Musicology, PhD

Program Overview

The University of Oregon's musicology program emphasizes transdisciplinary methodologies, offering specializations in Historical Performance Practice and Ethnomusicology. Students develop original research and gain conceptual and practical skills, including critical thinking, writing, and project management. The program fosters a collegial community with professional development opportunities and guest lecturers.

Program Outline

Teaching:

The University of Oregon graduate program in musicology (PhD and MA) emphasizes a diversity of methodologies across the arts, humanities, and social sciences. Our flexible curriculum urges students to explore the university by taking courses that engage with cultural studies, literary theory, psychology and cognition, ethnography, comparative studies, and performance practice. By participating in a transdisciplinary scholarly community, students develop original research that puts them at the forefront of a changing discipline. We also offer graduate specializations in Historical Performance Practice (in collaboration with the Oregon Bach Festival) and Ethnomusicology. Our award-winning faculty promotes a collegial community featuring professional development workshops, regular symposia for peer feedback, guest lecturers and special events.

Careers:

With a deep curiosity about music driving musicology, students gain far more tools than specialized expertise. Conceptual skills include the nuanced understanding of ethics, the ability to extrapolate a new theory or framework from a mess of evidence, and the original interpretation of artworks, cultural practices, historical events, or embodied experience. Practical skills include crafting persuasive and streamlined prose, a sharp editorial eye, fieldwork methods and oral history for those pursuing ethnomusicology, public speaking and mentorship, project management as one navigates the demands of a thesis, and exposure to the administrative workings of large institutions, including the opportunity to shape policies on committees.