Graduate Degree Programs

The Master of Arts in Music

All students take a series of four proseminars, usually in the first year, introducing them to research methodology and to the three subdisciplines, The proseminars are Principles of Research and Bibliography, Introduction to Historical Musicology, Introduction to Ethnomusicology, and Introduction to Analysis. Most entering students who do not hold an MA degree in music first fulfill the requirements for that degree before moving on to the PhD. (For more information on the proseminars and degree requirements, see the Graduate Handbook. The degree should be completed in two years and includes a thesis.

The Doctor of Philosophy in Music

After completing thirty credits, an MA thesis, comprehensive examinations, and language requirements, students choose a dissertation advisor and committee and present a dissertation prospectus. Acceptance of the prospectus, allows the student to enter PhD candidacy. For the PhD degree, students must complete a total of 72 credits and an acceptable dissertation; eighteen of the 72 credits may be taken as dissertation research. Students should aim to complete the program within five years.

The Subdisciplines

Ethnomusicology

The ethnomusicology program is diverse in subject and methodology. Students choose one area as a specialty, and at least one other for secondary emphasis. Depending on the interests of the individuals and their advisors, students may concentrate on research involving fieldwork and anthropology, popular music criticism, historical ethnomusicology, intercultural musicology, or jazz history and performance.

Faculty specialties include Chinese music, music of Southeast Asia, African music, African American music, jazz, and popular music. Students also work with faculty in the other subdisciplines to broaden the scope of their work.

Performance experience is available in the Gamelan Ensemble, the African Drumming Ensemble, the University Orchestra, and the Jazz Ensemble.

Students also take advantage of the offerings in the University's various programs, including the Center for Latin American Studies, the Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures, Cultural Studies, Africana Studies, Women's Studies. Asian Studies Center, Medieval and Renaissance Studies, Center for West European Studies, and Russian and East European Studies.

Musicology

The musicology program, working with ethnomusicology and music theory, promotes the integration of in-depth historical research with a broad range of methodologies. Graduate students in musicology build skills in a variety of critical approaches to music, including cultural, textual, and musico-literary studies, critical theory and historiography. The work towards the master’s degree provides the students with a firm grasp of the repertory and major methods of music history, ethnomusicology, theory and analysis, and bibliography. On their way to the PhD, students are encouraged to broaden the scope of their work, and not only consult with the faculty members from other music subdisciplines, but also draw on the resources of other departments.

Faculty expertise ranges from the music of the Italian Renaissance, French and German Baroque, and Russian opera and American musical theater, the study of music printing and performance practice, to issues of popular music, urbanization, and questions of memory and embodiment.

Performance experience is available in the University Orchestra, the Gamelan Ensemble, the Jazz Ensemble, and the African Drumming Ensemble, as well as informal chamber music ensembles and performances of works by our graduate student composers.

Students may also work towards graduate certificates in a number of programs, including Medieval and Renaissance Studies, Russian and East European Studies, West European Studies, Latin American Studies, Cultural Studies, and Women's Studies.

Composition and Theory

Students in composition and theory combine private composition lessons with seminars in composition, analysis, orchestration, and related topics. Students are assured of at least one professional performance of their compositions each year, and their works are often performed by the University Orchestra and in other university concerts.

Students may also have opportunities for performances by local groups such as the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble. Facilities include a well-equipped electronic music studio. Because of the nature of our program, our student composers can also experiment with intercultural composition incorporating non-western instruments or musics. Most of our student composers also pursue an active interest in some facet of historical musicology or ethnomusicology, and when possible are involved in our western and non-western performance organizations.

Each year, through the generosity of the Franz Lehár Endowment, we sponsor a composer-in-residence who works with graduate student composers and presents a lecture and concert of his or her works. Lehár Visiting Composers have included Milton Babbitt, Joan Tower, Louis Andriessen, Anthony Davis, Mario Davidovsky, Chen Yee, Zhou Long, and many others.

Intercultural Musicology
Intercultural musicology may be described as the study of specific musics using techniques that are applicable to most musics. Furthermore, it combines features of historical musicology with those of ethnomusicology and is also concerned with theories of composition that embrace oral traditions. For example, intercultural musicology requires expertise in the analysis of folk and traditional music as they exist in their indigenous contexts as well as of new nusic in which resources from folk and traditional music are transformed with modern techniques of composition. Intercultural musicology is an important adjunct to existing musicologies.

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Colloquia

The department sponsors a Colloquium Series each semester, bringing in outstanding speakers in a wide variety of fields to supplement and enrich the curriculum.

Graduate Handbook

Students may find detailed information on course requirements, department regulations, degree requirements, and related material in the Graduate Handbook (PDF).