Program Overview
Musicology Program
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.
Musicology and Ethnomusicology Faculty
- Joyce Chen
- Abigail Fine
- Habib Iddrisu
- Lori Kruckenberg
- Jesús A. Ramos-Kittrell
- Holly Roberts
- Lindsey Rodgers
- Zachary Wallmark
- Larry Wayte
- Juan Eduardo Wolf
Opportunities
Our curricular offerings are steeped in a vibrant intellectual life on campus, which exposes students to cutting-edge scholarship from:
- Center for the Study of Women in Society
- Oregon Humanities Center
- Center for Translational Neuroscience
- Center for Latino/a and Latin American Studies Additionally, students have access to the impressive Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, Special Collections and University Archives, and the Museum of Natural and Cultural History.
Support
Accepted students are eligible for graduate assistantships with full tuition coverage, excellent medical insurance, and funded teaching experience. Students are also eligible to receive conference and research travel support from different departments and have access to a wide range of scholarships.
Degree Programs
- Master of Arts in Musicology
- Doctor of Philosophy in Musicology
What can I do with a degree in Musicology?
The discipline of musicology is broad, and only continues to broaden with every passing year. The cultural study of what sound and gesture mean in global and local contexts, the critical study of artworks and performances, historical approaches to musical change across time and geography, cognitive approaches to sound and the body—these are just some of the methods that comprise musicology. The breadth of the discipline means that studying musicology offers an exceptionally rich set of skills, both conceptual and practical. 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. A deep curiosity about music drives musicology, but along the way, students gain far more tools than specialized expertise.
It is no secret that the academic path can be competitive. Our faculty value and encourage a wide range of potential careers within and beyond the academy. Our Master's program has a strong record of placement in competitive PhD programs in Musicology, Ethnomusicology, and related disciplines in the humanities, and many of our PhD graduates currently hold teaching and research positions in higher education. Other graduates of our program have found careers in:
- Higher Education in Music
- Archiving and Library Science
- Music Criticism and Program Notes
- Academic Publishing
- Editing and Grant Writing
- Arts Administration
- Music Education
- Museum Curation
- Music Journalism and Radio Programming
Performance Opportunities
- Ensembles
- Student Groups
- Facilities
- Arts in Oregon
Scholarships
School of Music and Dance scholarships and financial aid are available. For complete information about financial aid, including loans, see the Student Financial Aid and Scholarships section of the UO catalog.