Musicology

Musicology

Master of Arts (M.A.), Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

The following information is for entry into the 2022-23 school year.

Prerequisites

Bachelor's degree (B.M. or B.A.) with a major in music or demonstrated equivalent

Master’s degree (M.A. or M.M.) with a major in music or demonstrated equivalent

  • Ph.D. applicants are required to demonstrate strong preparation in music history and competency in all areas required of the M.A. in Musicology at the Jacobs School of Music.
  • Previous coursework may be offered in partial fulfillment of major or minor field requirements, subject to evaluation and acceptance.
  • Students with outstanding credentials may apply directly to the Ph.D. from a bachelor’s degree.
  • Students holding an M.A. or M.M. in Musicology may be exempted from certain courses on the recommendation of the department.

Prescreening Requirements

All musicology applicants must submit a prescreen portfolio via the JSOM Supplemental application by December 1.

Portfolio should include:

  • A formal research paper or thesis on an analytical or historical subject
  • Curriculum Vitae (CV)
  • Transcript(s)
  • Three letters of recommendation via the JSOM Supplemental application. Your recommenders will receive a secure link to use to upload their letters after you submit your application.
  • Personal statement via the JSOM Supplemental application. Please share your statement as your response to the question: In 300-500 words, describe your musical background, objectives, and future career plans.
  • M.A and Ph.D. applicants are not required to, but may submit optional GRE General Test scores. If you wish to submit GRE scores, the deadline to submit is December 1.

Interview requirements

Select applicants will be invited to a live interview after a review of all prescreen portfolios. If you are invited, you will receive your interview schedule by email 3-4 weeks prior to your interview.

Dual-degree program

Master of Arts (M.A.) in Musicology and Master of Library Science from the Department of Information and Library Science in the School of Informatics and Computing (M.A./ M.L.S.)

To apply to the dual-degree program, you need to submit three applications: two applications to the University Graduate School (one for the M.A. in Musicology and one for the M.L.S.) and one to the Jacobs School of Music (for the M.A. in Musicology).  

Please see information on applying to the Department of Information and Library Science.

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