Music Theory
Master of Arts (MA) in Music Theory
The graduate program in music theory offers professional training for careers in teaching and scholarship. Applicants are admitted based on their background ability and motivation for academic, scholarly, and artistic achievement and their desire to contribute to the program. Theory faculty members possess expertise in current methodologies of analysis, history of theory, and pedagogy. The program offers instruction in counterpoint, Schenkerian analysis, 20th-century theory, the history of music theory, pedagogy, and a variety of specialized topics.
Students applying to this program are expected to have completed basic professional preparation, defined as the equivalent of three years of theory and analysis (tonal and post-tonal) and one semester of counterpoint.
For your MA, you will be expected to meet the following requirements:
- 18 music theory credits
- 3 musicology/ethnomusicology credits
- 3 credits from the School of Music outside theory
- 6 credits from outside the School of Music (excluding Music Education and Therapy) related to your course of study
- Reading knowledge in French, German or Italian
- Completion of one (~15000–17000 words) or two (~7000–9000 words) analytical projects
- Final oral examination