The Department of Musicology accepts applications for the Fall quarter only. Admission to the department is based on acceptance by the UCLA Graduate Division and a faculty review of the applicant’s work. Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited US institution or comparable international institution, with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0.

The Department does not offer a master’s-only program. All applicants admitted to the graduate program will be officially entering the PhD program, with the prospect of completing a doctoral degree in Musicology. Applicants who have not previously earned a master’s degree in Musicology or a closely related field will earn the MA degree while completing the requirements for the PhD.

Application

The graduate application opens for submission every September. Applicants must submit the UCLA Graduate Division Application for Graduate Admission by December 1, 2023 at 11:59 PM PST. All required components must be submitted by the deadline, including letters of recommendation. Applications submitted after this deadline are not guaranteed to be reviewed. We do not accept applications off-cycle.

The application requires the following components:

• Statement of Purpose: Your statement can be up to 500 words in length (approximately 1-page, single spaced, using 1-inch margins and 12-point font). The statement of purpose should describe the applicant’s scholarly and research area(s) of interest, experiences that contributed to preparation in the field, and the applicant’s plans for study at UCLA and beyond.
• Letters of Recommendation: 3 letters of recommendation are required. The letters should be written by individuals who have known the applicant well, have observed their recent work and achievements, and are able to speak of their intellectual and research ability, promise, and potential as a student. Applicants must enter the names and contact information of the 3 recommenders within the application. An electronic recommendation request will be sent to recommenders, and recommendation letters must be submitted via this request. It is strongly advised that letters of recommendation are completed before the December 2023 deadline. Recommendations submitted after this date are not guaranteed to be reviewed.
• Writing Samples: Applicants should submit 2-3 writing samples that demonstrate sound scholarship, intellectual vigor, and the ability to analyze musical and cultural complexities. Applicants should submit their MA thesis, if applicable.
• GRE Scores (optional): Submitting GRE scores is recommended but not required. Applicants should report scores within the application, and an official score report should be sent to UCLA. The UCLA GRE school code is 4837, and the Musicology department code is 2303.
• Personal History Statement: Your statement can be up to 500 words in length (approximately 1-page, single spaced, using 1-inch margins and 12-point font). To be considered for a Cota-Robles or Graduate Opportunity fellowship, be sure to describe your contributions to diversity. The University of California Diversity Statement can be found online.
• Unofficial Transcript(s): Upload unofficial copies of transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended. The institution logo and your name must be present on the copies.

Interview

Following review of the application materials, finalists will be invited to interview with department faculty.

International Applicants

• Academic Records: Please see the Graduate Division website for information about the academic records international applicants are required to submit with the application.
• English Language Requirements: All applicants are required to demonstrate English language proficiency in order to be eligible for admission. Proficiency can be demonstrated in two ways: 1) Holding a bachelor’s or higher degree from a university located in the United States or in another country in which English is the primary spoken language of daily life (e.g., Australia, Barbados, Canada, Ireland, Jamaica, New Zealand, United Kingdom) and the medium of instruction; or 2) Submitting scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL; minimum score of 87 on the TOEFL iBT required) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS; minimum overall band score of 7.0 required).

Scholarships & Teaching Assistantships

At the campus level, UCLA offers the Eugene V. Cota-Robles Fellowship. We strongly encourage doctoral applicants to apply. Please see here for a guide to Graduate Division fellowships and how to apply.

All Musicology students are offered a funding package that includes coverage of tuition and fees and a scholarship stipend. After their first year, Musicology students are expected to become teaching assistants within the department. That being said, given the interdisciplinary nature of the field, many students also explore TAships in other departments. TAships are an excellent source of financial support, as they usually include a waiver of in-state tuition and fees, along with a salary.