The Certificate Program in Musicology is offered to students enrolled in any doctoral program within SMTD except for Musicology. It is intended to prepare a student to teach introductory courses in music history, musicology, world music, music appreciation, or ethnomusicology at the undergraduate level.

Program Requirements

The Certificate Program in Musicology requires no more than 19 credits in addition to an oral examination. Coursework to include:

• Demonstration of basic musicological competence required of all doctoral students in music.
• A core of three required courses designed to augment and refine students’ understanding of the methods, materials, and approaches available to scholars and teachers in the field of musicology:
  • Musicology 501 (3 credits)
  • Musicology 502 (3 credits)
  • Musicology 509: Teaching Introductory Courses in Music (3 credits)
• Additional topics courses or seminars (totaling 6-9 hours for students who do not elect the coursework alternative; totaling 3 to 6 hours for those who do) to be chosen from among the department’s offerings at the 500 and 600 levels that will provide a focus adequate to the particular research interests of the student.

Final Oral Examination

The final oral examination will consist of a presentation of a 50-minute class on a topic chosen by the student and approved by the director or faculty committee that oversees the Certificate Program in Musicology. The aim is to put the student into the sort of situation that a future teaching position might involve on a daily basis. The presentation will be followed by a question-and-answer session with the committee on any and all of the materials studied during the course of the program. An independent study course in Musicology should be elected with an advisor in preparation for this oral examination.

How To Apply

Academic Eligibility

In keeping with Rackham guidelines, students apply separately to certificate programs.

Applicants must demonstrate particular apti­tude for historical, ethnomusicological, and cultural study of music through samples of their written work, including research papers and critical essays, to be presented to and discussed in an interview with the director or faculty committee overseeing the Certificate Program in Musicology.

To add the Certificate Program in Musicology to your degree, submit the application.

Please send inquiries regarding the SMTD application process to SMTD.admissions@umich.edu. To learn more about SMTD, sign up for an Information Session.