Applicable only to students admitted during the 2023-2024 academic year.

Musicology

Herb Alpert School of Music

Graduate Degrees

The Department of Musicology offers the Master of Arts (M.A.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Musicology.

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

Advising

The Director of Graduate Studies serves as the administrative graduate adviser for all incoming students. The Director signs necessary petitions and other documents. Once a year, each student’s progress is reviewed. Students are required to submit a progress report in the seventh week of spring quarter, which is reviewed by the whole faculty. The faculty meeting on student progress is followed up by a discussion between the student, the department chair, and the Director of Graduate Studies. Students are responsible for checking the accuracy of their official study list through MyUCLA.

For additional information on advising, students should consult the Guide for Graduate Students on the departmental website.

Areas of Study

The department offers the M.A. degree in the field of historical musicology. Degrees in composition, performance, and ethnomusicology are offered through other departments.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

The M.A. course requirements consist of nine courses (42 units) at the 200 level. These courses are: Musicology 200A, 200B, 200C, 245, 250, 255, and three graduate level elective seminars from Musicology 245–261 (except for 246, 251, or 256). Students may substitute up to one seminar in Ethnomusicology and up to two approved courses from other departments at UCLA for the graduate level elective seminars. All nine courses applied toward the degree must be taken for a letter grade.

Teaching Experience

Although not required, it is expected that each student will serve as a teaching assistant for at least one year.

Field Experience

Not required.

Capstone Plan

Students take the comprehensive examination after completing their course requirements, normally by the end of their fifth quarter. The examination is scheduled by the faculty during the spring quarter and all second-year students take it together. Students who enter with an M.A. in Musicology may choose to take the exam at the end of their first year. The examination is intended to test skill at historical analysis, knowledge of a body of critical theory, interpretive and music analytical abilities, and the capacity for critical and reflective thinking. In anticipation of the examination, students will be given a set of 9 questions by the end of fall preceding the exams. In March prior to the exam, students will submit two revised final papers from UCLA Musicology seminars, to be read by the faculty M.A. Examination Committee. The M.A. Examination Committee will select five of the nine questions distributed in the previous fall for a six-hour proctored exam, from which each student will choose three questions to respond to. Finally, there will be a 2-hour oral exam with the M.A. Examination Committee, where the student’s revised seminar papers and sit-down essays will be discussed, including possibilities and strategies for publication of seminar papers where warranted. The oral exam will culminate in one of four outcomes: Pass (to the Ph.D.), Pass with Revision, Terminal Pass (M.A. only), or Fail. In the case of a Fail, the student may retake the exam only once, under conditions determined by the M.A. Examination Committee. In the case of a Terminal Pass (M.A. only), students are not permitted to retake the exam.

Thesis Plan

None.

Time-to-Degree

The course requirements for the degree could be finished within three quarters (three courses per quarter) and are expected to be finished within five, with an additional quarter devoted to preparing for and taking the comprehensive examination. The examination must be taken by the sixth quarter.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
M.A.	6	6	9

Doctoral Degree

Advising

The Director of Graduate Studies serves as the administrative graduate adviser for all incoming students. The Director signs necessary petitions and other documents. Once a year, each student’s progress is reviewed. Students are required to submit a progress report in the seventh week of spring quarter, which is reviewed by the whole faculty. Students are responsible for checking the accuracy of their official study list through MyUCLA.

For additional information on advising, students should consult the Guide for Graduate Students on the departmental website.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

The department offers the Ph.D. degree in the field of historical musicology. Degrees in composition, performance, and ethnomusicology and systematic musicology are offered through other departments.

Foreign Language Requirement

Students are required to master a language other than English as part of their doctoral studies. Students are informed of the language requirement upon admission to the program, and should confer with their faculty adviser to designate their language as soon as they have chosen their doctoral committee and know their areas of specialization. If the student is working on a topic that does not evidently require foreign language skills, the student should speak with their faculty adviser and, if necessary, the department chair about the language most suitable to their program.

The language requirement may be met by: (1) passing a departmental examination; (2) completing five quarters or four semesters of training in an approved secondary language, completed within the last five years before admission with a grade of B or higher; (3) placing at level six on the Foreign Language Placement Examination; or (4) petitioning to use fluency in a native language as a secondary language.

Language proficiency must be demonstrated at the time of the scheduling of the University Oral Qualifying Examination for the doctoral degree, which in this department consists of a defense of the dissertation prospectus, as outlined below. Students are required to include texts in the foreign language they have designated on their dissertation prospectus, and be ready to discuss them in the prospectus defense.

Course Requirements

Full track: Students who are on the full M.A./Ph.D. track must complete 15 courses (60 units). Students must first complete the M.A. course requirements, which consist of nine courses (42 units) at the 200 level. These courses are: Musicology 200A, 200B, 200C, 245, 250, 255, and three graduate level elective seminars from Musicology 245–261 (except for 246, 251, or 256). At the Ph.D. level, students must complete six additional courses (24 units): Musicology 245, 250, 255,* and three graduate level elective seminars from Musicology 245–261 (except for 246, 251, or 256). At both the M.A. and the Ph.D. levels, students may substitute up to one seminar in Ethnomusicology and up to two approved courses from other departments at UCLA for the graduate level elective seminars. All 15 courses applied toward the degree must be taken for a letter grade.

*Students on the M.A./Ph.D. track must complete Musicology 245, 250, and 255 twice, with different special topics.

Advanced track: Students who begin the program with a previously earned master’s degree will be evaluated at the time of their admission to the program by the Chair and Director of Graduate Studies for their eligibility to complete the advanced track. The advanced track consists of 11 courses (44 units) at the 200 level. These courses are: Musicology 200A, 200B, 200C, 245, 250, 255, and five graduate level elective seminars from Musicology 245–261 (except 246, 251, or 256). Students may substitute up to one seminar in Ethnomusicology and up to two approved courses from other departments at UCLA for the graduate level elective seminars. All 11 courses applied toward the degree must be taken for a letter grade.

Teaching Experience

Although not required, it is expected that each student will serve as a teaching assistant for at least one year.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

Academic Senate regulations require all doctoral students to complete and pass university written and oral qualifying examinations prior to doctoral advancement to candidacy. Also, under Senate regulations, the University Oral Qualifying Examination is open only to the student and appointed members of the doctoral committee. In addition to university requirements, some graduate programs have other pre-candidacy examination requirements. What follows in this section is how students are required to fulfill all of these requirements for this doctoral program.

All committee nominations and reconstitutions adhere to the Minimum Standards for Doctoral Committee Constitution.

Soon after completion of the doctoral course work, normally at the end of the third year, students take the Special Field Examination, which includes both written and oral components. By this time, the student must have decided upon an area of specialization and secured the agreement of a qualified faculty member to serve as the dissertation adviser. Taking into account the field designated and the suggestions of the student and the adviser, the chair approves the appointment of three faculty members to serve as the examining committee. Three months before the examination, the student submits to the committee members a reading and repertoire list related to the area of specialization. Typically, this consists of a bibliography in the general area of the dissertation research and a list of relevant musical works, together totaling no more than 50 items. The members of the examining committee (in consultation with one another to avoid duplication) each formulate one or more questions relating to the topic, repertoire, and methods thus staked out by the student. The student is allowed one week to address these topics in writing, using any desired research materials. After the completed written examination has been distributed to the examiners, a two-hour oral examination is scheduled. At this time, the committee may discuss the results of the written examination with the student and ask further questions related to the area of the dissertation research. If a majority of the committee determines that the written and oral examinations have been passed, the student begins preparation for the second stage, the University Oral Qualifying Examination. If the committee determines that the written and oral examinations have not been passed, the student may retake the Special Field Examination after six months of further preparation. More than one such attempt may be granted at the discretion of the full faculty.

The University Oral Qualifying Examination is a defense of the dissertation prospectus. All other requirements, including language proficiency, must be satisfied before this examination can be scheduled. At least two weeks before the examination, the student must submit the prospectus to the members of the examination committee, who may be, but are not required to be, the same as those on the first committee. The prospectus must be a substantially researched overview of the proposed dissertation that demonstrates that the student is fully prepared to undertake the dissertation project. Students are encouraged to consult with the members of their committee before the examination, which concentrates on the feasibility and significance of the project and the student’s preparation for it. If the defense is unsatisfactory, the candidate may repeat the examination once, at the discretion of the full faculty. After passing this examination, the student is advanced to candidacy and begins to write the dissertation. Candidates are encouraged to enroll in or audit seminars in their field whenever they are offered.

Advancement to Candidacy

Students are advanced to candidacy and awarded the Candidate in Philosophy (C.Phil.) degree upon successful completion of the written and oral qualifying examinations.

Doctoral Dissertation

Every doctoral degree program requires the completion of an approved dissertation that demonstrates the student’s ability to perform original, independent research and constitutes a distinct contribution to knowledge in the principal field of study.

Final Oral Examination (Defense of Dissertation)

Required for all students in the program.

Time-to-Degree

For students with no deficiencies upon admission to graduate status, the normal progress, after M.A. examinations, toward the Ph.D. degree is as follows:

From admission to the program to completion of course work: nine quarters.
From admission to defense of the dissertation proposal and advancement to candidacy: 12 quarters.
From advancement to candidacy to final oral examination: six quarters.
Total time to award of the degree: 18 quarters.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
Ph.D.	11	17	30

Academic Disqualification and Appeal of Disqualification

University Policy

A student who fails to meet the above requirements may be recommended for academic disqualification from graduate study. A graduate student may be disqualified from continuing in the graduate program for a variety of reasons. The most common is failure to maintain the minimum cumulative grade point average (3.00) required by the Academic Senate to remain in good standing (some programs require a higher grade point average). Other examples include failure of examinations, lack of timely progress toward the degree and poor performance in core courses. Probationary students (those with cumulative grade point averages below 3.00) are subject to immediate dismissal upon the recommendation of their department. University guidelines governing academic disqualification of graduate students, including the appeal procedure, are outlined in Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA.

Special Departmental or Program Policy

In addition to the standard reasons outlined above, a student may specifically be recommended for academic disqualification because of (1) a terminal master’s degree recommendation from the student’s master’s committee, or (2) consistent and prolonged failure to progress toward the degree as documented in the student’s file in at least two yearly departmental evaluations. Any recommendation for academic disqualification is forwarded to the department chair for review and decision. The chair may consult with the student’s dissertation chair, if appropriate, and with the Executive Committee of the department. The student is notified of a recommendation for academic disqualification in writing.

A student may appeal a recommendation for academic disqualification by stating the reasons in writing to the departmental chair.

Applicable only to students admitted during the 2024-2025 academic year.

Musicology

Herb Alpert School of Music

Graduate Degrees

The Department of Musicology offers the Master of Arts (M.A.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Musicology.

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

Advising

The Director of Graduate Studies serves as the administrative graduate adviser for all incoming students. The Director signs necessary petitions and other documents. Once a year, each student’s progress is reviewed. Students are required to submit a progress report in the seventh week of spring quarter, which is reviewed by the whole faculty. The faculty meeting on student progress is followed up by a discussion between the student, the department chair, and the Director of Graduate Studies. Students are responsible for checking the accuracy of their official study list through MyUCLA.

For additional information on advising, students should consult the Guide for Graduate Students on the departmental website.

Areas of Study

The department offers the M.A. degree in the field of historical musicology. Degrees in composition, performance, and ethnomusicology are offered through other departments.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

The M.A. course requirements consist of ten courses (44 units) at the 200 level. These courses are Musicology 200A, 200B, 200C, M201, and six different offerings from Musicology 248. Students may substitute 252, up to one seminar in Ethnomusicology, and up to two approved courses from other departments at UCLA for Musicology 248, with permission. All ten courses applied to the degree, except M201, must be taken for a letter grade. In addition, students are required to enroll I 1 unit of 202ABC per quarter until they complete their Comprehensive Exams.

Teaching Experience

Although not required, it is expected that each student will serve as a teaching assistant for at least one year.

Field Experience

Not required.

Capstone Plan

Students take the comprehensive examination as they complete their course requirements, normally by the end of their sixth quarter. The examination is scheduled by the faculty for near the end of spring quarter and all second-year students take it together. Students who enter with an M.A. in Musicology may, with permission of the faculty, choose to take the exam at the end of their first year.

The examination is intended to test students’ skill at historical analysis, knowledge of a body of critical theory, interpretive and music analytical abilities, and the capacity for critical and reflective thinking, as evidenced in their writing and in discussion.

In anticipation of the examination, students will be given a set of 9 topics, each with a short “starter” bibliography (to be expanded by the student), by the end of fall preceding the exams.

In April prior to the exam, students who have not yet earned an M.A. in Musicology (or the equivalent) at another institution will submit a portfolio consisting of two revised final papers (or one final paper and a final project) from UCLA Musicology seminars, to be read by the faculty Examination Committee. Students who enter with an M.A. in Musicology or the equivalent from another institution are not required to submit the portfolio.

The Examination Committee will devise a specific essay prompt for five of the nine topics distributed in the previous fall for a four-day “take home” exam to be.

Finally, if the Examination Committee deems that all submitted materials (portfolio and exam essays) are acceptable, there will be an oral exam of up to two hours with the Examination Committee, in which the student’s revised seminar papers (if required) and take-home essays will be discussed, including possibilities and strategies for publication of seminar papers where warranted.

The oral exam will culminate in one of four outcomes: Pass (to the Ph.D.), Pass with Revision, Terminal Pass (M.A. only), or Fail. In the case of a Fail, the student may retake the exam only once, under conditions determined by the Examination Committee. In the case of a Terminal Pass (M.A. only), students are not permitted to retake the exam. administered in the spring quarter, from which each student will choose three prompts to respond to in an essay of 2500-3500 words, inclusive of short-form citations but exclusive of bibliography.

Thesis Plan

None.

Time-to-Degree

The course requirements for the degree could be finished within three quarters (three courses per quarter) and are expected to be finished within five, with an additional quarter devoted to preparing for and taking the comprehensive examination. The examination must be taken by the sixth quarter.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
M.A.	6	6	9

Doctoral Degree

Advising

The Director of Graduate Studies serves as the administrative graduate adviser for all incoming students. The Director signs necessary petitions and other documents. Once a year, each student’s progress is reviewed. Students are required to submit a progress report in the seventh week of spring quarter, which is reviewed by the whole faculty. Students are responsible for checking the accuracy of their official study list through MyUCLA.

For additional information on advising, students should consult the Guide for Graduate Students on the departmental website.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

The department offers the Ph.D. degree in the field of historical musicology. Degrees in composition, performance, and ethnomusicology and systematic musicology are offered through other departments.

Foreign Language Requirement

Students are normally required to master a language other than English as part of their doctoral studies. Students are informed of the language requirement upon admission to the program, and should designate their language as soon as they know their areas of specialization. If the student is working on a topic that does not evidently require foreign language skills, the student should consult the Director of Graduate Studies about the language most suitable to their program of study.

The methods for fulfilling the requirement may include, but are not limited to: (1) completion of an appropriate level of language instruction; (2) passing a departmental language examination; or (3) demonstration of previously acquired language skills through documentation or an examination.

Language proficiency must be demonstrated at the time of the scheduling of the University Oral Qualifying Examination for the doctoral degree, which in this department consists of a defense of the dissertation prospectus, as outlined below.

Course Requirements

Full track: Students who are on the full M.A./Ph.D. track must complete 17 courses (70 units). Students must first complete the M.A. course requirements, which consist of ten courses (44 units) at the 200 level. These courses are Musicology 200A, 200B, 200C, M201, and six different offerings of Musicology 248. At the Ph.D. level, students must complete seven additional courses (26 units): an additional M201, and six different offerings of Musicology 248. At both the M.A. and the Ph.D. levels, students may substitute 252, up to one seminar in Ethnomusicology, and up to two approved courses from other departments at UCLA for the graduate level elective seminars. All 17 courses applied toward the degree, except for M201, must be taken for a letter grade. In addition, students are required to enroll in 1 unit of 202ABC per quarter until they complete their Special Fields Exams.

*Students on the M.A./Ph.D. track must complete Musicology 245, 250, and 255 twice, with different special topics.

Advanced track: Students who begin the program with a previously earned master’s degree in Musicology (or the equivalent) will be evaluated at the time of their admission to the program by the Chair and Director of Graduate Studies for their eligibility to complete the advanced track. The advanced track consists of 13 courses (54 units) at the 200 level. These courses are Musicology 200A, 200B, 200C, M201, and eight different offerings of Musicology 248. Students may substitute 252, up to one seminar in Ethnomusicology, and up to two approved courses from other departments at UCLA for the graduate level elective seminars. All 13 courses applied toward the degree, except M201, must be taken for a letter grade. In addition, students are required to enroll in 1 unit of 202ABC per quarter until they complete their Special Fields Exams.

Teaching Experience

Although not required, it is expected that each student will serve as a teaching assistant for at least one year.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

Academic Senate regulations require all doctoral students to complete and pass university written and oral qualifying examinations prior to doctoral advancement to candidacy. Also, under Senate regulations, the University Oral Qualifying Examination is open only to the student and appointed members of the doctoral committee. In addition to university requirements, some graduate programs have other pre-candidacy examination requirements. What follows in this section is how students are required to fulfill all of these requirements for this doctoral program.

All committee nominations and reconstitutions adhere to the Minimum Standards for Doctoral Committee Constitution.

Soon after completion of the doctoral course work, normally at the end of the third year, students take the Special Field Examination, which includes both written and oral components. By this time, the student must have decided upon an area of specialization and secured the agreement of a qualified faculty member to serve as the dissertation adviser. Taking into account the field designated and the suggestions of the student and the adviser, the chair approves the appointment of three faculty members to serve as the examining committee. Three months before the examination, the student submits to the committee members a reading and repertoire list related to the area of specialization. Typically, this consists of a bibliography in the general area of the dissertation research and a list of relevant musical works, together totaling no more than 50 items. The members of the examining committee (in consultation with one another to avoid duplication) each formulate one or more questions relating to the topic, repertoire, and methods thus staked out by the student. The student is allowed one week to address these topics in an essay of 3000-4000 words, inclusive of short-form citations but exclusive of bibliography, using any desired research materials. After the completed written examination has been distributed to the examiners, a two-hour oral examination is scheduled. At this time, the committee may discuss the results of the written examination with the student and ask further questions related to the area of the dissertation research. If a majority of the committee determines that the written and oral examinations have been passed, the student begins preparation for the second stage, the University Oral Qualifying Examination. If the committee determines that the written and oral examinations have not been passed, the student may retake the Special Field Examination after six months of further preparation. More than one such attempt may be granted at the discretion of the full faculty.

The University Oral Qualifying Examination is a defense of the dissertation prospectus. All other requirements, including language proficiency, must be satisfied before this examination can be scheduled. At least two weeks before the examination, the student must submit the prospectus to the members of the examination committee, who may be, but are not required to be, the same as those on the first committee. The prospectus must be a substantially researched overview of the proposed dissertation that demonstrates that the student is fully prepared to undertake the dissertation project. Students are encouraged to consult with the members of their committee before the examination, which concentrates on the feasibility and significance of the project and the student’s preparation for it. If the defense is unsatisfactory, the candidate may repeat the examination once, at the discretion of the full faculty. After passing this examination, the student is advanced to candidacy and begins to write the dissertation. Candidates are encouraged to enroll in or audit seminars in their field whenever they are offered.

Advancement to Candidacy

Students are advanced to candidacy and awarded the Candidate in Philosophy (C.Phil.) degree upon successful completion of the written and oral qualifying examinations.

Doctoral Dissertation

Every doctoral degree program requires the completion of an approved dissertation that demonstrates the student’s ability to perform original, independent research and constitutes a distinct contribution to knowledge in the principal field of study.

Final Oral Examination (Defense of Dissertation)

Required for all students in the program.

Time-to-Degree

For students with no deficiencies upon admission to graduate status, the normal progress, after M.A. examinations, toward the Ph.D. degree is as follows:

From admission to the program to completion of course work: nine quarters.
From admission to defense of the dissertation proposal and advancement to candidacy: 12 quarters.
From advancement to candidacy to final oral examination: six quarters.
Total time to award of the degree: 18 quarters.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
Ph.D.	11	17	30

Academic Disqualification and Appeal of Disqualification

University Policy

A student who fails to meet the above requirements may be recommended for academic disqualification from graduate study. A graduate student may be disqualified from continuing in the graduate program for a variety of reasons. The most common is failure to maintain the minimum cumulative grade point average (3.00) required by the Academic Senate to remain in good standing (some programs require a higher grade point average). Other examples include failure of examinations, lack of timely progress toward the degree and poor performance in core courses. Probationary students (those with cumulative grade point averages below 3.00) are subject to immediate dismissal upon the recommendation of their department. University guidelines governing academic disqualification of graduate students, including the appeal procedure, are outlined in Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA.

Special Departmental or Program Policy

In addition to the standard reasons outlined above, a student may specifically be recommended for academic disqualification because of (1) a terminal master’s degree recommendation from the student’s master’s committee, or (2) consistent and prolonged failure to progress toward the degree as documented in the student’s file in at least two yearly departmental evaluations. Any recommendation for academic disqualification is forwarded to the department chair for review and decision. The chair may consult with the student’s dissertation chair, if appropriate, and with the Executive Committee of the department. The student is notified of a recommendation for academic disqualification in writing.

A student may appeal a recommendation for academic disqualification by stating the reasons in writing to the departmental chair.

Applicable only to students admitted during the 2025-2026 academic year.

Musicology

Herb Alpert School of Music

Graduate Degrees

The Department of Musicology offers the Master of Arts (M.A.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Musicology.

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

Advising

The Director of Graduate Studies serves as the administrative graduate adviser for all incoming students. The Director signs necessary petitions and other documents. Once a year, each student’s progress is reviewed. Students are required to submit a progress report in the seventh week of spring quarter, which is reviewed by the whole faculty. The faculty meeting on student progress is followed up by a discussion between the student, the department chair, and the Director of Graduate Studies. Students are responsible for checking the accuracy of their official study list through MyUCLA.

For additional information on advising, students should consult the Guide for Graduate Students on the departmental website.

Areas of Study

The department offers the M.A. degree in the field of historical musicology. Degrees in composition, performance, and ethnomusicology are offered through other departments.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

The M.A. course requirements consist of ten courses (44 units) at the 200 level. These courses are Musicology 200A, 200B, 200C, M201, and six different offerings from Musicology 248. Students may substitute 252, up to one seminar in Ethnomusicology, and up to two approved courses from other departments at UCLA for Musicology 248, with permission. All ten courses applied to the degree, except M201, must be taken for a letter grade. In addition, students are required to enroll I 1 unit of 202ABC per quarter until they complete their Comprehensive Exams.

Teaching Experience

Although not required, it is expected that each student will serve as a teaching assistant for at least one year.

Field Experience

Not required.

Capstone Plan

Students take the comprehensive examination as they complete their course requirements, normally by the end of their sixth quarter. The examination is scheduled by the faculty for near the end of spring quarter and all second-year students take it together. Students who enter with an M.A. in Musicology may, with permission of the faculty, choose to take the exam at the end of their first year.

The examination is intended to test students’ skill at historical analysis, knowledge of a body of critical theory, interpretive and music analytical abilities, and the capacity for critical and reflective thinking, as evidenced in their writing and in discussion.

In anticipation of the examination, students will be given a set of 9 topics, each with a short “starter” bibliography (to be expanded by the student), by the end of fall preceding the exams.

In April prior to the exam, students who have not yet earned an M.A. in Musicology (or the equivalent) at another institution will submit a portfolio consisting of two revised final papers (or one final paper and a final project) from UCLA Musicology seminars, to be read by the faculty Examination Committee. Students who enter with an M.A. in Musicology or the equivalent from another institution are not required to submit the portfolio.

The Examination Committee will devise a specific essay prompt for five of the nine topics distributed in the previous fall for a four-day “take home” exam to be.

Finally, if the Examination Committee deems that all submitted materials (portfolio and exam essays) are acceptable, there will be an oral exam of up to two hours with the Examination Committee, in which the student’s revised seminar papers (if required) and take-home essays will be discussed, including possibilities and strategies for publication of seminar papers where warranted.

The oral exam will culminate in one of four outcomes: Pass (to the Ph.D.), Pass with Revision, Terminal Pass (M.A. only), or Fail. In the case of a Fail, the student may retake the exam only once, under conditions determined by the Examination Committee. In the case of a Terminal Pass (M.A. only), students are not permitted to retake the exam. administered in the spring quarter, from which each student will choose three prompts to respond to in an essay of 2500-3500 words, inclusive of short-form citations but exclusive of bibliography.

Thesis Plan

None.

Time-to-Degree

The course requirements for the degree could be finished within three quarters (three courses per quarter) and are expected to be finished within five, with an additional quarter devoted to preparing for and taking the comprehensive examination. The examination must be taken by the sixth quarter.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
M.A.	6	6	9

Doctoral Degree

Advising

The Director of Graduate Studies serves as the administrative graduate adviser for all incoming students. The Director signs necessary petitions and other documents. Once a year, each student’s progress is reviewed. Students are required to submit a progress report in the seventh week of spring quarter, which is reviewed by the whole faculty. Students are responsible for checking the accuracy of their official study list through MyUCLA.

For additional information on advising, students should consult the Guide for Graduate Students on the departmental website.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

The department offers the Ph.D. degree in the field of historical musicology. Degrees in composition, performance, and ethnomusicology and systematic musicology are offered through other departments.

Foreign Language Requirement

Students are normally required to master a language other than English as part of their doctoral studies. Students are informed of the language requirement upon admission to the program, and should designate their language as soon as they know their areas of specialization. If the student is working on a topic that does not evidently require foreign language skills, the student should consult the Director of Graduate Studies about the language most suitable to their program of study.

The methods for fulfilling the requirement may include, but are not limited to: (1) completion of an appropriate level of language instruction; (2) passing a departmental language examination; or (3) demonstration of previously acquired language skills through documentation or an examination.

Language proficiency must be demonstrated at the time of the scheduling of the University Oral Qualifying Examination for the doctoral degree, which in this department consists of a defense of the dissertation prospectus, as outlined below.

Course Requirements

Full track: Students who are on the full M.A./Ph.D. track must complete 17 courses (70 units). Students must first complete the M.A. course requirements, which consist of ten courses (44 units) at the 200 level. These courses are Musicology 200A, 200B, 200C, M201, and six different offerings of Musicology 248. At the Ph.D. level, students must complete seven additional courses (26 units): an additional M201, and six different offerings of Musicology 248. At both the M.A. and the Ph.D. levels, students may substitute 252, up to one seminar in Ethnomusicology, and up to two approved courses from other departments at UCLA for the graduate level elective seminars. All 17 courses applied toward the degree, except for M201, must be taken for a letter grade. In addition, students are required to enroll in 1 unit of 202ABC per quarter until they complete their Special Fields Exams.

*Students on the M.A./Ph.D. track must complete Musicology 245, 250, and 255 twice, with different special topics.

Advanced track: Students who begin the program with a previously earned master’s degree in Musicology (or the equivalent) will be evaluated at the time of their admission to the program by the Chair and Director of Graduate Studies for their eligibility to complete the advanced track. The advanced track consists of 13 courses (54 units) at the 200 level. These courses are Musicology 200A, 200B, 200C, M201, and eight different offerings of Musicology 248. Students may substitute 252, up to one seminar in Ethnomusicology, and up to two approved courses from other departments at UCLA for the graduate level elective seminars. All 13 courses applied toward the degree, except M201, must be taken for a letter grade. In addition, students are required to enroll in 1 unit of 202ABC per quarter until they complete their Special Fields Exams.

Teaching Experience

Although not required, it is expected that each student will serve as a teaching assistant for at least one year.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

Academic Senate regulations require all doctoral students to complete and pass university written and oral qualifying examinations prior to doctoral advancement to candidacy. Also, under Senate regulations, the University Oral Qualifying Examination is open only to the student and appointed members of the doctoral committee. In addition to university requirements, some graduate programs have other pre-candidacy examination requirements. What follows in this section is how students are required to fulfill all of these requirements for this doctoral program.

All committee nominations and reconstitutions adhere to the Minimum Standards for Doctoral Committee Constitution.

Soon after completion of the doctoral course work, normally at the end of the third year, students take the Special Field Examination, which includes both written and oral components. By this time, the student must have decided upon an area of specialization and secured the agreement of a qualified faculty member to serve as the dissertation adviser. Taking into account the field designated and the suggestions of the student and the adviser, the chair approves the appointment of three faculty members to serve as the examining committee. Three months before the examination, the student submits to the committee members a reading and repertoire list related to the area of specialization. Typically, this consists of a bibliography in the general area of the dissertation research and a list of relevant musical works, together totaling no more than 50 items. The members of the examining committee (in consultation with one another to avoid duplication) each formulate one or more questions relating to the topic, repertoire, and methods thus staked out by the student. The student is allowed one week to address these topics in an essay of 3000-4000 words, inclusive of short-form citations but exclusive of bibliography, using any desired research materials. After the completed written examination has been distributed to the examiners, a two-hour oral examination is scheduled. At this time, the committee may discuss the results of the written examination with the student and ask further questions related to the area of the dissertation research. If a majority of the committee determines that the written and oral examinations have been passed, the student begins preparation for the second stage, the University Oral Qualifying Examination. If the committee determines that the written and oral examinations have not been passed, the student may retake the Special Field Examination after six months of further preparation. More than one such attempt may be granted at the discretion of the full faculty.

The University Oral Qualifying Examination is a defense of the dissertation prospectus. All other requirements, including language proficiency, must be satisfied before this examination can be scheduled. At least two weeks before the examination, the student must submit the prospectus to the members of the examination committee, who may be, but are not required to be, the same as those on the first committee. The prospectus must be a substantially researched overview of the proposed dissertation that demonstrates that the student is fully prepared to undertake the dissertation project. Students are encouraged to consult with the members of their committee before the examination, which concentrates on the feasibility and significance of the project and the student’s preparation for it. If the defense is unsatisfactory, the candidate may repeat the examination once, at the discretion of the full faculty. After passing this examination, the student is advanced to candidacy and begins to write the dissertation. Candidates are encouraged to enroll in or audit seminars in their field whenever they are offered.

Advancement to Candidacy

Students are advanced to candidacy and awarded the Candidate in Philosophy (C.Phil.) degree upon successful completion of the written and oral qualifying examinations.

Doctoral Dissertation

Every doctoral degree program requires the completion of an approved dissertation that demonstrates the student’s ability to perform original, independent research and constitutes a distinct contribution to knowledge in the principal field of study.

Final Oral Examination (Defense of Dissertation)

Required for all students in the program.

Time-to-Degree

For students with no deficiencies upon admission to graduate status, the normal progress, after M.A. examinations, toward the Ph.D. degree is as follows:

From admission to the program to completion of course work: nine quarters.
From admission to defense of the dissertation proposal and advancement to candidacy: 12 quarters.
From advancement to candidacy to final oral examination: six quarters.
Total time to award of the degree: 18 quarters.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
Ph.D.	11	17	30

Academic Disqualification and Appeal of Disqualification

University Policy

A student who fails to meet the above requirements may be recommended for academic disqualification from graduate study. A graduate student may be disqualified from continuing in the graduate program for a variety of reasons. The most common is failure to maintain the minimum cumulative grade point average (3.00) required by the Academic Senate to remain in good standing (some programs require a higher grade point average). Other examples include failure of examinations, lack of timely progress toward the degree and poor performance in core courses. Probationary students (those with cumulative grade point averages below 3.00) are subject to immediate dismissal upon the recommendation of their department. University guidelines governing academic disqualification of graduate students, including the appeal procedure, are outlined in Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA.

Special Departmental or Program Policy

In addition to the standard reasons outlined above, a student may specifically be recommended for academic disqualification because of (1) a terminal master’s degree recommendation from the student’s master’s committee, or (2) consistent and prolonged failure to progress toward the degree as documented in the student’s file in at least two yearly departmental evaluations. Any recommendation for academic disqualification is forwarded to the department chair for review and decision. The chair may consult with the student’s dissertation chair, if appropriate, and with the Executive Committee of the department. The student is notified of a recommendation for academic disqualification in writing.

A student may appeal a recommendation for academic disqualification by stating the reasons in writing to the departmental chair.

Applicable only to students admitted during the 2015-2016 academic year.

Ethnomusicology

School of the Arts and Architecture

Graduate Degrees

The Department of Ethnomusicology offers the Master of Arts (M.A.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Ethnomusicology.

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

Advising

Upon entrance, students are assigned a faculty adviser who guides them through their first year of coursework and program requirements. In the second and subsequent years, students choose a faculty adviser who shares their area of interest or theoretical perspective. The Director of Graduate Studies also acts as an adviser to graduate students. Students must plan their program under the guidance of their adviser and are required to contact their adviser at the beginning of each quarter to obtain approval of their course of study. Students are responsible for checking URSA to be certain their official list of courses is correct.

At the end of each year, students are evaluated by the faculty and provided with a written assessment of their work and progress in the program. These annual evaluations will be taken into consideration when assigning support in the form of fellowships and teaching assistantships.

Areas of Study

The department offers the M.A. degree in Ethnomusicology, with the option of a specialization in systematic musicology.

Foreign Language Requirement

A reading knowledge of one language other than English relevant to the student’s research is required. Students are encouraged to acquire competence in their field language as soon as possible. Students may satisfy the language requirement by (1) passing an examination administered by the department or a language department of the University; (2) completing the fifth quarter in the language with a minimum grade of B, or (3) demonstrating literacy through submission of transcripts or other documents that show coursework or experience in the language. The choice of language and the method of satisfying the requirement must be approved by the Executive Committee or ladder faculty.

Course Requirements

All students. Students are required to complete a minimum of 52 quarter units of upper division and graduate courses (normally 12 courses), of which 36 units (normally eight courses) must be at the graduate level. Of these, six courses constitute a core of required courses: Ethnomusicology 201, 202, 205, 206, 281A, and 282. Six are elective courses, of which a minimum of three must be in the department and a minimum of two must be at the graduate level. Beyond these minimum requirements, students may fill in their electives with upper division courses and courses in other departments.

With respect to the six required courses, here is a student’s likely study plan for the first year:
Fall Quarter: Ethnomusicology 201 and 205
Winter Quarter: Ethnomusicology 206 and 282
Spring Quarter: Ethnomusicology 202 and 281A

Students are strongly encouraged to develop a second area of expertise outside of ethnomusicology or systematic musicology in a discipline or a topic that may aid their research or make them more versatile teachers at the college and university level.

Students must receive the approval of their faculty adviser in planning the elective portion of their program.

Language and performance courses may not be applied toward these requirements, and no more than four units of all types of 500-series courses (596 or 597) may be applied toward the minimum graduate course requirement.

Students may also be required to take extra courses to make up deficiencies. These may include all or part of Ethnomusicology 20A-20B-20C if students have not taken a year of similar surveys or area studies courses at the undergraduate level; appropriate music theory courses determined by the faculty member administering the music theory placement test, if students have inadequate training in music theory; and introductory courses in the social sciences if these are absent from the student’s undergraduate record. These courses must be taken for credit and passed with a letter-grade of B or better (i.e. NOT taken S/U). The sole exception is that in some cases the faculty member administering the music theory placement test may recommend a student audit and do the work for part of an appropriate music theory course, in which case the faculty member will evaluate whether the deficiency has been removed. A graduate student who does not get a grade of B or better in any of the Ethnomusicology 20ABC series may retake the course in question only once. If on the second attempt they still fail to obtain a grade of B or better, they will be automatically dropped from the graduate program.

Students must enroll in a minimum of six quarters of ethnomusicology performance organizations, Ethnomusicology 91A-91Z or 161A-161Z, credits for which are not applied to their degree.

Students in the specialization of systematic musicology. Students are required to complete a minimum of 52 quarter units of upper division and graduate courses (normally 12 courses), of which 36 quarter units (normally eight or nine courses) must be at the graduate level. Of these, three constitute a core of required courses: Ethnomusicology C203, C204, and one of Musicology 245, 250, or 255. Nine are elective courses, of which a minimum of five must be in the department and a minimum of five must be at the graduate level. Beyond these minimum requirements, students may fill in their electives with upper division courses and courses in other departments.

Language and performance courses may not be applied toward this requirement, and no more than four units of 500-series courses (596 or 597) may be applied toward the minimum graduate course requirement. Students must receive the approval of their faculty adviser in planning the elective portion of their program.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

With the exception of Systematic Musicology students, fieldwork is required.

Comprehensive Examination Plan

The comprehensive examination for the ethnomusicology specialization consists of two parts: a research paper of a length, form, and originality to warrant submission to a scholarly journal; and an oral examination on that research paper and on the history, method, and theory of ethnomusicology. A faculty adviser, chosen by the student, advises the student as they write the paper. The adviser and two standing committee members, chosen by the department, administer the oral examination. Each member of this three-person committee grades the examination High Pass, Pass, Low Pass, or Fail. If at least two of the three committee members award one of the passing grades, then the overall result is a pass. If at least two of the three committee members award a Fail, then the overall result is a fail.

In the systematic musicology specialization, the comprehensive examination consists of a research paper supervised by a three-person faculty committee. If the committee’s grade is High Pass or Pass, no oral examination is required. If the grade is Low Pass, an oral examination is required.

For all students a failed examination may be re-taken only once, on a specified date and time during the next regular quarter.

Thesis Plan

None.

Time-to-Degree

For full-time students with no deficiencies upon admission to graduate status, the normal progress toward the degree is as follows:

From graduate admission to completion of required courses and M.A. comprehensive examination, and award of the M.A. degree: 6 quarters.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
MA	6	6	9

Doctoral Degree

Upon passing the M.A. examination students may petition the faculty to continue in the Ph.D. program. A petition that is approved allows the student to continue in the Ph.D. program. A petition that is denied by a majority of the ladder faculty can be appealed once for further consideration by the faculty. If a majority of the faculty votes to deny the petition again, that decision is final.

Advising

When a student enters the program, they are assigned a faculty adviser who guides them through their first year of coursework with the assistance of the Director of Graduate Studies. In the second and subsequent years, students choose a faculty adviser. Students must plan their program under the guidance of their adviser and are required to contact their adviser at the beginning of each quarter to obtain approval of their course of study. Students are responsible for checking URSA to be sure their official lists of courses is correct.

At the end of each year, students are evaluated by the faculty and provided with a written assessment of their work and progress in the program. These annual evaluations will be taken into consideration when assigning support in the form of fellowships and teaching assistantships.

Major Fields or Subdisciplines

The department offers the Ph.D. degree in Ethnomusicology, with the option of a specialization in systematic musicology.

Foreign Language Requirement

A reading knowledge of two languages other than English relevant to the student’s research is required. Students may satisfy language requirements by (1) by passing an examination administered by the department or another department of the University, (2) by completing the fifth quarter in the language with a minimum grade of B, or (3) by demonstrating literacy through submission of transcripts that contain records of language courses or other documents that show coursework or experience in the language. The choice of language and the method of satisfying the requirement must be approved by the Executive Committee or ladder faculty.

Course Requirements

Students must take a minimum of 27 quarter units of graduate and upper division courses (normally six to nine courses), including a minimum of three quarters of Ethnomusicology 291, the one-unit departmental colloquium. A minimum of 12 units (normally three courses) must be in the department and a minimum of 16 units (normally four courses) must be graduate level seminars. Beyond these minimum requirements, students may fill in their electives with upper division courses and courses in other departments. Students must obtain the approval of their faculty adviser for the courses they choose.

Students are strongly encouraged to develop a second area of expertise outside ethnomusicology in a discipline or a topic that may aid their research or make them more versatile teachers at the college and university level.

No more than four units of Ethnomusicology 596 may be counted toward the six required courses.

Students must enroll in a minimum of three quarter-length courses of ethnomusicology performance organizations (Ethnomusicology 91A-91Z, 161A-Z), credits for which are not applied to their degree.

All entering students may be required to take additional coursework to make up deficiencies. Often these courses are one or more of the core seminars in the M.A. program or world music/theory courses and do not apply toward degree requirements. Students who hold an M.A. degree in ethnomusicology or a related field from another university may petition to apply previous coursework toward the doctoral course requirements.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

Academic Senate regulations require all doctoral students to complete and pass University written and oral qualifying examinations prior to doctoral advancement to candidacy. Also, under Senate regulations the University oral qualifying examination is open only to the student and appointed members of the doctoral committee. In addition to University requirements, some graduate programs have other pre-candidacy examination requirements. What follows in this section is how students are required to fulfill all of these requirements for this doctoral program.

When the course and language requirements have been completed, the student submits to the faculty petitions for (1) doctoral dissertation committee; and (2) the qualifying examination topics and examining professors, as detailed below. The doctoral examinations consist of four written qualifying examinations, a detailed dissertation proposal, and the University Oral Qualifying Examination.

The written examinations in ethnomusicology are in the following areas:

(1) History, theory, and method of ethnomusicology;

(2) Music cultures of the world;

(3) A cultural/geographical area or theoretical approach in ethnomusicology or a topic or discipline outside of ethnomusicology;

(4) A second cultural/geographical area or theoretical approach in ethnomusicology or a topic or discipline outside of ethnomusicology.

The written examinations in the systematic musicology specialization are in the following areas:

(1) History, theory, and method in systematic musicology;

(2) One of the theoretical approaches to systematic musicology: psychology, sociology, organology, ethnomusicology, acoustics, or aesthetics;

(3) General western music theory and history;

(4) A topic outside of systematic musicology or another of the theoretical approaches to systematic musicology listed in (2) above.

In both the specialization in ethnomusicology and the specialization in systematic musicology, some examinations may be take-home examinations or papers. Each of the four exams is administered by a faculty member chosen by the student. The examination subjects and the professors must be approved by petition to the Faculty Executive Committee. Each examination is graded by the professor giving the exam, and the student passes or fails each examination based on the evaluation of that professor. It is permissible for one professor to give two out of these four examinations, but there must be a minimum of three professors giving the four examinations. All four examinations must be successfully completed before the student can move on to take the University Oral Qualifying Examination.

Students may re-take any failed examination(s) only once, on a specified date and time during the next regular quarter.

The written examinations are taken within a two-week period, and during this period the dissertation proposal must also be submitted to the members of the doctoral dissertation committee. The University Oral Qualifying Examination is taken between one and three weeks after submission of the written examinations and dissertation proposal. The University Oral Qualifying Examination is primarily a defense of the doctoral dissertation proposal, especially its relation to previous research in the area and to theory and method in ethnomusicology.

Advancement to Candidacy

Students are advanced to candidacy and awarded the Candidate in Philosophy (C.Phil.) degree upon successful completion of the written and oral qualifying examinations.

Doctoral Dissertation

Every doctoral degree program requires the completion of an approved dissertation that demonstrates the student’s ability to perform original, independent research and constitutes a distinct contribution to knowledge in the principal field of study.

Final Oral Examination (Defense of the Dissertation)

Required for all students in the Ph.D. program.

Time-to-Degree

For full-time students with no deficiencies upon admission to graduate status, the normal progress toward the degree is as follows:

(a) From graduate admission to admission to the doctoral program: six quarters.
(b) From graduate admission to written and oral qualifying examinations, approval of the dissertation proposal and advancement to candidacy: 11 quarters.
(c) From advancement to candidacy to final oral examination: seven quarters.
(d) From graduate admission to award of the degree: 18 quarters.

After advancement to candidacy, students in Ethnomusicology normally engage in a year of fieldwork/research and an additional year of writing the dissertation. Students in the specialization of systematic musicology normally complete the dissertation research and writing within two years.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
PhD	5	12	18

Termination of Graduate Study and Appeal of Termination

University Policy

A student who fails to meet the above requirements may be recommended for termination of graduate study. A graduate student may be disqualified from continuing in the graduate program for a variety of reasons. The most common is failure to maintain the minimum cumulative grade point average (3.00) required by the Academic Senate to remain in good standing (some programs require a higher grade point average). Other examples include failure of examinations, lack of timely progress toward the degree as determined by the dissertation committee, and poor performance in core courses. Probationary students (those with cumulative grade point averages below 3.00) are subject to immediate dismissal upon the recommendation of their department. University guidelines governing termination of graduate students, including the appeal procedure, are outlined in Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA.

Special Departmental or Program Policy

None.