Master of Arts In Music Theory
The Master of Arts degree enables students to gain advanced knowledge and skills in music theory, as well as in closely related areas. Graduate courses and seminars provide extensive exposure to problems in analysis and the history of music theory.
Master’s students learn to be teachers through our Graduate Teaching Fellow program, and many of them gain experience in presenting at regional conferences. A thesis in music theory is required for the degree and is carried out under the guidance of a faculty advisor and two other readers, who work closely with the student. Master’s students from our program have been accepted into a number of the top PhD programs around the world (including our own).
Graduates pursuing a MA in Music Theory will take courses which focus in the following areas:
Doctoral Degree in Music Theory
The University of Oregon is one of only four universities on the West Coast that offers a doctoral program in music theory. The program is distinctive in the way it prepares students for careers both as practicing theorists and as teachers of music theory.
The placement record for graduates of the doctoral program in music theory during the last twenty years has been impressive. Doctoral students have become widely known across the United States for their excellent national and regional conference presentations.
The Ph.D. program emphasizes both intellectual and practical skills while enabling students to become as broadly knowledgeable in the field as possible. Included in the course of study are classes in advanced analysis (including Schenkerian, post-tonal and Neo-Riemannian analysis), form in tonal music, analysis of popular music, history of theory, world music, pedagogy, college music teaching, composition, and electronic/computer music, among other subjects.
Each student experiences a great deal of personal attention from the faculty, and most students gain teaching experience through participation in our Graduate Employee program. There is an especially supportive relationship between the student and his or her major advisor and with members of the student's doctoral committee. The Ph.D. program culminates in a public presentation of the candidate’s research, as well as a dissertation.
Graduates pursuing a Doctoral Degree in Music Theory will take courses which focus in the following areas:
Student Support
Have questions on your degree requirements? Need information on undergraduate scholarships and awards? Check out these resources to get the support you need.