PhD Musicology at University of Rochester

Programme overview

The PhD in Musicology at Eastman has an emphasis in historical and critical studies or ethnomusicology, in an intensely interdisciplinary department. Students in the combined MA/PhD can look forward to two years of wide-ranging coursework.

Faculty: Eastman School of Music | Department: Musicology | Duration: At least 60 credits beyond a master's or 90 beyond a bachelor's | Intake: Fall (December 1 deadline); Spring (October 1 deadline, not for doctoral programmes) | Study mode: full-time | Location: Rochester, NY, United States

What you will study

Doctoral seminars such as Staging Italy in Nineteenth-Century Opera, Music and the Cold War, Critical Approaches to South Asian Music and The Torino Codex; electives include studio lessons and River Campus courses, with the option to develop a minor.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Eastman School of Music (PhD Musicology): recommended preparation of at least 10 semester hours of music history (4 upper-division), 18 of theory (6 upper-division) and 12 in French or German; no audition required. Interviews are required for MA and PhD applicants. Eastman School of Music (all graduate programmes): $100 application fee; three recommendations; 2-3 page personal statement; resume or CV; transcripts, with final official transcripts showing degree conferment before enrollment; applicants whose native language is not English submit an official English proficiency test score and a Non-Native English Essay by December 1; programme-specific items such as audition or pre-screening recordings and repertoire lists. Deadlines: Fall 2027 December 1; Spring 2027 October 1 (not available for doctoral programmes).

Tuition is charged per credit, so the total depends on the modules you register for each year. Current fees are listed in the official fee schedule.

Intake: Fall (December 1 deadline); Spring (October 1 deadline, not for doctoral programmes)

Duration: At least 60 credits beyond a master's or 90 beyond a bachelor's

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