A&S—Music
The Department of Music offers the degrees of Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy in music.
The graduate program in music incorporates three areas of concentration:
- Historical musicology
- Ethnomusicology
- Composition and theory
- Medieval and Renaissance studies
Students may combine work for the MA and PhD degrees with a program of cultural, global, or regional specialization leading to a certificate in cultural studies, Medieval and Renaissance studies, global studies, Asian studies, Latin American studies, West European studies, Russian or East European studies, or women’s studies.
Contact Information
- Department Chair: Deane L. Root
- Main Office: 110 Music Building
- 412-624-4126
- Fax: 412-624-4186
- E-mail: musicdpt@pitt.edu
- www.pitt.edu/~musicdpt
Additional information concerning the department’s graduate program may be obtained from the University of Pittsburgh, Department of Music, Graduate Secretary, 110 Music Building, Pittsburgh, PA 15260. Phone: 412-624-4124. Fax: 412-624-4186. E-mail: musicdpt@pitt.edu.
A graduate student receiving a fellowship or teaching assistantship/teaching fellowship from the University of Pittsburgh who maintains satisfactory progress toward the degree can expect to receive up to four years of financial aid; continuing students must request renewal of financial assistance for the following year no later than February 15. Students who have successfully passed the PhD comprehensive examinations in their fourth year may receive additional financial assistance if there are adequate funds. The department nominates the most outstanding candidates for University- and school-wide fellowships. Students seeking financial assistance must request consideration for aid at the time of application for admission; admission by itself carries no commitment of financial assistance.
For the master’s degree, students must earn 30 credits with a B average or better in courses numbered 1000 or above, and write a thesis (if required); the University will accept up to six transfer credits for courses comparable in scope and content to those required by the department, as judged by the department’s director of graduate studies. All entering graduate students enroll in a series of four proseminars (MUSIC 2111, 2121, 2131, 2141) providing perspectives for scholarly research in the field as a whole and in the disciplines represented within the department. Much of the remainder of the MA curriculum consists of more specialized required and elective courses that are specified for each discipline, e.g., orchestration, electronic and computer music, and private tutorials in composition and analysis for students in composition and theory; field and lab methods, transcription and analysis, area courses and seminars for ethnomusicology; and topical seminars for historical musicology. Students in historical musicology must demonstrate a reading knowledge of a foreign research language.
Credit Requirement: A minimum of 72 credit hours, including the master’s degree, earned from any suitable combination of formal course work, independent study, and dissertation work as detailed in the department’s Graduate Program bulletin. The University will accept up to 24 transfer credits for courses comparable in scope and content to those required by the department, as judged by the department’s director of graduate studies.
PhD candidates must also satisfy the following requirements (distinctions between the various program requirements are detailed):
Language Requirement: For historical musicology, reading knowledge of German and one other research language besides English. For ethnomusicology, reading knowledge of one language besides English, relevant to the field of specialization and chosen in consultation with the department’s director of graduate studies. For composition and theory, reading knowledge of one language besides English, chosen in consultation with the department’s director of graduate studies. Preliminary Evaluation: The faculty formally evaluates each student in the first year in residence beyond the master’s degree, to identify those students who may be expected to complete the PhD degree and to reveal areas of weakness in their preparation that need to be remedied.
Comprehensive Examination: Students take a written comprehensive examination normally during the third year at the completion of their formal course work. The examination in historical musicology covers the history of Western music and musical analysis; in ethnomusicology it covers the history, theory, and methodology of ethnomusicology, world music, and analysis; in composition and theory it covers analysis, 20th-century musical language, and instrumentation and orchestration.
Dissertation Overview: Following successful completion of the comprehensive examination, students prepare a written prospectus of the dissertation project for review by their dissertation committee. Approval of the overview brings admission to candidacy for the PhD degree.
Dissertation: Candidates in historical musicology and ethnomusicology submit a major work of original scholarship. Candidates in composition and theory submit a large-scale composition and work of original scholarship in music theory.
Dissertation Defense: The final oral examination in defense of the doctoral dissertation is conducted by the dissertation committee and is open to the University community.
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