Graduate Students in Musicology and Ethnomusicology

Graduate Degree Program Requirements

The department offers the doctor of philosophy degree (PhD) in musicology and the master of arts degree (MA) in musicology or ethnomusicology. A master’s degree (MA) in musicology will also normally be earned in progress toward the PhD. At present, the department admits around three to five graduate students each year, for a total population of about twenty students.

For basic information on the nature of the MA and PhD programs at Eastman, please visit the main degree programs page of the School. Additional information, specific to the musicology program, follows:

Foreign Language Requirements

The PhD degree in musicology requires reading proficiency in two foreign languages, German and either French or Italian. A student whose field of specialization requires a different language may petition the department to substitute it for French or Italian. Proficiency in one language is required upon entry to the program; proficiency in the other is required by the beginning of the second year.

The MA degree in musicology requires reading proficiency in one foreign language. German is the preferred language, but French, Italian, or another language relevant to the student’s work may be substituted upon petition.

Qualifying Examinations

The PhD qualifying examinations are taken in two stages. Before the beginning of the third year, the student takes the General Qualifying exam, which tests broad knowledge of musical style and musicological issues. Before the beginning of the fourth year, the student takes the Special Field exam. Over the course of the third year, the student will have worked with one or more faculty members to define a special field of interest and prepare for the exam. This exam will test for deep knowledge in a particular area of expertise, presumably the area in which the dissertation will be written.

MA students take a comprehensive oral exam after the special project proposal has been submitted and approved. The exam will be structured in two parts: part one will focus on the student’s coursework; part two will include questions pertaining to the project.

MA Program Special Project

As a culminating demonstration of professional capability in the major field, students in the terminal MA Program must submit a final project that demonstrates advanced competence in research and writing. The final project may be a thesis, a series of special papers, an edition, or written work of equivalent scope and depth.

Dissertation

A dissertation is required of each candidate for the Doctor of Philosophy degree. The dissertation must constitute a distinct contribution to knowledge and should exhibit on the part of the candidate evidence of outstanding ability in research and in the organization of material. Ordinarily, the dissertation must be written in residence. In any case, it must be written under the supervision of the candidate’s adviser and must be approved by the department chair and examining committee before the submission of a final draft.

Current Graduate Students

Dissertations

After completing the bulk of their coursework, PhD students spend two semesters defining their field of expertise and preparing a dissertation prospectus, which they defend in the Special Field Exam at the end of the third year. Recent dissertations include:

“Sounding Socialist, Sounding Modern: Music, Technology, and Everyday Life in the Soviet Union, 1956-1975”
“Blues and Bobby Sox: Black Girlhood in New York City, 1950–1970”
“City Myths: Music and Urbanism in Second-Empire Paris”
“Reviving Early Music: Metaphors and Modalities of Life and Living in Historically Informed Performance”
“Bringing Down the House: Situating and Mediating Opera in the Twenty-First Century”
“Beyond Beyoncé: Intersections of Race, Gender, and Sexuality in Contemporary American Hip-Hop ca. 2010-2016”
“Technologies of Singing, Teaching, and Spectating in French Operatic Culture, 1870-1914”

Opportunities

GRADUATE TEACHING AT EASTMAN

All graduate students are expected to teach in the music history curriculum for at least two years during their enrollment at Eastman. The department views graduate teaching as co-curricular preparation for a career in musicology and as a key arena for professional development and mentoring. Students normally begin assuming teaching responsibilities in their second year. At first, they work alongside faculty members by assisting with music history courses; in subsequent years, they often teach independent courses of their own design. As the musicology faculty offers courses at many levels—serving the BM, BA, MM, and DMA curricula—Eastman PhDs enter the marketplace with extensive and varied teaching experience. Graduate students may also serve as teaching assistants at the University of Rochester for surveys of music history offered by the Arthur Satz Department of Music.

GRADUATE LIBRARY ASSISTANTSHIPS

The Sibley Music Library is one of the largest academic music libraries in the world, devoted to all aspects of the study of music. Besides its vast circulating collection, this preeminent research library holds an outstanding array of rare books, scores, and manuscripts in its Ruth T. Watanabe Special Collections. Graduate students of all levels, who have experience or interest in library work, may be offered assistantships at the Sibley Music Library. Opportunities may range from public-facing work—assisting patrons at the reference and circulation desks—to higher level tasks and projects, such as processing new titles, organizing archives, and facilitating research in special collections. Indicate your interest in a library assistantships in your graduate application, or contact jsauceda@esm.rochester.edu for more information.

CAREER RESOURCES

Many Eastman students graduating with advanced degrees in Musicology have stayed in academia and hold key teaching and research posts at universities around the world. Others have explored a wide variety of careers, as opportunities in Musicology—and in the Humanities more generally—continue to expand. Sorting through resources for job prospects and fellowships can be difficult, especially in the midst of existing work in residency as a student. The University’s Greene Center for Career Education and Connections offers a variety of resources, events, and career counseling for humanities-centered PhD students. Resources include:

ImaginePhD – a career exploration and planning tool for PhD students and postdoctoral scholars in the humanities and social sciences. Take three quick assessments and discover job families that match your skills and interests.
InterSect Job Simulations – a free online platform that allows PhD students in the sciences and humanities to explore different career options. Its true-to-life simulations challenge students to complete daily tasks that professionals with PhDs actually perform.
Handshake – a comprehensive career platform with internships and job opportunities, employer reviews, internal and external events, and other Greene Center services.
Interstride supports international students and those looking to work globally.
Quinncia – an interactive AI-based platform that helps students practice telling their story, whether in building a strong resume or preparing for an interview.
Meliora Collective – an online platform for connecting students with alumni for mentorship, networking, or and other professional needs. A kind of LinkedIn for UR only.

Eastman’s Institute for Music Leadership also offers opportunities for career direction and exploration.

CAREER PROSPECTS

PhD graduates from Eastman’s Musicology program have a long record of success attaining academic jobs. Former students now hold faculty positions in some of the country’s most prestigious institutions, from top music schools (University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music) and liberal arts schools (Colby College) to large public (University of Wisconsin-Madison, UCLA) and private (University of Chicago) universities. Many other graduates work in closely related fields, including arts administration, musical performance, and public broadcasting. Today Eastman Musicology PhD graduates can be found working at such institutions as Carnegie Hall and Detroit Opera. Overall, about 88% of PhD graduates in Musicology from Eastman go on to full-time work in arts-related fields, including academia.

Graduate Degree Program Requirements

Foreign Language Requirements

Qualifying Examinations

MA Program Special Project

Dissertation

Current Graduate Students

Anderson, Nick

Berlin, Lauren

Brinson, Bethany

Flood, Paul David

Ganger, Lauren

Harnest, Hannah

Jorgenson, Elizabeth

Joseph, Sven

LaLena, Anthony

Morrison, Kelsy

Price, Eleanor

Xing, Mei

Yang, Kangni

Yeganeh, Babak Kashfi

Zahl, Sheridan