About PhD Program,
The Ph.D. program in Composition stresses training in the craft of composition, contemporary repertory, and theory and analysis. Instruction in composition comprises much of the course requirement; such instruction takes the form of private lessons. Participation in the concert life of the department and attendance at Composers’ Forum events complement that instruction. Students are assigned to particular instructors for composition lessons by the Director of Graduate Studies on the advice of the composition faculty. Composition instructors are assigned on a rotating basis to assure that all students are exposed to a variety of approaches and have the opportunity to work with each member of the composition faculty during the period of coursework. The Department of Music at the University of Pennsylvania also offers a Ph.D. program in Music Studies, and composition students also take several courses with the music studies faculty during their coursework.
The graduate program in Music Studies (Ethnomusicology, Historical Musicology, Theory of Music) at the University of Pennsylvania serves students who intend to conduct cutting-edge research, produce high-quality scholarship, and develop teaching and professional skills in order to pursue academic positions in music studies; it also serves those who want to consider career opportunities beyond academia in both music and non-music domains. Faculty apply methodological tools from ethnomusicology, sound studies, musicology, and music theory to a wide range of research projects. The goal of the graduate program is not to entrench these disciplinary distinctions, but rather to seek out productive and innovative means of placing them in dialogue with each other. This orientation toward holding all of the sub-disciplines in view is reflected in the graduate curriculum as well as in the annual colloquium series that animate departmental life.
PhD Program Degree Eligibility with GPA,
A portfolio of original compositions is one of the central requirements of the Master’s degree while a major composition serves as the dissertation at the doctoral level. In addition, Ph.D. candidates in composition must submit an article-length essay on an analytical, historical, or theoretical subject.
A significant amount of contemporary music is performed under the auspices of the Department of Music. The concert series Wail of the Voice includes a varied repertory of music by composers both within and outside the department. The Penn Sound Collective (formerly Penn Composer’s Guild), dedicated to the performance of works by student composers, draws its musicians primarily from the Curtis Institute of Music and from the ranks of professional players in Philadelphia. All degree candidates in composition are assured of the public performance of at least one work in each academic year. Orchestral works by student composers are often given readings by the orchestra of the Curtis Institute. Students are encouraged to participate in the preparation of these performances.
PhD Funding Coverage,
The University of Pennsylvania, based in Philadelphia, PA offers a fully funded PhD in Music. The Graduate Group in Music offers flexible, five-year Ph.D. programs for Music Studies (ethnomusicology, historical musicology, music theory) and an intensive four-year Ph.D. program for composition. All programs offer broad coverage within music studies, with concentrations shaped by student interests. All Ph.D. students accepted to the program receive the Benjamin Franklin Fellowship, which covers tuition, general fees, and health insurance for either 4 (Composition) or 5 years (Music Studies: ethnomusicology, historical musicology, music theory).
Application Requirement,
- A personal statement of approximately 1,000 words.
- A critical writing sample of approximately 20-30 double-spaced pages.
- Three letters of recommendation.
- Electronic versions of your academic transcripts.
- GRE is not required.
- Campus visits and faculty interviews are not necessary before you apply. In our program, applicants are not expected to work out arrangements with individual faculty members before applying.
- There is no foreign language requirement for admission. Once accepted to the program, students must pass two language translation exams (depending on program specialization), before graduating.
- English language skills
- Supplementary Application Material
Application Deadline,
Dec 01, 2024
Application Fee,
Please refer official website
