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Arts & Humanities

Master of Arts (MA) in Music Theory at Boston University

Boston University, United States

Programme overview

A master's programme giving a secure foundation in scholarly music theory prior to doctoral study, covering theory and analysis of tonal and post-tonal music, with secondary fields in musicology, composition and performance.

Faculty: College of Fine Arts  |  Department: School of Music  |  Duration: All requirements within five years of matriculation; minimum 32 units  |  Study mode: full-time  |  Location: Boston, MA, United States

What you will study

Courses include Advanced Tonal Analysis, Advanced Contemporary Analysis, Schenkerian Analysis, seminars in tonal or post-tonal theory, composition, musicology and a thesis. Entering students take an online music theory proficiency exam, and reading proficiency in German, French or Italian is required.

Official programme page

Application information

Graduate School of Arts & Sciences master's programmes admit for Fall 2027; Spring 2027 entry is offered for selected programmes (Economics MS programmes, History of Art & Architecture MA, Preservation Studies MA, Online MS in Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence).

Graduate School of Arts & Sciences Fall 2027 master's deadlines are mostly priority January 15 and final March 15 (African American & Black Diaspora Studies priority February 15, final March 15; Preservation Studies February 15; Sociology and History of Art & Architecture January 15). Spring 2027 deadlines for selected programmes are priority October 15 and final November 15. Applications are submitted through the online application; the GRE is required only for the Economics MS/MA programmes and the MS in Psychological & Brain Sciences.

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