Overview

About the program

Our Music graduate faculty at the University of Pittsburgh engage in ground-breaking research and apply that research to real-world situations.

Whether creating music history resources for secondary schools, presenting the latest fieldwork through a world music concert, or expanding the boundaries of the concert repertoire through a new composition, theory and practice—ideas and experience —come together in a unique way through the work of our graduate faculty.

Programme Structure

Courses include:

Creative Ethnomusicology
Intercultural Musicology
Tonal Analysis
Music and Communication
Musicology Seminar
Composition and Analysis Tutorial
Jazz Styles and Analysis

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 60 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2026-08-25 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-01-05 00:00:00

Language

English

TOEFL^® IBT

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Credits

72 SCH

Delivered

On Campus

Disciplines

Music View 183 other PhDs in Music in United States

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Academic requirements

GPA

English requirements

TOEFL^® IBT

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130

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Student insurance

Make sure to cover your health, travel, and stay while studying abroad. Even global coverages can miss important items, so make sure your student insurance ticks all the following:

Additional medical costs (i.e. dental)
Repatriation, if something happens to you or your family
Liability
Home contents and baggage
Accidents
Legal aid

We partnered with Aon to provide you with the best affordable student insurance, for a carefree experience away from home.

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Starting from €0.53/day, free cancellation any time.

Remember, countries and universities may have specific insurance requirements. To learn more about how student insurance work at University of Pittsburgh and/or in United States, please visit Student Insurance Portal.

Other requirements

General requirements

Completed application form
Personal statement & CV
Transcripts
Three letters of recommendation

Composition/theory: three scores and recordings of recent compositions, together with one paper on an analytical or theoretical topic (recommended length=15-20 pages). Recordings should be uploaded to a website, such as SoundCloud, Bandcamp, YouTube or a personal website.
Jazz studies: submit evidence of their work in each of two categories: (1) Writing/Scholarship, preferably a research paper on a jazz-related topic, and, (2) Musicianship, which may include performance recordings and/or compositions.
Ethnomusicology: one writing sample on a topic in music (and/or sound), culture, and society that utilizes ethnographic, historical, music-analytical, and/or social-theoretical approaches (recommended length=15-20 pages).
Musicology: two to three papers on an analytical, historical, or theoretical topic.

Tuition Fee

To always see correct tuition fees

International

43804 USD/year

Tuition Fee

Based on the tuition of 43804 USD per year during 60 months.
National

43804 USD/year

Tuition Fee

Based on the tuition of 43804 USD per year during 60 months.
In-State

25834 USD/year

Tuition Fee

Based on the tuition of 25834 USD per year during 60 months.

Living costs for Pittsburgh

1148 - 1944 USD /month

Living costs

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Funding

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Scholarships Information

Below you will find PhD's scholarship opportunities for Music.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

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