Admissions
Overview
Admission to our program is highly competitive. We make only 3 - 5 funded fellowship offers per admissions cycle for Ethnomusicology and we see many more qualified applicants than we can admit in each cycle.
Cycle
While Composition, Historical Musicology & Music Theory admit cohorts annually, Ethnomusicology admits cohorts in 2 out of every 3 years. The upcoming application cycles for Ethnomusicology will be:
Fall '24 for Fall '25 Admission
Fall '25 for Fall '26 Admission
Fall '26 (No Admissions for Fall '27)
Fall '27 for Fall '28 Admission
Fall '28 for Fall '29 Admission
Fall '29 (No Admissions for Fall '30)
Fall '30 for Fall '31 Admission
Fall '31 for Fall '32 Admission
Fall '32 (No Admissions for Fall '33)
Requirements
Admission and fellowship decisions are based on a student's prior educational record, demonstrated writing ability in English (please submit a substantial writing sample with all applications; non-native speakers of English must submit a TOEFL test score and an English writing sample); three letters of recommendation, preferably from faculty members who have directly taught the student and/or supervised the student in an independent research project; and prior experience with musical and cross-cultural research and travel. Relevant foreign language skills are a strong qualification.
Please note that as of 2019, we no longer require GRE (Graduate Record Exam) test scores for admission to our PhD programs in Music.
We seriously consider applicants with undergraduate degrees in all fields. Most of our students are also musicians, but that is not a requirement for admission to the program. Because many of our top applicants are comparably qualified, a number of other factors come into play when we select an entering class.
Process
Prospective applicants should contact Area Chair of Ethnomusicology by email as soon as possible in the application cycle, but only after they have read this page. We encourage (but do not require) prospective applicants to visit our program during the Fall of the year in which they apply to meet our faculty and students, visit our classes and seminars, and view our facilities. We especially encourage applications from women, military veterans, and members of groups which have been historically under-represented in American academia. Our admissions process is the same for international students or US citizens, with the exception of TOEFL requirements for international students. Our funding offers are the same for both international applicants and US citizen applicants.
More detailed information can be found on the Department of Music Admissions page.
The deadline for applications for the following academic year is usually in mid-December of the year preceding an applicants proposed matriculation. This date is set by GSAS and is NOT flexible! Please make sure you check this year's deadline on the GSAS application page. All applications are processed online by the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. No materials should be sent directly to the Music Department or to any faculty member. Please contact the Columbia University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences for deadlines and admissions procedures. The Department does not receive applications until GSAS determines that they are complete.
Note: We do not offer a part-time enrollment option, a distance learning program, an MA-only option, or enrollment at mid-year. All of our students are completely funded for at least five years with fellowship and teaching support.