Doctor of Philosophy in Music Theory
Application deadlines are specific to degree programs. See our Graduate Admissions page for a list of all deadlines.
Designed for students seeking the highest degree in the field, the PhD is a rigorous five-year course of study culminating in a doctoral dissertation.
On This Page
The doctoral program provides specialized training in scholarly method, music theory, and musicology. Students should normally achieve candidacy by the end of the sixth term.
Academic Eligibility
Applicants to the Doctor of Philosophy in Music Theory must have completed a bachelor’s of music degree or equivalent to be eligible for admission.
A Master of Arts degree may be awarded after two years to those students not continuing in the Ph.D. program.
Nearly all PhD students receive full-tuition fellowships. Most also receive health benefits and a stipend attached to a Graduate Student Assistantship, which can vary in proportion to the appointment fraction and the duties associated with it. In addition to the funding packages offered by the SMTD, Rackham students are also eligible to apply for a wide range of fellowships to fund research, travel, and performance.
Karen Fournier
Marc Hannaford
Patrick Harlin
Áine Heneghan
John Knoedler
Kevin E. Korsyn
Nathan Martin
Somangshu Mukherji
Nancy Murphy
Wayne C. Petty
Joshua Tanis
Aleksandra Vojčić
Graduate Programs in Music Theory
If you are considering graduate study, the following list organizes schools that offer these degrees in the US, Canada, the UK, and elsewhere. If made available, we have also listed degree programs.
Potential students may also be interested in the American Musicological Society's resource, "Are you considering graduate study in musicology?"
Other Countries
This listing of graduate programs in music theory is user-generated. If you would like to update or add a listing, contact the Web Editor with the following information: School Name, school location, degrees offered (MM, PhD, etc.), link to program information
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Society for Music Theory • Indiana University Jacobs School of Music • 200 S Eagleson Ave, Room C039 • Bloomington, IN 47405 • (812) 855‑8846 • Contact Us
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About Our Program
A comprehensive program in theory and musicianship contributes to the education of every undergraduate Eastman student, with courses for the well-rounded musician, including analysis, style composition, improvisation, and music making. Graduate students engage in advanced study with a world-class faculty to develop original research and innovative teaching.
Music Theory Studies
Music theory plays a central role in the education of every Eastman student. The study of theory includes a wide range of subjects, from hands-on training in musical skills to advanced research on musical structure and music’s cultural context. The goal of the Eastman theory department is not only to provide students with a solid technical foundation, but also to encourage their ongoing intellectual engagement with music as an art form.
Undergraduate Core Study
The undergraduate core curriculum consists of five sequential semesters of study, with coordinated skill-development in written and aural skills. All students learn to analyze a range of works in diverse styles and compose short compositions in specific styles. Coordinated aural skills classes develop the ability to transcribe music, improvise, and read music of progressive complexity at sight. Students who need to review music fundamentals will take an introductory course in their first semester; those who exempt the review course will have the option to take a topical seminar of their choice as their fifth semester of study. Placement in theory classes depends upon the ability, background, and individual needs of each student, as determined by written examinations and interviews during orientation. A four-semester honors track is also offered for students with appropriate background, and students can audition to major in theory as undergraduates.
The core curriculum is the required program of study for all undergraduates at Eastman. Students pursuing the BM in Music Theory enroll in additional advanced courses, and their studies culminate in a senior thesis project, presented both as a written document and in a public lecture.
Undergraduate Majors
The Bachelor of Music Theory is offered to students who successfully interview for admission to the program based on their musical and theoretical skills, and on their potential for music-theoretical research and academic writing. In addition to the core courses required of all Eastman undergraduates, theory majors complete two years of secondary language studies, additional advanced courses in style composition, keyboard skills, and analysis or music cognition, and write a senior thesis under the guidance of a faculty advisor. The thesis research is presented in written form and as a public presentation during the final semester of study.
Graduate Pedagogy Study
Students with a strong interest in pursuing a music theory teaching career have two options: the MA in Pedagogy of Music Theory or the Advanced Certificate in Music Theory Pedagogy. The latter is pursued concurrently with another Eastman degree (usually MM or DMA), and many of its requirements can be counted toward both programs. Pedagogy study requires strong practical skills in analysis, keyboard, and sight singing. Students will gain practical experience teaching and will study contemporary research in music teaching and learning.
Graduate Research Study
Eastman’s thriving Music Theory community consists of faculty members with expertise in a vast range of music-theoretical topics, as well as a roster of distinguished guest speakers and scholars, and abundant opportunities for interdisciplinary projects: offering MA/PhD students the groundwork to create their own significant original research.
Few MA/PhD theory programs can match Eastman’s scholarly breadth and excellence; fewer still can call a world-class School of Music their home. Because of our strong ties to the performing community, Eastman theorists maintain a vital tradition of practical musicianship. Our students may take lessons and play in ensembles. They cultivate musical skills on par with their scholarly abilities, giving them the confidence and know-how to empower a new generation of rising musicians.
Employers at colleges and universities across the country know that an Eastman degree is a mark of excellence. That’s why our graduates are among the most sought-after candidates on the job market—and why so many of our PhDs find long-term employment in a highly competitive field. Our alumni include many of the field’s most visible scholars, working at a host of major institutions including Yale, CUNY, Cornell, Oberlin, the University of Minnesota, the University of Michigan, the University of North Carolina, and Florida State University. Our PhD has also prepared some graduates for work in allied fields, such as software engineering.
UNDERGRADUATE
Undergraduate core, pedagogy of music theory, certificates, music theory pedagogy, department chair.
Zachary Bernstein
No matter what you choose as a major, Music Theory will play a central role in your Eastman education. The goal of Eastman’s theory department is not only to provide students with a solid technical foundation, but also to encourage their ongoing intellectual engagement with music as an art form.
We invite you to explore our many programs and courses here, and hope to welcome you to Eastman one day!
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Professor of Music Theory
Assistant Professor of Music Theory
Associate Professor of Music Theory
Instructor of Music Theory
Affiliate Faculty
Affiliate in Music Theory
Professor of Jazz Studies & Contemporary Media
Professor of Musicology
Emeritus Faculty
Professor Emeritus of Music Theory
Minehan Family Professor Emerita of Music Theory
Professor Emerita of Music Theory
Application and Admission Requirements
Bachelors of music degree (bm).
This major is for students who have reached an advanced level of aural and written theory skills. First-year admission is rare; it is more common for a student with another major, such as applied music, to add the theory major after completing the core theory curriculum at an advanced level.
Preliminary Requirement
Applicants must submit a written paper with their application forms by the application deadline. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the applicant’s writing ability. This paper need not be on a musical topic. (Note that this is not a prescreening requirement; all applicants to this program will be scheduled for an audition/interview.)
Interview Requirement
Undergraduate theory applicants will be interviewed by the theory faculty. Interviews are not conducted at regional audition centers; all theory applicants must audition and interview in Rochester.
Audition Requirement
On the same day the applicant interviews in Rochester, he or she will also be scheduled for an audition on his or her applied instrument or voice.
Available Undergraduate Theory Tutoring
A small fund is available to provide free individual tutoring for undergraduates who are identified by their instructor as needing special support in aural and written theory classes in the core curriculum or who have a documented learning disability. Only students registered for a core theory course and in good standing with respect to attendance and participation may apply for this tutoring, which may be initiated by speaking with the course instructor. The department normally allocates tutoring based on the student’s work around the third week of the semester. This assessment is revisited after the midterm examination, at which time tutoring may be discontinued, or new students added to the program. Students recommended for tutoring sign a contract outlining the expectations for participation; failure to attend a session without notifying the tutor in advance may result in discontinuation.
Master and Doctoral Degrees
Graduate study in music theory at Eastman provides students with a solid technical foundation, and also encourages their ongoing intellectual engagement with music as an art form. The department maintains the highest academic standards based on clear aims and learning outcomes at all levels, and on significance, originality and rigor in the research outputs of graduate students.
Preliminary Requirements
Applicants for graduate study in music theory must have an undergraduate degree in any area of music study, with significant coursework in the area of music theory beyond the core (advanced analysis, counterpoint, and/or composition). Prospective students are required to submit two research papers on music theory, preferably analytical in nature. Based on these materials, a limited number of candidates will be invited to interview for admission.
Interview Requirements
Interviews have three parts: a discussion of the student’s research interests, a musical skills assessment (keyboard and sight singing), and at-sight music analysis. To prepare for the interview, students are advised to familiarize themselves with Eastman’s faculty and offerings and to practice their skills: sight-singing diatonic and chromatic melodies, playing at sight and realizing figured bass at the keyboard, and talking through the form and harmonic motion of unfamiliar compositions.
Programs, Initiatives and Publications
Summer programs.
The Theory Department offers a number of summer courses every year, ranging from MM and DMA requirements to special-topics courses, including online-only courses.
Academic Courses
Each year we offer a range of courses that may be required for the MM/DMA (such as TH 117-118, TH 400, TH 401), as well as special topics courses such as Analysis of Rock Music, Phrase Rhythm in Brahms Chamber Music, or Analyzing Contemporary Music.
Initiatives and Events
Statement on antiracism - august 2020.
Members of the Eastman Music Theory faculty acknowledge the need to address the issue of antiracism in all our work, be it teaching, research, or service.
The general consensus among music theorists is that it was unacceptable for the Journal of Schenkerian Studies Vol. 12 (2019) to publish an anonymous piece; that Prof. Ewell should have been given a right to reply to all the responses to his position; and that those responses should have been based on his written views rather than a verbal presentation. The Eastman Music Theory Department endorses that consensus.
Moving forward, we commit to open dialog between our graduate students and faculty about the content of our curriculum, with the objective of fostering what the Eastman School of Music terms an inclusive environment.
Music and Sound Initiative
Music, science, and engineering play pivotal roles in the University of Rochester and in the broader Rochester community. The Music and Sound Initiative serves as a focal point for enhancing and expanding research programs that span these disciplines. It welcomes new participants and encourages students who wish to engage in interdisciplinary study in these or related disciplines to contact us.
Student Research Assistance Fund
Due to generous faculty and alumni donations to a new fund in support of student research, applications are invited from music theory students for grants to support specific research projects. Grants will typically be made in amounts of $300 or less.
E-mail Department Chair for more information on how to apply.
Music Cognition Symposium
Faculty and students from Eastman and a consortium of other institutions in the region meet four times per year to hear speakers from around the world and to present our own research.
Eastman Theory Colloquium
The Theory Department gathers weekly for a Colloquium series that features guest lecturers, professional development sessions, and presentations by our own faculty and students. Guest lecturers in recent years have included David Huron, Philip Ewell, Joseph Straus, Mark Spicer, Ellie Hisama, Robert Hatten, Jocelyn Neal, Daniel Harrison, Yayoi Uno Everett, Michael Klein, Danny Jenkins, and John Roeder.
eTheory: Music Theory Fundamentals in Four Weeks
eTheory is the Eastman School of Music’s innovative online course, which prepares entering first-years for theory placement exams. The course can also be used by non-Eastman students for an introduction to theory fundamentals, including intervals, counterpoint, chords and figured bass, and phrase models. The online course includes over 200 sets of writing, playing, listening, singing, and conducting exercises, and provides immediate feedback on all new concepts. The course was designed by Professor Steven Laitz and a team of professionals at the Eastman School of Music’s Institute for Music Leadership.
Graduate eTheory
Join hundreds of students who have successfully prepared for graduate level theory courses and placement exams by studying music theory with Eastman School of Music’s fully-integrated graduate theory review course. This self-directed course allows you to work at your own pace, monitoring your own progress, with a musically immersive interface that’ll have you singing, playing, and listening throughout.
Publications
Intégral: journal of applied music thought.
A scholarly, peer-reviewed journal refereed by its professional editorial board. Published since 1987, the journal pursues an implicit mandate to explore and exploit the increasing pluralism of the music-theoretic field. It is published annually by the graduate students in music theory at the Eastman School of Music.
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Main Resources
Main utility, music theory & cognition.
In the Music Theory and Cognition Program at Northwestern we construe the experience of music as an integral part of human experience and study it as reflected in meaningful human actions.
At the center of our interests is the act of listening. Students enrolled in the program are equipped with the tools and methods necessary to explore its perceptual, cognitive, affective, intellectual, cultural and historical dimensions, and they work closely on developing their own research agendas with scholars who are as passionate as them about this exploration.
The graduate student support provided to PhD students includes year-round tuition and stipend and fully subsidized health insurance.
Music Theory and Cognition Faculty
Coordinator; Associate Professor
Associate Professor
Senior Lecturer
About the Music Theory and Cognition Program
At both the undergraduate and graduate levels, students receive first-class training and experience in the ever expanding and diversifying discipline of music theory.
Our faculty are leaders in evolving sub-disciplines such as systematic music theory, popular music studies, historical music theory, and situated cognition. Northwestern students have the further advantage of studying with renowned scholars in the interdisciplinary field of cognitive science, both within and outside the Bienen School of Music.
Undergraduate students develop facility in traditional areas such as counterpoint, harmony, ear-training, melody, rhythm, and form, while also studying music history and culture. The undergraduate programs of study address questions involving musical construction, listener response, the features of musical style, and the basis for common metaphors used in describing music. They offer excellent preparation for continued graduate study in music research—be it in theory, musicology, or cognition—or for careers in other sectors where a solid foundation in music will be useful.
Graduate students are encouraged to pursue research in areas among the faculty's expertise. These include topics such as the following:
Schema theory, categorization, and style
Music and memory
Rhythm and meter
Eighteenth-century music
Popular music
Musical design in relation to gender and sexuality
Technologically mediated performance; expressive performance
Music and communication
Historically informed theory and cognition
Beyond these specializations, the faculty may supervise a broad range of topics, from traditional areas of music theory such as Formenlehre and the history of music theory to specialized topics in the cognitive sciences, including music and neuroscience.
Graduates of Our Program
- Rosa Abrahams ’11 MMus, ’17 PhD, Associate Professor, Ursinus College
- Bruno Alcalde ’18 PhD, Assistant Professor, University of South Carolina
- Benjamin Anderson ’12 PhD, Director, Revenue Management Sysco
- Karen Chan Barrett ’15 PhD, Assistant Professor University of California, San Francisco
- Janet Bourne ’15 PhD, Assistant Professor, University of California-Santa Barbara
- Ives Chor ’10 PhD, Principal Product Manager, Tango
- Caroline Davis ’10 PhD, New York-based jazz musician and educator
- Stacey Davis ’02 PhD, Associate Director and Professor, University of Texas-San Antonio School of Music
- Ben Duane ’12 PhD, Associate Professor, Washington University of St. Louis
- Stephen Hudson ’19 PhD, Assistant Professor, Occidental College
- Ji Chul Kim ’13 PhD, Assistant Research Professor, University of Connecticut
- Kristina Knowles ’16 PhD, Assistant Professor, Arizona State University
- Kyung Myun Lee ’12 PhD, Associate Professor, Korean Advanced Technical Institute of Science and Technology
- Cynthia McGregor ’00 PhD, Dean of Arts, Communication, Design, and Media, Southwestern College
- Cora Palfy ’13 MMus, ’15 PhD, Assistant Professor, Washington & Jefferson College
- Olga Sanchez-Kisielewska ’11 MMus, ’18 PhD, Associate Instructional Professor, University of Chicago
Music Theory and Cognition PhD Students
PhD Candidate
Anjni Amin’s research engages a range of topics, including expressive performance, music theory pedagogy, world music pedagogy, and music education. Her dissertation examines the development of expressive interpretation skills through interaction between performer-pedagogue and student in the collegiate performance studio. She has presented her research at the International Conference for Music Perception and Cognition and the International Conference on Analytical Approaches to World Music, as well as at meetings of the College Music Society and the Society for Ethnomusicology. Her work dealing with both music theory and world music pedagogy is published in The Routledge Companion to Music Theory Pedagogy . Prior to her doctoral studies, she earned her B.S. in music education from The College of Saint Rose and her M.M. in music theory from Northwestern. Currently, Anjni is on the faculty at Oberlin College & Conservatory teaching theory and aural skills.
Leo Casti ’21 MMus is a native of Sardinia, Italy, where they worked as an orchestral musician and high school music teacher until moving to the USA in 2019. They holds three artist diplomas “vecchio ordinamento” - old system- in harp, choral conducting, and composition; two bachelor’s degrees in orchestral conducting and tourism; two master’s degrees in composition and modern languages obtained - all seven with top grades, four of them with honors - in the Italian conservatories/universities of Torino, Sassari, and Trapani. Casti has won national and international contests as a harpist and their composition master has been subsidized by the foundation CRT of Torino. Their previous researches in music theory involved the relationship(s) between musical and linguistic phraseology, Gestalt theory and music perception, and the use of past-related quotations in polystylistic music of the 21st century. Having been a passionate teacher of music theory and composition at the Liceo "D.A.Azuni" in Sassari, Casti would also love to dive deep into the compositional techniques of the Neapolitan school and partimento art of the 18th century, to help disclose that well-crafted music is not only a prerogative of “musical genius” but that it is accessible to every highly trained musician.
Lena Console
A native of Cleveland Heights, Ohio, Lena Console holds two bachelor’s degrees from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music: a Bachelor of Music in Trumpet Performance and a Bachelor of Science in Music Theory & Philosophy. After a lifetime in the Midwest, Lena spent four years working and performing in Seattle, Washington. There she worked as a research coordinator for the University of Washington Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, researching impacts of group music-making on children’s empathy and pro-social behavior; and as a teaching artist for various organizations, including the Seattle Symphony, where she piloted a community composition residency program with adults who are facing homelessness. As a trumpet performer, her experiences range from historical performance to modern jazz and rock covers. Lena’s current research interests focus on the intersections between aesthetic perception and mindfulness, exploring cognitive components such as attention, memory, and expectation. Also passionate about community engagement, Lena hopes to develop her academic research to create accessible programs for those outside of academia.
Siôn Edwards
1st year PhD
Siôn Edwards is from North Wales in the UK. He studied at the University of Oxford where he graduated with a BA in Music (2022) and a Master of Studies in Music (2023). For his masters research, he analyzed schemata in the music of J. S. Bach and received a distinction for his dissertation titled ‘Schemata (De)formed: The Galant Style in J. S. Bach’s Sinfonia in A major, BWV 798’. He is looking to further explore Bach’s music through a schema theory lens, considering this music in light of the galant style as it grew in prevalence in the early eighteenth century. Siôn plays the piano, violin and bass guitar, and dabbles in historical composition.
Laine Gruver
Laine Gruver is from Mill Valley, California, and earned her B.S. in Neuroscience at the University of California, Los Angeles in 2020. At UCLA, she merged her studies of neuroscience with music by designing and teaching her own seminar course within the Department of Musicology, entitled ‘Psychomusicology: How Music and the Brain Create Our Experienced Reality.’ She additionally completed an independent ecomusicology research project in which she examined how the scores of the BBC’s Planet Earth and Planet Earth II aimed to evoke different empathetic reactions from viewers. Particularly fascinated with the listening experience, Laine intends to center her research at Northwestern on musical memory and nostalgia, especially in regards to how they help cultivate our personal taste in music. She is also intrigued by issues of gender as they intersect with popular music, and hopes to explore those issues through a certificate in Gender and Sexuality Studies.
Hunter Hoyle
3rd Year PhD
Hunter Hoyle is from Sanford, North Carolina. He holds a B.M. in Music Education and Piano Performance and a B.A. in Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, as well as a M.A. in Music Theory and Cognition from Northwestern University. Hunter’s research interests primarily center around the cognition of musical form, and his work in this area has dealt with a wide range of repertoires, including sonatas from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, American minimalism, and musical theater. He also has a secondary interest in the practical applications of music-cognitive research to music theory and aural skills pedagogy. Hunter’s research has been presented at annual meetings of the Music Theory Society of the Mid-Atlantic, the West Coast Conference of Music Theory and Analysis, and the International Conference on Music Perception and Cognition.
Kim Kawczinski
2nd year PhD
Kim Kawczinski is interested in examining how musical features come to develop personal and cultural significance via repetition, ritual, and embodiment. Kim holds an M.A. in Music, Science, and Technology from Stanford University and an A.B. in Music with a double major in Physics from the University of Chicago. She has also worked in industry in the audio technology research space. Kim has previously worked on acoustical space, room reverberation, and spatial audio, including her undergraduate thesis (“On Interpreting Acoustic Space in Contemporary Musical Performance Practice”) and publications with the Audio Engineering Society and the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America. Kim also plays the violin and composes.
Amy King hails from Oak Ridge, North Carolina. In 2016, she earned her B.A. in Piano Performance and English Literature from High Point University and went on to complete her M.M. in Music Theory and Cognition from Northwestern University in 2020. Her master’s thesis, “Sounds of Poetry in Britten’s ‘Death, be not proud’”—which she also presented at various conferences—combines her love of poetry with musical sound, meaning, and interpretation. Her current research focuses on linguistic approaches to music theory, particularly in regards to communication, meaning, and emotion in music. Amy also engages in public music theory and is an advocate for accessibility and diversity in music education.
Morgan Patrick
Morgan Patrick is a PhD candidate from Westport, Connecticut. At Brown University he created an undergraduate degree in music cognition, graduating with an interdisciplinary honors thesis in the Departments of Music and Cognitive, Linguistic, & Psychological Sciences. There, his research focused on parallels between Western tonality and the cognition of visual narrative structure. Patrick's current research investigates how musical form guides attention during real-time listening and during multimedia experiences of narrative. He is also interested in the cognitive mechanisms that underlie theme learning in film and concert music, especially as they relate to the psychology of expectation and immersion.
Emily Schwitzgebel
Emily Schwitzgebel’s current research focuses on expectation in music, with intersections in music and emotion, music and language, and uses of computational modeling. She has presented at conferences held by the Society for Music Perception and Cognition and the Northeast Music Cognition Group, as well as at the annual Music and Informatics interest group meeting hosted by the Society for Music Theory. Prior to her studies at Northwestern, Emily earned a Bachelor of Music in Music Theory and Composition from the College of Wooster, and a Master of Music in Music Theory from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. A strong advocate for interdisciplinary research, she aims to engage with several fields of study, drawing on her research expertise to bridge the gap between scholarship and pedagogy.
Michael Slattery
Michael Slattery is from Hartland, Michigan. He holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Theory and a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics, both from Northwestern University. His work there as an undergraduate included a project, funded by the Office of Undergraduate Research, on sacred quotations and topical content in the symphonies of Anton Bruckner as well as a senior thesis on virtual agency in the Mozart Clarinet Quintet. Michael is interested in understanding the construction of musical meaning through an variety of approaches, particularly topic theory and theories of form. Outside of his academic life, he has worked as a collaborative pianist for voice lessons at Northwestern.
Emily Warkentin
Emily Warkentin is from Dripping Springs, Texas. She holds a BA in Music and Psychology from Trinity University. Her research strives to meld cognitive and linguistic perspectives with musical analysis to explore musical meaning in childhood, perception and learning, and late-life memory. Her undergraduate work included a children’s language research publication in Brain Sciences Journal and a senior thesis on the prominence of the Ziffersystem —a numerical music notation—in 18th-19th century Russian Mennonite choral communities. An active pianist, composer, and choral singer, Emily fuels her research interests with a deep love for musical creativity and community engagement.
What would I study and learn in the program?
The PhD program is rooted in the discipline of music theory. Students receive thorough training in the analysis of musical structure, systematic and historical aspects of music theory, and psychological aspects of musical structure. Areas of research in the program deal with style analysis in historically informed ways, the intersection of theory and culture, expressive performance in music, the psychological nature of musical styles and structure, and the psychophysiology of musical experience.
See Full Degree Requirements:
Bachelor of Music: Music Cognition
Bachelor of Music: Music Theory
Master of Music: Music Theory
PhD in Music: Music Theory and Cognition
Should I apply for the Master's or the PhD?
Students whose ultimate goal is to pursue a PhD in music theory should apply directly to the PhD program. It is possible to apply directly to the PhD with a bachelor's degree; a master's degree is not required. Our MM degree functions more as a one-year course of study than an entry point in the PhD. The MM program is more appropriate for students who wish to explore or strengthen their knowledge of music theory before embarking on further graduate study.
Why focus on the PhD and not the Master's?
While a Master's degree is a beneficial step towards a career in academia, our streamlined 5-year PhD program allows students to acquire the equivalent of a Master's degree in the process of obtaining their PhD. It is beneficial to the student because it provides full funding for the entire 5-year course of study. In addition, the end degree has a higher likelihood of job placement for our exiting students. We admit up to two PhD students per year.
What will I do with a PhD when I'm done?
Students with a PhD in Music Theory and Cognition will be qualified for a career as a professor in a college or university music department. Our program is not intended for students seeking positions in psychology or neuroscience departments. Within the field of music theory, more and more job descriptions are listing cognition as a desired area of research emphasis, and our graduates will be strong contenders thereby.
What should I do to prepare?
You should have as strong an undergraduate background in music theory, music history, and music performance as possible. Courses in form, atonal analysis, and advanced harmonic analysis are advisable. A semester of statistics is helpful, as well as an introductory course in experimental methods. Our accepted students usually have a broad background, and many have publications or conference presentations on their record before admission.
It would be helpful to read journals such as the Journal of Music Theory, Music Theory Spectrum, and Music Perception, and to attend conferences such as the annual meeting of the Society for Music Theory. There is also burgeoning literature in music cognition that you can read as you prepare. If your interests are cognitive you should also join the Society for Music Perception and Cognition.
How do I apply?
Application requirements include two transcripts, letters of reference, the general GRE, TOEFL (for international students), and writing samples.
MM applicants apply through the Bienen School of Music. PhD applicants apply online via The Graduate School at Northwestern; start by reading the PhD Application Process .
Contact the Office of Music Admission, Financial Aid and Graduate Services: [email protected] or 847-491-3141 Request Information
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You will have access to an incredible array of resources, including the Eda Kuhn Loeb Music Library, the John Knowles Paine Concert Hall, the Isham Memorial Library, the Harvard University Studio for Electroacoustic Composition, and the Sound Lab, which offers media production suites and equipment.
With a large endowment fund, the program is able to offer you funding from sources outside Harvard Griffin GSAS. You will also have the opportunity to take advantage of many available fellowships and travel, research and writing, and conference funding throughout the year.
Examples of theses and dissertations that graduates have completed include “Activism and Music in Poland, 1978–1989,” “Art of Noise: Sound and Media in Milan, ca. 1900,” “Black Musics, African Lives, and the National Imagination in Modern Israel,” and “Technologies of Transgression and Musical Play in Video Game Cultures.”
Most graduates go on to positions in academia at institutions like the University of Southern California, Michigan State University, and University of Cambridge in England.
Additional information on the graduate program is available from the Department of Music , and requirements for the degree are detailed in Policies .
Areas of Study
Composition | Creative Practice and Critical Inquiry | Ethnomusicology | Music Theory | Musicology
Admissions Requirements
Please review the admissions requirements and other information before applying. You can find degree program-specific admissions requirements below and access additional guidance on applying from the Department of Music .
Samples of Previous Work
Applicants to all programs must submit samples of their previous scholarly work by uploading it in the Additional Materials section of the application. Applicants to the creative practice and critical inquiry PhD program must also submit 20 to 30 minutes of original creative work in the form of links to online audio or video streams (Soundcloud, YouTube, Vimeo, etc.) or links to a file download (via Dropbox or similar) by using the Digital Portfolio section of the application. Applicants to the composition PhD program must submit three compositions in the form of links to online audio or video streams (Soundcloud, YouTube, Vimeo, etc.). Recordings can be submitted as links to SoundCloud or other online resources by using the Digital Portfolio section of the application. Students should include a one-page PDF containing links to online recordings and PDF scores where applicable. The year of composition must be marked on all scores and recordings.
Personal Statement
Standardized tests.
GRE General: Optional
Theses and Dissertations
Theses & Dissertations for Music
See list of Music faculty
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Questions about the program.
2024-25 Bulletin
Music theory, phd, doctoral candidacy.
To earn a PhD at Washington University, a student must complete all courses required by their department; maintain satisfactory academic progress; pass certain examinations; fulfill residence and Mentored Experience Requirements; write, defend, and submit a dissertation; and file an Intent to Graduate. For a general layout of doctoral degree general requirements in Arts & Sciences, including an explanation of Satisfactory Academic Progress, students should review the Doctoral Degree Academic Information page of the Arts & Sciences Bulletin.
Program Requirements
- Total Units Required: 72 ( Note: Remission applies for a maximum of 72 graduate-level units.)
- Note: Students must be enrolled in 9 graduate credits each semester to retain full-time status. As students complete their course work, if enrolled in fewer than 9 graduate credits, they must enroll in a specific Arts & Sciences graduate course that will show 0 units but does count as full-time status. Students should connect with their department to ensure proper enrollment prior to Add/Drop.
- Music assures funding for up to 12 semesters for full-time students in good academic standing.
- A grade of B- or better is required for courses to count toward the degree. Students are expected to maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in courses that count toward their credit units.
PhD in Music (Music Theory)
The PhD degree in music theory requires a total of 72 units of graduate study: 30 units of music theory, 15 units of music history and bibliography, 6 units of composition, 6 units outside music, 6 units of qualifying projects, and 9 units of electives or dissertation research. Also required are keyboard proficiency, reading knowledge of two foreign languages (German and either French or Italian; a computer language may be substituted for the second language, according to the student's needs), six to eight semesters of mentored teaching, three qualifying projects, the dissertation, and the final oral defense of the dissertation. Students who have completed a master's degree at another institution may receive up to 24 units of transfer credit toward the PhD.
Required Courses
Qualifying examinations.
Progress toward the PhD is contingent upon the student passing examinations that are variously called preliminary, qualifying, general, comprehensive, or major field exams. The qualifying process varies according to the program. In some programs, it consists of a series of incremental, sequential, and cumulative exams over a considerable time. In others, the exams are held during a relatively short period of time. Exams may be replaced by one or more papers. The program, which determines the structure and schedule of the required examinations, is responsible for notifying the Office of Graduate Studies, Arts & Sciences, of the student’s outcome, whether successful or unsuccessful.
Mentored Experience Requirements
Doctoral students at Washington University must complete a department-defined Mentored Experience. The Mentored Experience Requirement is a doctoral degree milestone that is notated on the student’s transcript when complete. Each department has an established Mentored Experience Implementation Plan in which the number of units that a student must earn through Mentored Teaching Experience(s) and/or Mentored Professional Experience(s) is defined. The Mentored Experience Implementation Plans outline how doctoral students within the discipline will be mentored to achieve competencies in teaching at basic and advanced levels. Some departments may elect to include Mentored Professional Experiences as an avenue for completing some units of the Mentored Experience Requirement. Doctoral students will enroll in LGS 6XXX Mentored Teaching Experience or LGS 7020 Mentored Professional Experience to signify their progression toward completing the overall Mentored Experience Requirement for the degree.
The Doctoral Dissertation
A Research Advisory Committee (RAC) must be created no later than the end of the student’s third year; departments may set shorter timelines (e.g., by the end of the student's second year) for this requirement. As evidence of the mastery of a specific field of knowledge and of the capacity for original scholarly work, each candidate must complete a dissertation that is approved by their RAC.
A Title, Scope & Procedure Form for the dissertation must be signed by the committee members and by the program chair. It must be submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies, Arts & Sciences, at least 6 months before the degree is expected to be conferred or before beginning the fifth year of full-time enrollment, whichever is earlier.
A Doctoral Dissertation Guide & Template that give instructions regarding the format of the dissertation are available on the website of the Office of Graduate Studies, Arts & Sciences. Both should be read carefully at every stage of dissertation preparation.
The Office of Graduate Studies, Arts & Sciences, requires each student to make the full text of the dissertation available to the committee members for their review at least 1 week before the defense. Most degree programs require 2 or more weeks for the review period; students should check with their faculty.
The Dissertation Defense
Approval of the written dissertation by the RAC is necessary before the student can orally defend their dissertation. The Dissertation Defense Committee that observes and examines the student’s defense consists of at least five members, who normally meet these two, independent criteria:
- Four of the five must be tenured or tenure-track Washington University faculty; one of these four may be a member of the emeritus faculty. The fifth member must have a doctoral degree and an active research program, whether at Washington University, at another university, in government, or in industry.
- Three of the five normally come from the student's degree program; at least one of the five must not.
All committees must be approved by the Office of Graduate Studies, Arts & Sciences, regardless of whether they meet the normal criteria.
The committee is appointed by the Office of Graduate Studies, Arts & Sciences, upon the request of the degree program. The student is responsible for making the full text of the dissertation accessible to their committee members for their review in advance of the defense. Faculty and graduate students who are interested in the subject of the dissertation are normally welcome to attend all or part of the defense but may ask questions only at the discretion of the committee members. Although there is some variation among degree programs, the defense ordinarily focuses on the dissertation itself and its relation to the student’s field of expertise.
Submission of the Dissertation
After the defense, the student must submit an electronic copy of the dissertation online to the Office of Graduate Studies, Arts & Sciences. The submission website requires students to choose among publishing and copyrighting services offered by ProQuest’s ETD Administrator. The degree program is responsible for delivering the final approval form, signed by the committee members at the defense and then by the program chair or director, to the Office of Graduate Studies, Arts & Sciences. Students who defend their dissertations successfully have not yet completed their PhD requirements; they finish earning their degree only when their dissertation submission has been accepted by the Office of Graduate Studies, Arts & Sciences.
Visit the Music page for additional information about this program.
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