The PhD in Musicology at Case Western Reserve University is designed for students seeking to achieve an advanced understanding of music history and the methodologies of musicology.
Program Overview
This program aims to cultivate leadership at local, regional, national, and international levels within the field of musicology. By emphasizing research, offering broad exposure to various approaches to music analysis, and providing teaching experience, the program prepares students for a wide range of careers related to music history.
The PhD program in Musicology attracts world-class faculty and holds a strong reputation for successfully placing its graduates in prestigious musicology and related programs across the country. Students in this program are actively engaged in the broader academic community, frequently presenting papers at national and international juried conferences, publishing articles in major refereed journals within the discipline, and receiving competitive awards, including fellowships from the American Council of Learned Societies, the American Musicological Society (AMS 50), and the Fulbright Program.
Accreditation and Program Review
The PhD program in Musicology underwent a review by the Ohio Board of Regents in 2016, with the next review scheduled for 2024. The program's goals and objectives were updated in the summer of 2016 to ensure continued relevance and leadership in the field.
Admission
The PhD in Musicology is awarded in recognition of exceptional scholarly ability and achievement, focusing not only on course completion but also on distinguished research work. While many applicants enter the program after earning a master’s degree in Musicology or Music History, highly qualified candidates may be admitted directly after completing a bachelor’s degree.
For more details on the graduate application and audition process, please refer to the Graduate Applications page.
Program Requirements
All programs of study are formulated to suit the individual needs of the student and require the consent of the research advisor and Coordinator of Graduate Studies. The PhD requires 36 credit units of coursework and an additional 18 credit units of MUHI 701 Dissertation Ph.D.. Students must submit the "Pre-Doctoral Standing" form in the spring of the second year in order to register for 6 credit units (3 credit units per semester) of MUHI 701. Required coursework includes three doctoral seminars MUHI 590 Seminar in Musicology, MUHI 610 Research Methods in Music, and MUHI 612 Analysis for Music Historians. In the first two years, students will be expected to take three seminars (9 credit units) per semester, for a total of 36 units.
Find detailed program requirements, course distribution, and a sample plan of study in the General Bulletin.
Music Handbook and Advising
Current graduate and professional students in music should review departmental policies and procedures in the Graduate Music Handbook. The handbook provides additional information regarding graduate assistantships, general expectations and responsibilities, program outcomes, decision points, performances, scholarly activity, outside work, prizes/awards, deadlines, petitions, examinations, advancement to candidacy, and student record-keeping.
Additional resources and forms are available on the Current Graduate Students page.