Music

The Department of Music at Berkeley, continually ranked among the top in the nation, brings together a renowned group of composers, scholars, and performers. The department offers the MA/PhD and the PhD degrees (for those who have previously completed the master’s degree) in composition and scholarship, the latter with options in musicology and in ethnomusicology. The Music Department does not offer a terminal MA degree. 

The program provides graduate students with a solid mastery of their discipline while cultivating a sense of intellectual and creative independence. Students are free to explore related fields of study both within the music program itself and in the larger university. Students interested in combining a PhD in Music with studies in another discipline may pursue Designated Emphases or Concurrent Degrees in a number of different fields. Graduates of the Music Department play prominent roles in distinguished musical institutions across the nation and abroad.

Areas of Specialization

Each of the graduate programs—composition, ethnomusicology, and musicology—has a set of requirements that are tailored for the particular specialization. Please see the links below for more details.

Specialization/Concentration Areas

Composition

Students in composition are encouraged to create music that is personal both in style and content while building a firm technical foundation. Composition is taught through seminars and independent studies by all composers on the faculty. Opportunities exist for public performances of student compositions, including chamber, vocal, and orchestral works. Facilities are available for work in electronic and computer music. 

Ethnomusicology

Students in ethnomusicology prepare for ethnographic research through the study of cultural theory and methods from various disciplines. Each student’s program is individually designed in consultation with an adviser, including opportunities for drawing on Berkeley’s considerable resources in related disciplines and area studies.

Musicology

Students in the musicology program gain skills for historical research while developing a sense of critical inquiry and intellectual independence. The MA program introduces students to musicological methods and techniques and at the same time seeks to broaden their horizons through a variety of courses, including analysis and ethnomusicology. The PhD involves more detailed work in research seminars and special studies. Dissertation topics at Berkeley have run the gamut of scholarly approaches and subjects, from source studies to theoretical or critical works, and from music of Late Antiquity to the music of the present day. 

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