MA in Music in Athens United States | University of Georgia

The Master of Arts (M.A.) in musicology and ethnomusicology offers comprehensive training in musical scholarship, equipping students with essential knowledge, research skills, and professional competencies for academic careers.

This graduate program serves as the initial stage of advanced study in musicology or ethnomusicology. The curriculum builds fundamental knowledge across musical traditions while offering hands-on experience designing research projects of varying scope. Students develop the critical skills needed by professional researchers and university educators. Writing assignments emphasize scholarly rigor - formulating arguments, engaging with existing scholarship, supporting claims with evidence, and presenting ideas in clear academic prose. These analytical and writing skills prove valuable not only for teaching careers but also for other professional paths in music.

Program graduates will achieve the following learning outcomes:

understanding of Western European musical styles and historical contexts, plus expertise in at least one additional musical tradition (such as jazz, popular music, or non-Western art/folk traditions),
mastery of music theory concepts (both traditional and contemporary) with application in harmonic analysis, formal analysis, and composition,
familiarity with music research methods including library resources, digital databases, bibliographic techniques, and source documentation, and
capability to undertake original scholarly research and effectively present findings in a thesis format.