phd music

Undergraduate Program

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

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

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]

For additional information  click here

Resources for:

Oct 21, 2024 7:30pm

Jazz Small Ensembles

McClintock Choral and Recital Room

Oct 22, 2024 5:30pm

Sandra Cisneros and Derek Bermel

Galvin Recital Hall

Oct 24, 2024 7:30pm

Northwestern University Chamber Orchestra

Pick-Staiger Concert Hall

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

Main Resources

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

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

Program of Study – 18 units

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

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

Musicology Core – 3 units

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

Cognate Area – 3 units

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

Musicological Studies – 6 units

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

Electives – 6 units

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

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

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

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

Foreign Language Requirement

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

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

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

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

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

Qualifying Examination

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

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

Second Year

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

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

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

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

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

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

Doctoral Committees

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

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

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

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

Dissertation Prospectus

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

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

Dissertation and Oral Defense

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

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

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

Master of Arts / PhD

Innovative Music Scholars

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

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

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

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

Musicology Resources

Related news, graduate opportunities, explore other degrees.

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

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

Concentration Areas

Composition.

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

Ethnomusicology

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

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

The Master of Arts Degree

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

The Doctor of Philosophy Degree

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

Contact Info

[email protected]

104 Morrison Hall

Berkeley 94720-1200

At a Glance

Department(s)

Admit Term(s)

Application Deadline

December 3, 2024

Degree Type(s)

Doctoral / PhD

Degree Awarded

GRE Requirements

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.

Composition

Conversation and Music Gig with Alkyone and Thymios Papastergiou

Mon, Oct 21, 2024 7:00 pm

Long at the vanguard of the art of music composition, Princeton’s Graduate Program in Composition considers it essential for composers to build their own vision based on their strengths and passions, while remaining actively open to new musical experiences shared by the community. The program embraces many kinds of musics, engaging with diverse musical languages and creative practices. At the heart of our creative endeavor is the public concert series Princeton Sound Kitchen, in which both faculty and graduate students have their new works workshopped and premiered by some of the world’s finest professional musicians and ensembles, including the Cone Artist Ensemble in Residence, Sō Percussion . The program also provides cutting edge resources for computer/electronic music research, facilitates interaction with visiting composers through the colloquium series, and supports collaborations involving dance, theater, and film through the Lewis Center for the Arts . Princeton also offers an Interdisciplinary PhD in the Humanities (IHUM) , which allows for an extra year of funding and research support to explore fields beyond the boundaries of a student’s home discipline.

All composition students spend their first two years taking seminars from Music Department faculty , participating in the Princeton Sound Kitchen and Composition Colloquium Series, and preparing for their General Exam (given in May of their second year) while they pursue their creative work. After successful completion of the General Exam, students begin concentrated work on the PhD thesis, completing a dissertation proposal by the second semester of their third year. The PhD thesis comprises an original composition, developed in consultation with two advisors, as well as an essay. Entering students are expected to spend at least two (2) years in full-time residence, regardless of prior graduate work.

The Composition Program balances freedom and independent work with lively interaction as a group, maintaining a creative and academic community characterized by diverse, inventive composition and spirited discussion about related issues—an academic and creative collaboration where listening to others’ voices is as important as developing one’s own. Graduate students are expected to participate fully in departmental activities, including seminars, concerts, and colloquia. Students are encouraged to find their own rhythm for the independent portion of their work and to take initiative in seeking faculty input as desired.

At the core of the Composition Program is the student’s own creative work. There are no weekly composition lessons or assignments to “studios”; instead, each student solicits feedback from faculty members on compositional work at any stage.

Individual meetings and independent creative work are complemented by seminars. Up to four (4) seminars are offered each semester; topics vary according to student and faculty interests and needs. All students are expected to participate in a variety of seminars during the first two years.

Number of Courses: Pre-Generals students who wish to take fewer than two (2) seminars in a semester should discuss this choice with the Director of Graduate Studies (“DGS”). Students can occasionally substitute a 300-level undergraduate class for a graduate seminar if they wish, with approval from the DGS.  Post-Generals students who are receiving funding are expected either to take one seminar, or to teach.

Required Courses: All enrolled students should register each semester for Composition: MUS 531 in the fall and MUS 532 in the spring. Whenever MUS 542 (Princeton Sound Kitchen, or “PSK”) is offered—usually every spring semester—enrolled students should register for it as well. Neither of these meets at a regular time like other seminars; rather, these refer to private composition lessons (531 and 532) and the varied activities of the Princeton Sound Kitchen.

Occasionally students have organized informal peer-led seminars in an area of widespread interest: Supercollider, Max/MSP, video editing, basic audio engineering, etc. Contact the Director of Graduate Studies if there is a quorum of students with a particular interest.

The Composition Colloquium Series is organized by second-year students, hosting visiting composers or creative artists throughout each semester for a public talk followed by a private dinner with graduate students of any year.

The colloquia are considered part of the academic program, and enrolled graduate students are expected to attend. Students are also welcome to attend the Musicology Colloquia, and vice versa.

Graduate students are eligible for free private lessons on any instrument during their first five years.  This includes conducting, folk instruments, singing, and various “electronic” instruments including Ableton, Max, etc. 

Each student is required to demonstrate a mastery of a substantial non-musical discipline, which could be a natural language, a computer programming language, Ableton, Max, video recording and production techniques, or some other important ancillary skill at the discretion of the Director of Graduate Studies . 

Students are urged to satisfy this requirement during the first year of graduate study. The requirement can be satisfied by passing a reading exam administered by the relevant language department or by passing one of the University’s summer reading courses. For languages for which there is no formal exam, the Music Department will help assist you in arranging the test with a qualified faculty member. It is the student’s responsibility to confer with the Director of Graduate Studies about the status of their language exams, and to make the necessary arrangements to satisfy this requirement.

The Department of Music provides support for language study, covering the full costs of the reading courses offered through the annual Summer Language Program at Princeton , which typically includes French, German, and Latin. For support for the study of other languages or skills necessary for your study, immersion and intensive summer language programs, please confer with the Director of Graduate Studies .

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

Preceptors teach several weekly sections (the minimum appointment is for two Assistants in Instruction “AI” hours), depending upon the class enrollment and course material. Preceptors are also expected to attend all the regular lectures and help with grading or make-up classes as requested by the instructor. First-time preceptors must attend a mandatory training session before they begin teaching. Training sessions are offered by the  McGraw Center  at the beginning of each semester at the Frist Campus Center. Students should be aware that they may be called upon to teach at any point during their enrollment, though most assignments occur after passing the Generals Exam.

Students who have excelled as preceptors may also be able to participate in the Collaborative Teaching Initiative , which provides the opportunity for students to co-design and co-teach a Princeton undergraduate course with a current full-time faculty member. The course proposals, prepared by both the student and the sponsoring faculty, are subject to rigorous review, first by our own curriculum committee (both Directors of Graduate Study, Chair, and Director of Undergraduate Study) and then representatives of the Deans’ Offices. Students who have an idea for an innovative course should begin by discussing it with the faculty member in question no later than February of the preceding academic year. Please keep in mind that in a department our size these opportunities are relatively rare—typically no more than one a year for the entire department—and depend on curricular needs and faculty commitments. We may not be able to put through even the most exciting proposals. As with precepting, priority may be given to DCE students.

First-Year Requirements

Students are responsible for scheduling composition lessons at any stage of the composition process—discussing older pieces, beginning new works, when feeling stuck, etc. Faculty are available and eager to meet at any frequency. It is a good goal to meet with every faculty member in your first semester, and to try to develop the habit of regular lessons at whatever pace feels best.

Choose one of the music department seminars you take during your first year and write a 5-10 page paper (double-spaced) on a related topic. Discuss the topic ahead of time with the course instructor; students are encouraged to work with the course instructor throughout the writing process. The paper should be submitted by the last day of classes in the spring semester to the course instructor and Director of Graduate Studies , although it should ideally be submitted at the end of the semester in which the seminar takes place. Any incorporation of pre-existing scholarship or other materials must be cited appropriately, as per the university’s academic integrity policy.

The language requirement (which may include ancillary skills such as computer programming or audio engineering) is usually satisfied by an exam administered by the appropriate campus department in the fall of the first year. If such an exam is not available—for example, if Princeton does not offer the language in question, or in the case of a computer language—the student should consult with the Director of Graduate Studies to identify an examiner. At the latest, the language requirement should be satisfied before taking the General Exam.

The language requirement may be satisfied by successful completion of one or more Princeton University language courses, either during the regular school year (two courses) or during the summer (one intensive summer course). The Department of Music provides support for language study, covering the full costs of the reading courses offered through the annual Summer Language Program at Princeton, which typically includes French, German, and Latin. Students interested in studying languages not provided by the Graduate School (including computer skills such as Ableton or Max) should contact the Director of Graduate Studies .

In May, each first-year student will meet with the entire composition faculty for approximately one hour to discuss a composition chosen by the student, as well as their creative and academic work. The piece will be identified one week ahead of time.

The description of a previous year’s conference is as follows:

1) During the first 25 minutes, present your compositional activities, with specific examples. Focus on the works you created during your first year. Also share your larger goals for the future.

2) In the next 25 minutes, you will present a short piece/excerpt of your choice by another composer. Choose a piece that you think you will learn the most from, whether or not it aligns closely with your own practice, and present a detailed analysis with specific examples. Avoid recycling other presentations you may have given in seminars and relying on the secondary sources (interpretations/analyses by others).

Sometime during the year : Contact a professor who taught a graduate seminar and settle on a paper topic.

End of spring semester (though hopefully earlier): Submit the finished 5-10 page first-year paper to the seminar professor.

Early May (date TBA): First-year conference.  A piece for discussion will be chosen one week in advance.

Second-Year Requirements

Choose one of the music department seminars you take during your second year and write a 10-20 page paper (double-spaced) on a related topic. Discuss the topic ahead of time with the course instructor; students are encouraged to work with the course instructor throughout the writing process. The paper should be submitted by the last day of classes in the spring semester to the course instructor and Director of Graduate Studies , although it should ideally be submitted at the end of the semester in which the seminar takes place. Any incorporation of pre-existing scholarship or other materials must be cited appropriately, as per the university’s academic integrity policy.

Second-year students are in charge of the Composition Colloquium Series—a chance to meet, learn from, and hang out with interesting visiting musicians.  Students organizing Colloquia must adhere to University and Department protocols, and should meet to decide how to distribute this responsibility which includes:

• Compile (with faculty and graduate student input) a list of proposed speakers.
• Meet with composition faculty and the Director of Graduate Studies to periodically screen names of proposed speakers. Although the choice of speakers is primarily yours, faculty input can be helpful in avoiding repeat visits or other complications. In addition, on occasion the faculty may arrange a colloquium in addition to your choices. In this event, the faculty will provide funding from outside your budget but will ask you to manage the other details (reception, publicity, etc.).
• Contact speakers and make arrangements for them. Schedule the date and hour of the colloquia for the fall and spring semesters, and circulate this information to faculty, staff, and graduate students. The dates must be cleared with Department staff prior to confirmation in order to avoid conflicts with the Department’s calendar, and to be included in Department communications channels.
• Arrange for the graduate student/speaker dinner in conference with the Department’s Business Manager.
• Publicity: prepare, distribute and post flyers in conference with the Department’s Communications team.
• Refreshments: confer with the Department’s Business Manager to manage this expense and have access to the kitchen.
• Technical details: reserve and set up, as needed, slide projector, overhead projector, VCR, etc with the Technical Support Manager .
• Budget: Confer with the Department’s Business Manager for information about speaker payments and other budget items.
• With advance notice, the Mendel Music Library may make relevant scores and recordings available. See the library staff for details.

The Language Requirement should be satisfied before undertaking the General Exam. (See above, under First-Year Requirements).

A significant milestone in the program is the General Exam, which, when successfully completed, advances students to candidacy for the PhD. The exam includes two parts: a concert produced collaboratively by second-year students as part of the Princeton Sound Kitchen, and the oral exam held in May. The oral exam comprises several different sections: a large piece or body of pre-twentieth-century music; a second body of more recent music; and the design of a graduate composition course. In addition to the assigned areas of inquiry, Generals topics include the student’s compositional work, the second-year paper, and ideas for the dissertation.

The General Exam guidelines are distributed during the summer following the first year of study. Topics change every year.

For reference, below is the information for last year’s (2021-22 academic year) General Exam:

• Generals Concert : Pick a composer about whose work you are curious. This should not be your favorite composer or the composer whom you feel has the most in common with you, but rather a composer whose music challenges or provokes you in some way.  In the work of this composer, identify a technique, sensibility, or propensity which you are interested in trying on for size, at least once. The goal is not imitation so much as dialogue: one composer responding to, or adopting, or adapting another’s ideas. Select a representative work by the chosen composer to be performed on the Generals Concert, along with your compositional response. You may need to excerpt a movement from a larger work, arrange the work for more practical performing forces or otherwise adapt the work to meet the practical requirements of the Generals Concert and/or to highlight the feature(s) of the work that you are attempting to engage. Ideally there will be a palpable, audible, difference between your Generals piece and your work up to this point. It might not be a better piece, but consider, in this case, ‘success’ to be gauged in terms of the depth of engagement with the work of another composer and the degree of personal risk taking.

As a group, second-year students are responsible for producing the concert in all its aspects.  This means managing the budget, arranging the program (75 minutes is a good maximum duration of musical content), scheduling and rehearsing the performers, etc.  Besides the Director of Graduate Studies and Princeton Sound Kitchen director, you will want to be in touch with the business manager about the budget, the concert office about publicity, and the engineer about tech.  They can provide you with deadlines.

• Part 1: Ravel’s orchestral music – Get to know Ravel’s orchestra music.  Become an expert on one piece and prepare to lead the faculty in a discussion. You are encouraged to consider any related pieces (e.g. piano versions of the same music).  
• Part 2: Film music – Consider the relationship between music and film.  Choose one or more aspects of this relationship to focus on, as exemplified in one or more films, and lead the faculty in a discussion. Make sure that the films are readily available ahead of time. If you can’t get scores, you may consider transcribing relevant excerpts as you see fit, though transcriptions are not required.  You can also concentrate on nonmusical elements such as sound design if you like.  You may also choose to show brief excerpts in the exam; if so, make sure not to overwhelm the verbal part of your presentation.
• Part 3: Graduate Seminar – You are teaching a graduate music composition seminar on a topic of your choice.  Write a detailed 12-week syllabus for the course, including assignments, reading and listening lists, and prepare an opening lecture of about 30 minutes.  Expect that we will ask questions both about the lecture and the syllabus. 
• Part 4: Your Music, Your Future, and You  – We’ll also spend some time talking about your past work (composition, classwork, written papers) and your plans for the future.  There’s no need to prepare for this part, but you should know that it is on the agenda.
• Materials : Scores for the Ravel should be available on IMSLP and there are cheap Dover editions available.  Let the head music librarian at the Mendel Music Library know if you need help finding recordings, films, or any other materials.

December 6: Proposal for Generals Concert.  Let the Director of Graduate Studies and the director of the Princeton Sound Kitchen know what your plans for the concert will be and be sure to talk with them about performers, feasibility, date, costs, etc.  You should also consult with your colleagues and the production staff, as described above.

January 24 : We will notify you of precise May dates for the exam.

January 24: Generals Concert Terms of Engagement. Submit to all composition faculty not on leave a paragraph or two explaining your terms of engagement with the chosen work/repertoire for the concert. This is not a program note for the general audience but rather a specific outline for the faculty of your compositional project.  It doesn’t have to be too long, just let us know your goals.

March 14 : Choices of “focus pieces” for Ravel and film music and course syllabus.  Provide let us know by email which pieces pieces you will focus on and send us your one-to-five page (maximum) syllabus by email

End of spring semester (though hopefully earlier). Submit the finished 10-20 page second-year paper to the seminar professor.

April TBA. Generals Concert.

May TBA. General Exam.

After the Generals exam in the third, fourth, and fifth years, students are expected to make steady progress on both their compositions and the essay portion of their dissertation. All students must continue to attend the start-of-year meeting, attend all Princeton Sound Kitchen meetings and concerts, attend all Composition Colloquia, and to either take one seminar, or teach as a preceptor.

Third-Year Requirements

A Princeton composition dissertation has two parts: a substantial composition or portfolio of compositions; and a written essay about some topic relevant to contemporary music.  The balance between these two components varies from student to student.  Some write prose very easily, and consider it part of their compositional process.  Others do their best thinking in music, and are not particularly drawn to writing.  As a result, the written portion of the dissertation varies widely in length and scope, from 40 – 60 pages at the lower end, to more than 200 pages at the upper end.  

Your proposal should describe both the essay and the composition.  In describing the essay, include the question or problem your research will address, the state of research on that question, a chapter outline, and bibliography. Most often, the specific details (such as the ordering or content of chapters, or the precise nature of the composition) will change during the process of completing the dissertation. While you should present a thoughtful and substantial document, it is helpful to remember that the document is not a final statement but rather a stage in the process. Also include a brief account of plans for your composition piece or, if you prefer, portfolio. A paragraph or two will usually suffice, though you can write more if you like.  

The dissertation proposal is due on the first day of the second semester, submitted by email to the Director of Graduate Studies , your advisor, and the Academic Programs Administrator . While the length of the proposal will vary, ten pages is a good ballpark.  The student is encouraged to consult with faculty as needed; the selection of an appropriate faculty adviser should take place while writing the proposal (a second reader can be selected at a later date).

Students should submit an initial chapter by the last day of classes in the spring semester of their third year (typically around May 1). This may be any chapter, not necessarily the one that will ultimately open the dissertation; or, depending on the nature of the dissertation, something that reflects a comparable level of progress, as discussed with your advisor. This can be submitted directly to your dissertation advisor.

Years 3–5 are a good time to gain experience as a teacher; this can be particularly important on the job market.  There are two primary teaching tracks for composers: theory (including harmony and counterpoint, taught in MUS105, 106, 205, 206) and electronic music (314, 316).  If you are interested in teaching, contact the relevant professors well in advance—usually the January before the year in question. 

Preceptors teach several weekly sections (the minimum appointment is for two Assistants in Instruction “AI” hours), depending upon the class enrollment and course material. Preceptors are also expected to attend all the regular lectures and help with grading or make-up classes as requested by the instructor. First-time preceptors must attend a mandatory training session before they begin teaching. Training sessions are offered by the  McGraw Center  at the beginning of each semester at the Frist Campus Center.

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

Fall semester : Choose an advisor and write a dissertation proposal.

First day of spring semester : Submit dissertation proposal.

Final day of spring semester: Submit a chapter or equivalent.

Fourth- and Fifth-Year Requirements

Students should consult with their advisor regarding the completion of both portions of the dissertation (essay and composition) and scheduling a Final Public Oral Exam (FPO, or ‘defense’).

The department holds the final public oral examination after the Graduate School reviews and accepts the reader reports and is satisfied that all other requirements have been met. As you begin the final stages of your dissertation, you should carefully consider the scheduling of your FPO, allowing at least six (6) weeks from the time of completing your dissertation until the FPO. In order for the FPO to be scheduled:

• The Academic Administrator and Director of Graduate Study must receive written approval from the two readers and a third current faculty member.
• Two reader reports and a PDF version of the dissertation must be submitted to the Academic Administrator at least 30 days before the FPO.

At least a semester before the planned FPO, it is essential to establish a timeline for final revisions of your dissertation with your first and second (principal) readers, Director of Graduate Study , and Academic Administrator . In general, defenses are not scheduled during summer months or other holidays, though we can make exceptions to this rule when appropriate (e.g. needing to defend the dissertation before starting a job).

For more information on your status after the FPO please visit  this page .

The candidate is expected to prepare a presentation for the defense. The defense—celebratory and collaborative event in which a student’s work is presented publicly—lasts up to 90 minutes, including questions from the attendees. During this time, both the essay and the composition should be addressed; the candidate should also leave time for questions and discussion. While some attendees will of course have read the dissertation, most will not have done so. The presentation should not attempt to cover the complete argument of the dissertation but instead should focus on selected aspects and issues.

Sixth Year+

DCE Status: For the sixth year, enrolled PhD students who have not completed their degree within their department’s normal program period (five years for Composition students) may apply to the Department for DCE (Dissertation Completion Enrollment) status , in which students are responsible for a reduced tuition and health-care fee in exchange for library privileges, health insurance, continued access to student housing, and other benefits. The student may be enrolled for up to two additional years in DCE status.

Eligible students apply for this status during the annual reenrollment process in the last year of their program of study (year 5 for composition students), and must be approved for DCE status by their department and the Graduate School based on criteria for satisfactory academic progress. Students in DCE status are fully and formally enrolled graduate students, working full-time to complete degree requirements. DCE students may be enrolled as regular (in residence) or In Absentia students (pursuing their work away from Princeton). For information on tuition and fees support for graduate students who are enrolled in DCE status, please see  Financial Support for Students in DCE status .

DCE Tuition Support: Students who would like to apply for financial assistance for DCE status from the Department for their sixth year of study should submit an application to the Director of Graduate Studies by April in the spring semester. Applications should include:

• Summary of progress on dissertation and timetable for completion.
• Budget, demonstrating financial need and listing any other grant applications pending.
• A letter of approval from your advisor (can be via email).

Depending upon budget and enrollment, students enrolled in DCE status may be appointed as assistants in instruction (preceptors), which also allows for a partial payment of DCE expenses plus stipend, depending upon the number of teaching hours. This funding is not available after the sixth year of study.

The application to be considered for DCE status is due on the first day after spring break.  You may not want or need DCE status, in which case you may opt for Enrollment Terminated Degree Candidacy Continued (ET/DCC) status. For example, if you plan to live away from Princeton and do not need housing or library privileges, or if you have another way of procuring health insurance, you may prefer to opt for ET/DCC.

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

After DCE: After two years of DCE, students automatically move to ET/DCC status.  There is no specific limit on how long students can hold this status, but it does not last forever: the university asks that we remove students from our books who are not “actively pursuing” their dissertations.  If you are removed, the composition faculty can vote to reinstate your status when you are ready to resume your dissertation.

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

Funding: Most students enter DCE status having exhausted their regular funding. The exceptions are students with outside fellowship who have been able to bank a year of regular funding and those who have parental/childbirth leaves. Many students in DCE status supplement their income with precepting; students who anticipate needed precepting hours should indicate their need and availability on their DCE application. While we do preliminary precepting assignments in the preceding semester, the exact number of hours for appointments may not be finalized until the end of the drop-add period.

There are several opportunities to receive internal funding during the DCE period. The Music Department will typically nominate one composition student for  Honorific Fellowships , which is voted upon by the composition faculty. The faculty puts forward these nominations only when there are qualified applicants. In addition, we may nominate one composer for the  Dean’s Completion Fellowship/PGRA Program , which pays the DCE tuition and a full stipend for one semester during their sixth year. Students who successfully defend the dissertations by the end of that semester have to opportunity to be appointed as Post Graduate Research Assistants for the spring semester, with full stipends.

All graduate students who are eligible will be considered for these fellowships; we ask that students not lobby their advisors or the DGS on their behalf.

For further funding sources, please visit the Graduate School’s funding page .

The Graduate Program in Composition includes varied performance opportunities for students. Students are invited to perform as part of the ensembles listed below, as well as in any university ensemble.

The Princeton Sound Kitchen (“PSK”) is a vital forum for the creation of new music. Serving the graduate student and faculty composers of the renowned composition program at Princeton University, PSK presents a wide variety of concerts and events. Some concerts are eclectic, and feature numerous soloists or groups and a mix of instrumentation, while others focus on a particular outstanding chamber ensemble. All demonstrate the extraordinary range of interests and abilities of the Princeton composers, many of whom take the stage themselves as performers of their own and others’ music. Difficult to pigeon-hole, these composers might work with complex notation, improvisation, electronics, or vernacular music. One might encounter any of these approaches, and many others, at a PSK concert.

Ensembles that have been featured at PSK include the Brentano String Quartet, the New Millennium Ensemble, So Percussion, the Now Ensemble, Newspeak, the Crash Ensemble, the Janus Trio, Roomful of Teeth, and many others.

Princeton Sound Kitchen is directed by a member of the composition faculty in collaboration with staff, faculty colleagues, and graduate student composers.

The Princeton University Orchestra (“PUO”) makes several hours of rehearsal time available to graduate orchestration class members for readings of students’ orchestrations as needed; it also performs student compositions. The selection of a student work for performance by the orchestra is determined by the conductor of the Princeton University Orchestra and the composition faculty. Students are encouraged to present additional concerts on their own and to participate in University and music department performing ensembles. Coaching in conducting is available.

The Princeton Laptop Orchestra (PLOrk) was founded In the fall of 2005. Graduate students are encouraged to become involved as performers and/or to write new works for the ensemble, regardless of previous electronic facility.

Students are encouraged to present additional concerts on their own. A faculty advisor must be identified and consulted concerning the project. (Please keep in touch with the Department Staff as needed to avoid scheduling conflicts.) Recent events of this nature include Listening in the Sound Kitchen , the House of Sound , and Not Operas festivals . Graduate students have also organized symposia involving both composition and discussion: Sounded Text , and Sonic Fragments . A student-initiated series, the Livestock Exchange is an ongoing performance series that focuses on improvised music, sound art, noise, electronica, and other genre-defying music. Livestock Exchange is both a forum for graduate students to present work outside of the traditional concert hall, and for guest artists whose work falls outside of the established tradition.

Printing: Graduate students have access to the photocopy machine located in the administrative offices on the 3rd floor of the Woolworth Music Building.  The machine is available for student’s professional use between the hours of 2:00 – 4:45 p.m. Room 212 also has a 11×17 printer.

Equipment in the department is constantly evolving, and there are many different composer workspaces available including the Effron Music Building and 262 Alexander Street with Mac computers.  If there is something you need, do not hesitate to ask the Director of Graduate Studies .

Workspaces:

• Studio A is the main recording studio, with extensive music software, outboard gear, and storage.
• Studio B has a Disklavier.
• Studio C is a storage and hardware-hacking room.  It has soldering irons etc.
• Studio D is a smaller and more private composer workspace, with a modest amount of outboard gear.
• Room 212 has a Mac and an 11-by-17 printer.  
• Room 219 is a jointly used composer/musicologist area.
• Room 310 has a Xerox machine/scanner, which can also be used as a printer, and a binding machine.

Equipment that can be checked out:

• Still/video cameras
• portable flash recorders
• microphones
• audio interfaces
• electromagnetic pickups
• USB-MIDI controllers
• joysticks and game controllers
• portable hemispherical speakers (‘hemis’)

This equipment is also used for some classes and for the Princeton Laptop Orchestra, so availability will vary.  Contact the studio manager or Electronic Music Director for more information.

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

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

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

The Music Department provides each graduate student with a pool of research funding for travel, equipment, and other approved needs. Incoming graduate students may receive up to $2,400 per year for five years as research funds to be accessible until end of G7 or the semester in which dissertation defense occurs, whichever comes first.  The Dean’s Fund for Scholarly Travel  provides support (up to $800/year) to enrolled graduate students (Years 3 – DCE1) invited to present a scholarly research paper at a conference or meeting. A list of other available funding is available through the  Graduate School .

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

In accordance with Chapter VII in the University’s  Rights, Rules and Regulations ,  we establish each year a committee of graduate students to act as liaisons between students and faculty. The committee typically includes no more than 6 members. Each class selects its own representative, with one student representative from among the students in DCE status. To make sure that as many voices as possible are heard, we ask that students serve on the committee for only one academic year. The committee serves in an advisory capacity, providing feedback on curriculum, policies, and climate, facilitating communication between graduate students and faculty about areas of mutual concern. Committee members are encouraged to listen attentively to their colleagues’ different perspectives so that all viewpoints can be aired.

The committee meets with the DGS at least twice a semester. It is the responsibility of the committee to arrange meetings with DGS, formulate the agenda, and follow up with DGS with meetings of the minute and action plans as relevant. Names of committee members should be submitted to the Academic Administrator and the DGS no later than October 1 of every year.

Letters of recommendation are an essential part of academic life; the faculty have had vast experience both writing letters of recommendation and requesting them from other scholars throughout their careers. It is a privilege to be able to write strong letters of recommendation for our students that help them get funding, fellowships, post-docs, and jobs. Given the highly competitive nature of our business, only the most positive, detailed, and substantive letters are likely to help our students succeed. It can also be harmful to one’s prospects to apply for certain fellowships or jobs prematurely; it can also be a waste of time and exact a psychological toll. We therefore ask that you follow the following guidelines in requesting recommendation letters:

• Discuss each application with your advisor(s) in advance to make sure that the opportunity is appropriate for you at this stage in your career.
• There are always unexpected opportunities that will arise, but under most circumstances you should give each faculty member a minimum of two weeks to write a letter of recommendation, ideally four.
• Make the job easier for your recommender by providing them with a description of the fellowship or grant, a draft of your proposal, your CV, and a list of bullet points that they might want to emphasize in their letter. For recommenders who are not your primary advisor, make sure they have a clear idea of how your work has progressed since the last time they wrote for you.
• It is not unusual for an advisor to strongly advise that a student wait before applying for certain grants or jobs or that a proposal be revised multiple times before it is strong enough to be competitive. While we recognize that this can be disappointing and frustrating it is not a reflection on your abilities or potential; rather, this advice is based on decades of experience reading similar applications and submitting them and should be taken seriously.

Class of 2022

Viet Cuong , Assistant Professor of Music Composition and Theory at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Alyssa Weinberg , Composition Faculty at Montclair State University and Juilliard Pre-college

Ninfea Cruttwell-Reade ,

Noah Kaplan , Visiting Professor and Adjunct Professor at NYU’s Gallatin School

Class of 2021

Molly Herron , Associate Professor of Composition and Theory at Vanderbilt University

Lawrence Wilde

Class of 2020

Anna Pidgorna

Jascha Narveson

Annika Socolofsky , Assistant Professor of Composition at the University of Colorado Boulder

Class of 2019

Amanda Feery , Lecturer in Composition at National University of Ireland, Galway

Chris Rogerson , Musical Studies Faculty at the Curtis Institute of Music

Emma O’Halloran

Class of 2018

Christopher Tignor

Jonathan Russell

Sean Friar ’17

Assistant Prof. of Practice in Composition, University of Southern California

David Molk ’16

Assistant Prof. Composition and Theory, Georgetown University

Gilad Cohen ’15

Associate Professor of Music Performance and Theory, Music Program Convener, Ramapo College of New Jersey

Andrew McKenna Lee ’13

Faculty, Music Industry, College of St. Rose, Albany, NY

Julia Wolfe ’12  

Assoc. Prof., New York University, Recent McArthur Fellowship Winner

David Little ’11

Guest Composer & Senior Lecturer, Shenandoah Conservatory

Lisa Coons ’11 

Assistant Professor of Music, Western Michigan University

John Supko ’09 

Assoc. Prof. of Music, Duke University

Betsey Biggs ’09

Assistant Prof. Critical Media Practices, Univ Colorado, Boulder

Oscar Bettison ’09

Prof. of Composition, Peabody Institute of the John Hopkins University

Paul Botelho ’08

Assistant Prof. of Music, Bucknell University

Gregory Spears ’07

Freelance Composer, New York City

Randall Bauer ’05

Assoc. Prof. of Theory and Composition, Macalester College

Daniel Biro ’04 

Assoc. Prof. of Composition & Music Theory, University of Victoria

Tae Hung Park ’04

Associate Professor, New York University  

Van Stiefel ’02  

Assoc. Prof. of Music Theory, West Chester University

Daniel Trueman  ’00

Prof. of Music, Princeton University

David Sanford ’98

Professor of Music,  Mount Holyoke

APPLICATION GUIDELINES

Graduate Program in Composition: Open Houses

Tuesday, October 22 , 2024 and Tuesday, December 3, 2024 from 4:30 to 6:00 pm in Woolworth Center Room 102

An opportunity for prospective Composition Ph.D. applicants to meet faculty members and learn more about the Graduate Program in Composition. Attendees of the in-person open house on November 28 may also stay for a Princeton Sound Kitchen concert at 8:00pm featuring new works by Princeton composers.

Questions? Contact:

Gregory Deane Smith

Academic Administrator

Steven Mackey

William Shubael Conant Professor of Music; Director of Graduate Studies (Composition)