Detailed information pertaining to requirements for admission are on the Harvard Griffin GSAS site listed above. The GRE General Examination is optional for all applicants.

Samples of previous work

Applicants to the all programs must submit, along with their applications, samples of their previous scholarly work (for composition applicants, this means scores and recordings; see below). The online application will allow you to upload up to 20 pages of material.

Applicants to the Creative Practice and Critical Inquiry PhD program must also submit 20 to 30 minutes of original creative work, in the form of links to online audio or video streams (Soundcloud, YouTube, Vimeo, etc.) or links to a file download (via Dropbox or similar). You may upload or share accompanying scores in PDF format to SLATE. Students should include a one page PDF containing links to online recordings. Applicants to the composition PhD program must submit three compositions in the form of links to online audio or video streams (Soundcloud, YouTube, Vimeo, etc). Recordings can be submitted as links to SoundCloud or other online resources. Students should include a one page PDF containing links to online recordings and PDF scores where applicable. The year of composition must be marked on all scores and recordings.

Submitting an Application

Harvard Griffin GSAS handles the admissions materials. All questions about the admissions process, as well as all application supplementary materials, should be sent to them by December 31 for candidates who seek entrance in the following fall term.

Admissions and Financial Aid Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Harvard University 1350 Massachusetts Avenue Holyoke Center 350 Cambridge, MA 02138-3654

Download an application electronically:  http://www.gsas.harvard.edu/apply You are required to upload all supporting documents (transcripts, writing samples, recommendations, etc) to the online application. If you have questions about your application, call 617-496-6100 (2-5pm EST) or write  [email protected] For financial aid questions call  617-495-5396  or email  [email protected] NOTE: Please do not call the Music Department about the status of your application or the return of your materials. Application materials only come to the Music Department at the very last stages of the process, and are held here in complete confidentiality until admissions recommendations are made.

We have a robust graduate student community, including through the Graduate Music Forum, weekly colloquia and lunch talk series, and performances ensembles in the GSAS Student Center. For more information about community activities happening in the music department, please consult the resources for graduate students page .

Visiting the Department

You are welcome to visit the Department at any time, although we in no way require or expect you to make the trip. We regret that we are not able to make appointments with individual faculty members during a pre-admissions visit.

If you do decide to make a visit prior to the admissions deadline there are optimum times to visit, such as between October and our December holiday break. If you visit at another time of the year, check the academic schedule to avoid reading/exam periods and semester breaks. It is not necessary to visit, nor should you see it as a way to improve your chances of admission.

Rather, a visit is simply a good way to learn about our Department’s intellectual environment and infrastructure. We urge you to consult the  course schedule  so that you can plan to sit in on one or more graduate seminars (please ask permission of the instructing professor first: music professors can be reached via email at [email protected]). This is the best way to get to know the professors and students.

You may also want to attend any colloquia, lectures, or faculty seminars that coincide with your visit (check our  calendar ), or to tour the Music Library and other Harvard libraries. It may also be possible to chat informally with some of our current graduate students, who are apt to be working in the department and library during the academic year.

Admitted students  are invited to visit as part of our admissions process (usually in March). At that time, admitted students meet with faculty, get to know our current students, and are introduced to other students who have also been admitted. This is not required, but is a good way for admitted students to get a sense of the program before they make their final decision.

Secondary Field in Musicology/Ethnomusicology

• Completion of a minimum of four courses in Music. • One of these courses must be an introductory course: Music 201a: Introduction to Historical Musicology, Music 201b: Introduction to Ethnomusicology, or Music 221: Current Issues in Theory. • The remaining three courses may be chosen from other graduate courses (200 level: “Primarily for Graduates”) or intermediate courses (150 level or above: “For Undergraduates and Graduates”). (No more than two courses may be chosen from the 150 or above level.) • Neither Pass/Fail nor audited courses will count towards a secondary PhD field. Contact the advisor in Ethnomusicology or in Musicology in the Department of Music for additional information on a secondary PhD field.

Declaring a Secondary Field

Students interested in declaring a secondary field in music should submit the “GSAS Secondary Field Application” to the Director of Graduate Studies as evidence of their successful participation in four appropriate courses in the Music Department. Once they obtain the approval of the DGS they and the registrar will receive certification of successful completion of secondary field requirements.

For further information contact the Director of Graduate Studies, Harvard University Department of Music, Music Building, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138  617-495-2791   [email protected]

For additional information  click here

The Department of Music at Berkeley is one of the oldest and most prominent in the country, bringing together a renowned group of composers, scholars, and performers. The graduate program is ranked among the top in the nation. The department offers the MA/PhD and the PhD degrees (for those who have previously completed the masters degree) in composition and scholarship, the latter with options in musicology and in ethnomusicology. The Music Department does not offer a terminal MA degree. The program provides graduate students with a solid mastery of their discipline while cultivating a sense of intellectual and creative independence. Students are free to explore related fields of study both within the music program itself and in the larger university. Graduates of the Music Department play prominent roles in distinguished musical institutions across the nation and abroad.

Students are supported by both fellowships and teaching opportunities. A typical funding package consists of tuition plus an income of at least $34,000 per year guaranteed for five years (MA/PhD) or four years (PhD). A final year of financial support at similar levels is available through the Doctoral Completion Fellowship offered through the Graduate Division. Additional support for research travel is available by application.

Concentration Areas

Composition.

Students in composition are encouraged to create music that is personal both in style and content while building a firm technical foundation. Composition is taught through seminars and independent studies by all composers on the faculty. Opportunities exist for public performances of student compositions, including chamber, vocal, and orchestral works. Facilities are available for work in electronic and computer music.

Ethnomusicology

Students in ethnomusicology prepare for ethnographic research, through the study of cultural theory and methodology from various disciplines. Each students program is individually designed in consultation with an adviser, including opportunities for drawing on Berkeleys considerable resources in related disciplines and area studies.

Students in the musicology program gain skills for historical research while developing a sense of critical inquiry and intellectual independence. The MA program introduces students to musicological methods and techniques and at the same time seeks to broaden their horizons through a variety of courses, including analysis and ethnomusicology. The PhD involves more detailed work in research seminars and special studies. Dissertation topics at Berkeley have run the gamut of scholarly approaches and subjects, from source studies to theoretical or critical works, and from early medieval chant to the music of the present day.

The Master of Arts Degree

The period of study in all areas of specialization is from three to (more typically) four semesters ending with the MA comprehensive examination. The general course requirement for the MA is 24 units, at least 12 of which must be in the graduate series in music.

The Doctor of Philosophy Degree

Since the PhD degree is awarded for original, creative achievement, not for the mere completion of a course of study, course and unit requirements are not rigidly prescribed. There is an academic residence requirement of two years. The amount of time needed to complete the PhD varies considerably from one student to another, but students are encouraged to proceed as fast as they can and as the nature of their doctoral project allows. It is expected that the typical student (having obtained an MA degree) will have pursued sufficient course work, fulfilled all the supplementary requirements, and taken the qualifying examination, advanced to candidacy, and completed a prospectus for the doctoral project by the end of two years. After this time the only requirement is that the student satisfactorily completes the doctoral project.

Contact Info

[email protected]

104 Morrison Hall

Berkeley 94720-1200

At a Glance

Department(s)

Admit Term(s)

Application Deadline

December 3, 2024

Degree Type(s)

Doctoral / PhD

Degree Awarded

GRE Requirements

• Bachelor of Music
• Bachelor of Arts in Music
• Opportunities
• Master of Arts
• Master of Music

PhD in Music

• Doctor of Musical Arts
• Areas of Study & Research
• Publications
• Student Ensembles
• Music Library
• Job Opportunities

The UBC School of Music offers a PhD in Music with an emphasis on Musicology, Music Theory, or Ethnomusicology.

Qualified students may combine the curricula of two or more emphasis in their programs of study with the supervisory committee’s approval. We designed the program to provide thorough training in musical research and analysis techniques and applications.

In addition to offering courses in the established practices of their respective fields, the academic faculty have eclectic interests that bridge conventionally separate disciplines, or historical and geographical area specialities. Members of all divisions teach and write about world popular music of many kinds. A Canadian Indigenous music scholar teaches a cross-disciplinary course in critical studies. Theorists and ethnomusicologists collaborate on the analysis of world traditional musics; historical musicologists branch out to write and teach about sound studies, Cantonese music, or opera in global context; and our music theory faculty research rhythm and cognition in many aspects.

• Prerequisites and remedial subjects. Registration in Music 512E (Directed Individual Studies).
• Course work (curriculum, language requirements).
• Formal approval of thesis topic. At this time the student should present for approval to the advisory committee evidence of progress such as a bibliography, an outline of methodology, a ground plan of themes to be explored and expanded, etc.

Comprehensive examinations

• Advancement to candidacy and completion of Music 512E (by the end of the third year).
• Research and fieldwork (if applicable); thesis (Music 649); and final oral examination.

Entrance requirements

To enter the PhD in music, you should have completed a master’s degree or its equivalent, including a thesis, and follow our entrance requirements:

You should demonstrate extensive experience with music history research and bibliographical techniques, as well as in German or French (see the explanatory notes to the MA in Historical Musicology).

Music Theory

To be eligible for entry into the Music Theory emphasis, you should demonstrate experience with music-theoretical research and have completed a program of study comparable to our MA in Music Theory.

Ethnomusicology

To be eligible for entry into the Ethnomusicology emphasis; you should have:

• Completed Music 520 (Introduction to Music Research) or its equivalent.
• Completed at least two graduate seminars in ethnomusicological theory, method, and/or transcription (the equivalents of Music 529 and 531).
• Demonstrated reading or fieldwork proficiency in one language beyond your first language (see the explanatory notes to the MA in Ethnomusicology).
• Students who have completed 12 credits in the first year of an MA program may, at the discretion of the faculty, accelerate directly into the PhD (without completing the MA thesis) if they have demonstrated sufficient mastery of graduate-level material and development as a scholarly writer.
• Students who wish to transfer from a master’s to a doctoral program must have completed one year of study in the master’s program with a minimum 80% average in 12 credits, of which at least nine credits must be at the 500 level or above and at least nine credits must be at 80% or above and must show clear evidence of research ability.

Program and progress review

Each year in the spring term, the appropriate division will review your program and your progress to allow you to continue with your PhD in Music degree.

In addition to MUSC 649 (PhD thesis, no credit), you will take 21 credits of coursework as specified below. Your supervisory committee must approve all programs of study.

The minimum of 21 credits of course work will include the following:

• 3 credits of Music 512E (Directed Individual Studies) taken on a topic related to the subject of your PhD thesis. You should register in Music 512E during the first year of doctoral study and remain in this course until you have advanced to candidacy.
• 523 Seminar in Medieval Music - 3/6 credits
• 524 Seminar in Renaissance Music - 3/6 credits
• 525 Seminar in Baroque Music - 3/6 credits
• 526 Seminar in the Classical Period Music - 3/6 credits
• 527 Seminar in Nineteenth-Century Music - 3/6 credits
• 528 Seminar in Twentieth/Twenty-First Century Music - 3/6 credits
• 532 Advanced Studies in Music History and Musicology - 3/6 credits
• Note that actual topics will vary from one year to another. Conceivably one seminar of the same number may be taken twice if offered on two different topics. With the supervisory committee’s approval, other courses may be counted toward these 12 credits in Musicology.
• 6 credits (two courses) in Music Theory at the 500 level. Music Theory courses should have a strong analytical component.

You are encouraged to take or audit additional elective courses in addition to the minimum program requirements.

In addition to the 21 required credits, you may elect up to 4 credits of Music ensemble or, with permission of the Director of the School of Music, Music Performance.

The minimum of 21 hours of coursework will be determined by the student and their committee, and will include the following:

• Note: In addition to these 9 credits, graduate seminars from our MA curriculum (including Music 501 or Advanced Schenkerian Analysis) may be required by the supervisory committee for students who have not completed similar courses previously. 
• Note: Must be taken on a topic related to the subject of the PhD thesis. You should register in Music 512E during the first year of doctoral study and remain in this course until you have advanced to candidacy.
• Two 500-level seminars in Musicology, one on music before 1800, and one on music since 1800 - 6 credits
• Any 300- or higher-level course in music or another discipline, as approved by the student's supervisory committee - 3 credits

The 21 credits should be distributed as follows:

• Note: Must be taken on a topic related to the subject of your PhD thesis. You should register in Music 512E during the first year of doctoral study and remain in this course until you have advanced to candidacy.
• Note: May be repeated with a different topic.
• Note: If this course has been taken at the MA level and/or at another institution, it may be repeated for credit toward the PhD if the content is sufficiently different, and with the instructor’s permission.
• 530 Topics in Ethnomusicology - 3/6 credits
• 531 Seminar in Ethnomusicology - 3/6 credits
• 565 World Music Ensemble - 3 credits
• 566 Intensive Chamber Ensemble - 1 credit
• Elective courses: 6 credits - Any 300- or higher-level courses in historical musicology, music theory, or composition; and/or cognate electives chosen from upper-level undergraduate and graduate courses in Anthropology, Asian Studies (including languages), or another non-music discipline related to the student's area of research.

Note for MA transfer students

Students permitted to transfer from the MA to the PhD require 27 credits of coursework in total. The first 6 credits of MA coursework will not transfer to the PhD.

Language requirements

• German and French reading knowledge is a prerequisite to the program and shall be tested by a language examination before advancement to candidacy.
• You may also require proficiency in a third language if the advisory committee deems it essential for thesis research.
• In cases where a faculty member in the division of Musicology is not available or competent to administer such an examination, we will make arrangements with faculty in another department at UBC.
• A reading knowledge of a language other than English is a prerequisite to the program; students admitted with a deficiency in this area must rectify it by the end of the first winter session of their PhD program.
• Proficiency in a second language may also be required if the advisory committee deems it essential for thesis research.
• A reading or fieldwork proficiency in a second language is a prerequisite to the program (if you are admitted with a deficiency in this area, you must rectify it by the end of your first winter session in the PhD program).
• For the PhD, one additional language will normally be required, ideally a language or dialect appropriate to the proposed research area. If your research requires more intensive language study than basic reading knowledge (such as spoken Chinese or classical Chinese) further work in a single language may be recognized as fulfilling this requirement.

You must successfully complete your comprehensive examinations before you may actively pursue research for your PhD thesis– except for the preparatory studies conducted as part of Music 512E.

You may take these examinations only after removing all entrance deficiencies, satisfying the language proficiency requirements, completing all course work, and receiving official approval of your PhD thesis topic.

• A written examination covering the major historical eras: Middle Ages, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Twentieth Century to the present. You must answer one question from each of these eras.
• A written examination covering questions related to your chosen area of research for your PhD thesis.
• An oral examination with emphasis on your chosen research area, but dealing with subjects related to the written examination and possibly several selected sound recordings.
• A written examination in music analysis; you will be assigned a small number of compositions before being examined.
• A written examination dealing with major trends and scholarly contributions to music theory, historical and recent, with some emphasis on topics relevant to your thesis proposal.
• a selected body of music associated with the thesis topic and
• selected scholarly contributions, contemporary and historical, pertinent to this repertoire.

The comprehensive examination has five parts, each devoted to a general topic chosen in consultation between the student and faculty. The student then prepares a bibliography related to the chosen topics and uses this to guide a period of reading and study lasting about six months. About one month prior to mutually agreed-upon examination dates, the committee and student meet to narrow down specific topics to be addressed in the exam itself.

The exam format is subject to some flexibility but, in general, lasts two days. It consists of five activities chosen from among the following

• Sit-down essay(s) written in two-hour exam format
• A conference presentation
• An undergraduate lecture class (mock, or real if schedule permits)
• A graduate seminar (given to peers in the program) with bibliographic supplement
• A comparative book review (prepared in advance)
• A grant proposal (prepared in advance)
• Video documentary or podcast(s) (prepared in advance)
• Others the student and committee may propose

PhD thesis and advisory committee

You must take 3 credits of Music 512E (Directed Individual Studies) to formulate a proposal for the thesis topic. You should register in Music 512E during the first year of doctoral study; this course will continue until the student advances to candidacy. The principal supervisor will provide a grade for Music 512E.

The School of Music must then approve the thesis proposal before you can take the comprehensive examinations. In accordance with your proposed research area, a committee will be established early in the period of residency. This advisory committee will include the thesis supervisor and at least two other members, one of whom may be drawn from outside the School of Music.

Admission to candidacy

The basic requirements for a doctoral student to be admitted to candidacy are:

• All required coursework, remedial requirements, and language requirements have been successfully completed
• The comprehensive examination has been passed
• A thesis prospectus has been approved

A graduate program may also wish to apply additional criteria for students to be admitted to candidacy. In such cases, the graduate program must inform the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies and the student(s) of these criteria in writing.

You are normally expected to complete your comprehensive examination within 24-30 months from initial registration. The deadline for advancement to candidacy is 36 months from initial registration. Extension of this period may be permitted by the Dean of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies in exceptional circumstances.

As soon as you have satisfied all requirements, the graduate program must recommend that you be admitted to candidacy to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. The appropriate form is to be found on the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies website.

The PhD thesis must be researched and written under the direction of the thesis supervisor and with the assistance of the candidate's committee as required.

The dissertation should demonstrate a capacity for research that enhances or qualifies existing bodies of knowledge or presents critical new interpretations of prevailing materials and methods.

It must satisfy all requirements established by the Faculty of Graduate Studies in its final form. An external examiner will be asked to evaluate the thesis and, when possible, to join the committee for the final oral defence.

You should consult the Faculty of Graduate Studies website for deadline dates for submitting the doctoral thesis and information concerning the final oral examination.

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Undergraduate Program

The concentration in Music exposes students to a wide variety of musical styles, sounds, and musical traditions in order to develop their critical understanding of music in diverse cultural and historical contexts. The concentration also provides a solid foundation in theory, analysis, composition, and criticism, as well as the opportunity to develop acute listening skills. Students are encouraged to participate (with credit) in faculty-led ensembles in orchestra, chorus, jazz, and dance.

The graduate program of the Department of Music offers advanced training in historical musicology, ethnomusicology, theory, composition, and creative practice and critical inquiry leading to the degree of Ph.D. in Music.

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Music: Music Studies, PhD

Related programs.

• Music: Jazz and Popular Music, Minor
• Music: Music, Minor
• Music: Composition, PhD

The graduate program in Music Studies at the University of Pennsylvania serves students who intend to conduct cutting-edge research, produce high-quality scholarship, and develop teaching and professional skills in order to pursue academic positions in music studies; it also serves those who want to consider career opportunities beyond academia in both music and non-music domains. Faculty apply methodological tools from ethnomusicology, sound studies, musicology, and music theory to a wide range of research projects. The goal of the graduate program is not to entrench these disciplinary distinctions, but rather to seek out productive and innovative means of placing them in dialogue with each other. This orientation toward holding all of the sub-disciplines in view is reflected in the graduate curriculum as well as in the multiple colloquium series that animate departmental life. The curriculum is designed with flexibility in mind—designed specifically to offer students the freedom to craft a path of study that best addresses the research needs and methodological concerns of their particular dissertation projects. It combines the wide range of courses offered by the world-class faculty in the music department with the possibility of enrolling in seminars in other Penn departments and taking classes at consortium schools such as Princeton, Yale, and Columbia. Our colloquium series provides another means of engaging in both disciplinary and interdisciplinary conversations. In addition, workshops, public performances, and working papers presented by graduate students, post-doctoral fellows and faculty offer a wide range of perspectives on musical practice and scholarship, focusing variously on public lives in music, current research, craft and compositional issues. The faculty is particularly interested in teaching and research in the following areas: Archives, Textualities, and Materialities; Audio Politics and Sound Studies; Conflict, Healing, and Displacement; Gender, Sexuality, and the Body; Global Medieval/Renaissance; the Global South; History, Memory, and Intangible Heritage; Life Forms and Forms of Life; Opera and Performance Studies; Race, Ethnicity, and Empire; and Religion, Ritual, and Secularism. The Department of Music at the University of Pennsylvania also offers a Ph.D. program in composition.  

For more information: https://music.sas.upenn.edu/

View the University’s Academic Rules for PhD Programs .

Practicum Exam

During the first year of study, each student will work collaboratively with two faculty (these faculty members will be identified by the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) according to student research and interest) to determine their areas of strength and opportunities for growth in reportorial knowledge. During the first meeting, each student should offer a self-assessment which will guide faculty toward a better sense of their listening habits and sound worlds. In subsequent meetings, students and faculty will explore a variety of possible areas/topics/repertoires for listening and music study. During the second semester of study, the faculty and student will settle on 5 areas to be examined at the end of the first summer.

These areas will be selected as follows: faculty will select 2-3 areas; faculty and student will agree on a further 1-2 areas; the student will propose the final area. The structure of the exam should be settled and communicated to the Director of Graduate Studies during the Annual Review meeting (see handbook).

Samples of successful practicum exam answers can be reviewed in the Exams Binder in the Director of Graduate Studies’ office.

Practicum exams will be evaluated on the following structure:

Pass:  A Pass on all portion of the examination is required for admission to the Ph.D. program.

Partial Pass:  The student must take some portion of the examination again before the question of admission to the doctoral program is decided. Failure to achieve a Pass during the second sitting may result in an offer of a terminal master’s degree.

Comprehensive Exam

During the Spring of year 2, students will devise three comprehensive essay topics in consultation with their comps committee chair (who may be the same as the advisor). In consultation with the comps committee chair and the DGS, students should ask two additional faculty to be on their comprehensive exam committee. The exam topics, once approved by the comps committee, should be submitted to the DGS by the end of year 2. Students must inform the Graduate Coordinator of their comps committee members.

In the summer between years 2 and 3 and during the Fall of year 3 students will complete the three comprehensive essays. The comprehensive essays will consist of three essays of no more than 3,000 words each. The essays will take the form of literature reviews, tracing the history and current state of research in fields related to but not directly overlapping with the dissertation project. While each student will constitute these essays in different ways, students will often include at least one essay on a theoretical topic and another on a more regional or temporal topic.

The essays must be submitted for review by the comps committee and DGS in early January of year 3. The student will sit for an oral exam with the comps committee and DGS in January.

In the oral exam, topics of discussion will include the comprehensive essays, the intellectual terrain that they trace, the quality of work, and the opportunities it suggests for ongoing research. If requested by the committee, students will re-do comps essays in the Spring of year 3.

Dissertation Proposal

During year 3, students will write their dissertation proposal and assemble their dissertation committee.

The dissertation proposal is an essay of approximately 15-20 pages plus bibliography outlining the dissertation project, illustrating the disciplinary and theoretical stakes of the work, indicating the interventions that this project will make within music studies and related disciplines, and laying out the arc of research and writing plan for the project. The proposal is prepared under the supervision of a dissertation advisor and at least two additional faculty (the dissertation committee).

Students typically ask a faculty member to be the dissertation advisor by end of year 2. The dissertation committee should be finalized by the middle of year 3, in consultation with the dissertation advisor and the DGS. The dissertation committee must be chaired by a member of the graduate group in Music and an additional member of the committee must be drawn from within the department. The third member of the committee may be selected from within the department, from other departments at Penn, or from an outside institution. Some students choose a committee of four. Students should inform the Graduate Coordinator of who is on their committee. 

A final draft of the dissertation proposal, approved by the dissertation committee, must be submitted to the DGS and Graduate Coordinator for review to the graduate group faculty by March 15 or another day agreed on by the committee.

Dissertation

Each student is responsible for making certain that the dissertation conforms to all requirements and specifications of the Provost’s office, details should be requested at an early date. Early in the semester in which students expect to complete the dissertation, they should carefully review the calendar for degree candidates published by the Provost’s Office. It is each student’s responsibility to see that all the deadlines listed therein are satisfied. It should be noted that certain fees can be avoided by careful attention to the carious deadlines. The Department of Music required that a bibliography be provided in all dissertations. A final draft of the dissertation should be circulated by the student to the entire dissertation committee at least one month prior to the submission deadline so that any changes suggested by the committee can be incorporated into the final version.

Approved dissertations must be submitted on-line; see the Graduate Degrees website for more details. Additional details can be found in the Handbook for Graduate Students in Music .

Public Dissertation Defense

In consultation with the dissertation committee, and with deference to the yearly deadlines for dissertation submission set by the Provost’s Office, students will schedule a dissertation defense. This public event constitutes the final examination for the Ph.D. Degree. A final draft of the PhD dissertation must be submitted for review to the entire dissertation committee by a date agreed upon by the advisor and committee prior to the student’s dissertation defense. 

Dissertation defenses should be held in-person when possible, but may be presented via remote conferencing when deemed appropriate. If a hybrid or remote defense is requested, it must be approved by the DGS.

Please see the Graduation Calendar  for deadlines.

Language Requirement

Reading knowledge of two languages is required for all students in music studies and composition. Students will select their language exams in consultation with the graduate chair faculty, with the understanding that their selections should relate clearly to their projected plan of study and proposed dissertation topic. Where appropriate, students may request approval from the graduate chair and faculty to use a computer language to complete one of the two exams.

Students for whom English is not their native language may choose their native language as one of their two language exams if they plan to conduct significant research/fieldwork in that language or in cased where a major corpus of literature pertinent to the student’s field of research exists in that language.

Language Examinations

Language examinations are given once each semester and have flexible scheduling. Students must take an examination at each of these times until their language requirements have been met. Each language examination consists of a passage of approximately 500 words selected from a representative work of musical scholarship. The student is given 3 hours to write an English translation. Use of a dictionary is permitted.

Reading courses in French, Italian, and German are administered by the Graduate Division during the summer (May through June) and are available to Ph.D. students at no cost. Students may register for undergraduate language courses as a fourth course as ‘auditors.’ Graduate credit will not be granted for such undergraduate language courses.

The degree and major requirements displayed are intended as a guide for students entering in the Fall of 2024 and later. Students should consult with their academic program regarding final certifications and requirements for graduation.

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We have a global reputation for our world-leading research in composition, ethnomusicology, musicology, music technology, performance and psychology of music. Join our inspirational research community as a PhD student and start making a difference.

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Music (PhD)

Program description.

The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Music offered by the Schulich School of Music is a research-intensive program that emphasizes dynamic and hands-on learning opportunities. The program's objective is to equip students with skills in literature review, original thinking, and knowledge synthesis to pursue professional opportunities in academia or industry.

The PhD in Music is offered in eight different topic areas : Musicology, Music Theory, Music Technology, Music Education, Sound Recording, Composition, Interdisciplinary Studies, and Applied Performance Sciences.

The program may also be taken as the Gender and Women's Studies option which focuses on issues centrally related to gender, sexuality, feminist theory, and/or women’s studies. This program is offered in collaboration with the McGill Institute for Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies.

Keywords: digital studios, performance training, music teaching, physiology of performance, music technologies, computer music, new media, musical acoustics, digital signal processing, human-computer interaction, synthesis and gestural control, music information retrieval and music perception and cognition, analysis of music, history of music theory, meta-theoretical work, musical analysis, Tonmeister tradition, multichannel sound, virtual auditory environments, microphone techniques, automated mixing, advanced technical ear training, audio-visual correlation and internet music delivery.

Unique Program Features

• Students refine their musical language and artistic voice through private instruction with some of Canada's most accomplished composers, all of whom have distinguished themselves through high-profile commissions, performances, recordings, and awards;
• Faculty members have diverse interests that ensure composers will find a suitable mentor;
• The School houses several performance spaces, research & production laboratories, and two libraries with a vast collection of music resources. It is also home to the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Music Media and Technology (CIRMMT), an inter-institutional research centre containing six dedicated research labs and work spaces.

University-Level Admission Requirements

• An eligible Bachelor's degree with a minimum 3.0 GPA out of a possible 4.0 GPA
• English-language proficiency

Each program has specific admission requirements including required application documents. Please visit the program website for more details.

Visit our Educational credentials and grade equivalencies and English language proficiency webpages for additional information.

Program Website

PhD in Music ( Musicology , Music Theory , Music Technology , Music Education , Sound Recording , Composition , and Interdisciplinary Studies ) websites

Department Contact

Graduate Program graduateadmissions.music [at] mcgill.ca (subject: PhD%20in%20Music) (email)

Available Intakes

Application deadlines.

Note: Application deadlines are subject to change without notice. Please check the application portal for the most up-to-date information.

Application Resources

• Application Steps webpage
• Submit Your Application webpage
• Connecting with a supervisor webpage
• Graduate Funding webpage

Application Workshops

Consult our full list of our virtual application-focused workshops on the Events webpage.

Department and University Information

Graduate and postdoctoral studies.

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Music Dissertation Topics

Published by Carmen Troy at January 4th, 2023 , Revised On May 16, 2024

Music is one of the most beautiful forms of art that involves an organized and hierarchical sound and silence. It is generally performed in terms of pitch, rhythm, and sound quality. Music is a passion that many enthusiasts aspire to pursue. While the art of music can be an innate ability, it can be pruned with proper learning. Therefore, musicology is an academic field that offers the teaching of music.

Suppose you are an avid music learner, you have chosen musicology for higher studies. Then, you need to complete your degree with a final dissertation. If you are unsure what dissertation to write about, you can check out some of the topics suggested by experienced, professional experts in music.

You may also want to start your dissertation by requesting a  brief research proposal  from our writers on any of these topics, which includes an  introduction  to the problem,  research question , aim and objectives,  literature review , along with the proposed  methodology  of research to be conducted. Let us know if you need any help in getting started.

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You can review step by step guide on how to write your dissertation  here .

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Latest Music Dissertation Topics

Topic 1: examining the benefits of using music therapy for curing mental health patients – a study on the hospitals under nhs foundation trust..

Research Aim: The aim of this study is to identify the benefits of using music therapy for curing mental health patients. The study will mainly focus on the use of music therapy in hospitals under the NHS Foundation Trust.

Objectives:

• To figure out the key advantages of using music therapy to cure mental health patients.
• To elaborate on how music therapy is being used by the hospitals under NHS Foundation Trust aims to cure mental health patients.
• To share a stringent set of recommendations for the hospitals under the NHS Foundation Trust to strategically use music therapy for curing mental health patients.

Topic 2: A detailed study on the transformation of British electronic dance music (EDM) over the last 10 years.

Research Aim: The study aims to conduct research on the transformation of British electronic dance music (EDM) over the last 10 years.

• To share knowledge about the key aspects and specifications of British electronic dance music (EDM).
• To provide a comprehensive analysis of the transformation of British electronic dance music (EDM) in the last decade.
• To develop an understanding of how overall EDM practices can be improved and led towards advancement thereby aligning with the British culture.

Topic 3: Examining the growing influence of electronic and digital technology on music education in the UK.

Research Aim: The present research study aims to examine the growing influence of electronic and digital technology on music education in the UK.

• To shed light on the changes in modern-age music education alongside the increasing dominance of advanced technologies.
• To demonstrate how the growing use of electronic and digital technologies is redefining music education in the UK.
• To recommend how electronic and digital technologies can be used in the best possible way to influence music education in the UK.

Topic 4: Describing the benefits of using music for children’s learning specifically during the stage of early development – a study on the UK government's changing perspective and investment in children's music and art.

Research Aim: The aim of this research study is to describe the benefits of using music for children’s learning specifically during the stage of early development. The UK government’s changing perspective and investment in children’s music and art will be emphasised in this study.

• To identify the key benefits of using music in children’s learning, especially during their early development.
• To exemplify the changing perspective of the UK government and how the government is investing in children’s music and art.
• To recommend strategies that can help in the use of music in the best way to support children’s learning at their early development stage.

Topic 5: Investigating the impacts of removing gender disparity on music composition and performance in the British music industry.

Research Aim: The aim of this study is to investigate the impacts of removing gender disparity on music composition and performance in the British music industry.

• To contextualise the importance of maintaining gender equality for maintaining healthy practices in music composition and performance.
• To describe how the removal of gender disparity may help in music composition and performance in the British music industry.
• To suggest strategies to eliminate gender discrimination and inequality in the British music industry.

More Music Dissertation Topics

Topic. 1: major music platforms in the world:.

Research Aim: There are many channels through which we can stream music. Each of the platforms has its perks and flaws that either excite or infuriate the users. The aim of the research will be to critically analyze the major music platforms in the world. 

Topic. 2: Impact of music talent shows on music:

Research Aim: Almost all countries around the world produce music talent shows usually aimed to find out new, young, emerging talent. The music talent shows have significant effects on the music, musicians, and music industry. Now, whether the impact is good or bad, the research will aim to find it out. The focal purpose of the study will be to identify the positive and negative repercussions of music talent shows. 

Topic. 3: Health benefit of music:

Research Aim: We all have heard that music is the food for the soul, but it is yet to find out if it is any good to our body. However, it is true that music cheers us up and helps us unwind things. It is significant to study if it aids an ailment. The research will aim to find out if music has health benefits and explore the details about the ailments and the remedy.

Topic. 4: Pop music in the contemporary world

Research Aim: Pop music was the undisputed king in the back times. Today, although we get to see the spark of pop in music, it is not truly pop. The research will analyze and evaluate the nature of pop music today and how it is amalgamated with contemporary music all around the world. 

Topic. 5: Role of technology in music

Research Aim: Technology is a crucial determiner that cannot be overlooked. It has affected all of the significant aspects of our lives, and music is no exception. The music that existed without technologically driven machines used to be different from what it is today. The aim of the research is to make a comparison and contrast between the nature of the two products of music and understand their similarities and differences under the light of technology. 

Topic. 6: Music in Hollywood

Research Aim: The main aim of the research would be to make a standard music format that is followed in Hollywood. The type of music produced in Hollywood is different from other major film industries. The researcher will analyze and evaluate the music and create a generic algorithm of music production followed by music composers in Hollywood. 

Topic. 7: The obsolete music instruments

Research Aim: Today, not all musical instruments are in their original shape. In fact, most of them have been buried inside a land do a lack of marketing and usage. The researcher will conduct thorough research to investigate the obsolete musical instruments that are unfamiliar to most people of a specific area. 

Topic. 8: pros and cons of legal music sharing platforms

Research Aim: The aim of the research will be to find out and highlight the advantages and disadvantages of legal music-sharing platforms. It will also investigate their impact on the music itself and discover the user’s inclination or motivations for using the platforms.   

Topic. 9: Music piracy in the age of the internet

Research Aim: Music piracy has always existed, but in the age of the internet, it has become predominant. The aim of the research will be to explore and find out how easy or difficult it has become to pirate music because it has significant outcomes in both ways. 

Topic. 10: Role of music in human life

Research Aim: When we are happy, we listen to music. When we are sad, we listen to music. Music has something to offer to each of our moods, and therefore, it is an integral part of our lives. This research will deeply analyze the role of music in human life and in what ways it affects our feelings, mood, actions, behaviors, and mundane activities. 

How Can ResearchProspect Help?

ResearchProspect writers can send several custom topic ideas to your email address. Once you have chosen a topic that suits your needs and interests, you can order for our dissertation outline service which will include a brief introduction to the topic, research questions , literature review , methodology , expected results , and conclusion . The dissertation outline will enable you to review the quality of our work before placing the order for our full dissertation writing service !

Topic. 11: How does music therapy work:

Research Aim: Music therapy is practiced in a large proportion of the world. The researcher will monitor people taking music therapy and identify its level of effectiveness. 

Topic. 12: Music and economy:

Research Aim: Good music transcends boundaries and therefore gets most disseminated and widespread. As a result, it is able to generate more money. The counties whose music is listened around the world have music as a key contributor to their Gross domestic product. The aim of the research is to survey and find out the statistics of music and its contribution to the economy. 

Topic. 13: music and culture

Research Aim: There are different kinds of music produced around the world, much of which depends on the culture of the respective area. The research will study the influence of culture on music and vice versa. 

Topic. 14: Role of music in spirituality

Research Aim: Music has a unique and close relationship with spirituality. Music is an instrument used to invoke feelings of spirituality. The researcher will study different religions and their way of connecting to God through music. 

Topic. 15: Music bands- their relevance today

Research Aim: The popularity and craze of music bands were very high in the 90s than what it is today. The aim of the research is to find out the potential of music bands in the contemporary music industry in different ways. 

Topic. 16: Music and patriotism

Research Aim: Music and poetry are used all around the world to boost the patriotism and nationalism of the inhabitants. The researcher will broadly study and investigate the instrumentation of music for patriotism and how music is used for political gains and at avenues. The researcher can do case studies and find accurate answers to the research questions. 

Topic. 17: Understanding the music market

Research Aim: The music market is just like any other product market: it is vast and diverse. You cannot make an audience persona for music, but you can make audience personas for different genres of music. And this research will do that. The research will aim to make audience personas of varying music genres understand the music market. 

Topic. 18: Most influential musicians today

Research Aim: The main aim of the research would be to explore and understand the current trends in music and pinpoint the most influential musicians today. Different musicians will be evaluated against different variables such as music they have produced, outreach, and followers, etc. 

Topic. 19: Music in the 21st century

Research Aim: Music has evolved significantly over the period of time, and there is no doubt that it will keep on transforming in the coming years. The aim of the research is to study and evaluate the current nature of music produced in the world and, more particularly, about the taste of people. 

Topic. 20: The evolution of music:

Research Aim: The researcher will delve into the history of the music to learn about its roots. The main aim of the research is to find and evaluate the evolution of music than how it developed over time and the phases that it went through to reach its current position. 

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How to find music dissertation topic.

To find a music dissertation topic:

• Explore genres, history, or cultural aspects.
• Analyze music theory, composition, or performance.
• Investigate technology’s impact on music.
• Consider social or psychological dimensions.
• Review recent research in musicology.
• Select a topic that resonates with your passion and expertise.

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• Doctoral Dissertations in Musicology - Online (DDM) A bibliography of completed dissertations and proposed topics in musicology, music theory, ethnomusicology, and related disciplines. Maintained by the American Musicological Society.
• MTO Dissertation Index An index of dissertations in music theory, with abstracts and tables of contents, maintained by the Society for Music Theory.
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PhD in Computer-Based Music Theory and Acoustics

The PhD program in computer-based music theory and acoustics is offered by the Department of Music through the Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA, pronounced "karma"). CCRMA is a multidisciplinary facility attracting PhD students from several departments and schools across campus including Computer Science (CS), Electrical Engineering (EE), Mechanical Engineering (ME), and Psychology (PSYCH).

While all  CCRMA faculty  hold positions within the Department of Music,  Ge Wang  holds a courtesy appointment in CS which enables him to serve as primary thesis advisor for PhD students in CS. All CCRMA faculty, including [adjunct and emeritus] ( https://ccrma.stanford.edu/about/faculty-and-staff ), can be secondary advisors on your committee. [N.B. Application for graduate study is handled by the corresponding home department.]

Below you will find a chart with the placement of the major milestones for your career as a doctoral student in computer-based music theory and acoustics.  Please note that each of the major milestones and recommended/required coursework for the degree plan are discussed and defined more elaborately in the  Department of Music Graduate Handbook .

Milestones and Examinations

• Autumn: Y1Q1 Enroll in: 12-18 units, 15 recommended (enroll in Music 220A, Music 305D) Qualifying Exam preparation Milestone: Diagnostic Exams  (read about ALL exams in the Music Graduate Student Handbook )
• Winter: Y1Q2 Enroll in: 12-18 units, 15 recommended (enroll in Music 220B) Qualifying Exam preparation
• Spring: Y1Q3 Enroll in: 12-18 units, 15 recommended Qualifying Exam preparation Establish Quals Committee and Inform GSSO
• Summer: Y1Q4 Enroll in 1 unit only Qualifying Exam preparation Milestone:   Qualifying Examination (taken in the week prior to the start of classes in Autumn Quarter of Year II)
• Autumn: Y2Q1 Enroll in:   8-10 units, 10 recommended Milestone:   Qualifying Examination (taken in the week prior to the start of classes) Associated Forms: Qualifying Exam Report (completed by faculty committee) ;  Candidacy Form (after passing exam)
• Winter: Y2Q2 Enroll in:   8-10 units, 10 recommended Milestone:   PhD Reading Examination in a Foreign Language (any quarter prior to TGR; soonest recommended) Special Area Exam preparation & research

Spring: Y2Q3 Enroll in:   8-10 units, 10 recommended Special Area Exam preparation & research

Summer: Y2Q4 Enroll in 1 unit only Special Area Exam preparation & research

• Autumn: Y3Q1 Enroll in:   8-10 units, 10 recommended Special Area Exam preparation & research
• Winter: Y3Q2 Enroll in:   8-10 units, 10 recommended Special Area Exam preparation & research
• Spring: Y3Q3 Enroll in:   8-10 units, 10 recommended Special Area Exam preparation & research Milestone : Teaching Requirement met (upon completing the last six quarters of Teaching Assistantships)
• Summer: Y3Q4 Enroll in 1 unit only
• Autumn: Y4Q1 Enroll in:   8-10 units, 10 recommended Milestone: Special Area Exam  (scheduled before the end of week nine) Milestone: Terminal Graduate Registration (TGR) acquired in fourth year (no later than the end of Spring quarter) Associated Form:   TGR Petition  (e-form; when 135 units reached; enroll in Music 802 ONLY after being granted TGR status) Milestone: D octoral Dissertation Reading Committee Form  (consult with advisor; file before the end of quarter)
• Winter: Y4Q2 Enroll in Music 802, TGR Dissertation with your advisor:   0-3 units
• Spring: Y4Q3 Enroll in Music 802, TGR Dissertation with your advisor:   0-3 units Dissertation Research and Writing
• Summer: Y4Q4 Enroll in Music 802, TGR Dissertation with your advisor:   0-3 units
• Autumn, Winter, Spring: Y5Q1, Y5Q2, Y5Q3  and beyond Enroll in Music 802, TGR Dissertation with your advisor every quarter:   0-3 units Milestone:   University Oral Dissertation Defense (scheduled prior to the end of week nine) Milestone: Dissertation Submission (submission of the Dissertation to the University Registrar) Apply to Graduate   in Axess and let your SSO's know whether you will participate in the Department's commencement ceremony. OR Apply for Graduation Quarter enrollment status in Axess at the end of Spring quarter if not yet completed and let SSO's know if you plan on "walking through" a commencement celebration in the Department of Music !
• Summer: Y5Q4 Enroll in Music 802, TGR Dissertation  with your advisor:   0-3 units  ( Graduation Quarter   if needed ) Apply to Graduate   in Axess.

• Schools & departments

Awards: PhD

Study modes: Full-time, Part-time

Funding opportunities

Programme website: Music

Postgraduate Virtual Open Days

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Research profile

The Reid School of Music offers an exciting research environment that combines the theory, history, composition and practice of music with the scientific study of sound.

We engage with a broad range of genres and traditions, including:

• classical and popular music
• Western and non-Western music
• professional and amateur music making
• music for screen

Our research is highly interdisciplinary, with centres and groups spanning other colleges and departments within the University of Edinburgh, from physics and neuroscience to informatics, the humanities, divinity and the social sciences.

We have a large community of postgraduate students undertaking independent research in music.

Staff have a wide range of research interests, engaging in research clustered around four main themes:

History, Theory, and Sociology of Music, including 19th- and 20th-century music, popular music, aesthetics and sociology

Music and the Human Sciences, including music psychology and cognition, and music in the community

Musical Practice, including composition (electroacoustic, algorithmic, computer music and music for screen), and historical and contemporary performance research

Music, Sound and Technology, including musical acoustics and organology

Some of our current hubs of research activity include:

• Acoustics and Audio Group
• ECA Digitals
• Edinburgh University Collection of Historic Musical Instruments
• Institute for Music in Human and Social Development

Please consult our staff profiles on the programme website to see interests and availability. You may propose projects in any area for consideration.

Programme structure

The PhD programme comprises three years of full-time (six years part-time) research under the supervision of an expert in your chosen research topic within music. This period of research culminates in a supervised thesis of up to a maximum of 100,000 words.

Regular individual meetings with your supervisor provide guidance and focus for the course of research you are undertaking.

You will be encouraged to attend research methods courses at the beginning of your research studies.

For every year you are enrolled on programme you will be required to complete an annual progression review.

Training and support

All of our research students benefit from Edinburgh College of Art's interdisciplinary approach, and you will be assigned at least two research supervisors.

Your first/ lead supervisor would normally be based in the same subject area as your degree programme. Your second supervisor may be from another discipline within ECA or elsewhere within the University of Edinburgh, according to the expertise required. On occasion more than two supervisors will be assigned, particularly where the degree brings together multiple disciplines.

Our research culture is supported by seminars and public lecture programmes and discussion groups.

Tutoring opportunities will be advertised to the postgraduate research community, which you can apply for should you wish to gain some teaching experience during your studies. But you are not normally advised to undertake tutoring work in the first year of your research studies, while your main focus should be on establishing the direction of your research.

You are encouraged to attend courses at the Institute for Academic Development ( IAD ), where all staff and students at the University of Edinburgh are supported through a range of training opportunities, including:

• short courses in compiling literature reviews
• writing in a second language
• preparing for your viva

The Scottish Graduate School for Arts and Humanities ( SGSAH ) offers further opportunities for development. You will also be encouraged to refer to the Vitae research development framework as you grow into a professional researcher.

You will have access to study space (some of which are 24-hour access), studios and workshops at Edinburgh College of Art’s campus, as well as University wide resources. There are several bookable spaces for the development of exhibitions, workshops or seminars. And you will have access to well-equipped multimedia laboratories, photography and exhibition facilities, shared recording space, access to recording equipment available through Bookit the equipment loan booking system.

You will have access to high quality library facilities. Within the University of Edinburgh, there are three libraries:

• the Main Library
• the ECA library
• the Art and Architecture Library

The Centre for Research Collections which holds the University of Edinburgh’s historic collections is also located in the Main Library.

The Talbot Rice Gallery is a public art gallery of the University of Edinburgh and part of Edinburgh College of Art, which is committed to exploring what the University of Edinburgh can contribute to contemporary art practice today and into the future. You will also have access to the extraordinary range and quality of exhibitions and events associated with a leading college of art situated within a world-class research-intensive university.

St Cecilia’s Hall, which is Scotland’s oldest purpose-built concert hall, also houses the Music Museum which holds one of the most important historic musical instrument collections anywhere in the world.

In addition to the University’s facilities you will also be able to access wider resources within the City of Edinburgh. These include:

• National Library of Scotland
• Scottish Studies Library and Digital Archives
• City of Edinburgh Libraries
• Historic Environment Scotland
• the National Trust for Scotland

You will also benefit from the University of Edinburgh’s extensive range of student support facilities provided, including:

• student societies
• accommodation
• wellbeing and support services

PhD by Distance option

The PhD by Distance is available to suitably qualified applicants in all the same areas as our on-campus programmes.

The PhD by Distance allows students who do not wish to commit to basing themselves in Edinburgh to study for a PhD in an ECA subject area from their home country or city.

There is no expectation that students studying for an ECA PhD by Distance study mode should visit Edinburgh during their period of study. However, short-term visits for particular activities could be considered on a case-by-case basis.

• PhD by Distance at ECA

Entry requirements

These entry requirements are for the 2024/25 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2025/26 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2024.

Normally a UK Masters degree or its international equivalent. If you do not meet the academic entry requirements, we may still consider your application on the basis of relevant professional experience.

You must also submit a research proposal; see How to Apply section for guidance.

If your research is practice-based a portfolio should also be submitted; see How to Apply section for guidance.

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

• Entry requirements by country
• English language requirements

Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency at a level that will enable you to succeed in your studies.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

• IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 6.0 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
• TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 100 with at least 20 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
• C1 Advanced ( CAE ) / C2 Proficiency ( CPE ): total 185 with at least 169 in each component.
• Trinity ISE : ISE III with passes in all four components.
• PTE Academic: total 70 with at least 59 in each component.

Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS , TOEFL, Trinity ISE or PTE , in which case it must be no more than two years old.

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:

• UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries (non-MESC).

• Approved universities in non-MESC

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old* at the beginning of your programme of study. (*Revised 05 March 2024 to extend degree validity to five years.)

Find out more about our language requirements:

Fees and costs

Additional programme costs.

No additional costs

Tuition fees

Scholarships and funding

Featured funding.

• Edinburgh College of Art scholarships

UK government postgraduate loans

If you live in the UK, you may be able to apply for a postgraduate loan from one of the UK's governments.

The type and amount of financial support you are eligible for will depend on:

• your programme
• the duration of your studies
• your tuition fee status

Programmes studied on a part-time intermittent basis are not eligible.

• UK government and other external funding

Other funding opportunities

Search for scholarships and funding opportunities:

• Search for funding

Further information

• Edinburgh College of Art Postgraduate Research Team Student and Academic Support Service
• Phone: +44 (0)131 651 5741
• Contact: [email protected]
• Postgraduate Research Director, Music, Dr Benedict Taylor
• Phone: +44 (0)131 650 4155
• Contact: [email protected]
• The University of Edinburgh
• Evolution House, 78 West Port
• Central Campus
• Programme: Music
• School: Edinburgh College of Art
• College: Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

Select your programme and preferred start date to begin your application.

PhD Music - 3 Years (Full-time)

Phd music - 6 years (part-time), phd music by distance - 3 years (full-time), phd music by distance - 6 years (part-time), application deadlines.

If you are applying for funding or will require a visa then we strongly recommend you apply as early as possible. All applications must be received by the deadlines listed above.

• How to apply

You must submit two references with your application.

One of your references must be an academic reference and preferably from your most recent studies.

You should submit a research proposal that outlines your project's aims, context, process and product/outcome. Read the application guidance before you apply.

• Preparing your application - postgraduate research degrees (PDF)

Find out more about the general application process for postgraduate programmes:

School of Arts and Creative Technologies

PhD and MPhil in Music

Combine creativity and innovation with academic study to develop key skills for your future career in the field, academia or research.

If your passion lies in research, our doctoral degrees provide the opportunity to combine academia with creativity and innovation. Study with us and receive expert research guidance from our supportive staff, who will encourage you to achieve your full potential.

Your research

Research in Music at the University of York is wide ranging. We have specialists in historical, cultural and critical musicology, composition (acoustic and electronic), performance (especially contemporary performance practices and historical informed practice), music analysis, music education, music psychology and cognition, music AI, and new audio technologies. Many projects are interdisciplinary, involving collaboration with researchers beyond Music.

[email protected] +44 (0)1904 325220

Related links

• Research degree funding
• Accommodation
• International students
• Life at York
• How to apply

These perspectives are embedded within our three Research Clusters: the Contemporary Music Research Cluster, the Musical Cultures and Communities Research Cluster and the Music, Science and Technology Research Cluster. 

Discover more about staff research and expertise

MPhil or PhD projects can use theoretical or experimental methods, can take place through performance, composition, or improvisation, or can involve a comvination of approaches/

Postgraduate research provides opportunities to develop your academic, creative and practical skills. You'll work independently in an academic environment where creativity and scholarship are equally balanced. 

You'll meet regularly with your research supervisor and will have the opportunity to participate in an exciting range of research events.

This PhD programme is aimed at individuals:

• seeking to reach a professional standard of academic research and to pursue a career in either Higher Education or areas of professional practice;
• working professionally in any field of music and wishing to make a career move into teaching and research in Higher Education;
• working in any field of music and wishing to develop their careers with the production of a substantial piece of original research.

A PhD or MPhil by Performance allows you to develop original, innovative, creative research projects.

• The programme has a full-time and a part-time route. The full-time route comprises three years’ study for a PhD, two for an MPhil, both with one optional ‘continuation’ year for completion. The part-time route comprises six years’ study for a PhD, or four for an MPhil, again with the additional ‘continuation’ year for completion, as necessary.
• You will work under the supervision of one or more staff members with expertise relevant to the project topic. As a research student you are also supported by a Thesis Advisory panel (TAP) , which includes an additional academic staff member (not your supervisor).
• As either a PhD or MPhil student, you will submit a portfolio of performance projects, fully documented through video/audio recordings. The portfolio is to be accompanied by critical writing that draws out the research embedded in the practice, discussing aspects of the performance processes and situating the work in a research context. The number and scale of the performance projects, and the length of the written submission, will be negotiated with your supervisor and agreed with your TAP. This will be in relation to the nature of the work and the programme for which you are registered (PhD or MPhil).

A PhD or MPhil by Composition allows you to develop original, innovative, creative research projects.

• You will work under the supervision of one or more staff members with expertise relevant to the project topic. As a research student you are also supported by a Thesis Advisory panel (TAP) , which includes an additional academic staff member (not your supervisor).
• As either a PhD or MPhil student, you will submit a portfolio of composition projects, fully documented through video/audio recordings and/or scores, as appropriate. The portfolio is to be accompanied by critical writing that draws out the research embedded in the practice, discussing aspects of the composition processes and situating the work in a research context. The number and scale of the compositions, and the length of the written submission, will be negotiated with your supervisor and agreed with your TAP. This will be in relation to the nature of the work and the programme for which you are registered (PhD or MPhil).

Our PhD and MPhil by written thesis allows you to develop an original and innovative research project.

• The programme has a full-time and a part-time route. The full-time route comprises three years’ study for a PhD, two for an MPhil, both with one optional ‘continuation’ year for completion. The part-time route comprises six years’ study for a PhD, or four for an MPhil, again with the additional ‘continuation’ year for completion, as necessary.
• You will work independently on a project of your choosing, guided by your supervisor, honing your scholarship and research skills. Word limits for theses are not fixed but, as a guide, when a thesis is the sole submission it is usually expected to be 30,000-50,000 words for a MPhil, and 70,000-100,000 words for a PhD.

If you have started a PhD in Music and find that you need to relocate, you will have the option of transferring to a PhD in Music by distance learning, giving you the flexibility to work from anywhere in the world, with supervision and progression meetings taking place online. For further information, email [email protected] .

UNESCO certified Creative City of Media Arts

York as a city is recognised as a hotbed of creative talent, acting as a gateway to international markets. For two millennia York has been the meeting point for ideas and creativity. Today it is nicknamed the 'City of Festivals'.

Variety of ensembles

Immerse yourself in music and join one of our many staff-conducted or student-led ensembles. From gospel choir to Gamelan to musical theatre societies, York has ample opportunities for you to perform with like-minded people. We also hold a vibrant weekly concert programme.

Explore Arts and Creative Technologies funding for PhD/MPhil researchers and wider postgraduate support.

Supervision

We'll help match your research interests to our supervisory expertise. You'll have a weekly or fortnightly meeting with your supervisor during semester time.

Fantastic facilities

You’ll have access to the Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall and the Rymer Auditorium, as well as five recording studios, fantastic practice facilities and our large collection of historical and world instruments.

Research excellence

We are rated in the UK Top 30 for music research according to the Times Higher Education's ranking of the latest REF results (REF 2021).

Course location

This course is run by the School of Arts and Creative Technologies.

You will be based mostly on  Campus West . Most of your training and supervision meetings will take place here. Some of our facilities are based on  Campus East , and your research may take you further afield.

Entry requirements

An MA degree with the equivalent of a distinction or very high merit, or equivalent experience.

For the composition pathway, you should have an MA in Composition and be able to evidence a high level of ability and originality in composition.

For the performance pathway, you should be able to demonstrate sustained professional experience as a performer.

If you have any questions about the suitability of your qualifications, please contact a member of staff. 

English language requirements

If English is not your first language you must provide evidence of your ability.

Apply for the PhD in Music

Apply for the MPhil in Music

Take a look at the  supporting documents  you may need for your application.

Find out more about how to apply .

Identify a supervisor

You should identify a potential supervisor in our faculty whose area of research overlaps with yours. We encourage you to contact them to discuss your research proposal before you apply.

You should note your preferred supervisor in your application.

Supporting documents

We require you to submit the following documents:

• If you wish to specialise in composition, supply two examples of scores you have composed and, if available, recordings of performances of your compositions.
• If you wish to specialise in performance, you will be required to play or sing if you are invited to an interview, and you should bring with you to the interview an essay of about 3,000 words on a topic related to performance practice. If you are unable to attend an interview then you should send a certified recording of a recent performance and an essay of about 3,000 words on a topic related to performance practice.
• If you wish to specialise in another area, eg musicology, analysis, ethnomusicology or music education, supply an essay of 3,000 to 5,000 words on a topic related to your proposed field of study.

Submit your application

You can apply and send all your documentation electronically through our online system. You don’t need to complete your application all at once: you can start, save, and finish it later.

We will respond to your application in four to six weeks. You may track the status of your application and view any official correspondence online.

Careers and skills

Your PhD or MPhil will help to extend your qualifications, giving you the ability to use analysis-based research for application within music including in contemporary music, musical cultures and communities and music, science and technology. You will become equipped with transferable skills in using creativity to solve problems, critical analysis and composition, presentation and performance. Ultimately, your PhD will help to open the door to various creative, technical, analytical, research and managerial roles in your chosen field within this growing industry.

Our dedicated careers team offer specific support including a programme of professional researcher development and careers workshops and 1:1 career support sessions. They will help you to build up your employability portfolio and to engage in activities that will build up your skills and experience within and outside of your research work.

Discover York

We offer a range of campus accommodation to suit you and your budget, from economy to deluxe.

Discover more about our researchers, facilities and why York is the perfect choice for your research degree.

Graduate Research School

Connect with researchers across all disciplines to get the most out of your research project.

Meet us online or on campus

Find out all you need to know about applying to York

Scholarships

Find scholarships to support your studies

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Digital Commons @ USF > College of The Arts > School of Music > Theses and Dissertations

Music Theses and Dissertations

Theses/dissertations from 2024 2024.

Band Members’ Attitudes Toward the Queer Community and Perception of Band as a Safe Space , Brian J. Panetta

Theses/Dissertations from 2023 2023

A Novel Jazz Music Curriculum for Young Children: Results of A Pilot Study , Jazmin D. Ghent

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

Where We Live and Learn to Know: An Oral History of the Rochelle High School Music Program , John Sargeant

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

School Music Administration During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Trauma, Loss, Meaning, Change, and Innovation , Christopher Burns

Development and Validation of a Scale to Measure Songwriting Self-Efficacy (SSES) with Secondary Music Students , Patrick K. Cooper

Measuring Parental Involvement as Parental Actions in Children’s Private Music Lessons in China , Cancan Cui

Instrumental Music Instruction and Executive Functions: A Cross-Sectional Study of Romanian Children (10-12 Years) , Adrian Sorin Iordache

Racial and Ethnic Difference in Music Performance Self-Efficacy Among Undergraduate Students , George W. Shannon Ii

Theses/Dissertations from 2020 2020

Vocal Health of Choral Singers from Kenya and the United States: Dysphonia and Vocal Fatigue in Relation to Musical Genres , Morgan Jolley Burburan

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

Two Phenomena in Contemporary Music Education: Mental Toughness and the Law , Jason R. Sivill

Theses/Dissertations from 2018 2018

The Making of a Nationally Recognized Band in a Small, Private Liberal Arts University: The Historical Significance of the Bobby L. Adams Years, 1987-2012 , Joshua David Blair

The Effects of a Self-Regulated Learning Music Practice Strategy Curriculum on Music Performance, Self-Regulation, Self-Efficacy, and Cognition , Kimberly N. Mieder

Music Software in the Compositional Learning Process , Daniel L. Nevels

Behavioral, Affective, and Cognitive Engagement of High School Music Students: Relation to Academic Achievement and Ensemble Performance Ratings , Joel E. Pagán

Theses/Dissertations from 2017 2017

Re-envisioning Music Teacher Education: A Comparison of Two Undergraduate Music Education Programs in the U.S. , Jonathan Ross Kladder

Music Ensemble Participation: Personality Traits and Music Experience , Tracy A. Torrance

Theses/Dissertations from 2016 2016

Influence of Musical Engagement on Symptoms of Tourette’s Disorder , William Christopher Brown

Motivation of Adult, Auditioned Community Choirs: Implications toward Lifelong Learning , David James Redman

The Effects of Technical and Imagery-based Instruction on Aspiring Performing Artists’ Acquisition of Learning Newly Composed Pieces and Improvisation and on Listeners’ Perceived Expressivity , José Valentino Ruiz-Resto

Theses/Dissertations from 2015 2015

Preference of Chinese Undergraduate Music Majors for Chinese Xi-Qu and Western Opera , Hong Chen

Secondary Band Participation and Executive Function , Dakeyan Cha' Dre' Graham

Theses/Dissertations from 2014 2014

An Examination of Cooperating Teachers' Observations of Their Student Teachers in the Areas of Personal, Teaching, and Musical Skills in the Elementary Classroom , Mark Remsen Cole

I Did That Wrong and It Sounded Good: An Ethnographic Study of Vernacular Music Making in Higher Education , Victor Ezquerra

Creativity-Based Music Learning: Modeling the Process and Learning Outcomes in a Massive Open Online Course , Nicholas Michael Stefanic

Theses/Dissertations from 2012 2012

The Relationship between Death Depression and Death Anxiety among Cancer Patients in Saudi Arabia , Doaa A. Almostadi

World Percussion Approaches in Collegiate Percussion Programs: A Mixed-methods Study , Patrick Michael Hernly

The Impact of Arranging Music for the Large Ensemble on the Teacher: A Phenomenological Exploration , James Teodor Lindroth

Listening in Action: Students' Mobile Music Experiences in the Digital Age , Rebecca Marie Rinsema

Theses/Dissertations from 2011 2011

The Performance Production Process of an Outstanding High School Choir , Kathy K. Rolsten

Transitioning from Student to Teacher in the Master-Apprentice Model of Piano Pedagogy: An Exploratory Study of Challenges, Solutions, Resources, Reflections, and Suggestions for the Future , Melissa Maccarelli Slawsky

Self-Efficacy in Music Performance: Measuring the Sources Among Secondary School Music Students , Michael S. Zelenak

Theses/Dissertations from 2008 2008

Analytical Perspectives of Thematic Unity: Applications of Reductive Analysis to Selected Fugues by J.S. Bach and G.F. Handel , Adam C. Perciballi

Theses/Dissertations from 2007 2007

Expanded Tonality: The Treatment of Upper and Lower Leading Tones As Evidenced in Sonata "Undine,” IV by Carl Reinecke , Joshua Blizzard

Theses/Dissertations from 2005 2005

The Compositional Style of Francesco Geminiani: a Reflection of Theory and Practice in His Music and Guida Armonica Treatise , Valerie R. Weber

Theses/Dissertations from 2004 2004

An Application of the Grundgestalt Concept to the First and Second Sonatas for Clarinet and Piano, Op. 120, No. 1 & No. 2, by Johannes Brahms , Devon Burts

The French Art Song Style in Selected Songs by Charles Ives , Christy Jo Talbott

Theses/Dissertations from 2003 2003

Music Programs that Engage Our Communities: Making a Stronger Connection , La Gretta Snowden

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Oct 1, 2024 7:30pm

Nathan Mertens and Kenta Saito with Tomoko Kashiwagi

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Jeffrey Kahane, piano

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Main Resources

Main utility, degree requirements, phd in music: music education.

The PhD in Music Education is designed for individuals who have (1) a solid musical background, (2) successful teaching experience, (3) high levels of intellectual capacity, and (4) strong professional leadership abilities. Awarding of the degree is based not only on completion of objective requirements, but on the level of distinction attained by the candidate in the above four qualities.

Program of Study – 18 units

Music Education Core – 2 units

• MUSIC ED 422 Curriculum Development in Music Education
• MUSIC ED 458 Philosophical Basis of Music Education

Research in Music Education – 3 units

• MUSIC ED 523 Paradigms and Processes of Research in Music Teaching and Learning
• MUSIC ED 524 Qualitative Research in Music Education
• MUSIC ED 525 Quantitative Research in Music Education

Music Education Electives – 3 units

Students must select three MUSIC ED courses such as those listed below. For a complete listing of approved courses for PhD Students, see the Graduate Catalog .

• MUSIC ED 401 Music in Higher Education  MUSIC ED 426 World Music Pedagogy   MUSIC ED 430 Seminar in General Music Education  MUSIC ED 435 Selected Topics in Music Education  MUSIC ED 437 Psychology of Music Teaching & Learning

Cognate Area – 3 units

Students enroll in three courses in a non-music field relevant to their main interest.

Electives – 7 units

Focused study leading to a dissertation, musical studies, special needs and interests

MUSIC ED 520 Research Seminar

All PhD students must register continuously for MUSIC ED 520 Research Center Seminar (0 units). Students have the option to take 520 one time for one unit of credit.

Sample PhD Curriculum in Music Education

All courses for the PhD must appear on the authorized list of courses as published by The Graduate School.

Additional Requirements

Center for the Study of Education and the Musical Experience

During the years of residence, regular participation in the weekly seminar of the Center for the Study of Education and the Musical Experience is required. Continuing participation beyond the residence years is strongly encouraged.

Teaching Competency

As a part of their graduate school fellowship, all PhD students are expected to work as both research and teaching assistants. Students must have at least one written observation of their teaching by a music education faculty member along with any student course evaluations as appropriate.

Presentation Outside the Bienen School of Music

This requirement is designed to stimulate early involvement in the presentation of original research at a regional, national, or international level meeting. This requirement is meant to help the student develop professional experiences consistent with those of a professor of music education.

Waiver of Courses

Any course waived because the student has taken it previously, has had the same course elsewhere, or through proficiency determination, will normally be replaced by an elective course in that area of the program. The major advisor may, upon the student’s petition, exercise discretion in this matter, substituting a course outside the area of the waiver for a good cause.

Qualifying Examination and Candidacy

There are four significant steps to candidacy for the PhD in music with a concentration in music education: 

• successful completion of coursework,
• demonstration of successful teaching at the college level,
• peer-reviewed presentation at a professional meeting outside of NU, and
• successful completion of the qualifying examination.

At that point, the student is advanced to candidacy officially and can pursue their dissertation research. Candidacy should be achieved no later than 6 months following completion of course work.

At an appropriate time toward the end of coursework, each student will take a qualifying examination. The examination includes a written portion and an oral defense. Questions for the examination are written by the student with the approval of the examination committee. The answers are presented to the committee in written form and then defended in an oral examination.

Key Milestones

Contact Graduate Services:  [email protected]   847-491-5740

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MIT launches new Music Technology and Computation Graduate Program

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A new, multidisciplinary MIT  graduate program in music technology and computation will feature faculty, labs, and curricula from across the Institute.

The program is a collaboration between the Music and Theater Arts Section in the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (SHASS); Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) in the School of Engineering ; and the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing .

“The launch of a new graduate program in music technology strikes me as both a necessary and a provocative gesture — an important leap in an era being rapidly redefined by exponential growth in computation, artificial intelligence, and human-computer interactions of every conceivable kind,” says  Jay Scheib ,​​ head of the MIT Music and Theater Arts Section and the Class of 1949 Professor.

“Music plays an elegant role at the fore of a remarkable convergence of art and technology,” adds Scheib. “It’s the right time to launch this program and if not at MIT, then where?”

MIT’s practitioners define music technology as the field of scientific inquiry where they study, discover, and develop new computational approaches to music that include music information retrieval; artificial intelligence; machine learning; generative algorithms; interaction and performance systems; digital instrument design; conceptual and perceptual modeling of music; acoustics; audio signal processing; and software development for creative expression and music applications.

Eran Egozy , professor of the practice in music technology and one of the program leads, says MIT’s focus is technical research in music technology that always centers the humanistic and artistic aspects of making music.

“There are so many MIT students who are fabulous musicians,” says Egozy. “We'll approach music technology as computer scientists, mathematicians, and musicians.”

With the launch of this new program — an offering alongside those available in MIT’s  Media Lab and elsewhere — Egozy sees MIT becoming the obvious destination for students interested in music and computation study, preparing high-impact graduates for roles in academia and industry, while also helping mold creative, big-picture thinkers who can tackle large challenges.

Investigating big ideas

The program will encompass two master’s degrees and a PhD:

• The Master of Science (MS) is a two-semester, thesis-based program available only to MIT undergraduates. One semester of fellowship is automatically awarded to all admitted students. The first class will enroll in fall 2025.
• The Master of Applied Science (MAS) is a two-semester, coursework-based program available to all students. One semester of fellowship funding is automatically awarded to all admitted students. Applications for this program will open in fall 2025.
• The PhD program is available to all students, who would apply to MIT’s School of Engineering.

Anna Huang , a new MIT assistant professor who holds a shared faculty position between the MIT Music and Theater Arts Section and the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing, is collaborating with Egozy to develop and launch the program. Huang arrived at MIT this fall after spending eight years with Magenta at Google Brain and DeepMind, spearheading efforts in generative modeling, reinforcement learning, and human-computer interaction to support human-AI partnerships in music-making.

“As a composer turned AI researcher who specializes in generative music technology, my long-term goal is to develop AI systems that can shed new light on how we understand, learn, and create music, and to learn from interactions between musicians in order to transform how we approach human-AI collaboration,” says Huang. “This new program will let us further investigate how musical applications can illuminate problems in understanding neural networks, for example.”

MIT’s new Edward and Joyce Linde Music Building , featuring enhanced music technology spaces, will also help transform music education with versatile performance venues and optimized rehearsal facilities.

A natural home for music technology

MIT’s world-class, top-ranked engineering program, combined with its focus on computation and its conservatory-level music education offerings, makes the Institute a natural home for the continued expansion of music technology education.

The collaborative nature of the new program is the latest example of interdisciplinary work happening across the Institute.

“I am thrilled that the School of Engineering is partnering with the MIT Music and Theater Arts Section on this important initiative, which represents the convergence of various engineering areas — such as AI and design — with music,” says Anantha Chandrakasan , dean of the School of Engineering, chief innovation and strategy officer, and the Vannevar Bush Professor of EECS. “I can’t wait to see the innovative projects the students will create and how they will drive this new field forward.”

“Everyone on campus knows that MIT is a great place to do music. But I want people to come to MIT because of what we do in music,” says Agustin Rayo , the Kenan Sahin Dean of SHASS. “This outstanding collaboration with the Schwarzman College of Computing and the School of Engineering will make that dream a reality, by bringing together the world’s best engineers with our extraordinary musicians to create the next generation of music technologies.”

“The new master’s program offers students an unparalleled opportunity to explore the intersection of music and technology,” says Daniel Huttenlocher , dean of the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing and the Henry Ellis Warren Professor of EECS. “It equips them with a deep understanding of this confluence, preparing them to advance new approaches to computational models of music and be at the forefront of an evolving area.” 

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• Music Technology and Computation Graduate Program
• Music and Theater Arts Section
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• Music technology
• Collaboration
• Graduate, postdoctoral
• Digital humanities
• Computer science and technology
• Human-computer interaction
• Artificial intelligence
• Technology and society
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• Electrical engineering and computer science (EECS)
• Music and theater arts
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Ernst Lengyel, MD, PhD, appointed University of Chicago Health System leader for OB/GYN

Ernst Lengyel, MD, PhD , has been appointed the University of Chicago Health System leader for Obstetrics and Gynecology.

In this new role, which took effect in September 2024, Lengyel is leading University of Chicago Medicine's efforts to define a system-wide strategy for women’s health. His appointment supports the strides UChicago Medicine has made in being a national leader in women’s health and expanding access throughout the region.

The announcement comes as UChicago Medicine continues to expand access to a growing number of communities beyond its flagship University of Chicago Medical Center on the city's South Side. The health system  now includes a new multispecialty care facility  in Northwest Indiana, a joint venture with AdventHealth's Great Lakes Region  in the western suburbs, Ingalls Memorial Hospital  in Chicago's Southland, as well as dozens of outpatient locations and clinics throughout the region. It is also building a 575,000-square-foot cancer care and research facility , scheduled to open in 2027 on its main medical campus adjacent to the University of Chicago.

"Dr. Lengyel and his team will reinforce our commitment to high-quality clinical care and bring academic medicine to even more communities," said Mark Anderson, MD, PhD , Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs at the University of Chicago. "As we continue to grow, it’s essential that we effectively align our academic and clinical missions across all sites. This ensures that patients have access to coordinated, high-quality OB/GYN services and the latest innovative treatments, regardless of where they live."

In the new broadened role, Lengyel will have system-level oversight of OB/GYN care and help improve quality, access and efficiency across the organization. He will work to align clinical, quality, and operational processes, ensuring a seamless and consistent patient experience across all practice sites in the health system, which is known publicly as UChicago Medicine. One area of focus will be the integration of women’s health services at Ingalls Memorial.

Lengyel will continue his role as Chair of the Department of OB/GYN. During his tenure, the Department has seen significant growth across its missions, driven by faculty colleagues committed to the highest-quality clinical care. This includes:

• The near-tripling of the number of OB/GYN faculty members since 2015. It now ranks as the most diverse academic department in the University of Chicago's Biological Sciences Division.
• Expanding of outpatient services. B/GYN faculty completed more than 109,000 outpatient and ultrasound visits in fiscal 2024.
• Building the largest gynecologic oncology section in the Midwest, with 11 attending physicians.
• Collaborating with federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) on Chicago’s South Side. FQHC physicians see outpatients at the FQHC, attend on labor and delivery, and operate at the University of Chicago Medical Center.
• Providing strategic leadership to open a specialty women’s clinic in Northbrook, establishing a new OB/GYN practice site in Chicago’s northern suburbs.

An expert in the diagnosis and surgical treatment of ovarian cancer, Lengyel joined the University of Chicago in 2004 and has been named one of the city’s “Top Doctors” by Chicago magazine every year since 2010. He directs an active translational research laboratory in the Center for Integrative Science focused on understanding ovarian cancer biology. He has published over 150 peer-reviewed papers and received a prestigious NIH R35 Outstanding Investigator Award and a Burroughs Wellcome Fund Clinical Scientist Award in Translational Research. He is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and the Association of American Physicians.

Ernst Lengyel, MD, PhD

Ernst Lengyel, MD, PhD, is the Arthur L. and Lee G. Herbst Professor of Obstetrics/Gynecology and chairman of the Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology at UChicago Medicine. He is an internationally known expert in the research and treatment of gynecologic cancers.