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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.
Standardized Tests
GRE General: Optional
Theses and Dissertations
Theses & Dissertations for Music
See list of Music faculty
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Questions about the program.
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.
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7 PhD in Music Degree Programs That Should 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.