The musicology/ethnomusicology program at Michigan State University develops students into writers, scholars and researchers in a range of classical and vernacular musics.
Exceptional instruction, top-quality advising, and individualized attention delivered through small class sizes are hallmarks of the musicology/ethnomusicology area at MSU. Faculty in the area have diverse interests and specializations, including medieval and renaissance music in France and the Low Countries; French baroque music; music in the Caribbean; jazz and popular music; Russian and Soviet music; music of sub-Saharan Africa; and gender/sexuality in music.
Students in the area engage in research in a range of historical and ethnomusicological topics, and acquire the ability and experience to teach courses in music history and ethnomusicology.
The area offers graduate seminars, lecture/discussions, and independent studies. Students can double major and earn a degree in a related or unrelated field while pursuing their musicology degree. About half the students in the musicology/ethnomusicology area are enrolled in dual degree programs. The area consistently places master’s students in competitive doctoral programs throughout the nation.
