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Program Requirements for Ethnomusicology
Applicable only to students admitted during the 2021-2022 academic year.
Ethnomusicology
Herb Alpert School of Music
Graduate Degrees
The Department of Ethnomusicology offers the Master of Arts (M.A.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Ethnomusicology. Students are only admitted to the program with a Ph.D. as their degree objective.
Master’s Degree
Advising
Upon entrance, students are advised by the Director of Graduate Studies, who guides them through their first year of course work and program requirements. In the second and subsequent years, students choose a faculty adviser who shares their area of interest or theoretical perspective. Students must plan their program under the guidance of the Director of Graduate Studies or 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 MyUCLA to ensure that 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. Students have the option to add a specialization in music and anthropology in consultation with their adviser.
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 course work or experience in the language. The choice of language and the method of satisfying the requirement must be approved by the Graduate Advisory Committee.
Course Requirements
48 quarter units (normally 12 courses) of upper division (100 series) and graduate courses (200 series) are required for the M.A. in Ethnomusicology, of which 32 units (normally eight courses) must be at the graduate level. Of these, four courses constitute a core of required courses: Ethnomusicology 215A, 215B, 216A, and 216B. Students are also strongly encouraged to enroll in Ethnomusicology 185, Information Literacy and Research Skills, in the fall quarter of their first year.
Students must enroll in a minimum of six quarters of ethnomusicology performance ensembles, Ethnomusicology 68A-O, 168A-O, 91A-91Z, or 161A-161Z, credits for which are not applied to their degree. Language and performance courses may not be applied toward course 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 must receive the approval of the Director of Graduate Studies or their faculty adviser in planning the elective portion of their program.
Students are strongly encouraged to develop a second area of expertise outside of ethnomusicology in a discipline or a topic that may aid their research or make them more versatile teachers at the college and university level.
Students may be advised to take additional upper division undergraduate courses to make up deficiencies. These courses may include undergraduate area studies courses and introductory courses in the social sciences. Additional required upper-division undergraduate courses must be taken for credit and passed with a letter-grade of B or better (i.e. NOT taken S/U). The student’s faculty adviser may also strongly recommend that students enroll in geographical area studies, music theory, or social science courses if the student has not had sufficient preparation and training.
A student’s likely study plan in Year 1 is as follows:
- Fall Quarter: Ethnomusicology 185, 215A
- Winter Quarter: Ethnomusicology 215B, 216A
- Spring Quarter: Ethnomusicology 216B
Students who are NOT in the specialization of music and anthropology. In addition to the four core courses, students complete eight elective courses, of which two must be taken from Series I and two from Series II.
- Series I courses (at least two): Ethnomusicology C200, C203, C204, C255, M261, 262, 263, 264, 265, 266, 267, 268, 275, 280, 283, 284, 285, C286, 287, CM288, 289.
- Series II courses (at least two): Ethnomusicology 207, 208, M211, CM212, C224, 228, 230, 233A, 233B, 233C, C236B, 237, C240, C241, 248, C250, 251, 252, C256A, C259.
Beyond these requirements, students may fill in their electives with upper division courses and courses in other departments.
Students in the specialization of music and anthropology. In addition to the four core courses, students complete three required courses in the Anthropology Department:
- Anthropology 203A: Course Seminar, Sociocultural Anthropology—Historical and Philosophical Foundations of Anthropology.
- Anthropology 203B: Core Seminar, Sociocultural Anthropology—Sociocultural Systems and Ethnography, Anthropology at Mid-Century
- Anthropology 203C: Core Seminar, Sociocultural Anthropology—Scientific and Interpretive Frameworks in Contemporary Anthropology
Students who wish to take other core courses in an anthropological subfield such as linguistic anthropology may petition to replace one or more of the above sociocultural anthropology core courses with a core course or courses from a different anthropological subfield.
Students in the specialization of music and anthropology are also required to take five electives: one from Series I and one from Series II in the Department of Ethnomusicology (see above), and one elective in the Department of Anthropology. The remaining two electives may be taken inside or outside of the Department of Ethnomusicology.
Students with a limited background in anthropology should also consider taking Anthropology 130: Study of Culture or Anthropology 150: Study of Social Systems.
Teaching Experience
Not required.
Field Experience
Not required.
Capstone Plan
The capstone 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, known as the M.A. Comprehensive Exam. A faculty adviser, chosen by the student, advises the student as they write the paper.
An M.A. Examination Committee, consisting of two members chosen by the department along with the student’s faculty adviser, administers the oral examination. Each member of this three-person committee grades the examination High Pass, Pass, or Fail. If at least two of the three committee members award one of the passing grades (i.e., High Pass or Pass), 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.
For all students, a failed examination may be retaken only once on a date specified by the M.A. Examination Committee but no later than the end of the next regular quarter (Fall, Winter, and Spring).
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 |
| M.A. | 6 | 6 | 9 |
Doctoral Degree
Students admitted to the program without an M.A. must complete the M.A. before they can continue to the Ph.D. Upon passing the M.A. comprehensive examination, M.A. students may petition the faculty to continue into the Ph.D. program. A petition that is approved allows the M.A. student to continue into 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, and the Department will recommend the student for academic disqualification.
Advising
When students enter the program, they are advised by 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 MyUCLA to ensure that 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.
Major Fields or Subdisciplines
The department offers the Ph.D. degree in Ethnomusicology. Students have opportunities to develop specialized knowledge and skills in a range of areas. In addition, students have the option to add a specialization in music and anthropology.
Foreign Language Requirement
A reading knowledge of one language other than English relevant to the student’s research is required. Students who have completed the M.A. degree in ethnomusicology at UCLA will have already met the foreign language requirement. Students may satisfy language requirements by (1) passing an examination administered by the department or another 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 that contain records of language courses or other documents that show course work or experience in the language. The choice of language and the method of satisfying the requirement must be approved by the Graduate Advisory Committee.
Students whose doctoral research requires a fieldwork language will be expected to gain competence prior to undertaking their fieldwork.
Course Requirements
Students who earned an M.A. at UCLA or those who entered the program with a commensurate M.A. from another university must then complete the course requirements for the Ph.D. Students must complete 24 quarter units of graduate (200 series) and upper division (100 series) courses (normally six courses). 12 units (normally three courses) must be in the department and a minimum of 16 units (normally four courses) must be graduate level seminars. At least two of these courses should be from Series I.
- Series I courses (at least two): Ethno C200, C203, C204, C255, M261, 262, 263, 264, 265, 266, 267, 268, 275, 280, 283, 284, 285, C286, 287, CM288, 289.
- Series II courses: Ethno 207, 208, M211, CM212, C224, 228, 230, 233A, 233B, 233C, C236B, 237, C240, C241, 248, C250, 251, 252, C256A, C259.
Beyond these minimum requirements, students may fill in their electives with upper division courses and/or graduate courses or seminars in ethnomusicology and other departments. Students should consult with their faculty adviser for the courses they choose.
Students are strongly encouraged to develop a second area of expertise outside their main emphasis 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 entering at doctoral level who want to take the specialization in music and anthropology must complete three required courses in the Anthropology Department:
- Anthropology 203A: Course Seminar, Sociocultural Anthropology—Historical and Philosophical Foundations of Anthropology.
- Anthropology 203B: Core Seminar, Sociocultural Anthropology—Sociocultural Systems and Ethnography, Anthropology at Mid-Century
- Anthropology 203C: Core Seminar, Sociocultural Anthropology—Scientific and Interpretive Frameworks in Contemporary Anthropology
Students who wish to take other core courses in an anthropological subfield such as linguistic anthropology may petition to replace one or more of the above sociocultural anthropology core courses with a core course or courses from a different anthropological subfield.
The three anthropology core courses (203A, 203B, 203C) count towards the doctoral electives. Out of the four remaining doctoral electives, students must take a minimum of three from the Department of Ethnomusicology, out of which only one may be a core course (215A, 215B, 216A or 216B)
Students admitted directly into the PhD program without having first done the UCLA M.A. in ethnomusicology, who hold an M.A. degree in ethnomusicology or a related field from another university, or an M.A. degree in a related field from UCLA, may be required to take additional course work to make up deficiencies. Such students may be required to take one or more of the core seminars in the M.A. ethnomusicology program or world music/theory courses. These courses do not apply toward fulfilling the Ph.D. course requirements. Students will not be required to take courses that are considered to duplicate courses taken elsewhere comparable to the department’s offerings. The Graduate Studies Committee will decide which, if any, courses such students will be required to take.
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.
All committee nominations and reconstitutions adhere to the Minimum Standards for Doctoral Committee Constitution.
When the course and language requirements have been completed, the student must submit petitions to the Graduate Advisory Committee for: (1) the 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.
Students in the music and anthropology specialization. See Minimum Standards for Doctoral Committee Constitution webpage for additional doctoral committee standards.
Students typically complete their written examinations, dissertation proposal, and oral qualifying examination, and advance to candidacy, by their sixth quarter (Spring of their second year).
The written examinations in ethnomusicology consist of:
- History, theory, and method of ethnomusicology;
- Music cultures of the world;
- A cultural/geographical area or theoretical approach in ethnomusicology or a topic or discipline outside of ethnomusicology;
- A second area of emphasis, for example a theoretical approach in ethnomusicology, a secondary cultural/geographical area, or a topic drawing from a discipline outside of ethnomusicology.
The written examinations in the music and anthropology specialization consist of:
- History, theory, and method of ethnomusicology;
- Music cultures of the world;
- A cultural/geographical area or theoretical approach in ethnomusicology or a topic or discipline outside ethnomusicology;
- A theoretical or historical approach in anthropology
In the specialization in ethnomusicology and the specialization in music and anthropology, 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 Graduate Advisory 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 date specified by the doctoral committee or by the examiner(s), but no later than the end of the next regular quarter.
All four written examinations must be submitted within a two-week period.
The dissertation proposal must be submitted to the student’s dissertation committee at least two weeks prior to the University Oral Qualifying Exam. The University Oral Qualifying Examination is normally taken in the same quarter as the written qualifying examinations, and must be taken by the end of the next regular quarter (Fall, Winter, and Spring). 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, the normal progress toward the degree is as follows:
- From admission to the doctoral program to written and oral qualifying examinations, approval of the dissertation proposal and advancement to candidacy: 6 quarters.
- From advancement to candidacy to final oral examination: 6 quarters.
- From admission to the doctoral program to award of the degree: 12 quarters.
After advancement to candidacy, students in Ethnomusicology normally engage in a year of fieldwork/research and an additional year of writing the dissertation.
| DEGREE | NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters) | NORMATIVE TTD |
MAXIMUM TTD |
| Ph.D. | 6 | 12 | 18 |
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.