What is Musicology?

Musicology studies the history, cultural contexts, and interpretation of music, and in recent decades has expanded its coverage to extend beyond European art-music to other traditions and regions. The Department of Musicology at UCLA has long been the recognized leader in the study of popular music, in studying music in relation to power and difference, and approaching traditional repertories and musical practices in innovative ways. The National Research Council ranks UCLA Musicology as the number one program in the country.

Musicology offers undergraduates a Major and a Minor, with courses ranging across European and American music, including specialized courses in EDM, Motown, blues, medievalism, musicals, rock, punk, film music, sound studies, and performance studies, and studying music in relation to politics, gender, and postcolonialism. Musicology is also the home of UCLA’s Early Music Ensemble, serving the larger UCLA community and offering several public concerts each year.

What is Music's Value? A Conversation with Tim Taylor
Tim Taylor, professor of ethnomusicology and musicology at The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, has always been curious about how we assess the value of music. The author of
The Art of Sound: Jasmine Bailey's Pursuit of Immersive Musical Experiences
Songwriter, performer, producer Jasmine Bailey has a vision for her art form, a world of immersive soundscapes and multisensory communal experiences that bring artists and audiences closer together. 
Stornoway Releases a New Single
When musicology professor Thomas Hodgson isn’t founding new peer-reviewed journals devoted to exploring music and data (yes, that’s right), he’s recording with his band Stornoway. And they have just released
Ray Knapp Wins Distinguished Teaching Award
Ray Knapp, distinguished professor of musicology and humanities, has won the UCLA Faculty Senate’s Distinguished Teaching Award for 2023-24. Knapp is one of six faculty selected by the award committee
Ashley Dao Wins Campus-Wide Leadership Award
Musicology major Ashley Dao is one of three undergraduates who has won the student leadership award from the UCLA Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. She is the first student
How AI and Musicians Collaborate, a Ted Talk with Judith Finell
Music creation is one of the most distinguishing features of humanity. So what does it mean that AI has entered the picture? Judith Finell, lecturer in music industry at The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music offers a fresh perspective on how human creativity and artificial intelligence charts new territory in music composition.

Explore Degrees

Conducting
Graduate study and training in choral, orchestral, or wind conducting
Ethnomusicology
The study of global musical traditions through performance training, research, and field work
Global Jazz Studies
Jazz performance and musicianship courses are paired with African American Studies
Music Composition
Mentorship in the creation and realization of music for concerts, opera, and visual media
Music Education
Preparation for music educators leading to a BA and teaching credential in just four years
Music Industry
A leadership-focused professional degree which prepares students to transform the creative, entrepreneurial, and executive structures of the music industry
Musicology
The scholarly study of the histories, cultures, and critical interpretations of music and music-making
Music Performance
Study and training towards professional performance careers in Western classical music