9 PhD programmes offered by the university

The Performance Studies program at Northwestern University is committed to the interdisciplinary study of performance. 

The Screen Cultures program at Northwestern University continues the historical leadership in the cultural and critical analysis of film, television, and emerging media by integrating interdisciplinary opportunities both within the School of Communication and across the University. 

The Art History program at Northwestern University is designed to prepare our graduates for professional lives as art historians and theorists of visual and spatial cultures. 

Students in the Music - Music Education program at Northwestern University design a course of study incorporating their individual interests and a broad-based approach to contemporary music research. 

Students in the Music - Music Theory and Cognition program at Northwestern University design a course of study incorporating their individual interests and a broad-based approach to contemporary music research. 

A unique aspect of the Music program at Northwestern University is a cognate area requirement in a non-music field such as psychology of learning, cognitive science, learning sciences, cultural studies, social sciences, humanities, philosophy, or communication studies. 

The Interdisciplinary PhD in Theatre and Drama program at Northwestern University is a cross-school program featuring faculty and coursework that span the Humanities, Social Sciences, and Visual and Performing Arts. 

Students in the Music - Musicology program at Northwestern University design a course of study incorporating their individual interests and a broad-based approach to contemporary music research. 

Students in the Music - Composition and Music Technology program at Northwestern University design a course of study incorporating their individual interests and a broad-based approach to contemporary music research.