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Music History

Graduate Studies

Overview

In addition to providing history instruction to all music students, the music history division offers an MA in musicology.

This program prepares students to be teachers and scholars who will promote musical understanding and appreciation for the arts. Students are expected to add to the body of research that has increased understanding of the history, practice, sociology, and aesthetics of the cultural heritage of Western (and to a lesser degree non-Western) music. This effort should also increase awareness of cultural and historical diversity represented in concert programs and recordings.

Faculty specialties include jazz studies (Brian Harker), ethnomusicology (Jeremy Grimshaw), Romantic music (Steven Johnson and David Day), twentieth-century music (Steven Johnson and Jeremy Grimshaw), the intersection of classical music in popular culture (Luke Howard), and library research (David Day).

Past graduate students have gone on to doctoral work at Brandeis, Florida State, and other schools.

Program Requirements

32 hours of course work, thesis prospectus, language examination, comprehensive written examination, final oral exam and thesis defense, thesis. Complete requirements may be found in the university graduate catalog.

This program prepares students to be teachers and scholars who will promote musical understanding and appreciation for the arts. Students are expected to add to the body of historical and analytical publication that has increased understanding of the history, practice, sociology, and aesthetics of the cultural heritage of Western (and to a lesser degree non-Western) music. This effort should also increase awareness of cultural and historical diversity represented in concert programs and recordings.

Requirements for Specialization—Musicology

  • Prerequisite: baccalaureate degree in music or equivalent.
  • Credit hours (32): minimum 26 course work hours plus 6 thesis hours (Music 699R).
  • Required courses: Music 500, 699R.
  • Any four courses (12 hours) from 601, 602, 603, 604, 605, 606.
  • Any three courses (9 hours) from Music 483, 503, 581, 583, 595, 596, 683.
  • Electives: 3 hours in music or other departments.
  • Thesis.
  • Examinations: (A) department language proficiency examination, normally in French or German; (B) comprehensive written examination; (C) final oral exam and defense of thesis.

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