Program Overview

Music and Multimedia Composition

The Ph.D. program in Music and Multimedia Composition at Brown University is designed for students who produce, analyze, and perform original works that may include the use of electronic music, acoustic composition, and sound in combination with video, performance, installation, and text. Students conduct advanced inquiry into the cultural, theoretical, technical, and aesthetic issues surrounding music and multimedia production in close collaboration with faculty researchers.

Program Description

The program welcomes students working from diverse influences and methods, expanding their creative practices and underlying technical knowledge to spur artistic innovation. In addition to faculty mentorship, students can collaborate with a broad array of professional performing ensembles and visiting artists presented on the Brown University campus. The graduate program in Music and Multimedia Composition offers an array of resources unique to Brown, including access to the department's Multimedia and Electronic Music Experiments (MEME) studios and the university's Granoff Center for the Creative Arts.

Resources

• The department's Multimedia and Electronic Music Experiments (MEME) studios
  • Recording studios
  • Electronics shops
  • Project studios
  • Exhibition and performance spaces
• The university's Granoff Center for the Creative Arts
• Opportunities to interface with the larger arts and digital media communities at Brown, at the nearby Rhode Island School of Design, in Providence, and the New England region
• Scholarly offerings of the Musicology and Ethnomusicology PhD program, with faculty specialties in technoculture, sound studies, copyright, improvisation, and organology

Career Outcomes

A Brown doctoral degree in Music and Multimedia Composition leads to a career in college and university teaching or to a position in applied work outside higher education.

Application Information

Application Requirements

• GRE Subject: Not required
• GRE General: Not required
• TOEFL/IELTS: As needed by foreign applicants
• Writing Sample: Required
• Portfolio: Submit an online portfolio of four examples of your creative work, including brief notes about each work

Dates/Deadlines

• Application Deadline: December 15, 2025

Completion Requirements

In addition to the courses required for the A.M., five additional courses for a total of 13 are required. Required courses include a minimum of four graduate-level seminars offered by the Music and Multimedia Composition program. After completion of all coursework in the third year, the candidate will take a three-hour oral preliminary examination. Passing the preliminary examination authorizes the candidate to proceed to the doctoral dissertation, which is completed during the fourth and fifth years.

Leadership

• Department Chair: Emily Dolan
• Director of Graduate Studies: Anthony Cheung

Program Details

The program is housed in the Department of Music at Brown University, providing students with a rich environment for academic and artistic growth. With its unique blend of resources, faculty expertise, and collaborative opportunities, the Music and Multimedia Composition Ph.D. program at Brown University is an ideal choice for students seeking to advance their knowledge and skills in this field.