About the Program
The M.A. Music and Culture is designed to offer students a thorough grounding in new, interdisciplinary approaches to musicology. The primary objective is to offer students a forum where new perspectives in musicology can be explored in a critical and integrated manner. This exploration will be grounded in the specifics of music but conducted from within a range of theoretical approaches: including (but not restricted to) sociology, linguistics, critical theory, feminism, cultural studies, historiography, music perception/cognition, music philosophy/aesthetics, music and politics, reception theory, media studies, performance studies, and ethnomusicology.
Academic Regulations
- See the General Regulations section of this Calendar.
- A standing of B- or better must be obtained in each course counted towards the Master's degree.
Admission Requirements
- The minimum requirement for admission to the Master's program in Music and Culture is either a B.Mus. degree or a B.A. Honours degree in Music with a minimum B+ average.
- Applicants with a B.A. Honours in a related discipline (e.g., Mass Communication, Women's Studies, Philosophy, or Cultural Studies), with a minimum average of B+, will also be considered provided the applicant can demonstrate a strong background in some form of music.
- Applicants without the requisite background in cultural/theoretical issues may be required to take a maximum of two full credits from designated courses at the undergraduate level in Music in addition to their normal M.A. program requirements.
- There are no performance requirements for admission to this degree program.
- Applicants without a B.Mus. or B.A. Honours degree in Music, or a related discipline, but who have a three-year degree with a minimum average of B+, may be admitted to a qualifying year program. Students who complete the qualifying year requirements with a minimum average of B+ will be considered for admission to the Master's program.
Program Requirements
The Master's degree in Music and Culture requires the satisfactory completion of a total of 5.0 credits, distributed according to one of the following two options (students are required to choose one option over the other by March 1st of the first year of study):
Thesis Program
- 1.5 credits required course work (MUSI 5000, MUSI 5002 and MUSI 5004)
- 1.5 credits additional course work chosen from available elective courses
- 2.0 credits, Thesis
Research Essay Program
- 1.5 credits required course work (MUSI 5000, MUSI 5002 and MUSI 5004)
- 2.5 credits of additional course work chosen from available elective courses
- 1.0 credit, Research Essay
Subject to the approval of the graduate supervisor, 0.5 credit may be taken outside the program in a related discipline (such as Philosophy, Women's Studies, etc.)
Deadlines
Thesis Proposal
Full-time students normally will submit their thesis (or research essay) topic to the thesis proposal board no later than April 30th of the first year of registration for students enrolled full-time, and no later than the middle of the fifth term of registration for students enrolled part-time.
Regulations governing requirements for the Master's thesis, including deadlines for submission, are outlined in the General Regulations section of this Calendar.
Language Requirements
Students are required to demonstrate a reading knowledge of French (or another language related to their research, to be approved by the Music and Culture graduate supervisor).
