The Ph.D. requires a minimum of three years of full-time resident study (six full-time terms) beyond a bachelor's degree. A candidate who holds a master's degree in the area of specialization may, on the recommendation of the Department, be permitted to count the work done for the master's degree as the first year of resident study.
Additional required courses may be assigned to candidates following transcript review and/or placement exams.
Thesis
All courses, language reading requirements and the comprehensive examinations must be successfully completed before the thesis proposal is submitted.
Language Reading Requirements
Music Theory
One foreign-language reading examination required. Students whose mother tongue is French are exempt from the French Reading Examination.
Students may fulfill the language requirement by taking language course(s) at McGill. Proficiency will be measured by either 12 credits of beginner’s undergraduate or 6 credits of intermediate study or by passing the Language Reading Examination. The examination consists of two passages from the scholarly literature. The student is asked to translate both passages into her/his mother tongue in good literate style within three hours. One of the passages will usually have a theoretical/analytical emphasis in order to test the student’s knowledge of technical vocabulary. Dictionaries may be used. The exam can be taken in December, May and August of each year.
The exam may be taken no more than twice. Students are encouraged to register for a course if the first effort is not successful.
Required Courses
MUGS 701. Comprehensive Examinations.
Note: For information about Fall 2025 and Winter 2026 course offerings, please check back on May 8, 2025. Until then, the "Terms offered" field will appear blank for most courses while the class schedule is being finalized.
Credits: 0
Offered by: Music Research (Graduate Studies)
This course is not offered this catalogue year.
Description
Examinations that must be passed by all doctoral candidates in order to continue in the doctoral program.
Most students use Visual Schedule Builder (VSB) to organize their schedules. VSB helps you plan class schedules, travel time, and more.
MUGS 705. Colloquium.
Note: For information about Fall 2025 and Winter 2026 course offerings, please check back on May 8, 2025. Until then, the "Terms offered" field will appear blank for most courses while the class schedule is being finalized.
Credits: 0
Offered by: Music Research (Graduate Studies)
This course is not offered this catalogue year.
Description
Directed reading, seminar and discussion in various subjects of current interest in music research.
Most students use Visual Schedule Builder (VSB) to organize their schedules. VSB helps you plan class schedules, travel time, and more.
Attendance for four terms of the Doctoral Colloquium, and at least one presentation of the student's thesis research is required.
Additional Required Courses for Gender & Women's Studies
WMST 601. Feminist Theories and Methods.
Note: For information about Fall 2025 and Winter 2026 course offerings, please check back on May 8, 2025. Until then, the "Terms offered" field will appear blank for most courses while the class schedule is being finalized.
Credits: 3
Offered by: Inst for Gender, Sex & Fem St (Graduate Studies)
This course is not offered this catalogue year.
Description
Examination of feminist theories and research methods from a variety of disciplinary perspectives.
Most students use Visual Schedule Builder (VSB) to organize their schedules. VSB helps you plan class schedules, travel time, and more.
WMST 602. Feminist Research Symposium.
Note: For information about Fall 2025 and Winter 2026 course offerings, please check back on May 8, 2025. Until then, the "Terms offered" field will appear blank for most courses while the class schedule is being finalized.
Credits: 3
Offered by: Inst for Gender, Sex & Fem St (Graduate Studies)
This course is not offered this catalogue year.
Description
Discussion and development of participants' research in gender and women's studies.
- Prerequisite: WMST 601.
- Restriction: Must be enrolled in the Option in Gender and Women's Studies.
Most students use Visual Schedule Builder (VSB) to organize their schedules. VSB helps you plan class schedules, travel time, and more.
Complementary Courses (0-30 credits) See below for Gender and Women’s Studies Option.
Students entering in Ph.D. 1
15 credits of seminars at the 600 level or higher, approved by the Department. For Music Theory students, 0-6 credits will be selected from the following if not taken previously or equivalent courses:
MUTH 658. History of Music Theory 1.
Note: For information about Fall 2025 and Winter 2026 course offerings, please check back on May 8, 2025. Until then, the "Terms offered" field will appear blank for most courses while the class schedule is being finalized.
Credits: 3
Offered by: Music Research (Graduate Studies)
This course is not offered this catalogue year.
Description
Selected topics in the history of music theory from Greek antiquity to 1700 through readings of primary and secondary literature.
Most students use Visual Schedule Builder (VSB) to organize their schedules. VSB helps you plan class schedules, travel time, and more.
MUTH 659. History of Music Theory 2.
Note: For information about Fall 2025 and Winter 2026 course offerings, please check back on May 8, 2025. Until then, the "Terms offered" field will appear blank for most courses while the class schedule is being finalized.
Credits: 3
Offered by: Music Research (Graduate Studies)
This course is not offered this catalogue year.
Description
Selected topics in the history of music theory from 1700 to the present through readings of primary and secondary literature.
Most students use Visual Schedule Builder (VSB) to organize their schedules. VSB helps you plan class schedules, travel time, and more.
0-15 credits of additional seminars at the 600 or higher, will be assigned by the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies in Music in consultation with the area coordinator, or the admissions committee for students in Interdisciplinary Studies, at the time of the admissions.
Complementary Courses (12-27 credits) for Gender and Women’s Studies option.
Students entering in Ph.D. 1
27 credits of seminars at the 600 level or higher, approved by the Department (3 of the 27 credits must be in gender/women's studies, taken in the Schulich School of Music or outside and approved by the Musicology or Theory area.
Students entering in Ph.D. 2
12 credits of seminars at the 600 level or higher, approved by the Schulich School of Music (3 of the 12 credits must be in gender/women's studies, taken in the Schulich School of Music or outside and approved by the Musicology or Theory area).
MUTH 658. History of Music Theory 1.
Note: For information about Fall 2025 and Winter 2026 course offerings, please check back on May 8, 2025. Until then, the "Terms offered" field will appear blank for most courses while the class schedule is being finalized.
Credits: 3
Offered by: Music Research (Graduate Studies)
This course is not offered this catalogue year.
Description
Selected topics in the history of music theory from Greek antiquity to 1700 through readings of primary and secondary literature.
Most students use Visual Schedule Builder (VSB) to organize their schedules. VSB helps you plan class schedules, travel time, and more.
MUTH 659. History of Music Theory 2.
Note: For information about Fall 2025 and Winter 2026 course offerings, please check back on May 8, 2025. Until then, the "Terms offered" field will appear blank for most courses while the class schedule is being finalized.
Credits: 3
Offered by: Music Research (Graduate Studies)
This course is not offered this catalogue year.
Description
Selected topics in the history of music theory from 1700 to the present through readings of primary and secondary literature.
Most students use Visual Schedule Builder (VSB) to organize their schedules. VSB helps you plan class schedules, travel time, and more.
Music Theory students only:
MUTH 710. Teaching Practicum.
Note: For information about Fall 2025 and Winter 2026 course offerings, please check back on May 8, 2025. Until then, the "Terms offered" field will appear blank for most courses while the class schedule is being finalized.
Credits: 0
Offered by: Music Research (Graduate Studies)
This course is not offered this catalogue year.
Description
Compilation of materials for a class on a particular topic, organizing and hierarchizing the information, designing class activities and preparing a lesson plan, presenting information clearly and concisely, and answering students' questions and otherwise interacting with the class.
- Restrictions: Only open to students in the Ph.D. in Music (Theory) and the Ph.D. in Music; Gender and Women's Studies.
Most students use Visual Schedule Builder (VSB) to organize their schedules. VSB helps you plan class schedules, travel time, and more.
MUTH 711. General Examinations.
Note: For information about Fall 2025 and Winter 2026 course offerings, please check back on May 8, 2025. Until then, the "Terms offered" field will appear blank for most courses while the class schedule is being finalized.
Credits: 0
Offered by: Music Research (Graduate Studies)
This course is not offered this catalogue year.
Description
Series of examinations. Music theory essays, music history (Score ID), oral exam.
- Restrictions: Only open to students in the Ph.D. in Music (Theory) and the Ph.D. in Music; Gender and Women's Studies.
Most students use Visual Schedule Builder (VSB) to organize their schedules. VSB helps you plan class schedules, travel time, and more.
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