Master of Arts (Music)

Program Requirements

The MA program allows students to explore broad and complex subjects in theory, musicology, ethnomusicology, and popular music.

The MA may be taken as either a course-based program or a thesis-based program. Students must declare which program they intend to follow at the beginning of their graduate studies. Students wishing to request a change of program category must seek the approval of the graduate committee.

Course-based MA:

Students must complete a minimum of 30 units in graduate-level course work, including 27 units in required courses and at least 3 units in a capping project.

Required Courses

MUSIC 614 - Proseminar in Musicology
MUSIC 650 - Proseminar in Music Theory
MUSIC 665 - Issues in Ethnomusicology
MUSIC 670 - Proseminar in Popular Music and Media Studies
A minimum of five 3-unit graduate-level options
At the discretion of the supervisor, further coursework may be required.
- Students who have not taken a bibliography and research methods course (or equivalent) will be required to take MUSIC 505 . This course will not be considered as one of the approved graduate-level options.

Capping Project

MUSIC 903 (3 units) OR MUSIC 906 (6 units) OR MUSIC 909 (9 units) - Directed Research Project. The Capping project will consist of a research paper and an oral presentation.

Thesis-based MA:

Students must complete a minimum of 24 units in graduate-level course work. Completion of a thesis is also required.

Required Courses

MUSIC 614 - Proseminar in Musicology
MUSIC 650 - Proseminar in Music Theory
MUSIC 665 - Issues in Ethnomusicology
MUSIC 670 - Proseminar in Popular Music and Media Studies
A minimum of four 3-unit graduate-level options
At the discretion of the supervisor, further coursework may be required.
- Students who have not taken a bibliography and research methods course (or equivalent) will be required to take MUSIC 505 . This course will not be considered as one of the approved graduate-level options.

Thesis

Registration in 900-level THES. Students must complete and successfully defend a thesis.

Language Requirement

MA students are required to demonstrate a reading knowledge of French or German, or another language other than English, appropriate to the area of research and approved by the student’s supervisor. This requirement will normally be completed before the thesis or capping project is undertaken. Coursework undertaken to satisfy this requirement will not be credited toward the program.

Residence Requirement

The minimum period of residence for the MA (thesis-based) degree is two four-month terms of full-time attendance at the University of Alberta.

Length of Program

The time required to complete the program will vary according to the previous training of the applicant and the nature of the research undertaken; however, a minimum of two years is normally required.

The maximum time to complete the course-based MA program as set by the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research is six years. The maximum time to complete the thesis-based MA program as set by the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research is four years.