PhD in Music - Ethnomusicology in Toronto Canada | University of Toronto

The Faculty of Music launched its graduate degree program in 1954. The music theory graduate program blends academic rigor with a close-knit community, maintaining strong connections to Musicology and Ethnomusicology to create a dynamic, welcoming, and intellectually stimulating atmosphere. This environment draws exceptional students pursuing both the coursework-focused MA and research-driven PhD in music theory. Students enjoy additional advantages through the biweekly colloquium series featuring guest speakers, graduate discussion panels, and specialized events like the yearly Form Forum. All music theory graduate students receive UofT's substantial standard funding and can acquire professional skills through teaching and research assistant positions.
Ethnomusicology examines music as cultural expression, seeking to comprehend its global functions, purposes, significance, and how it mirrors, represents, and influences human experience. This interdisciplinary field connects with and contributes to numerous areas: musical arts, cultural anthropology, folklore, performance studies, dance, cultural studies, gender studies, ethnic studies, regional studies, and other humanities and social science disciplines. Ethnomusicology has experienced significant expansion at UofT Music. Our faculty includes experts in musical traditions from East/Southeast Asia, India, Latin America, the Middle East, and North America. Research focuses encompass diaspora music, transnational influences, historical perspectives, music's relationship with capital and technology, rhythm analysis, musical evolution, women's musical expressions, and music's role in trauma and daily life. Methodological approaches and fieldwork hold special importance in our program.