Master of Music and Doctor of Philosophy, Musicology

Application requirements

To be considered for acceptance into the MM or the PHD in Musicology program, applicants must:

Submit a Writing Sample: To demonstrate your writing and research ability, please submit a recent term paper, your undergraduate or master’s thesis, or other evidence of successful accomplishment in the field, such as a conference paper or published article. This paper should be uploaded to the “program specific” portion of the Graduate College application.

Please note that application to the PHD-Musicology program requires a Masters degree in Musicology.

About the Master of Music and Doctor of Philosophy in Musicology

Students in both degree programs take small, intensive graduate seminars on specialized topics in musicology and other disciplines. Working closely with faculty specialists, our graduate students gain valuable skills and experience as researchers, communicators, and educators prepared for the twenty-first century workplace. The PhD program is a top-ranked doctoral program in the arts and humanities on campus.

Our admissions process is highly selective, as we seek excellent students with the potential to flourish in a demanding, supportive, and diverse scholarly community. Students who wish to work toward a PhD but do not hold a Master’s degree in Musicology are admitted initially into the MM program and, upon review, can proceed into the PhD once the MM coursework has been satisfactorily completed.

Financial Aid Options

Qualified graduate students in both programs may receive support through a variety of sources, including:

• Teaching Assistantships in undergraduate major and non-major courses, in the classroom and online
• Research and Graduate Assistantships in which students work closely with individual faculty members on scholarly projects
• Foreign Language Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships
• The Nicholas Temperley Award for Dissertation Research
• Graduate College Dissertation Travel Fellowships and Dissertation Completion Fellowships, and Other School and Campus Fellowships & Appointments

Get Involved

Graduate students oversee the Illinois Student Association of Music Scholars (ISAMS) in a wide range of activities, from organizing guest speakers and conferences to hosting professional development seminars and workshops on such topics as writing fellowship applications and conference abstracts; managing health and wellness in graduate school; and employment within and beyond academia. The group maintains an active social media presence.