Cornell University Registrar

Graduate Field

Music

Program Description

The Field of Music offers graduate degrees in three areas of study: music (Ph.D.), composition (D.M.A.), and performance practice (D.M.A.).

Music at Cornell flourishes through an interdisciplinary approach that integrates the fields of performance, historical musicology, ethnomusicology, composition, and music theory. As a result, the Department of Music's many activities mutually reinforce each other, and graduate students at Cornell enjoy a sense of community among themselves and with the faculty.

The curriculum is highly flexible. Bound only by the few rules imposed by the Graduate School and by the Field of Music, students develop their own course of study in a close relationship with a Special Committee of three or four faculty members chosen by the student. For students in musicology, a reading knowledge of at least two foreign languages is required, and study of the language spoken in the area of research is essential. A student's Special Committee may require additional languages, depending on the area of specialization. Students are also encouraged to take advantage of course offerings in other fields, and minor subjects can be drawn either from within the Field of Music or from disciplines across the campus, such as anthropology, art history, computer science, history, linguistics, philosophy, psychology, sociology, theatre arts, and Western and non-Western languages and literatures.

There are 25 to 30 students in residence at any given time, including the approximately six new students matriculating each year. This low number allows for small seminars and encourages a close working relationship between students and faculty. The Music Colloquium Series, Composers Forum, and department concerts bring Cornellians together with distinguished visiting performers, composers, and scholars, and provide students with ample opportunity to present their own work. In addition to such visitors, resources include the Sidney Cox Library of Music and Dance, which offers one of the largest and most distinguished collections in any American university.

Musical performance is an essential part of life at Cornell. Graduate students are welcome to participate in the many performing ensembles sponsored by the Music Department, which include choirs, orchestras, wind ensembles, jazz ensembles, a Javanese gamelan, percussion ensemble.

Concentrations

• Music and sound studies (Ph.D.)

Program Information

• Instruction Mode: In Person
• Location: Ithaca, NY
• Minimum Credits for Degree: 72

Program Requirements

• Minimum Semesters for Degree: 6

Graduate School Milestones

• Responsible Conduct of Research Training: Required
• Open Researcher and Contributor ID (ORCID): Required
• Student Progress Reviews (SPR) begin: Second Year
• Examination for admission to candidacy (A Exam): Spring of third year
• Defense of Dissertation (B Exam): Spring of fifth year

Field Specific Milestones

• Special Areas portion of the A Exam, taken no later than the end of the sixth semester
• One semester of teaching assistantship required

Course Requirements

• Course requirements are determined by the student’s Special Committee.
• Enrollment in a GRAD research course or the equivalent field specific research course is expected of all students.

University Graduation Requirements

Requirements for All Students

In order to receive a Cornell degree, a student must satisfy academic and non-academic requirements.

Academic Requirements

A student’s college determines degree requirements such as residency, number of credits, distribution of credits, and grade averages. It is the student’s responsibility to be aware of the specific major, degree, distribution, college, and graduation requirements for completing their chosen program of study. See the individual requirements listed by each college or school or contact the college registrar’s office for more information.

Non-academic Requirements

Conduct Matters. Students must satisfy any outstanding sanctions, penalties or remedies imposed or agreed to under the Student Code of Conduct (Code) or Policy 6.4. Where a formal complaint under the Code or Policy 6.4 is pending, the University will withhold awarding a degree otherwise earned until the adjudication process set forth in those procedures is complete, including the satisfaction of any sanctions, penalties or remedies imposed.

Financial Obligations. Outstanding financial obligations will not impact the awarding of a degree otherwise earned or a student’s ability to access their official transcript. However, the University may withhold issuing a diploma until any outstanding financial obligations owing to the University are satisfied.

Learning Outcomes

• Make an original and substantial contribution to the field (publishable scholarship)
• Demonstrate deep knowledge in one area of specialization
• Have a broad knowledge of theory and research across four topic areas in the field
• Employ advanced research skills
• Demonstrate proficiency in languages
• Communicate research findings effectively in written and spoken presentations
• Demonstrate effective skills in undergraduate teaching