PhD in Music, Emphasis Theory

About this programme

Theories of music describe ways that listeners, composers, and performers conceive of the elements of their art. Study of theory, then, informs all aspects of musical learning at UBC. Our faculty include internationally known researchers who contribute to theories of rhythm and meter, music cognition, computer applications, music theory pedagogy, and the analysis of a diverse range of recent art music and traditional music from across the world. Students in our graduate programs are mentored professionally through intensive seminars, teaching assistantships, research assistantships, and conference participation. We welcome research of an interdisciplinary nature, involving musicology, ethnomusicology, mathematics, linguistics, and other musically pertinent areas. For specific program requirements, please refer to the departmental program website Our faculty includes internationally known researchers who contribute to theories of rhythm and meter, music cognition, computer applications, music theory pedagogy, and the analysis of a diverse range of recent art music and traditional music from across the world. Students in this program attain advanced proficiency in the theories and analysis of Western music (including tonal and post-tonal music); practice in the analysis of world music; familiarity with recent scholarship on diverse topics in music theory; and experience in independent, critically engaged research and writing projects in music theory and analysis. The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies establishes the minimum admission requirements common to all