Requirements and Courses

The Ph.D. requires a minimum of three years of full-time resident study (six full-time terms) beyond a bachelor's degree. A candidate who holds a master's degree in the area of specialization may, on the recommendation of the Department, be permitted to count the work done for the master's degree as the first year of resident study.

Additional required courses may be assigned to candidates following transcript review and/or placement exams.

Thesis

All courses, language reading requirements and the comprehensive examinations must be successfully completed before the thesis proposal is submitted.

Language Reading Requirements

Music Theory

One foreign-language reading examination required. Students whose mother tongue is French are exempt from the French Reading Examination.

Students may fulfill the language requirement by taking language course(s) at McGill. Proficiency will be measured by either 12 credits of beginner’s undergraduate or 6 credits of intermediate study or by passing the Language Reading Examination. The examination consists of two passages from the scholarly literature. The student is asked to translate both passages into her/his mother tongue in good literate style within three hours. One of the passages will usually have a theoretical/analytical emphasis in order to test the student’s knowledge of technical vocabulary. Dictionaries may be used. The exam can be taken in December, May and August of each year.

The exam may be taken no more than twice. Students are encouraged to register for a course if the first effort is not successful.

Required Courses

MUGS 701 Comprehensive Examinations
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

MUGS 705 Colloquium
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

Attendance for four terms of the Doctoral Colloquium, and at least one presentation of the student's thesis research is required.

Additional Required Courses for Gender & Women's Studies

WMST 601 Feminist Theories and Methods 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

WMST 602 Feminist Research Symposium 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

Complementary Courses (0-30 credits) See below for Gender and Women’s Studies Option.

Students entering in Ph.D. 1

15 credits of seminars at the 600 level or higher, approved by the Department. For Music Theory students, 0-6 credits will be selected from the following if not taken previously or equivalent courses:

MUTH 658 History of Music Theory 1 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

MUTH 659 History of Music Theory 2 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

0-15 credits of additional seminars at the 600 or higher, will be assigned by the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies in Music in consultation with the area coordinator, or the admissions committee for students in Interdisciplinary Studies, at the time of the admissions.

Complementary Courses (12-27 credits) for Gender and Women’s Studies option.

Students entering in Ph.D. 1

27 credits of seminars at the 600 level or higher, approved by the Department (3 of the 27 credits must be in gender/women's studies, taken in the Schulich School of Music or outside and approved by the Musicology or Theory area.

Students entering in Ph.D. 2

12 credits of seminars at the 600 level or higher, approved by the Schulich School of Music (3 of the 12 credits must be in gender/women's studies, taken in the Schulich School of Music or outside and approved by the Musicology or Theory area).

MUTH 658 History of Music Theory 1 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

MUTH 659 History of Music Theory 2 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

Music Theory students only:

MUTH 710 Teaching Practicum
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

MUTH 711 General Examinations
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

 

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