Current Graduate Students

The First Two Years: Coursework

Students are required to take 16 graduate-level courses, of which 14 should be completed prior to taking general exams. Every first- and second-year student must select courses that result in at least one substantive creative work or seminar paper per term. At least 12 of these 16 courses are taken in the Department of Music; exceptions to this requirement are rare and would need written approval by the DGS. During G1, students should enroll in a minimum of 4 graduate courses (16 credits) each semester, plus Music B. Music B does not count towards the 16 courses; language courses do not count towards the 16 courses. Students wishing to take undergraduate courses for graduate credit need to request permission from their program advisor prior to taking the course; no more than two undergraduate courses may count toward the 16 courses, except under exceptional circumstances by permission from the DGS and faculty vote. Students may apply in their G2 year to have up to 2 courses transferred from a Master’s program completed at another institution and counted towards the 16 courses. The proposed courses must be deemed appropriate by the student’s program advisor and approved by the faculty. Students wishing to take courses outside the Department of Music may normally take one such course starting in the second semester of G1 with permission of their program advisor, and provided they plan to complete 12 courses within the Department of Music by the end of G2.

Please see individual graduate program descriptions in Composition, CPCI, Ethnomusicology, Historical Musicology, and Music Theory for further program-specific requirements.

Musicology students must take two courses in ethnomusicology and two courses in either theory or composition. Ethnomusicology students are required to take two courses in musicology and one course in music analysis taught by a music theory faculty member at Harvard. Theory students are required to take two courses in analysis and techniques (typically, course numbers MUS 151–159), ideally during their first year. 

Composition students get weekly individual lessons, and choose from composition and electronic music courses and other offerings within the department or from other departments at Harvard. As a general rule, requirements should be met by taking courses with faculty in the relevant programs (i.e., history, ethnomusicology, or theory). and occasional courses in other departments and programs with approval from the program advisor and from the DGS. 

Creative Practice and Critical Inquiry (CPCI) students survey multiple fields of intellectual inquiry while nurturing and refining their creative work. Students in the program may take any of the graduate courses offered by the Department of Music, and occasional courses in other departments and programs with approval from the graduate advisor, as well as practice-based music-making courses (composition, improvisation, creative music, and interdisciplinary collaborations).

Music B addresses musicianship skills that will be helpful for the general examination, in line with the requirements of each program.  Entering students will discuss existing skill sets and learning goals with the instructor during the initial sessions.  Music B will address these musicianship skills but does not count as one of the required 16 courses. Work must be undertaken in the first year of study.

Note: Graduate students who have one or more incompletes will not be considered for department summer grants.

Advising: Pre- and Post Generals

Advising in the department during the pre-generals period is primarily handled by the appropriate graduate advisors and faculty members in the various programs, with the Director of Graduate Studies available for further advice. After successful completion of the general examination, students consult with individual faculty members on their proposed fields of concentration, and when a dissertation proposal has been completed it is presented to the faculty in that field of study. Once the dissertation proposal has been approved by the faculty in the program, it is brought to the entire department for final approval, and a dissertation committee is set up for each student. The dissertation committee consists of an advisor and two readers. Any questions or concerns about advising in the department can be brought to the attention of the Director of Graduate Studies or the Chair.

2026-2027 Director of Graduate Studies:
Professor Kate van Orden

Review

The progress of all graduate students is reviewed at the end of Spring semester each year to ensure satisfactory progress. G1-G3 students receive annual progress reports from faculty program advisors. G1-G2 students will receive formal letters; for G3 students, program advisors should complete the following form (coming soon).

A student in the Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences must be making satisfactory progress to be eligible for any type of financial aid and teaching appointments. The following items provide a general definition of satisfactory progress that has been adopted for this purpose by the Music Department. It is hoped that these guidelines will have a healthy effect on students’ academic progress, and enable us to preserve resources for those most deserving of financial assistance.

1. During the first two years of graduate study, satisfactory progress is achieved through full-time enrollment (16 credits), satisfactory academic performance via attendance, participation, and grades in classwork, as well as regular meetings with program advisors.
2. A prospective third-year student must have achieved the minimum grade-point average required by this faculty (B). They must have completed Music B, fourteen courses, and the language requirements stipulated by each program. They must also have passed general examinations.
3. A prospective fourth-year student must have completed all required course work, language requirements, and have obtained approval of a dissertation prospectus.
4. A prospective sixth-year student (or more advanced), must have produced at least one acceptable chapter of the dissertation or its equivalent for each year beginning with the fifth. Students are expected to apply for the Dissertation Completion Fellowship in the spring of their G5 year, which requires two dissertation chapters or their equivalent. Students may also apply for the DCF in their G6 year. GSAS requires students to accept the DCF by their G7 year at the latest.
5. In rare instances, a student who fails to make satisfactory progress may, upon the department’s recommendation, be eligible for a grace period of up to one semester. At the close of that grace period, in order to be considered to be making satisfactory progress, the student must have met both the requirement missed earlier and the requirement that would normally be imposed at that time. If the student cannot make such a showing, they will be withdrawn from the program for unsatisfactory progress.
6. No student may have more than one such semester of grace during their study. Students in “grace” status may not hold teaching appointments and will not receive their stipend. Students in “grace” status remain eligible for institutional aid subject to availability, except for federal Title IV loans and/or work-study.
7. In addition, the requirements of this calendar may be deferred by a department during one year of departmental approved Leave. A department may, if it wishes, defer requirements for a more extended period of approved leave in order to facilitate a student’s obtaining a professional degree.

Written language exams are given at three specified times throughout the year: in late October/early November, mid-February, and April. Reading knowledge must be proved before taking the general examination. For all programs, these exams should be completed before your General Examinations. Sample practice exams are downloadable below. If you need to take an exam other than in French, German, or Italian, please request your exam from Eva Kim in the department office in advance.

If your native language is a research language and your spoken and written English skills are proficient, you may be exempted from taking a language exam in your native language. At most one language exam may be passed by exemption, and at least one foreign language exam must be taken. In other words, in programs that only require one language exam, a different foreign language may have to be selected. Exemptions are determined on a case-by-case basis by the program advisor and need to be approved by the department.

For musicology, ethnomusicology, and theory students, two languages are required. The languages will be chosen in consultation with the graduate advisor, and should reflect languages that will be relevant to future research. We strongly encourage students to pass both languages before taking the general exam. In the event this is not possible, both languages need to be passed by the end of the fall semester of the third year. This revision is being implemented to give students more time, but we also want to be sure that no one gets caught short. Students should consult with area advisors about their overall plan and be cautious not to cut the deadline too close for becoming ABD. Ethnomusicology students may demonstrate proficiency in a second language—a written or spoken “field language”—before or after general exams, based on the guidance of the prospective dissertation advisor.  A student will not be considered ABD without passing the second language exam.

For Composition students, German, Italian, or French unless an alternative language is approved in writing by the graduate advisor. Students must complete this requirement by spring of their second year.

For CPCI students, one language exam in a language relevant to their research interests must be taken, and the student’s chosen language should be approved in writing by the graduate advisor. Students must complete this requirement by spring of their second year. Requirements for languages not tested regularly within the department may be satisfied through special examination, or through presentation of other documentation at the discretion of the graduate advisor.

Language Exam Guidelines

1) Departmental language examinations are given three times during the academic year. 

2) A graduate student may retake an examination but only within the regular academic cycle and in accordance with the guidelines of his or her particular graduate program.

3) Language examinations in German, French, Italian, Latin, and Spanish will be administered by Music Department faculty members. Students anticipating any special language need should bring this to the attention of the Graduate Advisor to allow for adequate consultation and planning.

4) Students should consult with the graduate advisors of their respective programs about language requirements at the beginning of their first semester on campus. At that time, they should agree upon a tentative schedule by which they plan to satisfy the language requirement.

5) All language exams are hand written. Students may use two hard-copy dictionaries to aid translation; for example, an abridged volume for fast access and a complete one for greater detail. Students are not permitted to use any other translation resources, such as online dictionaries, online translation programs, or any other electronic programs or translation facilitators.

The Graduate Program of the Department of Music offers advanced training leading to the degree of PhD in Music. There is no admission to an AM program separate from these PhD programs. A non-terminal AM degree can be granted after successfully completing the following four requirements.  Most students who attain these four benchmarks continue to pursue a PhD.

1. Eight courses
2. One language exam
3. Music B
4. The written portion of the General Examinations

Students who complete the first three requirements, but who do not pass the General Examinations, may be awarded a terminal AM degree.

The degree application dates are the same as the PhD dates. Please see the Director of Administration for more information.

A student enrolled in a PhD program in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University may achieve formal recognition for completing a secondary field in musicology or ethnomusicology. The following requirements must be met to complete this secondary field.

• Completion of a minimum of four courses (16 credits).
• One of these courses must be an introductory course: Music 201a: Introduction to Historical Musicology, Music 201b: Introduction to Ethnomusicology, or Music 221: Current Issues in Theory.
• The remaining three courses may be chosen from other graduate courses (200 level: “Primarily for Graduates”) or intermediate courses (150 level: “For Undergraduates and Graduates”). With 150-level courses, graduate-level work is required, with confirmation of such to the Director of Graduate Studies. Grades must be B+ or above.  It is the student’s responsibility to make sure that the necessary documentation is submitted to the DGS. 
• Neither pass/fail nor audited courses will count towards a secondary PhD field.

For further information contact the Director of Graduate Studies, Harvard University Department of Music or GSAS information on Secondary Fields.

Once a student passes their general exams (see below), the third year is primarily devoted to developing a dissertation proposal, teaching, and beginning work on the dissertation. We expect students to have completed at least fourteen courses by the time they take their general exams; any remaining coursework must be completed in the third year. In addition, Music 250hf, “Colloquium on Teaching Pedagogy,” is required during students’ G3 year; it does not count as one of the sixteen courses required.

By the end of the G3 year, the PhD candidate is expected to have developed a proposal for a dissertation, which should be an original contribution to their field. The proposal must be submitted before the final department meeting of the spring semester. The department is responsible for approving the student’s Dissertation Advisory Committee (DAC). The DAC generally consists of a chair and two other faculty advisors. Stipulations for constituting the DAC are set forth by GSAS in The Dissertation Advisory Committee. The Advising Project has useful resources for optimizing advising relationships.

General Examinations

The General Examination format differs significantly for each program; please follow the links below for more information about specific programs. If you have questions about exam logistics, please speak with Nancy Shafman and Eva Kim in the department office. Eva also keeps a file of previous years’ exams, which you are also welcome to consult.

Historical Musicology

Ethnomusicology

Theory

Composition

Creative Practice and Critical Inquiry

Since teaching is an integral part of graduate training, most graduate students are teaching fellows during part of the time they are at Harvard. Teaching fellows are also eligible to apply for a resident or nonresident tutorship in one of the 12 undergraduate houses, or in the Dudley Community. In addition to financial benefits, teaching fellowships and tutorships provide excellent professional experience.

Beginning in the third year, graduate students in good standing are eligible for teaching fellowships. Most teaching fellows devote two “term fifths” to teaching. Following successful completion of the general exam, students are required to take M250ht (Teaching Practicum). This course does not count towards the 16 courses required for the PhD.

Normally, the complete dissertation must be submitted within four years after passing the general examination, and satisfactory progress must be demonstrated every year for a student to remain enrolled. Students who are not making satisfactory academic progress towards degree may be withdrawn from the program. The formal requirements for the dissertation are set forth by GSAS in The Form of the PhD Dissertation.

Students are expected to meet with their DACs each semester in the G4-G6 years to discuss their work and progress. Students are responsible for scheduling these meetings. At the end of Spring semester each year, the chair of the Dissertation Advisory Committee will produce a progress report with the following:

1. Dates the advising meetings took place and list of attendees
2. Teaching assignments and/or research support (Term-time etc.), time management
3. Research that has been conducted
4. What has been produced (creative products, written work in draft or final form)

Concerns should be flagged along with an outline of measures that need to be taken for the student to remain in satisfactory academic progress. DAC Chairs can find the progress report form here (link coming soon). DAC Chairs should be sure to consult progress reports from the G3 year when they take over advising from program advisors. Progress reports will be shared with the student, the DAC, DGS, Department Administrator, and program advisor and kept on file.

Application for the Degree

The full text must be submitted to the members of the Dissertation Committee for suggestions, corrections, changes, etc. Candidates are encouraged to discuss drafts of individual chapters with all members of the Dissertation Committee. Once the dissertation is approved by the committee, students may submit the degree application. Deadlines for degree applications change slightly each year. Doctoral candidates should work closely with their advisors to insure that their committee members receive near final drafts of the work at least one month prior to the degree application deadline.

Note: It’s always best to check with the Registrar for final dates; the following dates are guidelines only.

For Degrees Awarded in November:

• July: Draft due
• August: Application due
• September: Dissertation certificate due/dissertation submitted electronically (see below)

For Degrees Awarded in February:

• October: Draft due
• December: Application due
• January: Dissertation certificate due/dissertation submitted electronically (see below)

For Degrees Awarded in May:

• February: Draft due
• March: Application due
• May: Dissertation certificate due/dissertation submitted electronically (see below)

If a student applies for but is not recommended to receive the degree during a given degree period, they must discuss enrollment expectations with their program, and will need to submit a new application in my.Harvard for the future degree period in which they intend to graduate.

Requirements for Submitting the Dissertation

Students must submit their dissertation in PDF format to ProQuest ETD by 11:59 p.m. on the deadline established for each degree conferral date (see the Degree Calendar or the Registrar’s Office website). Major formatting errors that are not corrected in a timely manner may prevent students from receiving their degree. During the submission process, students are asked to upload a separate standalone copy of the signed thesis acceptance certificate, approve two license agreements, and complete two surveys (the Harvard Griffin GSAS Employment Exit Survey and the Survey of Earned Doctorates). If you are requesting an embargo of more than two years, you will need to submit a signed delayed-release form from the department’s director of graduate studies (DGS) with your dissertation submission.

Dissertation Colloquium

All departmental doctoral candidates who are about to submit or have submitted their dissertation are required to make a final presentation of their work.

Diplomas

Students who apply for the November, February, or May degree periods may choose to receive their diplomas at the Diploma Awarding Ceremony on Commencement Day. When applying for the degree, degree candidates who choose not to receive their diploma at Commencement can pay for their diploma to be mailed to them or held for pickup at the Registrar’s Office. See the diploma section on the Registrar's Office website for more information.

Commencement

All students who receive degrees in November, February, and May of a given academic year may participate in the Commencement celebration held in May. Information will be sent to graduating students from the Harvard Griffin GSAS Office of Alumni Relations. Please see the Harvard Griffin GSAS Commencement page for more information.