Ryan Skinner, area head
Musicology at Ohio State pursues interdisciplinary inquiry into music in its social and historical contexts, integrating perspectives from ethnomusicology, critical and cultural theory, historical musicology, media, folklore, music theory and beyond. As a part of, and portal to, one of the largest educational institutions in the US, our program provides an almost infinite variety of music-related humanistic opportunities, with an array of degree options and graduate minors.
At the same time we are a holistic enterprise, with faculty and students continually learning from one another: a group of scholars and performers persistently reconsidering a field that is always relevant and perpetually unfolding.
As an academic unit within the Ohio State School of Music, with its focus on musical practices and pedagogies, the Musicology area aims to expand common ideas of musicality and performance; help musicians in advocating social justice causes; set repertory in stimulating cultural, political and historical contexts; and diversify the repertories themselves.
Faculty
The Musicology faculty hold internationally-recognized expertise in US and global popular music, queer studies, urban African and Afro-diasporic music cultures, music of the Renaissance in Europe, migration and mobility studies, European repertories of the 19th and 20th centuries, film and multimedia, and indigenous and ethnic studies. Closely affiliated faculty in the Theory area offer complementary courses and research expertise in music theory pedagogy, computational musicology, mathematical music theory, music cognition, music visualization, and esotericism. Additional opportunities are provided by musicologically-oriented faculty in Folklore, African and African American Studies, Comparative Studies (including Sound Studies), Spanish and Portuguese, and Dance.
Graduate Studies
Students may enter doctoral studies in musicology at Ohio State (1) with a bachelor’s degree or (2) after completing a master’s degree at another institution. To view these options, visit the Doctor of Philosophy page. We offer a terminal master’s degree; students who intend to complete the doctorate need not complete a master’s first.
Our Musicology curricula introduces graduate students to current conversations in the discipline and helps them become fluent with critical research methods. All students in our program develop proficiencies in ethnographic and historical research methods, written and oral communication, and teaching.
Many pursue studies within and outside of Music that support their chosen research interests: our students have combined musicology studies with music theory or performance, law, folklore, study of specific world regions, nonprofit management, and more. Our degree programs are flexible — it is expected that the student will work closely with a faculty advisor throughout their program, and each student’s program will be tailored to that student’s interests.
Students in musicology are supported by University Fellowships and/or Graduate Teaching Associateships. As teachers, most work 20 hours per week, with varied assignments and increasing independence as they progress through the program.
Student research is assisted by grants provided by our program, the College of Arts and Sciences, and many external funding sources —facility with grantwriting is one important outcome of our program.
From the time students enter our program, they begin imagining and preparing for the work they will pursue after they finish their degrees. Find out more about the career paths of our alumni and professional development resources.
Undergraduate Musicology Major
The undergraduate Musicology curriculum [pdf] is flexible, allowing students to choose upper-division courses according to their interests, and even to participate in graduate classes. All undergraduate majors in the School of Music take a set of core courses that acquaint them with (a) the history of European and European-derived art music, (b) African American music, (c) global music histories, and (d) musical citizenship and politics. Musicology majors go on to General Education courses and electives on a large variety of topics — for instance, music in the United States, the history of rock ’n’ roll, the Beatles in musical context, and introduction to opera. Musicology majors conclude their program with a senior thesis, written in close collaboration with a faculty member of their choice.
Musicology Lecture Series
Lectures in Musicology is a forum for scholars from the university and from the region to speak on musical-cultural topics; musical practices, communities, ecologies and repertories; and historical issues. Series organizers aim to give equal opportunity to students and faculty in Musicology and Music Theory, to faculty and students in other departments, to local scholars, and to an array of distinguished invited guest speakers. The semester schedule is available at Musicology Events and the details for each event will be posted on the School of Music calendar.
4 p.m. on select Mondays in the 18th Avenue Library (second floor, room 205) at 175 West 18th Avenue, unless otherwise noted.
Free and open to the public.
Park in the Tuttle Garage or Ohio Union South Garage. All other garages in the vicinity are closed to visitors before 4 p.m.
Questions?
Contact Katie Graber, assistant teaching professor and Musicology area coordinator (graber.84@osu.edu).