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Here Are the 10 Best Doctorate in Music Programs in the US

The U.S. is home to some of the best music programs in the world, especially doctorate degrees. In general, students have two paths open to them: the Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) or PhD.

The DMA program typically takes around four full-time years to complete and concentrates primarily on performance, composition, or conducting. To graduate, DMA students must complete a musical thesis, such as a performance or lecture-recital.

PhD programs in music also take about four years, but they’re more teaching and research-oriented. These programs are perfect for those interested in becoming professors in music theory, musicology, or ethnomusicology. PhD students must write and defend a dissertation in order to graduate.

These degrees are available at both conservatories and universities. (Most liberal arts colleges, since they focus on undergraduate education, don’t offer DMAs or PhDs.) Which program you choose, and where, should depend on the kind of student life and environment you prefer as well as the specific way you want to explore music.

For example, if you want to learn alongside other aspiring performers and travel the country teaching your instrument, a DMA at a conservatory would be better suited to your goals.

The cost of attending is usually offset by teaching assistantships or stipends, some of which can be very generous. There are even some tuition-free doctorate programs.

Below we’ll discuss 10 of the best doctorate programs in music, including their local ensemble affiliations, tuition costs, and everything else that makes them stand out from other doctorate programs.

Rice University Shepherd School of Music (Houston, TX)

The DMA program at the Shepherd School of Music is one of the smallest university-based music schools in the country, with 350 total students. Admission is extremely selective, ensuring a high level of musicianship among both undergraduates and graduate students.

The school is deeply affiliated with professional ensembles in Houston, like the Houston Symphony and Houston Grand Opera. DMA students will have the chance to work and learn alongside professionals in the field and get involved in the local Houston community on a greater level.

In fact, the Shepherd School and the Houston Symphony launched a new pilot program in 2021: The Shepherd School-Houston Symphony Brown Foundation Community-Embedded Musician Fellowship. The program aims to expand music education for underserved minority students in Houston, and it’s part of the school’s ongoing effort to diversify music education, especially classical music.

Indiana University Jacobs School of Music (Bloomington, IN)

The Jacobs School of Music is not only one of the largest music schools in the country with 1,600 students but also home to the largest academic music library in the world. Its facilities — 200 studios, labs, and practice rooms, and four performance halls — are reason enough to compete for a spot at Jacobs.

Because of its size and venue capacity, Jacobs is able to stage over a thousand performances a year, including seven operas and three ballets. Students can audition for numerous big band, choral, and orchestra ensembles, many of which earn renown worldwide. For example, the Philharmonic Orchestra has performed at Carnegie Hall in New York and the Bastille Opera House in Paris.

All Doctor of Music (DM) and PhD applicants are automatically considered for merit-based financial assistance, including the Graduate Tuition Award, Artistic Excellence Award, Jacobs Fellowship, and more. Students can also get a cash stipend and teaching assistantship positions that cover nearly full tuition.

Harvard University (Cambridge, MA)

PhD students at Harvard get up to six years of guaranteed funding in the form of stipends, teaching assistantships, and grants, covering tuition as well as living expenses. There are also extra funds for summer research and additional fellowships.

The program is small but very selective and prestigious. Only a handful of students are admitted every year, in the following areas of focus: musicology, ethnomusicology, theory, composition, and creative practice and critical inquiry. Harvard doesn’t have a performance faculty, but its resources for research capabilities are extensive, including a microfilm library of primary source materials, an archive of world music recordings, and a collection of early instruments.

Students interested in performance can get involved in other local university ensembles (Boston University, Berklee, New England Conservatory) or professional institutions (Boston Symphony Orchestra, Boston Public Library).

New England Conservatory of Music (Boston, MA)

NEC is the oldest independent music conservatory in the U.S. and one of the most prestigious in the world. Only eight to 12 new DMA students are accepted each year.

Since NEC is filled with top-notch musicians in every area of music, students here can find vast collaboration opportunities. In addition to DMAs in instrumental performance, the school also offers a DMA in music theory, with concentrations in pedagogy, composition, performance, or analysis.

Many NEC faculty are affiliated with the Boston Symphony or have established professional careers on stage. This includes the Borromeo String Quartet, NEC’s quartet-in-residence.

In terms of performance facilities, Jordan Hall is one of the best concert halls in the country. A block from Boston Symphony Hall, it seats over 1,000 and is the only conservatory building in the country with a National Historic Landmark designation.

University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre, and Dance (Ann Arbor, MI)

Studying at SMTD means getting a multidisciplinary education in the performing arts. With 12 performance venues and eight distinct buildings, music students share facilities with actors and dancers. Music students, in particular, can join a variety of bands and orchestras, including a Javanese gamelan ensemble. 

Almost all DMA and PhD students receive full funding for full-time study. This includes health benefits and student assistantship stipends. Students can also apply to be Graduate Student Instructors (GSIs), who teach courses while assisting faculty members in exchange for a full or partial tuition waiver. There are additional financial packages to fund research, travel, and performance. 

Cornell University (Ithaca, NY)

Getting a PhD in musicology at Cornell means five years of guaranteed funding, including funding for four summers. The breakdown consists of two years of fellowship and three years of teaching assistantships.

Cornell also offers four years of funding for their Composition and Performance Practice DMAs, including at least three summers. DMAs usually get two years of fellowship and two years of teaching assistantships.

These are three separate programs, but the students take seminars and attend symposia alongside one another as well as teach many of the same undergraduates. Thus, the department promotes an interdisciplinary approach to music that is highly customizable.

With the guidance of faculty members, graduate students develop their own course of study, which must include a minor subject of study. The Graduate Minor can be another music specialization (theory, musicology, ethnomusicology, performance, composition) or another discipline entirely (art history, mathematics, history, linguistics, psychology).

University of Southern California Thornton School of Music (Los Angeles, CA)

Not only is the Thornton School of Music one of the U.S.’s premier music institutions, but its location at the heart of Los Angeles makes it the perfect place to play and learn music in all its forms.

Whether you want to teach music in underserved communities, play in a jazz club, connect with like-minded musicians, join a local orchestra, or some combination of these, USC and the greater LA area offer limitless opportunities. 

Academically, USC offers a PhD in Musicology and a DMA in three different divisions: Classical Performance and Composition, Contemporary Music, and Research and Scholarly Studies. USC is primarily known for its specializations in orchestral studies, jazz, early music, composition, opera, and music industry.

Many faculty are affiliated with the Los Angeles Philharmonic or have had illustrious careers as solo performers, including violinist Midori Goto.

The Juilliard School (New York, NY)

The C.V. Starr Doctoral Fellows program allows students to pursue the DMA degree tuition-free for up to five years.

Juilliard produces some of the world’s best performers, so the school’s only doctorate program is the DMA. This is a highly rigorous program that requires students to give three public recitals and one lecture-recital by the end of the third year. On top of that, DMA students must write and defend a dissertation in order to graduate.

Many of Juilliard’s faculty members are affiliated with the New York Philharmonic, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, and renowned ensembles like the Juilliard String Quartet and the American Brass Quintet. Some have also had successful solo careers, such as pianist Emanuel Ax and violinist David Chan.

Notable alumni include violinist Itzhak Perlman, soprano Renee Fleming, and composers Miles Davis and Philip Glass.

Princeton University (Princeton, NJ)

Princeton’s PhD programs in composition and musicology are completely free and include a 12-month stipend for all five years. One to two of these years must be supplemented by teaching assistantship positions, and students can apply for additional research funding or summer language study. Students are also eligible for sixth-year funding if necessary.

Although Princeton does not have a performance PhD or DMA, its research opportunities for musicology, music theory, and composition students abound. Unlike many PhD programs in music, academics are not limited to western classical music. Composers and musicologists are encouraged to explore modern music as much as the music that came before it, providing a well-rounded, readily applicable education. 

Notable alumni include composer Julia Wolfe ‘12, whose work has been commissioned by the Munich Chamber Orchestra, and producer Nathan Michel ‘07, whose band Hospitality has been featured on NPR and Wired .

Yale University School of Music (New Haven, CT)

Yale’s school of music is the only designated music school, instead of department, in an Ivy League.

The tuition-free, five-year DMA program is highly selective, with an acceptance rate below 10%. It is structured by a unique two-year residency on campus followed by a three-year dissertation period in the field. Depending on the student’s chosen area — composition, conducting, or performance — students must use this time to work and learn in a professional capacity, guided by faculty. This could mean performing in traditional recitals, conducting orchestras, getting research published, or having one’s own compositions performed by local ensembles. 

By the end of the degree, DMA students will be well-versed in all aspects of music: history, theory, composition, and performance.

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Top 10 Best Online Doctoral Programs in Music

Fortunately, distance learning is picking up the slack. These ten programs—each offered by a university that holds U.S. regional accreditation or its country’s equivalent—provide options to travelers, the disabled, residents of isolated cities and rural areas, and others who are willing and able to complete doctoral-level study in music but can’t (or would prefer not to) participate in an on-campus program.

1. Boston University, Online DMA in Music Education

Boston University’s new online Doctor of Musical Arts (D.M.A.)  in music education allows music educators to obtain a degree, off-campus, from one of the most prestigious universities in the United States. Applicants must hold an accredited master’s degree in music, music education, or a closely related field with a cumulative 3.0 GPA or higher, along with at least 3 years of music teaching experience at some level. The curriculum consists of six major-area courses, three additional courses on musicology and music theory, three approved electives, and a dissertation.

By choosing elective courses wisely, students can create their own specialization tracks. A student who wishes to specialize in African-American music, for example, could take electives on the blues, jazz, and African music. The program takes several years to complete, and may require several short on-campus residencies.

2. University of South Africa, DLitt et Phil in Musicology

With more than 400,000 students all over the world, the University of South Africa is both the largest and the least expensive university on this list. It’s also among the oldest. Boasting both Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela among its graduates, UNISA has been offering distance learning courses since 1873. Like most universities that offer British-style research doctorates, UNISA requires applicants to complete a research project under the supervision of a member of the faculty; the D.Litt. et Phil. program in musicology  typically takes three to six years to complete. Applicants must hold a master’s degree in music or the equivalent.

There are two tracks available for the research project: research-only, and research plus portfolio. The research-only project requires an academic dissertation of 60,000 to 90,000 words, while the research plus portfolio option requires a portfolio of original written compositions contextualized by an academic thesis of 24,000 to 36,000 words. The degree can be completed entirely by distance learning from anywhere in the world, and no on-campus visits are required.

3. Monash University, Ph.D. in Music Composition

Located in Victoria on the southeastern coast of Australia, Monash University is one of Australia’s prestigious Group of Eight  and has long been noted for its strength as a research institution. Founded in 1958, and with more than 50,000 students, it’s one of the more widely respected universities in Australia.

It also offers a wide range of distance learning programs, among them a Ph.D. in music composition  that can be done with almost no on-campus residency. Students must visit face-to-face with their supervisor for at least five days each year, but these meetings need not necessarily take place on campus (though they generally do); the rest of the communication may take place by telephone, mail, email, or videoconferencing.

Students are required to write an academic thesis of up to 80,000 words, and can finish the program after as little as three years of full-time study. The student’s previously-written work, including prior musical compositions, may comprise some—but not all—of the thesis matter.

4. University of Birmingham, Ph.D. in Musicology

Founded as a medical school in 1828, Britain’s University of Birmingham was rated #1 in Britain by the *Times Higher Education* supplement in 2014. It is among the most prestigious research universities in the country, and its music department, whose resources include the Barber Music Library, is world-class.

Birmingham’s Ph.D. in musicology  can be completed in three to six years. Students are required to write a supervised academic thesis of about 80,000 words, and must visit the campus at least three times during the program; the rest can be completed entirely by distance learning.

5. Union Institute & University, customized Ph.D.

Union offers one of the oldest regionally accredited distance learning Ph.D. programs  in the United States, and it is also among the most unconventional. Students work with cohort groups to design a specialized major on a specific topic that interests them, and then work through a series of individualized classes culminating in a supervised final project supervised by a university-approved expert in the field. The program requires short residencies at regional seminars and cohort sessions that are held at a variety of locations spread throughout the world (though most are held in the United States).

As a practical matter, the Union program is a good fit for someone who wishes to specialize on a highly specialized or interdisciplinary music-related topic, but specifically seeks a U.S. credential (or simply prefers more guidance and camaraderie than what might be available in a British, South African, or Australian research-oriented program).

6. University of Southern Queensland, Ph.D. in Creative Arts and Media

The University of Southern Queensland has long been recognized as a global leader in distance education, and its distance learning Ph.D. program  in creative arts and media can easily be tailored to a specific music-related research interest. Residency is negotiated on a case by case basis.

7. The Open University, Ph.D. in Music

Residents of the UK are eligible to sign up for the Open University’s research-based Ph.D. in music by distance learning  on a part-time basis. Non-UK residents are sometimes accepted on a case-by-case basis, if they live near an affiliated research center and/or can travel to the Open University campus in Milton Keynes, but this is not commonly done.

The OU, which is a public university and funded by the British government, boasts over 165,000 students and over two million graduates; it is one of the largest distance learning providers in the world.

8. Lesley University, Ph.D. in Expressive Therapies [music therapy]

Lesley University’s low-residency Ph.D. in expressive therapies  allows students to focus on a music therapy track, spending a total of nine weeks on campus (broken up into three three-week summer residencies) and completing the rest of the program online. Students spend the first three years of the program on coursework, and then a final year or two on a dissertation.

9. University of Winchester, D.C.A. in Performing Arts

Winchester’s low-residency D.C.A. in performing arts , designed with working professionals in mind, can be completed in five to seven years. Students are required to attend two short September intensive residencies, but the program can otherwise be completed online. The curriculum is highly individualized and can be easily tailored to musical performance.

10. Liberty University, Doctor of Worship Studies

Liberty University, founded by the late Rev. Jerry Falwell, offers a wide array of online and low-residency programs designed for Protestant Christian religious leaders. The low-residency Doctor of Worship Studies (D.W.S.)  can be completed almost entirely online (though students must take three week-long intensives on the university’s campus in Virginia over the course of the program), and the curriculum provides a broad overview of the theology and practice of church music.

Anything We’ve Missed?

If you know of any other distance learning doctoral programs in music offered by accredited, nonprofit universities, please let me know below the fold; I might feature them in a followup piece.

4 thoughts on “Top 10 Best Online Doctoral Programs in Music”

Liberty University also offers a Ph.D. in Music Education.

Leroy, do you know much about this D.M.E online program? Are you a student there? I need to speak with a student of this program.

Monash U does NOT offer PhD in Music Composition

Liberty University also offers a Doctorate in Music Education. (DME) online

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You will have access to an incredible array of resources, including the Eda Kuhn Loeb Music Library, the John Knowles Paine Concert Hall, the Isham Memorial Library, the Harvard University Studio for Electroacoustic Composition, and the Sound Lab, which offers media production suites and equipment.

With a large endowment fund, the program is able to offer you funding from sources outside Harvard Griffin GSAS. You will also have the opportunity to take advantage of many available fellowships and travel, research and writing, and conference funding throughout the year.

Examples of theses and dissertations that graduates have completed include “Activism and Music in Poland, 1978–1989,” “Art of Noise: Sound and Media in Milan, ca. 1900,” “Black Musics, African Lives, and the National Imagination in Modern Israel,” and “Technologies of Transgression and Musical Play in Video Game Cultures.”

Most graduates go on to positions in academia at institutions like the University of Southern California, Michigan State University, and University of Cambridge in England.

Additional information on the graduate program is available from the Department of Music , and requirements for the degree are detailed in Policies .

Areas of Study

Composition | Creative Practice and Critical Inquiry | Ethnomusicology | Music Theory | Musicology

Admissions Requirements

Please review the admissions requirements and other information before applying. You can find degree program-specific admissions requirements below and access additional guidance on applying from the Department of Music .

Samples of Previous Work

Applicants to all programs must submit samples of their previous scholarly work by uploading it in the Additional Materials section of the application. 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) by using the Digital Portfolio section of the application. 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 by using the Digital Portfolio section of the application. 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.

Personal Statement

Standardized tests.

GRE General: Optional

Theses and Dissertations

Theses & Dissertations for Music

See list of Music faculty

APPLICATION DEADLINE

Questions about the program.

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2025 Best Musicology & Ethnomusicology Doctor's Degree Schools

In 2025, College Factual analyzed 9 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Musicology & Ethnomusicology Doctor's Degree Schools ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 35 doctor's degrees in musicology & ethnomusicology during the <nil> academic year.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology

• Best Doctor’s Degree Schools List

Featured Musicology & Ethnomusicology Programs

Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.

MBA in Music Business

Earn the music business degree that fits into the business world – and partners Southern New Hampshire University with world-renowned Berklee College of Music.

Choosing a Great Musicology & Ethnomusicology School for Your Doctor's Degree

Quality Overall Is Important

The overall quality of a doctor's degree school is important to ensure a good education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges for a Doctor's Degree ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.

Other Factors We Consider

In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:

• Major Focus - How much a school focuses on musicology & ethnomusicology students vs. other majors.
• Major Demand - How many other musicology & ethnomusicology students want to attend this school to pursue a doctor's degree.
• Educational Resources - The amount of money and other resources allocated to students while they are pursuing their degree. These resources include such things as number of students per instructor and education expenditures per student.
• Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or accredited by a recognized musicology & ethnomusicology related body.

Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for musicology & ethnomusicology students working on their doctor's degree.

More Ways to Rank Musicology & Ethnomusicology Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings , including this Best Musicology & Ethnomusicology Doctor's Degree Schools list, to help you choose the best school for you.

Best Schools for Doctorate Students to Study Musicology & Ethnomusicology in the United States

Learn about the top ranked colleges and universities for musicology & ethnomusicology students seeking a a doctor's degree.

Top Schools for a Doctorate in Musicology and Ethnomusicology

It's difficult to beat University of Southern California if you wish to pursue a doctor's degree in musicology & ethnomusicology. USC is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Los Angeles. More information about a doctorate in musicology & ethnomusicology from University of Southern California

It is hard to beat University of Rochester if you want to pursue a doctor's degree in musicology & ethnomusicology. Located in the city of Rochester, University of Rochester is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. More information about a doctorate in musicology & ethnomusicology from University of Rochester

It's hard to beat Boston University if you wish to pursue a doctor's degree in musicology & ethnomusicology. Boston U is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Boston. More information about a doctorate in musicology & ethnomusicology from Boston University

Indiana University - Bloomington is one of the best schools in the country for getting a doctor's degree in musicology & ethnomusicology. IU Bloomington is a fairly large public university located in the city of Bloomington. More information about a doctorate in musicology & ethnomusicology from Indiana University - Bloomington

Located in the city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public university with a fairly large student population. More information about a doctorate in musicology & ethnomusicology from University of California - Los Angeles

Located in the city of Champaign, UIUC is a public university with a very large student population. More information about a doctorate in musicology & ethnomusicology from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Located in the midsize city of Tallahassee, Florida State is a public university with a fairly large student population. More information about a doctorate in musicology & ethnomusicology from Florida State University

UO is a very large public university located in the city of Eugene. More information about a doctorate in musicology & ethnomusicology from University of Oregon

UC is a very large public university located in the large city of Cincinnati. More information about a doctorate in musicology & ethnomusicology from University of Cincinnati - Main Campus

Musicology & Ethnomusicology by Region

View the Best Musicology & Ethnomusicology Doctor's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.

Other Rankings

Best bachelor's degrees in musicology & ethnomusicology, best overall in musicology & ethnomusicology, best master's degrees in musicology & ethnomusicology.

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Musicology & Ethnomusicology Related Rankings by Major

One of 17 majors within the Music area of study, Musicology & Ethnomusicology has other similar majors worth exploring.

Most Popular Related Majors

Notes and references.

• The bars on the spread charts above show the distribution of the schools on this list +/- one standard deviation from the mean.
• The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System ( IPEDS ) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
• Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s ( College Scorecard ). More about our data sources and methodologies .

Popular Reports

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Master of Arts / PhD

Innovative Music Scholars

UCLA’s Department of Musicology is one of the most successful graduate programs in American musicology. Recent alumni of the department teach at the University of Michigan, UT Austin, UC Irvine, Michigan State, Dalhousie University, Bates College, and other schools across the nation and the world. Our intellectual community is strikingly diverse, with U.S. graduate students from all regions of the country, international students from Canada, Mexico, Holland, Bermuda, Guatemala and Korea, and visiting scholars from as far away as China and the Ukraine.

As a training-ground for the next generation of adventurous, inventive music scholars, our Ph.D. program develops students’ creative and critical voices in a wide variety of chosen subfields; provides them with rich opportunities for establishing intellectual and professional networks; and gives them pedagogical training and experience second to none. Our graduate seminars explore topics and theories from musical Nationalism to the history of improvisation, musical camp to Dufay, opéra-comique to hands-on explorations of “public musicology.” Current graduate research interests include (but are by no means limited to!) David Bowie, Soviet music theory pedagogy, early modern anglophone devotional poetry and song, proto-punk musical experimentalism, music as cultural diplomacy during the Pan American era, 17th- and 18th-century operatic adaptations of Shakespeare’s works, music in marginal cinemas (horror, slasher, etc.).

The UCLA Musicology department normally enrolls 4-5 students per year. We accept applications for the Ph.D. only (an M.A. is normally awarded to eligible students after two years). The department is committed to competitive multi-year packages of support, and at the present time can usually guarantee a minimum of one year of fellowship and three plus years of teaching assistantship to incoming students. Students normally graduate 5-6 years after matriculation.

“I’ve always been interested in how people use music of the past – the historical past and their own personal past. At UCLA I got to study nostalgia and uses of the past in rock music of the early 70s, allowing me to think about music that I’ve heard my entire life (for example, “American Pie” or “Led Zeppelin IV”) in a completely new way.” – Caitlin Vaughn Carlos Ph.D. ’21 | Musicology

Musicology Resources

Related news, graduate opportunities, explore other degrees.

PhD in Musicology

The first three years of graduate study for graduates in musicology are devoted to completion of required coursework and passage of the qualifying and special area examinations. After the successful defense of the dissertation proposal (incorporated within the special area exam), the student concentrates on researching and writing the dissertation. The dissertation demonstrates the student’s ability to work systematically and independently to produce a substantial work of competent scholarship.

Below you will find a chart with the placement of the major milestones for your career as a doctoral student in musicology.  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 .

Register for all courses for the maximum number of units allowed (unless your desired course load exceeds the limit). Plan on 15–18 units per quarter in Year 1 and exactly 10 units per quarter in Years 2–4. Total required units by the end of Year 4, Fall Quarter: 135. All courses in Music must be taken at the 100 level or higher and for a grade , unless the course has been designated Pass/Fail.

Milestones and Examinations

• Autumn: Y1Q1 Enroll in: 12-18 units, 15 recommended (Music 200A, 310; required & elective courses as available) Language I Study Qualifying Exam preparation Milestone: Diagnostic Exams  (read about ALL exams in the Music Graduate Student Handbook ) Qualifying Exam preparation and Language I Study (read more about Quals in the Musicology Qualifying Exam Guidelines )
• Winter: Y1Q2  Enroll in: 12-18 units, 15 recommended (Music 200B, 310, 300F; required & elective courses as available) Language I Study Qualifying Exam preparation
• Spring: Y1Q3 Enroll in: 12-18 units, 15 recommended Milestone: Language I, PhD Reading Exam Qualifying Exam preparation (by May 31, establish Committee; send Fields of Study to committee & GSSO)
• Summer: Y1Q4 Enroll in 1 unit only, Independent Study course in Music (i.e. 299, 302, 341) Qualifying Exam preparation & Language II Study Milestone:   Qualifying Examination (taken the week prior to the start of classes in Autumn Quarter of Year III)
• Autumn: Y2Q1 Enroll in:   8-10 units, 10 recommended (required & elective courses as available) Qualifying Exam preparation (by September 15, draft repertoire lists & bibliographies to committee and GSSO) Language II Study
• Winter: Y2Q2 Enroll in:   8-10 units, 10 recommended (required and elective courses as available) Qualifying Exam preparation and Language II Study

Spring: Y2Q3 Enroll in:   8-10 units, 10 recommended (required and elective courses as available) Qualifying Exam preparation (by July 15, finalize repertoire lists and bibliographies) Milestone: Language II, PhD Reading Exam  (any quarter prior to TGR; soonest recommended)

Summer: Y2Q4 Enroll in 1 unit only, Independent Study course in Music (i.e. 299, 302, 341) Qualifying Exam preparation (by July 15, email committee and GSSO with final bibliographies & repertoire lists; provide exam schedule to GSSO) Milestone:   Qualifying Examination (taken in the week prior to the start of classes in Autumn Quarter of Year III)

• Autumn: Y3Q1 Enroll in:   8-10 units, 10 recommended (Music 310 and/or required & elective courses as available) 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) Special Area Exam preparation & research
• Winter: Y3Q2 Enroll in:   8-10 units, 10 recommended (Music 310 and/or required & elective courses as available) Special Area Exam preparation & research
• Spring: Y3Q3 Enroll in:   8-10 units, 10 recommended (Optional: Music 330; required & elective courses as available) 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, Independent Study course in Music (i.e. 299, 302, 341) Special Area Exam preparation & research
• Autumn: Y4Q1 Enroll in:   8-10 units, 10 recommended (Independent Study course(s) until you reach 135 graduate-level units & have completed all required coursework) Milestone: Special Area Exam  (scheduled before the end of week nine) Milestone: Terminal Graduate Registration (TGR)  (acquired after reaching 135 units, 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, and Music 330 when offered:   0-3 units Dissertation Research and Writing
• Spring: Y4Q3 Enroll in Music 802, TGR Dissertation with your advisor, and Music 330 when offered:   0-3 units Dissertation Research and Writing
• Summer: Y4Q4 Enroll in Music 802, TGR Dissertation with your advisor:   0-3 units Dissertation Research and Writing
• 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.

Princeton Sound Kitchen presents Gemma Peacocke: ‘A Strange Power,’ Sputter Box, Charlotte Mundy

Tue, Nov 19, 2024 8:00 pm

Encompassing historical, theoretical, cognitive, and ethnographic approaches, the musicology program at Princeton encourages students to think about music broadly and gain experience in different corners of the discipline, while becoming experts in their chosen fields through researching and writing their dissertations and participating in the scholarly community on and off campus. Unlike many of our peer institutions, Princeton’s musicology program does not maintain strict boundaries between historical musicology, theory, cognition, and ethnomusicology. Rather, our flexible curriculum encourages students to think across the subdisciplines and design innovative research projects that take advantage of different approaches and methodologies. 

Graduate students, who are fully funded for five years , become part of a vibrant scholarly and artistic community. In addition to working closely with our renowned  musicology faculty  as seminar leaders and advisers, musicology students can explore Princeton’s rich offerings in the humanities, have access to the superb  Mendel Music Library , and participate in  private instrument/voice lessons  and the Music Department’s superb  ensembles .  With  Sō Percussion  in residence, the  Princeton University Concerts  series,  Princeton Sound Kitchen series, and the many performances by our many own ensembles, musicology students can partake of a rich and eclectic concert life.

All musicology students spend their first two years taking twelve (12) seminars from Music Department faculty and preparing and completing for their General Exam, Incoming students are expected to spend at least one year in full-time residence, regardless of prior graduate work. 

The final three years are devoted primarily to dissertation research and writing and associated professional activities; students who have successfully completed the General Exam serve as Assistants in Instruction (Preceptors) during their time of enrollment. Students who have not yet completed their degrees by the end of the fifth year are eligible to enter Dissertation Completion (DCE) status for up to two additional years. Princeton also offers an Interdisciplinary PhD in the Humanities (IHUM) , which allows for an extra year of funding and research support to explore fields beyond the boundaries of a student’s home discipline. 

First and Second Years

Students take twelve (12) graduate seminars and design their program in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies (“DGS”) , who must approve all course selections prior to registration. The typical course load is three seminars per semester; however, students who wish to take a reduced course load of two seminars while preparing for the General Exams in spring of their second year, may choose to take a seminar in the fall of their third year or (less typically) to take a fourth seminar during their first year.  

The seminars offered usually reflect the current research interests of the faculty. While it is expected that the majority of the required seminars will be with the musicology faculty, students may occasionally supplement or substitute musicology course offerings with graduate seminars taught by the composition faculty, in other departments, or through the exchange programs at other Universities with the permission of the DGS. While students are encouraged to sample courses in other departments relevant to their interests, we recommend that no more than one course be taken outside the department in any given semester. Normally advanced undergraduate courses do not count as seminars; if you find one that is particularly relevant to your research interests, you may petition the DGS for an exception. Language courses do not count as seminars.  

Students may also take additional seminars in other departments after completing their 12 required seminars, but should discuss the matter with their advisor(s) to ensure that they have adequate time to concentrate on the dissertation. 

Students who are interested in applying to the Interdisciplinary Humanities (IHUM) program are encouraged to take at least one IHUM seminar during their first two years of study.  

Seminar Grading:

Musicology seminars are normally graded Pass/Fail (P/F). To remain in good standing with the department, students are expected to attend seminar meetings and complete assignments in a timely fashion. Failure to complete the work of graduate courses during the semester in which they are taken may result in deferred reenrollment and negatively impact financial support.  

The Music Department follows the Graduate School’s Policy on Incomplete Coursework, which states in part that a “…grade of ‘Incomplete’ (INC) should be given only under exceptional circumstances when there are compelling reasons, discussed in advance between the course ahead and the student…”.  

If a student is granted an INC in a course, it is the student’s responsibility to follow up with the instructor and make sure that you have completed the requisite work . If the work remains incomplete and the grade is not filed within one year after beginning the course, the incomplete automatically becomes an F. 

Students should register for, change, or drop courses only after discussion with the Director of Graduate Studies (“DGS”).

Courses may be added through TigerHub during the first two weeks of the semester; the extended Drop period lasts until week nine. Changes in course schedules must also be approved by the DGS. Click here for more information about the dates for adding and dropping graduate courses. 

Students should register for, change, or drop courses only after discussion with and approval of the DGS. To facilitate these approvals, the DGS will meet with individually with students still completing course requirements before the beginning of each semester.   

For Fall 2024, the DGS will meet with students as follows: 

• Incoming First Years: August 15, 2024 between 11am-1pm eastern standard time.  
• Rising Second Years & Third Years requiring coursework: August 8, 2024 between 12-2pm eastern standard time.  
• Administrative staff will contact these students to help them book their individual time slots.   

All courses registration is done through TigerHub . Please see the Academic Calendar and Deadlines for more information about the dates for adding and dropping graduate courses.  

All first – year musicology students take a diagnostic theory exam , which asks students to analyze, discuss, and transcribe short pieces of music.. The purpose of the exam is to determine whether the student, would benefit from additional theory work either independently or in the context of a course or seminar.

The closed-book diagnostic theory exam is sent to students over winter break. Students can take the exam at any point over the break, so long as they do not allocate more than 12 hours to completing it. Completed tests should be submitted via email to the Director of Graduate Studies before the first day of the spring semester. Students will receive the assessment of their exam via email from the Director of Graduate Studies no later than one month into the spring semester, based on the students’ research interests and the general requirements of the musicology graduate program. The closed-book diagnostic theory exam is sent to students over winter break. Students can take the exam at any point over the break, so long as they do not allocate more than 12 hours to completing it. Students will receive the assessment no later than one month into the spring semester. Assessment will come in the form of a brief prose account of the strengths and weaknesses of the student’s performance on the exam. In the case that additional study is recommended, a specific set of suggestions will be made.

Students complete one of the modules listed under the General Exam and the associated oral exam in May of their first year.  

It is not recommended that students use the Research Paper module for the First Year Exam. 

Students must demonstrate proficiency in two (2) languages. Students should choose languages that are relevant to their course of study and research interests.  

Choice of languages and schedule for completion should be proposed to and approved by the chair of their Mentoring Committee during the first semester of the first year. Changes can be requested as the course of study proceeds. 

It is the student’s responsibility to confer with their mentoring committee about the status of their language exams, and to make the necessary arrangements to satisfy this requirement.  

Examples of language exams that could fulfill the requirement, if approved by the Committee, include: 

• Passing a reading exam administered by the relevant language department.  
• Passing one of the university’s summer language courses. 
• Passing a test administered by a qualified faculty member, arranged in consultation with the student’s Mentoring Committee chair. 
• Passing a summer course at another institution, arranged in consultation with the student’s Mentoring Committee chair. 
• Completing an online course or certification in a programming language such as Python or R. 
• Contributing a short translation of an as-yet untranslated source that is critical to a student’s field, arranged in consultation with the student’s Mentoring Committee chair. 

Barring exceptional circumstances, students should have fulfilled at least one (1) language requirement by the start of the second year in the program, and both languages by the start of the third year.  

In certain situations, a student’s research interests may change at a point where they determine they need to acquire a different language than they’d initially anticipated; extensions to the timeline for completion of the language exam can be granted in exceptional cases of this sort. 

Students may use their research funds to enroll in a summer language course at Princeton or another institution. Additionally, a limited about of funding for intensive summer language study is available from the Princeton Institute for International and Regional Studies (PIIRS).  

The General Exam Committee is formed during the first semester of a student’s second year. It is usually made up of the same faculty who were on the student’s Mentoring Committee, and this body administers and evaluates the student’s General Exams. Committee membership is subject to change based on faculty leave schedules and if the student changes advisors.  

Students meet with their General Exam Committee once each semester to discuss their plans and progress until they have completed their General Exams. The dates and times for these committee meetings are established by the Administrative Staff before the start of each semester, and are not changeable except in highly unusual circumstances and with the permission of the Committee members.

Students must select three modules from six options, and each module must be selected in conjunction with a specific field.  Fields from the First Year Exam may not be repeated in the General Exams. 

Each module comes with its own oral exam, described below. Fields must exhibit considerable breadth, encompassing a range of time periods, traditions, or methods. Individual modules may be more relevant to particular parts of music studies (e.g. historical musicology, ethnomusicology, theory and cognition).  The range of fields selected must be broad and must support the student’s intended research and career trajectory.  

Students’ performance on the module product and its accompanying oral exam must reflect control over the selected field. Usually, one of the selected fields for the General Exam is the field within which a student plans to write their dissertation. 

The selection of modules and fields, and the timeline for the exams, will be determined through close consultation with the student’s Mentoring Committee and their General Exam Committee. The General Exam Committee will only approve general exam plans that encompass a broad range of fields and that support the student’s specific research and career goals.   

More information about the modules and suggested fields are noted in the Musicology Handbook .

Students are expected to demonstrate a comprehensive knowledge of the core issues and debates within each of their chosen fields, both in the module work they submit and in the oral exam. Responses should show control of the relevant scholarship, methods, repertory and sources in the field. Candidates should demonstrate an ability to evaluate scholarship critically and to substantiate their views with examples. 

Exams are evaluated by the student’s General Exam Committee. In some cases, the Committee may change across a student’s course of study; the Committee in place at the time of a module’s submission and oral examination is the committee who evaluates that component of the exam. 

Students will be informed about results for each module within 48 hours of its oral exam. Within one week of the oral exam, they will receive a written summary of the strengths and weaknesses of the performance on that module. 

If a module is failed with a performance that reveals some strengths, but also discrete problems that could be addressable in a retake, the student may be invited to retake that module on a specific timeline (in all but the most exceptional cases, the semester following the failure). The Committee will specify whether the retake needs to be on the same module and field, or whether the module and field can or must change. Students will only retake the portion of the exam that they failed (for example, students could be asked to retake only the oral exam if the written portion was strong, or vice versa). 

Possible outcomes of the general exam include:  

• Pass and move on to doctoral candidacy; 
• Pass, but do not move on to doctoral candidacy (if all other requirements are met, a student can receive a terminal master’s at this stage);  
• Fail with the option to retake the exam, or; 
• Fail with no option to retake the exam (in cases where the student failed the same module twice).

After successfully completing their General Examination, students devote their time to dissertation research and writing, precepting (when available), and professional activities as appropriate. When Seminar work into the third-year has been approved, those students will also be continuing coursework.  

Third‐year students should concentrate primarily on finishing their dissertation proposals. The dissertation should be the top priority for fourth‐ and fifth‐year students.  

Progress on the dissertation will be evaluated at reenrollment and is taken into consideration in awarding extra funding and teaching and is also a factor in deciding whether a student is prepared to apply for various grants and fellowships. It is strongly advised that students not overcommit to publishing projects that prevent them from making reasonable progress on the dissertation.

Students should begin considering possible doctoral dissertation subjects as soon as possible after admission to the program and are urged to identify and meet with faculty whose interests seem best suited to a potential dissertation topic. Concentrated work on the dissertation begins after the successful completion of the General Exam; students should schedule a meeting with a prospective advisor(s) early in the third year to discuss potential topics. Prospective advisors and students are urged to have a frank conversation early in the process to clarify expectations and responsibilities, to work out a mutually beneficial schedule for meetings and deadlines, and establish clear guidelines for communications and expectations regarding reading drafts, requests for letters of recommendations, managing of outside activities (conferences, teaching, publications), etc. It is the students’ responsibility to maintain contact with their advisors and make sure that they are making adequate progress on the dissertation.  

The dissertation proposal is the principal requirement for third year students. While third-year students may precept and/or take one or two seminars, most of their attention should be devoted to completing a dissertation proposal no later than midterm of the spring semester. While proposals necessarily differ in length and style according to the topic, a successful dissertation proposal typically includes the following:  

• A compelling discussion of the topic 
• Its rationale and originality , and the contribution the dissertation will make to the discipline 
• A description of the methodologies; a review of the relevant literature 
• A preliminary table of contents and paragraph-length abstract of each chapter 
• A proposed schedule for completion; a bibliography including primary sources and selected secondary sources that intersect with your work.

Once their advisor has approved the dissertation approval, it should be submitted to the Academic Administrator for distribution to the musicology faculty and then presented in a Work-in-Progress session before the end of the term. Admission to the fourth year may be contingent upon approval of the dissertation proposal.  

It is expected that most fourth‐year students will complete at least one chapter before reenrollment and fifth‐year students will complete a minimum of two chapters. Ideally, the doctoral dissertation is written during the student’s official last year in residence to ensure full and frequent consultation with the supervisor and other faculty members. 

Each dissertation must also be read and approved by a second reader who is a full-time (non-emeritus) member of the Music Department Faculty. Second readers may be involved with the dissertation from the initial stages or may enter the process closer to the completion of the dissertation. Both primary and secondary readers submit reports to the Faculty and Graduate School a month before the Final Public Oral Exam (FPO). FPOs will not be scheduled without the full approval of both readers. Depending upon the topic, it may be desirable to have an outside reader from another institution or department, depending upon the special nature of the dissertation and needs of the student. Outside readers are offered a small stipend for their services and may also attend the FPO. The decision to invite outside readers is made by the DGS and advisor in consultation with the student.

Teaching is an essential part of the graduate program; the Graduate School requires all students to teach at some point during their period of enrollment.

As noted on the Graduate School website, “Assistantships in Instruction are teaching assignments awarded to graduate students by the academic departments and programs. Graduate students serving in these roles are referred to as Assistants in Instruction, or AIs. They may also be referred to as teaching assistants.  Most Ph.D. students at Princeton University serve as teaching assistants at some point during their enrollment, often during specific years of study.  Individual programs specify whether and when such teaching may be required. With very rare exceptions, first-year students in Ph.D. programs may not be appointed as AIs. In all cases, graduate students should have the permission of their DGS and adviser before taking on an AI appointment.”   

In addition, the Graduate School requires all first-time Ais to undergo training with the McGraw Center to establish a foundation of essential teaching issues and skills.  All graduate students must complete this mandatory training before being eligible to take on AI appointments. These training sessions are typically offered at the beginning of each semester at the Frist Campus Center. 

In accordance with Graduate School policies, musicology graduate students are typically not asked to take on teaching duties until after they have passed the General Exams.  Exceptions are sometimes made in specific circumstances depending on a variety of factors. 

Students who have excelled as preceptors may also be able to participate in the Collaborative Teaching Initiative , which provides the opportunity for students to co-design and co-teach a Princeton undergraduate course with a current full-time faculty member. The course proposals, prepared by both the student and the sponsoring faculty, are subject to rigorous review, first by our own curriculum committee (both Directors of Graduate Study, Chair, and Director of Undergraduate Study) and then representatives of the Deans’ Offices. Students who have an idea for an innovative course should begin by discussing it with the faculty member in question no later than February of the preceding academic year.

Post-Generals students are also encouraged to explore opportunities to gain teaching experience outside the University either in area colleges or the Community College Teaching Fellowship. Students who are in their regular period of enrollment and still receiving full stipends should get permission from their advisors before accepting an outside teaching position. 

Students are also encouraged to take an active part in the working musicological community at large, through participation in regional, national, and international meetings. The Music Department will contribute to subsidize membership in the scholarly society of your choice. For information on reimbursement, see the Department’s Business Manager . 

While we encourage students to pursue professional opportunities, present papers, teach, and publish articles as appropriate, it is expected that graduate students will discuss these plans with their advisors in advance to make sure that the projects are viable and that they have worked out a plan to share their work with their advisors before submitting it. It is the students’ responsibility to leave enough time before a deadline for their advisors to read a draft of a major conference paper or help vet a publication. Your progress on the dissertation will be evaluated each year at reenrollment and is taken into consideration in awarding extra funding and teaching and is also a factor in deciding whether a student is prepared to apply for various grants and fellowships. It is strongly advised that students not overcommit to publishing projects that prevent them from making reasonable progress on the dissertation.  

The Musicology Colloquium series, funded by the Music Department, is organized by the third-year students in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies and features public talks with scholars. The Work-in-Progress (“WIP”) series, also organized by the third-year musicology students, provides an opportunity for graduate students to share their work with one another. Students are expected to present their dissertation proposals at a WIP session during the second semester of their third year and are also encouraged to use the WIP series to rehearse conference papers throughout their enrollment. 

Regular attendance in the Musicology Colloquium Series and the Works-in-Progress Series is expected of all students.

Students who have not completed their Ph.Ds after five years may be enrolled for an additional two years in Dissertation Completion Enrollment (DCE) status. The primary goal of DCE status is to provide students with continued access to libraries and other campus resources, health insurance, and—as available— teaching opportunities while they complete their dissertations.  

Eligible students apply for DCE status with the Graduate School during the reenrollment process in the last year of their program of study and must be approved for DCE status by their department and the Graduate School based on criteria for satisfactory academic progress.  

Students in DCE status are fully and formally enrolled graduate students, working full-time to complete degree requirements. DCE students may be enrolled as regular (in residence) or In Absentia students (pursuing their work away from Princeton).  

If students beyond their department’s regular program length are not in DCE status and have not graduated, they will be given Enrollment Terminated/Degree Candidacy Continues (ET/DCC) status. ET/DCC is an unenrolled status in which students are ineligible for the student benefits that come with formal enrollment. For ET/DCC students, library access and student borrowing privileges (for those in Princeton or the vicinity), and e-mail and computer account access will continue for a period of five years beyond the date of the General Exam. Students who choose ET/DCC status may be appointed as part-time Lecturers through the Dean of the Faculty’s Office. 

Tuition: The tuition rate for DCE students for this academic year will be available on the Graduate School website. The Graduate School waives tuition for students who precept for at least two hours a week. In addition, students in good standing may apply to the Music Department for DCE tuition subsidies in semesters in which they are not teaching or if they are funded by outside grants that do not include tuition. 

DCE Funding: Often, students enter DCE status having exhausted their regular funding. Therefore, students should begin discussing DCE funding with their advisors at least a year before their funding runs out to see if they are ready to apply for outside grants , many of which require students to have at least two chapters of their dissertation drafted. Many students in DCE status supplement their income with precepting; students who anticipate needing precepting hours should indicate their need and availability on their DCE application. There are several opportunities to receive internal funding during the DCE period via internal and external fellowships and other relevant opportunities. In addition, the faculty may nominate one musicologist for the Dean’s Completion Fellowship/Postgraduate Research Associates (DCF/PGRA) Program , which pays the DCE tuition and a full stipend for one semester during their sixth year. Students who successfully defend the dissertations by the end of that semester have to opportunity to be appointed as Post Graduate Research Assistants for the spring semester, with full stipend. 

Ideally, the doctoral dissertation is written during the student’s official last year in residence to ensure full and frequent consultation with the advisor and other faculty members.  

As you begin the final stages of your dissertation, you will want to carefully consider the scheduling of your FPOE. You should allow at least six weeks from the time you submit your completed dissertation until the FPOE.  

Please remember that the final decision about whether a dissertation is ready to be defended is made by your advisors and their decisions are final. While faculty make every effort to accommodate deadlines for jobs or postdoctoral fellowships, the department will schedule FPOEs only for students whose dissertations have the full approval of both readers. 

It is essential to establish a timeline for final revisions of your dissertation with your first and second (principal) readers, Administrative Staff, and the DGS, at least one semester before the planned FPOE.   

The following steps must be completed in order for the FPE to be scheduled and executed: 

• The Academic Programs Administrator and the DGS must receive written approval from the two readers and a third current faculty member. 
• The two reader reports must be submitted to the Academic Programs Administrator at least 30 days before the scheduled FPOE. 
• An electronic copy of the completed, approved dissertation must be filed with the Academic Programs Administrator at least 30 days before the FPOE. (PDF files are preferred). 

For more information on your status after the FPOE please visit: https://gradschool.princeton.edu/academics/degrees-requirements/advanced-degree-application-process  

Tiger Hub is a secure website where students sign-in for the academic year, maintain their personal information, enroll in courses, and sign-up for direct deposit.   

The sign-in process begins on August 1. To see this year’s Sign-In period, visit the University’s Academic Calendar . It is essential that you complete this process to receive your paychecks and be able to register for your classes.  

All students also undergo a re-enrollment process every year semester in which their progress in the program is evaluated by the Director of Graduate Study in consultation with the faculty (first and second years) and their advisors (after year three). Readmission to the program is not automatic . During the first two years students are expected to perform satisfactorily in their seminars and participate in the musicological community at large. Students working on their dissertation need to demonstrate adequate progress and should be maintaining close contact with their advisors. 

The Music Department provides each graduate student with a pool of research funding for travel, equipment, and other approved needs. Graduate students may work with our finance team to access departmental research funds which will be accessible until end of G7 or the semester in which dissertation defense occurs, whichever comes first.  

 A list of other available funding is available through the  Graduate School . 

Graduate students separately receive their stipend checks monthly on the last working day of the month, though December pay is typically distributed before winter break. Students are encouraged to sign up for Direct Deposit through TigerHub . 

In accordance with the Graduate School’s policies regarding Student Government and Advocacy , each year the Music Department establishes a committee of graduate students to act as liaisons between students and faculty.  

The committee serves in an advisory capacity, providing feedback on curriculum, policies, and climate, facilitating communication between graduate students and faculty about areas of mutual concern. Committee members are encouraged to listen attentively to their colleagues’ different perspectives so that all viewpoints can be aired.  

The committee meets with the musicology Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) at least once a semester. It is the responsibility of the committee to arrange meetings with DGS, formulate the agenda, and follow up with DGS with meetings of the minute and action plans as relevant. 

The committee is typically comprised of up to 6 members. Each G1-5 class selects its own representative, and all students in Dissertation Completion Enrollment (DCE) status select one student representative. To make sure that as many voices as possible are heard, students are asked to serve on the committee for only one academic year.  

Names of selected committee members should be submitted via email to the Academic Programs Administrator and the DGS no later than October 1 st each year.

Before requesting a letter of recommendation, students should discuss each application with advisor(s) in advance to make sure that the opportunity is appropriate at this stage in their career. There are always unexpected opportunities that will arise, but under most circumstances students should give each faculty member a minimum of two weeks to write a letter of recommendation, ideally four. Provide your recommender with a description of the fellowship or grant, a draft proposal, a CV, and a list of bullet points that they might want to emphasize in their letter. For recommenders who are not your primary advisor, make sure they have a clear idea of how your work has progressed since the last time they wrote for you.

CLASS OF 1997

Barnett, Gregory:  Professor, Rice University

Clark, Suzannah:  Professor, Harvard University

Ferreira, Manuel Pedro:  Professor, Universidade Nova (Lisbon)

Morrison, Simon:  Professor, Princeton University

CLASS OF 1998

Lowe, Melanie:  Associate Professor, Vanderbilt University

CLASS OF 1999

Cruz, Gabriela:  Associate Professor, University of Michigan

Gooley, Dana:  Professor, Brown University

CLASS OF 2001

Dubrow, Marsha

Hammond, Susan:  Lewis  Professor, University of Victoria (BC)

Pavlovsky, Natalka:  Professor, Rowan College of South Jersey

CLASS OF 2002

Biancorosso, Giorgio:  Professor, University of Hong Kong

Demers, Joanna:  Professor, University of Southern California

Kalil, Mary

Milewski, Barbara:  Associate Professor, Swarthmore College

Sternfeld, Jessica:  Associate Professor, Chapman University

Tcharos, Stefanie:  Associate Professor, University of California at Santa Barbara

Tunbridge, Laura:  Professor, Oxford University

CLASS OF 2003

Cronin, Tania:  Composer

El-Assal, Ramsey:  Senior Equity Research Analyst, Barclays Investment Bank

CLASS OF 2004

Kasunic, David:  Associate Professor, Occidental College

Pomrantz, Britta Gilmore:  Previously Senior Trial Counsel, State Bar of California

CLASS OF 2005

Cabrini, Michele:  Associate Professor, Hunter College

Heisler, Wayne:  Professor, The College of New Jersey

Paulin, Scott:  Senior Lecturer, Northwestern University

Purciello, Maria:  Associate Professor, University of Delaware

Zanovello, Giovanni:  Associate Professor, Indiana University

CLASS OF 2006

Biaggi, Marisa:  Senior Vice-President, Edelman

Binder, Benjamin:  Associate Professor, Duquesne University

Speagle, John:  Substitute Teacher, Palo Alto Unified School District

Stell, Jason:  Executive Director, Staunton Music Festival

CLASS OF 2007

Landis, Stella Baty:  Executive Director, Longue Vue House & Gardens (New Orleans)

Revuluri, Sindhumathi:  Associate Dean of Academic Engagement, Harvard University

CLASS OF 2008

De Lucca, Valeria:  Associate Professor, University of Southampton

Harne, George Anthony:  Dean, School of Arts & Sciences, University of St. Thomas (Houston)

CLASS OF 2009

Hedden, Laura

CLASS OF 2010

Oster, Andrew:  Faculty, The Stevenson School (Pebble Beach, CA) / Lecturer, Carmel Bach Festival

Snow, Emily Catherine

Wood, Leanne:  Lecturer, Northern Kentucky University

Zavlunov, Daniil Yakov:  Associate Professor, Stetson University

CLASS OF 2011

Gupta, Maureen

Wood Uribe, Patrick:  CEO, Util

CLASS OF 2012

Rego, John:  Artistic Director, Adelaide Concert Collective

Frymoyer, Johanna:  Assistant Professor, Notre Dame

CLASS OF 2013

Lockey, Nicholas:  Director of Upper School Music, The Benjamin School (Palm Beach Gardens, FL)

Steiner, Katherine Kennedy:  Assistant Professor, University of Waterloo

CLASS OF 2014

Baranello, Micaela:  Assistant Professor, Temple University

Greenberg Reuland, Jamie:  Assistant Professor, Princeton University

Levenberg, Jeffrey:  Assistant Professor, Chinese University of Hong Kong

Mukherji, Somangshu:  Assistant Professor, University of Michigan

Steichen, James:  Director of Individual Gifts, San Francisco Conservatory of Music

CLASS OF 2015

Buff, Carolann:  Assistant Professor, Indiana University

Graham, John:  Founder and Director, John Graham Tours

Hamish, Robb:  Lecturer, New Zealand School of Music, Victoria University of Wellington

CLASS OF 2016

Cotter, Alice:  Founder, Little Bird Music School (Truckee, CA)

Hunter, Cory:  Assistant Professor, University of Rochester/Eastman School of Music

O’Meara, Daniel:  Associate Dean for Student Support and Career Services, Richmond University (London)

Sarno, Megan:  Assistant Professor, University of Texas at Arlington

Vergine, Bibiana

CLASS OF 2017

Bonner, Elise:  Software Engineer, American Express

Evans, Christa Pehl:  Assistant Professor, Fresno Pacific University

Gupta, Christopher:  Software Engineer, American Express

Town, Sarah:  Fellow, Thompson Writing Program, Duke University

Valencia, Luis Fernando:  Professor, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana (Colombia)

CLASS OF 2018

Aschheim, Victoria:  Junior Fellow, Society of Fellows, Dartmouth University

Barcenas, Ireri Chavez:  Assistant Professor, Bowdoin College

Friedman, Jacob:  Faculty, The Writing Center, University of Pennsylvania

Ochs, Ruth:  Conductor, Princeton University Sinfonia

Olive, Kara: Technical Writer, Google

Shanti, Aliyah:  Adjunct Faculty, The College of New Jersey

CLASS OF 2019

Matthay, Christopher:  Adjunct Faculty, New York University

Phillips, Reuben:  Fellow, Institute For Advanced Studies in the Humanities, University of Edinburgh

Quinn, Arianne Johnson :  Honors Program Faculty, Florida State University and Archivist, Noël Coward Archive Trust

Tkalych, Lisa

CLASS OF 2021

Nathaniel Mitchell: Visiting Assistant Professor, Wesleyan University

David Salkowski: Adjunct Professor of Musicology, University of Tennessee Knoxville

Julia Khait

CLASS OF 2022

Honegger, Matthew:  Technical Solutions Engineer at Epic

Principi, Dylan:  Assistant Professor, Florida State University

Shiflett, Campbell:  Faculty, Mannes School of Music

Watts, Carolyn:  Teaching Transfer Visiting Faculty Fellow, Princeton University ; Music History Examiner, Conservatory Canada

CLASS OF 2024

Allotey-Pappoe, Genevieve:  Assistant Professor, Brown University

Brady, Sophie:  Assistant Professor, University of Arkansas

Camprubi, Marcel:  Postdoctoral Fellow, Warburg Institute, London

Hines, Jane:  Junior Research Fellow, Gonville & Caius – University of Cambridge

McLaughlin, Hannah:  Assistant Professor, Brigham Young University

Parton, Christopher:  Lecturer, Princeton Writing Program

APPLICATION GUIDELINES

Questions? Contact:

Elizabeth H. Margulis

Professor of Music; Director of Graduate Studies (Musicology)

Gregory Deane Smith

Academic Administrator

Resources for:

Nov 19, 2024 8:30pm

Tyler Baillie, clarinet

McClintock Choral and Recital Room

Nov 20, 2024 7:30pm

Jazz Small Ensembles

Nov 21, 2024 4:00pm

Inside Chinese Theater

• Lectures & Interviews
• Master Classes
• Recitals & Chamber Music
• Visiting Artists

Main Resources

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

PhD students should regularly consult with the Musicology Program Coordinator to determine the best course of study, based on the student’s interests and previous coursework.

Program of Study – 18 units

A typical program of study includes coursework in Western historical and global geographic musics; identification of and coursework in a non-music cognate area; electives to strengthen the student’s main area of interest; and a common core of methodological courses in Musicology. Most courses must be at the 400 or 500 level, and a majority, or minimum of two, each quarter must be in Musicology (designated MUSICOL in CAESAR) unless approval is given by the program coordinator prior to registration.

All students are expected to finish required Musicology coursework (18 units) within two years. The faculty reserves the right to require additional coursework for students who do not pass the repertoire exam in the second year of study. Supplementary coursework, e.g., toward a certificate program, cognate area, or any Music Studies field, may be taken during the third year.

Musicology Core – 3 units

MUSICOL 523 Ethnographic Field Methods MUSICOL 535 Music Historiography MUSICOL 560 Notation and Editing

Cognate Area – 3 units

Students enroll in three courses in a non-music field relevant to their main interest, for example Anthropology, Art History, History, Literary and Cultural Studies, Philosophy, or Sociology.

Musicological Studies – 6 units

Additional courses in musicology, 300 to 500 level. PhD students should register for the highest level of courses with multiple course numbers.

Electives – 6 units

Courses in other Music Studies areas (Music Education, Music Theory and Cognition, etc), Musicology, or other Humanities and Social Sciences.

Students who wish to register for elective classes at other universities may do so via two programs:

• The Big Ten Academic Alliance (BTAA), a consortium of the Big Ten schools and the University of Chicago
• The Chicago Metropolitan Exchange Program (CMEP) in collaboration with the University of Chicago and the University of Illinois at Chicago

Questions about these programs should be directed to Bienen Graduate Services with prior consent of the student’s primary advisor.

Foreign Language Requirement

Students are required to pass one foreign language exam. Students may select the foreign language in consultation with the faculty.

Students who need to learn or refresh knowledge of any language may enroll in language courses through Northwestern, the BTAA, or CMEP.

The Program Coordinator schedules the language exams. Students planning on attempting the exam during any quarter should notify the Musicology Coordinator of their intention to take the exam at least two months in advance.

Second-year students are often assigned as teaching assistants for the undergraduate core sequence in Music History (MUSIC 214, 215, and 216) and/or World Music Cultures (MUSIC 213) as part of their professional preparation. 

Students may not teach independently during fall quarter of their third year, but may teach their own sections of general music (GEN MUS) courses during winter and spring quarters of their third year.

Qualifying Examination

The Musicology PhD qualifying examination is a multi-year, multi-part process that begins at the end of the student’s first year.

May : All students in the cohort are given a single list of 40 works that will constitute the basis of their repertoire exam, to be taken in September of the second year. The works list, which will change from year to year, is constituted by a committee of three full-time faculty members, each of whom chooses 15 works (with 5 of the resulting 45 eliminated by the committee chair to ensure a balance of eras, genres, etc.). Students are expected to study the 40 works over the summer to prepare for the Repertoire Exam in September. Students should familiarize themselves with the works, understand how they relate to their social and musical contexts, and know the most significant scholarship on these works.

Second Year

September : All students in the cohort take the Repertoire Exam. It will consist of 5 score identifications and 5 listening identifications drawn from the list of 40 works specified the previous May. The score identification and listening excerpts will be presented to the student (each in their own room in the Advising Center on the second floor of RCMA without internet access) 90 minutes before they meet with the exam committee to discuss them. Students who fail a portion of the Repertoire Exam will be given an opportunity to retake it in December.

December : Repertoire Exam retake. Students who fail the Repertoire Exam a second time may be asked to take up to 9 additional credits of coursework. They will be placed on academic probation and permitted to retake the repertoire exam a third time with a new list of 40 works the following October.

May : Students who have passed the Repertoire Exam are given four musicological topics (which may be historical, ethnographic, methodological, etc.), of which they choose three to address in the Essay portion of the exam. The topics will be chosen to avoid the students’ areas of specialization. Work on the Essays is to be undertaken independently during the summer. Each Essay is to be no more than 20 pages (double-spaced) in length, excluding bibliography. 

September : Students submit their three Essays on a date specified by the exam committee. Each examinee meets with the three-member faculty exam committee to discuss the Essays. If the Essays are deemed satisfactory, the student passes this portion of the exam. If the Essays are deemed unsatisfactory, the student will revise and resubmit them and undertake a second discussion in December. If the student fails the Essay portion a second time in December, they may be asked to take up to six additional credits of coursework. In this case, they will either be given an opportunity to retake the Essay Portion (with different topics) the following Fall Quarter, or be formally excluded from the PhD program.

October : Regardless of whether the student passes the Essay portion of the exam, they will present a Teaching Demonstration on a topic chosen by the Committee and shared with the candidate one month before the date of their lecture. All three committee members will attend each lecture. Following the lecture, the student will meet with the committee to discuss the Teaching Demonstration, after which the committee will meet privately to determine whether the student has passed. If a student fails, they will be asked to give another Teaching Demonstration in December (for faculty alone, without undergraduates present, and perhaps on a revised or entirely different topic). If the student fails a second time in December, they may be asked to take up to an additional six credits of coursework. In this case, they will attempt to pass the Teaching Examination the following Fall Quarter. Depending upon the judgment of the faculty as a whole, if the student fails the Teaching Demonstration a second time, they may be formally excluded from the PhD program but given the opportunity to complete a terminal Master’s degree following the completion of remaining credits.

December : Students who have failed the Essay portion of the exam and/or the Teaching Demonstration will be given an opportunity to resubmit/retake those portions. If a student fails either portion of the exam a second time, they will potentially be given a terminal Master’s degree and formally excluded from the PhD program. 

Doctoral Committees

There are two separate faculty exam committees each fall quarter for the Qualifying Exams.

• Repertoire Exam Committee of three full-time musicology faculty members; 
• An Essay and Teaching Demonstration Exam Committee consisting of three full-time musicology faculty members.

Ideally no one faculty member will serve simultaneously on both exam committees, though this may at times be unavoidable. Each exam committee has a Chair responsible for coordinating the content and mechanics of the exam.

Each student must formally identify their dissertation committee (including the primary advisor), at the time they submit a prospectus for approval. Identification of an advisor should begin with verbal agreements between the student, the advisor, and the other committee members well before the prospectus is submitted.

Dissertation Prospectus

Students must complete their prospectus as soon as possible after passing the qualifying examinations, but no later than the end of their fourth year. The prospectus consists of a proposal for the dissertation which outlines the topic, its significance, its methodologies, and includes a survey of the current scholarly literature and primary sources necessary for successful completion of the dissertation and a comprehensive bibliography. The prospectus is evaluated by the doctoral committee, and is formally accepted after a brief defense.

Students should submit the PhD Prospectus form in GSTS after successful defense and acceptance of the prospectus.

Dissertation and Oral Defense

The student will complete the dissertation under the direction of a committee comprised of three or four current faculty of Northwestern University, at least two of whom must be members of the Musicology program. The chair must be on The Graduate School faculty.

Students are encouraged to apply for funding for dissertation research through TGS and the Office of Fellowships. Dissertations must be formatted according to TGS Dissertation Formatting Guidelines . Students should submit the PhD Final Exam form in GSTS following a successful defense.

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