The Graduate Certificate in Musicology, which is administered by the College of Music, is designed for doctoral students in the College of Music who wish to gain additional proficiency in musicology and ethnomusicology. Students in the certificate program develop skills in research, writing, and classroom teaching through coursework, training in pedagogy, and independent research projects.   The certificate is available to students who are enrolled in a doctoral degree program in the College of Music at Michigan State University.  The student’s program of study must be approved by the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies in the College of Music.

Admission

To be considered for the Graduate Certificate in Musicology, a student must be enrolled in a doctoral degree program in the College of Music.   Students must submit the following materials to the area chair of musicology by December 1.:

1.  An 800- to 1000-word personal statement addressing the applicant’s career plans and research/teaching interests.
2. A curriculum vitae that includes all relevant education and professional experience.
3. One transcript from every college or university attended. Transcripts may be unofficial.
4. A 10- to 15-page research paper demonstrating research ability, including bibliographic citations and/or fieldwork experience.
5. One letter of recommendation (may be sent by the recommender directly to the Area Chair of musicology)  

Following initial screening, candidates will be invited to interview with the musicology faculty to determine admissibility.

Requirements for the Graduate Certificate in Musicology 

Students must complete 17-18 credits from the following:

1. MUS 830 Research Methods and Materials in Music (3 credits)
2. Six credits of musicology at the 800 or 900 level  
3. Six additional credits of ethnomusicology at the 400, 800, or 900 level. If a 400-level course is to be used to satisfy this requirement, the student must enroll concurrently in 1 credit of the corresponding section of MUS 892A Seminar in Music History.  
4. MUS 964 College Music Teaching (2 cr) or MUS 992, Seminar in Musicology: Musicology Pedagogy (3 credits)  5. Complete a capstone project advised and approved by a committee of at least two of the musicology faculty and consisting of one of the following options:
   • A research paper of 15-20 pages that, in most cases, will grow from a seminar paper or project on a topic substantially different than that of the PhD dissertation, the DMA lecture-recital and scholarly document or either of the two lecture-recitals. Alternative formats appropriate to the project (e.g. a lecture-recital) are possible with the approval of the committee.
   • A teaching portfolio consisting of a teaching philosophy, sample syllabi, and sample teaching videos.