MFA in Music - Musicology in Irvine United States | University of California Irvine

The Music Department's curriculum is rooted in combining conservatory excellence with academic rigor. Our focus lies in musical performance and composition while maintaining the highest standards of historical, aesthetic, and theoretical exploration. This approach shapes our undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as our faculty and student community. We equally value music education for all students, offering diverse humanities-based courses for non-majors and performance ensembles open to any qualified student.

Undergraduate music students can pursue either a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or Bachelor of Music in Performance (B.Mus.). Graduate programs include the Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) with various performance specializations, plus Ph.D. degrees in Integrated Composition, Improvisation and Technology (ICIT) and Music History & Theory.

Our distinguished faculty comprises composers, music theorists, musicologists, conductors, and performers. This diversity mirrors our comprehensive curriculum and represents one of our greatest strengths. Faculty members maintain active professional careers as published scholars, renowned performers, recording artists, and celebrated composers. Many instrumental instructors perform with leading Southern California orchestras including the LA Philharmonic, LA Chamber Orchestra, and Pacific Symphony.