Department Website
Program Description
New York University is one of the few institutions in the United States that offers a PhD degree in music performance and composition. Faculty members are leaders in research and are internationally acclaimed artists and composers; many are members of renowned music organizations, such as the New York Philharmonic and the Metropolitan Opera Company, while others are drawn from the Broadway community and prominent jazz ensembles, including the Village Vanguard Orchestra.
Students must declare a concentration in Performance or Composition and may focus their studies in consultation with their adviser.
Career Opportunities
Most students enter the graduate programs of study in music performance and composition with the intention of pursuing a career in performance and/or composition coupled with teaching at the college or university level. Graduates of the master’s program have found that being in New York City during their graduate study was an important aspect of their musical education and a significant factor in building a network of contacts that launched their professional careers as composers, arrangers, conductors, or instrumentalists and vocalists working as freelance artists, studio musicians, or performers in Broadway productions.
Alumni from the program have gone on to significant careers in opera and Broadway, with debuts at New York City Opera, Metropolitan Opera, and numerous Broadway shows. Instrumental, classical, and jazz performers have solo careers and play with major ensembles. Composers write for film and music theatre as well as traditional venues.
Graduates of the doctoral programs are professors of music in leading institutions in the United States and abroad.
NYU’s Greenwich Village location brings students to the center of jazz activities. Landmark jazz venues such as the Village Vanguard and the Blue Note Jazz Club are within walking distance. At these clubs, students experience jazz luminaries in performance on a regular basis.
Admissions
Admission to graduate programs in the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development requires the following minimum components:
- Résumé/CV
- Statement of Purpose
- Letters of Recommendation
- Transcripts
- Proficiency in English
See NYU Steinhardt's Graduate Admissions website for additional information on school-wide admission. Some programs may require additional components for admissions.
See How to Apply for admission requirements and instructions specific to the following concentrations:
Program Requirements
This degree program requires 49–55 credits for graduation covering foundations and departmental seminars, specialized research and research methods courses (as appropriate for your dissertation research), cognates (courses outside your specialization), applied study, recitals, guided electives, and dissertation proposal seminars.
Additional credits may be required as the result of placement and candidacy exams. Placement exams are administered for all incoming graduate students. These placement examinations assess achievement in music theory and music history and are mandatory and must be completed by the end of the first semester of study. Additional course requirements over and above the minimal degree requirements may be required as a result of this assessment of individual performance. No transfer credits from other institutions are allowed for doctoral students.
Course List
| Course |
Title |
Credits |
| 6 |
| 3 |
| 6 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| 15 |
| 3 |
| 6-12 |
| 4 |
| Total Credits | 49-55 |
Note: Remedial Coursework may be recommended as a result of testing and additional electives may be recommended based on the results of the candidacy examination. Undergraduate 0 level courses may not be credited toward degree requirements.
Sample Plan of Study
Plan of Study Grid
| 1st Semester/Term |
|---|
|
3 |
|
3 |
|
3 |
|
3 |
|
|
| | Credits | 12 |
| 2nd Semester/Term |
|---|
|
3 |
|
3 |
|
1 |
|
3 |
|
2 |
|
|
| | Credits | 12 |
| 3rd Semester/Term |
|---|
|
3 |
|
3 |
|
3 |
|
3 |
|
|
| | Credits | 12 |
| 4th Semester/Term |
|---|
|
3 |
|
3 |
|
6 |
|
|
| | Credits | 12 |
| 5th Semester/Term |
|---|
|
3 |
|
1 |
|
3 |
|
|
| | Credits | 7 |
| 6th Semester/Term |
|---|
| MAINT-GE 4747 |
Maintenance of Matriculation |
0 |
|
|
| | Credits | 0 |
| | Total Credits | 55 |
Following completion of the required coursework for the PhD, students are expected to maintain active status at New York University by enrolling in a research/writing course or a Maintain Matriculation (MAINT-GE 4747) course. All non-course requirements must be fulfilled prior to degree conferral, although the specific timing of completion may vary from student-to-student.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the program, graduates will:
- Develop foundational knowledge in disciplines applicable to yet outside their field of specialization, including psychology, performance studies, historical musicology, ethnomusicology, media, arts education and technology, and the social sciences.
- Engage in a variety of collaborative environments with artists and professionals in related fields.
- Communicate the results of their original research orally and in writing, in conference presentations and academic publications.
- Broaden their perspectives and relate their own music-making activities to diverse cultural contexts and intellectual traditions.
- Perform artistic research by developing quantitative and qualitative research methods appropriate to their field of inquiry.
Policies
NYU Policies
University-wide policies can be found on the New York University Policy pages.
Steinhardt Academic Policies
Additional academic policies can be found the Steinhardt academic policies page.