P R O S P E C T I V E G R A D U A T E S T U D E N T

I N F O R M A T I O N

HARVARD UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC
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INFORMATION FOR PROSPECTIVE GRADUATE STUDENTS

Grad students gather at a reception after a Harvard Group for New Music concert
Degree Programs


Left: Composers with Jeff Milarsky after concert of new orchestral works. Right: faculty and students at Bach/Mozart conference exhibit in Music Library.

General Program Information

The Graduate Program of the Department of Music offers advanced training in historical musicology, ethnomusicology, theory, and composition, leading to the degree of PhD in Music. There is no admission to an AM program separate from these PhD programs. In unusual cases, students who cannot successfully complete the General Examination may be given the option of completing the requirements for a terminal AM degree.

The Graduate Program of the Department of Music also offers an AM Degree in Music with a specialty in Performance Practice. This two-year program is designed for a small number of specialized students who are preparing or engaged in careers as performers and teachers. The program description and requirements follow the description of the PhD program.

The permanent faculty of the department includes about 20 members. At any given time, there are 60-65 graduate students in residence; with six to ten new graduate students enter each year. The Music Building contains a concert hall (the John Knowles Paine Concert Hall), classrooms, faculty and graduate offices, a superb research library (the Eda Kuhn Loeb Music Library), a microfilm library of primary source materials (the Isham Memorial Library), an archive of world music recordings, listening facilities, a high-quality electronic music studio (HUSEAC: Harvard University Studio for Electroacoustic Composition), an ethnomusicology lab, an early instrument room, chamber music rehearsal rooms, and individual piano practice rooms. Other facilities throughout Harvard University include the vast resources of Widener Library, the Houghton Library (which contains rare music prints and manuscripts, and autographs of major composers), the Morse Music Library at the Hilles Library, and the libraries and practice rooms of the undergraduate houses and Dudley House (the center of graduate student activities). In addition, a wealth of musical opportunities is readily available to students at Harvard and at the many neighboring universities (e.g., Boston University, Longy School of Music, Berklee, Brandeis University, M.I.T.) and civic and professional institutions (e.g., Boston Symphony Orchestra, Boston Public Library, Museum of Fine Arts with the Mason Collection of Musical Instruments, and New England Conservatory).

Since teaching is an integral part of graduate training, most graduate students are teaching fellows during part of the time they are at Harvard. Teaching fellows are also eligible to apply for a resident or nonresident tutorship in one of the 13 undergraduate houses. In addition to financial benefits, teaching fellowships and tutorships provide excellent professional experience.

In recent years virtually every graduate student has received one or more of the fellowships and grants awarded by the University and the music departement. Awards given by the department each year include several prizes in composition, the John Knowles Paine Traveling Fellowships, the Oscar S. Schafer Fellowship, the Richard F. French Fellowship, the Ferdinand Gordon & Elizabeth Hunter Morrill Fellowship, and the Nino Pirrotta Research Grant.

Admission Requirements

All applicants are required to take the GRE General Examination and must submit, along with their applications, samples of their previous work in musicology (for the Musicology PhD), ethnomusicology (for Ethnomusicology PhD), or theory (for the Theory PhD). Applicants to the Composition PhD program must submit three to four compositions (scores and recordings where available) along with your application materials. Samples of work should be sent with a self-addressed, stamped envelope if they are to be returned to the student. All supplementary materials (including scores and recordings for composers) should be sent to the Admissions Office fo the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.

Applications for admission and for financial aid must be received at the Admissions Office of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences by January 2 for candidates who seek entrance in the following fall term. For applications for admissions and financial aid write: Admissions Office, Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, 1350 Massachusetts Avenue, Holyoke Center 350, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138-3654. (admiss@fas.harvard.edu, 617-495-5315. You can also download or request an application electronically: http://www.gsas.harvard.edu/ For additional information, see "Visiting the Department," below.

The Program in Musicology

At Harvard, musicology is broadly defined as the disciplined study of music and includes the historical, comparative, and systematic aspects of the field. The program incorporates two tracks: historical musicology, with an emphasis on the history, theory, and literature of Western music in its contexts from antiquity to the present; and ethnomusicology, which concentrates on the ethnographic study of any musical tradition in relationship to its cultural setting. Most graduate courses in historical musicology and ethnomusicology are research seminars; many treat specific topics, periods, and regions, while others deal with current problems and methods. On the completion of preparatory training and the passing of the General Examinations, PhD dissertations may be written in either field.

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The Program in Theory


The PhD in music theory is characterized both by a deep involvement in the inner workings of music and by an engagement with the wider philosophical, cultural and psychological questions surrounding music. Our PhDs typically apply for the theory program with a "minor" in either composition or musicology. The program reflects this interdisciplinary interest of our students, and seeks to explore the links of music theory to other areas of critical engagement, while providing our theorists with the specialized skills they require.

The teaching in the program emphasizes analytical techniques--all students take courses on Schenkerian theory and on a range of tonal and post-tonal analytical practices, as well as an introductory course to explore current issues in the field. At the same time, the program also encourages students to build a framework in which to place these techniques and to reflect on the underpinnings of music theory. Regular courses on questions in psychology, temporality, history of music theory, and aesthetics round off our course offerings and often take music theory into interdisciplinary territory. Graduate courses on challenging repertoires--e.g. modal theory, non-Western music, or very recent composition--frequently round off our offerings.

The dissertation projects our theory graduates work on reflect this unique combination of interests. Recent and current PhD topics include Feminist approaches to performance analysis, Microtonality and tone imaginations, Multi-modal analysis of boy-band videos, Athanasius Kircher's Musurgia universalis (1650), and Neuro-scientific imaging of perceptual parameters.

Our theory faculty is enhanced on a regular basis by exciting visiting faculty, which complement our existing research and teaching strengths in interesting new ways. Recent visitors have included Allan Keiler (Brandeis), Fred Lerdahl (Columbia), Allen Forte (Yale), Ellie Hisama (Columbia)--as well as Brian Ferneyhough (Stanford), Helmut Lachenmann (Stuttgart) and Harrison Birtwistle (London).

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The Program in Composition

Harvard's program in composition is designed to give students the time and opportunity to develop as composers by offering general musical guidance as well as specific individual criticism of their works. The program is centered around the students' achieving clarity of expression through developing their command of compositional technique. In addition, acquaintance with the literature of the past and present through analysis and performance is considered indispensable. Most courses are seminars and deal with specific topics or student works. On the completion of preparatory training and the passing of the General Examinations, PhD dissertations comprising a substantial portfolio of between five and seven pieces of varied scoring and length may be submitted.

Secondary field in Musicology

To complete a secondary PHD field in Musicology, a graduate student will take a minimum of four courses, at least two of which will be graduate courses (200 level) and no more than two of which can be intermediate courses (100 level) and receive honors grades of B+ or above. Neither Pass/Fail nor audited courses will count towards a secondary PhD field. Contact the advisor in Ethnomusicology or in Musicology in the Department of Music for additional information on a secondary PhD field.

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PhD Program and Degree Requirements

Courses

A total of 16 half-courses is required to receive the PhD. Fourteen courses are usually taken during the first two years. Historical musicology students must take two half-courses in ethnomusicology and two half-courses in either theory or composition. No more than one seminar in medieval theory will count toward the theory requirement; no more than one analysis course (157x, 157y, 158) can be counted towards the theory requirement. During the first three years, ethnomusicology students are required to take at least two half-courses each in historical musicology and in offerings outside the department. Ethnomusicology students must also take at least two half-courses in music theory or composition. It is recommended that at least one theory seminar be in cross-cultural music theory. Theory and composition students do not have a set curriculum and should plan their course of study with their advisor. Graduate students who have one or more incompletes will not be considered for department summer grants.

Students may be allowed academic credit (normally no more than two half-courses) for work done in other graduate schools in the United States or abroad, subject to the evaluation by the department and acceptance by the Graduate School. Petitions may be submitted after the completion of one full year of graduate work in the department.

Graduate students who have one or more outstanding incompletes will not be considered for departmental summer grants. All students may be allowed academic credit (normally no more than two half-courses) for work done in other graduate schools in the United States or abroad, subject to the evaluation by the department and acceptance by the Graduate School. Petitions may be submitted after the completion of one full year of graduate work in the department.

 

Analysis/Tonal Writing:
Competence and fluency in traditional harmony, counterpoint, strict composition, and analysis (including analysis of 20th-century music), are prerequisites for taking the General Examination. Entering students will be given a placement test; students fournd to have deficiencies in these skills will be required to take Music B, or other pertinent courses. Work must be undertaken in the first year of study.

Languages:
Written language examinations are given at specified times throughout the year. Reading knowledge of the following languages must be proved before taking the general examination: Historical musicology--German and French or Italian. Ethnomusicology—a European research language and a second language to be determined in consultation with the Ethnomusicology advisor. Theory—German plus one other language (French, Italian, Latin). Composition—German, Italian or French unless an alternative language is approved in writing by the graduate advisor. Historical musicology and ethnomusicology students must pass a third language appropriate to the field of specialization after completing the general examinations and within one year of the approval of a dissertation proposal.

Requirements for languages not tested regularly within the department may be satisfied through special examination, or through presentation of other documentation at the discretion of the graduate advisor.

Advising
Advising in the department during the pre-generals period is primarily handled by the appropriate graduate advisors and faculty members in the various programs, with the director of graduate studies available for further advice. After successful completion of the general examination, students consult with individual faculty members on their proposed fields of concentration, and when a dissertation proposal has been completed it is presented to the faculty in that field of study. When the dissertation proposal has been approved by the faculty in the program, it is brought to the entire department for final approval, and a dissertation committee is set up for each student. The dissertation committee consists of an advisor and two readers. Any questions or concerns about advising in the department can be brought to the attention of the director of graduate studies or the chair.

Residency:
Two full years are required at full tuition and two at reduced tuition. See The Graduate School of Arts & Sciences Handbook for specific information about residency requirements.

Review:
The progress of all graduate students is reviewed at the end of each year. In addition to adequate course work, there are special requirements for first- and second-year students. Every student must submit at least one paper written for a graduate course as part of the first-year review. In Musicology, every first- and second-year student must write at least one seminar paper per term.

General Examination:
The General Examination consists of two parts: written and oral. The orals are taken after passing the written portions. The exam dates differ by program but are usually between May and September of the student’s second year of study. Both the written and the oral parts can be repeated, but no more than once. The format, which is significantly different for each program, is as follows:

Historical Musicology
For historical musicologists, the general test will have three main parts--written, analysis and oral. The written exam consists of essays and short answer questions related to six of eight topics chosen by the student. The two prepared topics not selected for the written exam will be presented in the oral exam. The open-book analysis exam will be given in the summer, at a mutually agreeable time around mid-July. This will be a take-home exam, distributed on a Friday, and returned on Monday, mid-afternoon. It consists of two pieces of music (chosen from 1) before 1700, 2) 18th or 19th century, or 3) 20th century). Students will choose one topic on which they will make a ten-minute presentation in the oral examination. Students will choose a second topic on which they will prepare a syllabus for a 13-week graduate seminar on the subject. This syllabus will be presented in written form, and may be the subject of discussion in the oral examination.

Ethnomusicology
The written test for ethnomusicologists is divided into three sections: one on ethnomusicology theory and method, a second from two areas of world music, a third on interdisciplinary problems. The analysis test includes two examples, one from the student's major area (i.e. North Indian music, Swedish music, etc.) and a second from the Western art music tradition. The oral examination in ethnomusicology focuses on the special field or area chosen by the student, but may include questions about general ethnomusicology not necessarily related to topics covered in seminars. The remainder of the examination focuses on questions posed in the written examination.

Theory
The examination consists of four different parts: 1. A preliminary oral examination on repertoire and analysis ("single sheets"), lasting 30 mins, with 1 hr preparation time, usually taken at the beginning of the summer. 2. Four written exams of 3 hrs each: (a) systematic theories, (b) history of music theory, (c + d) two examinations in special fields relevant to dissertation research. 3. Analytical essays on two musical works from different periods (take-home paper over 4 days). 4. A two-hour oral examination will allow discussion on the written work and may broaden to engage a variety of related issues in music theory.

Composition
For composers, a written analysis is to be completed in three days at the end of the spring term of the second year of graduate study. It consists of a piece or set of pieces that should be analyzed by the student in the allotted time period. Students are also required to write an original composition of 7-10 minutes length with an imposed instrumentation, to be submitted by August 15. The oral examination is based on an in-depth discussion of three major works that are assigned in the late spring of the second year of graduate study, plus an analytical presentation of the student's original composition.

Teaching

Beginning in the third year, graduate students in good standing are eligible for teaching fellowships. Most teaching fellows devote two-fifths TIME to teaching.

Third Year Requirements

The third year is primarily devoted to developing a dissertation proposal and the beginning of work on the dissertation. All students will complete their required courses; in most cases, that will mean two half-courses; the topics of which may be assigned by the faculty as a result of the General Examination. Musicology students will begin their third language (to be completed within one year of the approval of a dissertation proposal).

Dissertation

Within the academic year in which the General Examination is passed, the PhD candidate is expected to develop a proposal for a dissertation, which should be a major original contribution to the field. The proposal must be submitted for approval to the program, which is responsible for assigning the student a committee consisting of a dissertation advisor and two other faculty members. Normally, the complete dissertation must be submitted within five years after passing the General Examination, and satisfactory progress must be demonstrated every year in order that the student remains in good standing. If the dissertation is submitted thereafter the department is not obligated to accept it. The formal requirements for the dissertation are set forth in The Form of the PhD Dissertation, provided by the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. The department requires one bound copy for the Music Library, in addition to the two copies required for the Registrar.

Colloquium

Musicology and theory students, after the approval of their dissertation proposal, will participate in the doctoral colloquium until the dissertation is accepted. Exceptions are made for Traveling Scholars researching outside of Harvard.

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AM Program and Degree Requirements

MASTERS DEGREE IN MUSIC WITH A SPECIALTY IN
PERFORMANCE PRACTICE

The A.M. Degree in Music with a specialty in Performance Practice is designed to provide intellectual and scholarly background to finished musicians who are preparing or engaged in careers as performers and teachers.  The emphasis is on preparing students to work with sources, editions, theoretical writings, organology and other matters of importance to performance styles as related to repertories.  Additional areas such as differences in the meaning of terminology and notation from composer to composer or from era to era; ornamentation; liberties of tempo and declamation; and improvisation will be addressed.

The A.M. in Performance Practice is a two-year program in which students take a selection of departmental courses focused on this specialty, and write an A.M. thesis.

The A.M. degree will be awarded on completion with passing grade (B- or above) of at least eight and no more than twelve half-courses.  The courses, selected with the approval of the department, are outlined below.   The Registrar requires a minimum of four blocks per semester.  TIME – C  (course-related work) indicates that students are engaged in full-time study.  There is a minimum residence requirement of three semesters.  Two years will ordinarily be required to complete the degree.

Typical Program for A.M. in Performance Practice

Year 1 Fall Semester  

Music 201 (Introduction to Musicology) 
Music 18x (Performance Practice)  
Music 2xx (Graduate Seminar) 
TIME – C 

Year 1 Spring Semester

Music 201 (Introduction to Musicology)
Music 300 (Reading and Research)
Music 2xx (Graduate Seminar)
TIME - C

Year 2 Fall Semester

Music 18x (Performance Practice) 
Music 2xx (Graduate Seminar) 
Music 299 (Thesis)    
TIME – C

Year 2 Spring Semester

Music 2xx (Graduate Seminar)
Music 299 (Thesis)
Music 299 (Thesis)
TIME - C

Language Requirement

Students in the A.M. program will be expected to demonstrate a reading knowledge of French, German or Italian.  An examination must be passed before entering the 2nd year of graduate work (by the beginning of the third semester).

Analysis/Tonal Writing

Competence and fluency in traditional harmony, counterpoint, and strict composition, and analysis (including 20th –century analysis) are expected.  Music Bhf must be passed before entering the 2nd year of graduate work.

Thesis

A thesis proposal (subject and scope to be decided in consultation with the Advisor) should be submitted for department approval by March of the 1st year of graduate work.

A Masters Committee, comprised of 1 Advisor and 2 Readers is approved by the faculty following the acceptance of the proposal.

Theses should be approximately 50 pages in length and submitted to the department no later than May 15 for the June degree and September 1 for the November degree1. 

Applications for degree are due to the Registrar’s Office in March (for June degree) and August (for November degree).  Please note that thesis deadlines are updated each year. Student ID cards are valid until the last day before fall registration. Health insurance expires on July 30th. 

Admission and Financial Aid

Students interested in pursuing the A.M. degree should submit the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Admissions Form. Ordinarily, the department expects to enroll one to two A.M. students a year or every two years.  No auditions are required. A tape (cassette or compact disc) representing the level and breath of accomplishment should accompany the application form. Prospective students wishing an interview with an appropriate faculty members should contact the Music Department at (617) 495-2791. These meetings are normally scheduled between October and January. 

Financial Aid for this program is very limited. Travel and Research Funding: students may apply for Paine Traveling Fellowships and/or the Department Travel Fund. All fellowship funding is at the discretion of the Scholarship Committee. Other University funding may be available.

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Resources:

The Early Instrument Room (EIR) includes a number of instruments, including a German double harpsichord made by William Dowd and the historic Dolmetsch double harpsichord and clavichord. The room contains a piano built by Johann Streicher in 1869 from the private collection of Professor Robert Levin, which has been made available to students and faculty of the department. The EIR also contains two pianos ordered for the department by Professor Levin since his arrival: (1) a copy by Paul McNulty, Prague, Czech Republic, after Anton Walter & Sohn, ca. 1805 (5 octaves with moderator and true una corda, delivered in February 1988; (2) a copy by Rodney Regier, Freeport, Me, after Conrad Graf, ca. 1824, 6 octaves. Taking the harpsichord and three pianos as a whole, the EIR has instruments that take users straight through organologically from the high Baroque to the advent of the modern piano in the later 1880's.

In addition, the department owns two Furth harpsichords, a number of renaissance and Baroque stringed instruments, and a small collection of historical instruments. Organs at Harvard include the four-manual C.B. Fisk instrument in the Memorial Church and the three-manual Flentrop in Adolphus Busch Hall.

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Course Information

In general, for all students, 100-level courses should be taken as supplemental to the graduate program, and should not be the major portion of the student's coursework. The students should discuss their intentions with the graduate advisor. Students are encouraged to pursue course offerings in performance.

Graduate credit will automatically be given to composition students for any of the following 100-level courses: Music 157x and y, 160, 165r, 167r. In order to receive graduate credit, permission to take any additional half-courses at the 100-level must be petitioned to the department before taking the course.

For theory students, the following courses will count as "in their secondary area"; in composition, 166r, 167r, up to a total of two terms in all, 261r, 262r, 264, 270, and 272; in musicology, courses numbered from 201 through 219 or any 100-level course which has been specifically designated as satisfying this requirement in a given term by both the graduate advisor in musicology and the graduate advisor in theory. Theory students intending to count graduate credit (toward the 16 half-course credits) for any 100-level course should obtain written authorization to do so from the graduate theory advisor prior to taking the course.

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Final Steps in the Dissertation Process

The procedure for completing the dissertation is as follows:
1. The full text must be submitted to the members of the Dissertation Committee for suggestions, corrections, changes, etc. Candidates are encouraged to discuss drafts of individual chapters with all members of the Dissertation Committee.
2. The candidate should check with the department administrator to be sure that all degree requirements have been met.

3. The application for the degree must be submitted to the Registrar by the date published in The Graduate School of Arts & Sciences Handbook for the November, March or June degrees.

4. After the committee has approved the dissertation in its final form, an unbound copy must be submitted to the department at least four weeks before the Registrar's deadline. During this 45 day period the members of the department are free to examine the completed thesis.

5. For musicology students, a public colloquium on the dissertation is required shortly before or after it has been approved.

6. Copies: one copy bound and one copy boxed and unbound for the Registrar; one copy bound for the Music Library. The library copy must be submitted to the department office before the Thesis Acceptance Certificate can be signed. The department administrator will obtain signatures from the committee. At this time, the University Microfilms and RILM forms must be completed. The Registrar's office requires the thesis certificate (one original, one copy), the University Microfilms form, and its copies of the thesis.

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Satisfactory Progress

A student in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences must be making satisfactory progress in order to be eligible for any type of financial aid. The following nine items provide a general definition of satisfactory progress that has been adopted for this purpose by the Music Department. It is hoped that this requirement will have a healthy effect on students' academic progress, and that it will enable us to preserve resources for those most deserving of financial assistance.
1. During the first two years of graduate study any student who is permitted to register is considered to be making satisfactory progress.
 

2. A prospective third-year student must have achieved the minimum grade-point average required by this faculty (B).

3. A prospective third-year student must have passed general examinations.

4. A prospective fourth-year student must have obtained approval of a dissertation prospectus.

5. A prospective sixth-year, or more advanced, student must have produced at least one acceptable chapter of the dissertation or its equivalent for each year beginning with the fifth.

6. Requirements 2 - 5 shall be cumulative.

7. A student who fails to meet a requirement may, upon the department's recommendation, be considered to be an "exception"--and remain eligible for financial assistance--for a grace period of up to one year. At the close of the grace period, in order to be considered to be making satisfactory progress, the student must have met both the requirement missed earlier and the requirement that would normally be imposed at that time.

8. No student may have more than one such year of grace during his or her study.

9. In addition, the requirements of this calendar may be deferred by a department during one year of departmental approved Leave. A department may, if it wishes, defer requirements for a more extended period of approved leave in order to facilitate a student's obtaining a professional degree.

NOTE

Some aspects of the graduate programs in music may be under review and in process of revision. Therefore, this text may not in every respect represent accurately the structure of the programs. Applicants are advised to write to the department for information and encouraged to discuss the details of the programs with the Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Music, Music Building, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138. email: musicdpt@fas.harvard.edu (address DGS in subject line)


 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How important are GRE scores?

We take GRE scores into consideration along with the entire dossier, not as a single factor that determines the outcome of an application.

Are foreign students required to take the TOEFL exam?

Students whose native language is not English or who have not graduated from an English speaking university are required to take and pass the TOEFL exam.

I don’t have an undergraduate degree in music. Am I still eligible for admission?

While many of our entering students do have degrees in music, backgrounds and degrees vary widely. We look at all around preparation of our applicants and their overall excellence. As a Music Department, we do look for training and expertise in one or more music traditions and an ability to deal successfully with a curriculum that has requirements across the music subdisciplines as well as interdisciplinary studies.

Can I apply for a Master’s Degree?

The Harvard graduate program in Music is primarily a doctoral program. The subdisciplines of musicology, ethnomusicology, composition, and music theory do not admit candidates for the Master's Degree only. The two-year program in Performance Practice, however, leads to a Master's degree.

I have received a Master’s Degree and wonder if I can transfer credit for courses taken?

We permit transfer of credit for no more than two courses. Students are allowed to request transfer credit if they are in good standing after the first year of coursework and on submission of details about the course for which credit is requested. Graduate courses taken as an undergraduate student may not be presented for credit if those courses counted toward the undergraduate degree.

I am interested in taking courses in other Music subfields. Is this possible at Harvard?

Our programs both require and encourage coursework in other sub-disciplines of music.

I am interested in more than one sub-discipline in music. Which graduate program should I apply for?

We have graduate programs in historical musicology, ethnomusicology, theory and composition. Our programs are small, so it is important that you apply to the program closest to you major interests. If you are applying in Theory, please indicate either Theory/Composition or Theory/Musicology.

Can I take courses outside the Music Department?

Harvard has extraordinary course offerings across the disciplines and we encourage our graduate students to take courses that will enhance their knowledge.

Do foreign language courses count toward degree credit?

Although one can enroll in language courses to meet the language requirements of our programs, these courses do not count toward credit for the Ph.D.

What are the requirements for individual programs?

Please refer to our website where each program is described in detail: http://www.music.fas.harvard.edu/gradinfo.html

What are the possibilities for financial support for graduate studies at Harvard?

The Graduate School at Harvard typically offers admitted Music students five years of full funding, in the form of stipends, teaching fellowships and finishing grants. Departmental resources include special funds for summer research and some additional fellowships.

I am a performer and wonder if the Music Department gives credit for performance activities to graduate students? What opportunities are there for performance at Harvard?

Although we encourage performance, our graduate program is an academic one and performance activities do not count toward degree. As a Department of Music which does not have a performance faculty, we are not able to provide vocal or instrumental lessons. There is a lively musical scene on campus and graduate students are welcome to join many University ensembles, including those sponsored by Dudley House or Gamelan Si Betty. Graduate student musicians sometimes perform on the special noontime University Hall Recital Series. The Harvard Group for New Music performs student compositions. Boston is home to a lively musical world and many students participate as performers in music traditions ranging from early music to jazz.

 
 


Visiting the Department

Visiting the Music Department

You are welcome to visit the Department at any time, although we in no way require or expect you to make the trip. You should know that we do invite the students we admit to our program to come to Cambridge as part of our admissions process. At that time, admitted students meet with faculty, get to know our current students, and are introduced to other students who have also been admitted.

We regret that we are not able to make appointments with individual faculty members during a pre-admissions visit.

If you do decide to make a visit prior to the admissions deadline there are optimum times to visit, such as between October and December holiday break. If you visit at another time of the year, check the academic schedule to avoid reading/exam periods and semester breaks. It is not necessary to visit, nor should you see it as a way to improve your chances of admission.

Rather, a visit is simply a good way to learn about our Department's intellectual environment and infrastructure. We urge you to consult the course schedule http://www.music.fas.harvard.edu/courses/courses.html so that you can plan to sit in on one or more graduate seminars (please ask permission of the instructing professor first: music professors can be reached via email at musicdpt@fas.harvard.edu). This is the best way to get to know the professors and students.

You may also want to attend any colloquia, lectures, or faculty seminars that coincide with your visit (check our calendar at www.music.fas.harvard.edu/calendar.html), or to tour the Music Library (contact Liza Vick to make an appointment at lizavick@fas.harvard.edu) and other Harvard libraries. It may also be possible to chat informally with some of our current graduate students, who are apt to be working in the department and library during the academic year.

Our receptionists can tell you more about the schedule of events (call 617-495-2791). You can also reach them through email: Kaye Denny (denny2@fas.harvard.edu) and Charles Stillman (stillman@fas.harvard.edu).

Tours of the Harvard campus are available twice each day Monday through Friday (and some on weekends), and originate from the Holyoke Information Center in the Holyoke Center Arcade, right in the middle of Harvard Square. Other information and services are also available. http://www.hno.harvard.edu/guide/to_do/index.htm
 


 

Faculty Advisors

If you have questions about a specific field, you may contact the Graduate Advisor in that field. For more general questions, contact the Director of Graduate Studies. All Professors can be reached via email at: musicdpt@fas.harvard.edu. Type the professor's name in the subject line of your email letter (for example, Subject: for Prof. Kelly). A faculty list, including Graduate Advisor designations, is here: http://www.music.fas.harvard.edu/faculty/facbios.html

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Visiting Courses

For the entire schedule of courses click here.

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The Application Process

If you decide to make an application, Harvard's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences handles the admissions process in its entirety. All questions about the admissions process, as well as all application materials, should be sent to them:
Admissions and Financial Aid
Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Harvard University
1350 Massachusetts Avenue
Holyoke Center 350
Cambridge, MA 02138-3654

GSAS also tracks all applications and is responsible for all materials and submitted information. If you need to know the status of your application, call GSAS: 617-495-5315 or write admiss@fas.harvard.edu

NOTE: Please do not call the Music Department about the status of your application or the return of your materials. Application materials only come to the Music Department at the very last stages of the process, and are held here in complete confidentiality until admissions recommendations are made.

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