The Department of Music welcomes students interested in the study of musicology at the graduate level, leading to the Master's degree. The MA in Musicology is suitable preparation for doctoral studies in musicology and some other humanities disciplines, as well as work in the fields of journalism, music education, editing, and arts administration.
The MA is a thesis-based program, in which students take two required seminar classes and choose three other seminars before embarking on a thesis prospectus and then thesis research. This is normally a two-year degree. Students in the program are eligible for Dalhousie graduate scholarships and teaching assistantships in the Department of Music.
Students in Dalhousie’s MA in Musicology program will have the opportunity to investigate music’s role and meaning in various social and historical contexts, through text-based analysis informed by cultural studies. Our faculty members pursue research in genres ranging from medieval chant to contemporary experimental composition, canonic orchestral repertoire, film music, and diverse styles understood to be popular music. We foster a vibrant intellectual climate that encourages innovative approaches and non-traditional thinking about music as a social text.
The small size of our program guarantees a great deal of specialized attention and the possibility of tailoring courses of study to suit individual interests. Funding is provided through research assistantships and teaching, and students are eligible for university scholarships.