Music (Musicology), MA
Music History and Literature, Musicologist, arts, audio
Expand your skill set as a musicologist through an in-depth scholarly focus on music and musical meaning in human experience, including terminology, reception, historiography, biography and transdisciplinary topics.
In the Master of Arts program in music with a concentration in musicology, faculty provide and participate in multisensory learning experiences concerning musical genres, styles and forms, performance and listening practices, instruments, spaces, philosophies, musical infrastructures and geographic locations.
Faculty comprises leading scholars specializing in Western and non-Western music, particularly traditions in the Americas and music of the Middle East, Central Asia, Latin America and Indonesia. You can study a variety of topics such as medieval music cultures, the long nineteenth century, jazz, music in popular cultures, musical modernism and experimentalism, intellectual property law, cultural policy, improvisation, sound studies, ecomusicology, dance and embodiment, and music's role in well-being.
You must submit a final project that demonstrates advanced competence and professional capability in research and writing in musicology or ethnomusicology. The culminating project may be a thesis, a series of special papers or a written work of equivalent scope and depth.
- College/school:
Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts
- Location: Tempe
- STEM-OPT extension eligible: No
30 credit hours, a thesis, a written comprehensive exam, an oral comprehensive exam and a foreign language exam
Required Core (14 credit hours) Electives (8 credit hours) Other Requirement (2 credit hours) Culminating Experience (6 credit hours) Additional Curriculum Information At least 20 credit hours of this program must be in the field of music history and literature. Appropriate elective coursework is reviewed and approved by the academic unit prior to inclusion on the student's plan of study. A passing grade on the foreign language exam or a grade of "B" or higher in a designated reading course through the School of International Letters and Cultures is required for graduation. Additional information on degree requirements for this degree is available on the curriculum check sheet located on the Music, Dance and Theatre graduate degree page.
MHL 532 Music Bibliography (3)
MHL 691 Seminars (6)
music theory (5)
music electives (5-8)
open electives (0-3)
performance ensembles (2)
MHL 599 Thesis (6)
Completion of diagnostic exams in musicology and music theory is required of all new graduate music students prior to enrollment in courses for these programs through the ASU School of Music, Dance and Theatre. This is tracked internally within the academic unit.
General university admission requirements:
All students are required to meet general
university admission requirements.
U.S.
applicants | International
applicants | English
proficiency
Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts.
Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have earned a U.S. bachelor's degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution or the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor's degree from an institution in another country that is officially recognized by that country.
Applicants must have achieved a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 credit hours or 90 quarter hours of their first bachelor's degree program, or a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program.
All applicants must submit:
- graduate admission application and application fee
- School of Music, Dance and Theatre application (including a resume, personal statement and writing sample)
- official transcripts
- three letters of recommendation
- proof of English proficiency
Additional Application Information
An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of their current residency. The School of Music, Dance and Theatre does not offer conditional admission under any circumstances. To meet English proficiency requirements, students should have a minimum TOEFL iBT® score of 4, or 80 (taken at a testing center) if taken before January 21, 2026; an IELTS overall band score of at least 6.5; or a Pearson Test of English score of at least 60.
A bachelor's degree in music is not required for admission to a master's program. However, all applicants without a bachelor's degree in music should contact MDTAdmissions@asu.edu for information on potential remedial courses. Remedial courses may be taken at ASU, another accredited university or a community college before or after admission to this program, but they must be completed prior to starting graduate-level course requirements in music history and music theory.
Students should see the program website for application deadlines.
| Session | Modality | Deadline | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Session A/C | In Person | 12/01 | Final |
Program learning outcomes identify what a student will learn or be able to do upon completion of their program. This program’s learning outcomes include the following:
- Write research papers applying the conventions of scholarly discourse in music.
- Implement a large-scale independent research project that makes a unique contribution to the discipline of ethnomusicology.
- Apply a synthesis of knowledge of a chosen or designated field of inquiry within musicology to the articulation and defense of a particular scholarly viewpoint.
The School of Music, Dance and Theatre graduate programs inspire and empower students to become creative leaders who transform society through music.
Musicians with expertise in performing, composing, teaching, researching, arts advocacy and serving as therapists are in high demand across many sectors and industries, including performing arts organizations, educational institutions, entertainment companies, health and wellness industries and community arts organizations. Skills such as creativity, collaboration, innovation, entrepreneurship and the focused discipline needed for success as musicians are all highly valued by a wide range of companies and professions.
Career examples include:
- community arts advocate
- musicologist
- performing musician
- public or community school teacher
- university professor
School of Music, Dance and Theatre
|
MUSIC E167
mdtadmissions@asu.edu
480-965-5069
Admission deadlines
Program term definitions
Accelerated programs allow students the opportunity to expedite the completion of their degree.
Accelerated master's
These programs allow students to accelerate their studies to earn a bachelor's plus a master's degree in as few as five years (for some programs).
Each program has requirements students must meet to be eligible for consideration. Students typically receive approval to pursue the accelerated master's during the junior year of their bachelor's degree program. Interested students can learn about eligibility requirements and how to apply.
Concurrent degrees allow students to pursue their own personal or professional interests, earn two distinct degrees and receive two diplomas. To add a concurrent degree to your existing degree, work with your academic advisor.
Joint programs, or jointly conferred degrees, are offered by more than one college and provide opportunities for students to take advantage of the academic strengths of two academic units. Upon graduation, students are awarded one degree and one diploma conferred by two colleges.
ASU adds new programs to Degree Search frequently. Come back often and look for the "New Programs" option.
ASU Online offers programs in an entirely online format with multiple enrollment sessions throughout the year. See https://asuonline.asu.edu/ for more information.
The Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP) provides a reduced tuition rate to non-resident graduate students who qualify. Visit the WRGP/WICHE webpage for more information: https://graduate.asu.edu/wiche.
