Graduate Degree Paths, Timelines and Careers

in Musicology

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 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 — we believe facility with grantwriting is one important outcome of our program.

Our students pursue a variety of careers, and our program emphasizes the importance of planning one’s professional development. Our graduates are working in digital humanities, arts administration, library science, in student life roles in the academy, and in music journalism. Others are working in the professoriate, including in tenure-track positions at Cornell, Duke, Butler, Vanderbilt, Millikin, and Miami Universities, as well as at the University of Maryland, the University of North Carolina–Greensboro, and Hong Kong Baptist University. The School of Music offers paid internships at ProMusica Chamber Orchestra of Columbus and our local public radio station, WOSU. The Barnett Center for the Arts and Enterprise also assists students in finding internships to support their professional development.