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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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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.

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:

January 15th 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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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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Prospective Graduate Students

Questions for Admissions? 617-495-5315 [email protected]

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]

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Music (Ph.D.)

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 M.A./Ph.D. and the Ph.D. degrees (for those who have previously completed a Master’s degree) in composition and scholarship, the latter with options in musicology and ethnomusicology. The Music Department does not offer the terminal M.A. degree. The amount of time needed to complete the Ph.D. 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 M.A. degree) will have pursued sufficient coursework, fulfilled all the supplementary requirements, and taken the qualifying examination, advanced to candidacy, and completed a prospectus for the dissertation by the end of two years. 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 the university. Graduates of the Berkeley Music Department play prominent roles in distinguished musical institutions across the nation and abroad.

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7 PhD in Music Degree Programs To Be on Your Postgrad List

Author: Hugh McIntyre

Date: March 13, 2018

Reads: 8,418

Hugh McIntyre is a music journalist, social media expert, and marketing professional based in both NYC and LA. He has spent a decade writing about music and the music industry, primarily for Forbes , but also for Billboard, Fuse, MTV, and many more. He has also managed social media for Grammy-winning musicians, Olympic medal-winning athletes, and CEOs. FULL BIO

Table of Contents

• Introduction

1. Juilliard

4. columbia, 5. northwestern, 6. new england conservatory.

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For many people reading this website, the mere idea of further education beyond a bachelor’s, let alone a Ph.D. in anything is difficult to think about — but it might not be quite as far away as you’d imagine.

Becoming a doctor in any field is the highest level of schooling possible and aside from certificates and secondary offerings, there is nothing else to accomplish after that. . .at least when it comes to academic degrees. (See our recent roundup of the best music schools for master’s degrees here .)

It’s never too early to think about advancing your career with a Ph.D. in Music or a D.M.A. (Doctor of Musical Arts). Whether you’re just beginning to search for undergrad options or you’re ready to begin applying to become a doctor in whatever musical field you work in, below is a list of some of the best schools in the U.S. where you can earn such a prize…if you’re willing to put in the work and the years.

Location: New York City, NY

Of all the schools on this list, Juilliard has to be placed first for a multitude of reasons. I could spend an entire article writing about why Juilliard is the best school, especially when considering Ph.D. programs, but because of the plethora of examples why it’s also perhaps the most difficult to get into and graduate from. So keep this in mind as you read on and look for the “apply” button online.

Juilliard is by far one of the most respected names in the art world, whether it be in dancing, acting, or music. The New York City-based school has churned out some of the greatest artists of all time and the flow of talent isn’t likely to stop anytime soon, especially considering how many doctoral programs are offered at Juilliard.

It seems like there’s something for everyone at the renowned institution and there are a surprising number of graduate degrees, which can typically be in shorter supply at most schools.

Juilliard offers a D.M.A. diploma in over twenty fields and while the majority of those are only given to talented performers, there are other items available to those who want to study music beyond playing an instrument. D.M.A.s are offered for Composition and Voice, as well as over a dozen different instruments, including violin, trumpet, piano, horn, and many others.

Location: Cambridge, MA

Juilliard may be the most respected name in higher education when it comes to music but Harvard is the most respected name in higher education…period. It is known the world over and not just for one program.

At this point, the Cambridge, MA institution can afford to be picky and only the best of the best make it into those hallowed halls. That is, of course, especially true when it comes to Ph.D. programs and since there are only a few offered at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, the competition can understandably be fierce.

Harvard currently offers the following five Ph.D.s in musical fields: Composition, Cross-Disciplinary Music Studies, Music Theory, Musicology/Ethnomusicology, and Musicology/Historical. Only five degrees might sound limited but by the time a student comes anywhere close to even considering a Ph.D., they likely already know which area of study they’re going to be interested in and Harvard’s menu is diverse enough to have something for everyone . . . or, almost everyone.

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Location: New Haven, CT

Like Harvard, Yale is one of the best-known brand names in the world when it comes to education and while you do pay dearly for the experience and the privilege of adding that well-known moniker to your resume and your LinkedIn it can certainly pay off.

Yale offers D.M.A.s in Performance, Conducting, and Composition, and when it comes to the former, there are quite a few instruments an artist can select from.

Those looking to attend the Connecticut university (which isn’t actually too close to either Boston or New York City, though it’s not so far from either that somewhat frequent visits wouldn’t be possible) should expect to be on campus for two years taking courses and working with Professors and then for the following three years they should plan on launching their careers — though there will still be a lot of work connected to Yale that ensures they eventually get their diploma.

Five years may sound like a long time (and it is, no doubt), but the degree a student will walk away with will certainly be worth it.

Interestingly, while most colleges and universities offerings Ph.D.s in anything musical seem to focus mainly on performance, Columbia doesn’t offer a single degree that involves becoming the best performer possible…at least not at the highest level.

Instead, Columbia has only a handful of Ph.D. and D.M.A.s to give away in musical verticals, including Composition and Musicology, which is itself broken down into three different categories: Historical Musicology, Ethnomusicology, and Music Theory.

Since the majority of Ph.D. students at other schools will be working solely on performing, the crowd at Columbia must be particularly interesting and it is surely responsible for turning out some of the most talented and the brightest people in musical higher education and writing.

A number of institutions offer Composition Ph.D.s but they are often traditional in nature and largely focused on working with an orchestra. Columbia has a state of the art lab where those working toward this degree can include electronic instruments into their creations, which makes the program particularly modern, and exactly what many contemporary Composers are looking for.

Location: Evanston, IL

Unlike so many other names in the educational field that offer Ph.D.s, Northwestern’s degree is actually a Doctor of Philosophy in Music. There are a number of diplomas given out which focus only on musical areas of study, even though the phrase “Doctor of Philosophy” doesn’t immediately bring to mind anything having to do with music.

The Chicago-adjacent Bienen School of Music offers Ph.D.s in the following categories: Composition and Music Technology, Music Theory and Cognition, Music Education, and Musicology. Those are four very broad topics and there’s something in there for most people.

Northwestern is a great school and while it might not have quite the name recognition of Harvard, Yale, or Juilliard (which is why those are at the top of the pile), it’s well-respected and a degree from the school is still highly coveted.

Location: Boston, MA

When talking about musical colleges in Boston, Berklee is usually top of the list . . . except for this one. Surprisingly, while dozens of master’s degrees can be earned at the school — including via its online and international locations — there aren’t Ph.D.s offered at the well-known music industry favorite . . . at least not yet.

That may come at some point in the future, but for now, when it comes to Beantown and the highest degree possible in music, the New England Conservatory rules.

This extremely selective institution is difficult to get into at any level but it becomes many times harder when it comes to doctoral studies. The program only accepts between eight and a dozen students in each field, depending on the year. Yes, that’s right, the conservatory might only allow fewer than ten applicants in at any one time — so you can imagine the rate of approval is minute.

It typically takes three years for students to finish their studies and collect their Doctor of Musical Arts diploma, and at first, everybody studies together, which is an interesting and eye-opening way of doing things.

Like many collegiate options offering musical Ph.D.s and D.M.A.s, the New England Conservatory’s degrees are primarily all about performance, and students can focus on a number of woodwinds (flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, saxophone), strings (violin, viola, violoncello, double bass, harp, guitar), piano, and so on.

Also available are degrees in Vocal Performance, Vocal Performance and Pedagogy (which is different enough to be listed separately), Composition, and Music Theory.

Location: Los Angeles, CA

In making this list, I had a number of other options to choose from that deserved to be included, as their Ph.D. and D.M.A. programs are certainly worth attending. Of course, not everything can fit on here and I thought there needed to be some West Coast representation!

UCLA only offers a pair of degrees that fit onto this list — a D.M.A. in Performance and Conducting and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Composition — but those two fields cover a lot of ground and while they might not be a fit for everyone they’re certainly a good start. They may be perfect for someone whose interests lean more towards scoring music as a Film Composer or who just wants to live in Los Angeles and soak up the city’s growing classical scene.

One of the best things UCLA has going for it is the location, as it’s one of only a few well-known musical schools out that way. Los Angeles is a great city and it’s full of opportunity for those who want to make a living in entertainment. UCLA could be perfect for somebody who, say, wants to compose music for movies or perform for them.

It’s not all about the East Coast and schools like UCLA absolutely deserve a spot here.

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