Requirements and Courses (Thesis Option)
Music (M.A.): Musicology (Thesis) (45 credits)
Offered by: Music听(Schulich School of Music)
Degree: Master of Arts
Program credit weight: 45
Program Description
The M.A. in Music; Musicology program focuses on the diverse ways in which music's political, social, and historical contexts shape the meanings. The program comprises foundational methodologies, critical thinking skills and exploration of themes in musicological literature and analytical skills. Students write an in-depth monograph-style thesis.
Students admitted to the M.A. in Music; Musicology program who have undergraduate degrees other than the B.Mus.; Major in Music History from 黑料社, may be required to successfully complete one or more undergraduate course(s) before completion of the Master's program.
Required Courses (30 credits)
Course List
| Course |
Title |
Credits |
| MUHL 529 | Proseminar in Musicology. | 3 |
Proseminar in Musicology. Terms offered: Fall 2025 Study of selected methodologies in musicology through critical examination of significant texts. Topics may include approaches to historiography, biography, editing and source studies, as well as aesthetics, literary criticism, semiology, feminist musicology, and ideology critique. Works by Adler, Adorno, Dahlhaus, Kerman, McClary, Meyer, Nattiez, and Subotnik, among others, will be addressed. |
Thesis Courses
Course List
| Course |
Title |
Credits |
| MUGS 684 | Master's Thesis Research 2. | 6 |
Master's Thesis Research 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Independent research work under the direction of the Thesis Supervisor. |
| MUGS 685 | Master's Thesis Research 3. | 9 |
Master's Thesis Research 3. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Independent research work under the direction of the Thesis Supervisor. |
| MUGS 686 | Master's Thesis Research 4. | 12 |
Master's Thesis Research 4. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Independent research work under the direction of the Thesis Supervisor. |
Complementary Courses (15 credits)
3 credits from the following:
Course List
| Course |
Title |
Credits |
| MUHL 591D1 | Paleography. | 1.5 |
Paleography. Terms offered: Fall 2025 The theory and practice of musical transcription for the period 1100 to 1600. Black modal notation, Franconian notation, French and Italian Ars Nova notation, Mannerism, white mensural notation, proportions, and lute and keyboard tablatures will be studied. |
| MUHL 591D2 | Paleography. | 1.5 |
Paleography. Terms offered: Winter 2026 See MUHL 591D1 for course description. |
| MUHL 592 | Popular Music Studies. | 3 |
Popular Music Studies. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An overview of scholarly methods used in the study of popular music. Topics will include a broad range of issues related to music analysis, including technical-stylistic
approaches as well as ideas about analytical pertinence, aesthetics, and semiotics. Introduction to approaches associated with the sociology of music, sound studies,
media studies, gender and critical race studies. These topics will be explored through a range of readings, and the analysis of selected recordings. |
12 credits from the following:
Course List
| Course |
Title |
Credits |
| MUHL 680 | Seminar in Musicology 1. | 3 |
Seminar in Musicology 1. Terms offered: Fall 2025 Seminar in musicology. Topic varies by year. |
| MUHL 681 | Seminar in Musicology 2. | 3 |
Seminar in Musicology 2. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Seminar in musicology. Topic varies by year. |
| MUHL 682 | Seminar in Musicology 3. | 3 |
Seminar in Musicology 3. Terms offered: Fall 2025 Seminar in musicology. Topic varies by year. |
| MUHL 683 | Seminar in Musicology 4. | 3 |
Seminar in Musicology 4. Terms offered: Fall 2025, Winter 2026 Seminar in musicology. Topic varies by year. |
| MUHL 684 | Seminar in Musicology 5. | 3 |
Seminar in Musicology 5. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Seminar in musicology. Topic varies by year. |
| MUHL 685 | Seminar in Musicology 6. | 3 |
Seminar in Musicology 6. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Seminar in musicology. Topic varies by year. |
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Requirements and Courses (Gender and Women's Studies Option)
Music Musicology (Thesis) (M.A.): Gender and Women's Studies (45 credits)
Offered by: Music听(Schulich School of Music)
Degree: Master of Arts
Program credit weight: 45
Program Description
The Master of Arts in Music; Musicology - Gender and Women鈥檚 Studies focuses on issues centrally related to gender, sexuality, feminist theory, and/or women鈥檚 studies.
Students admitted to the Master of Arts in Music; Musicology - Gender and Women鈥檚 Studies program who have undergraduate degrees other than the B.Mus.; Major in Music History from 黑料社, may be required to successfully complete one or more undergraduate course(s) before completion of the Master鈥檚 program.
Required Courses (30 credits)
Course List
| Course |
Title |
Credits |
| MUHL 529 | Proseminar in Musicology. | 3 |
Proseminar in Musicology. Terms offered: Fall 2025 Study of selected methodologies in musicology through critical examination of significant texts. Topics may include approaches to historiography, biography, editing and source studies, as well as aesthetics, literary criticism, semiology, feminist musicology, and ideology critique. Works by Adler, Adorno, Dahlhaus, Kerman, McClary, Meyer, Nattiez, and Subotnik, among others, will be addressed. |
| WMST 601 | Feminist Theories and Methods. | 3 |
Feminist Theories and Methods. Terms offered: Fall 2025 Examination of feminist theories and research methods from a variety of disciplinary perspectives. |
Thesis Courses
The candidate will undertake supervised research leading to a thesis that will be an in-depth investigation in some specialized field of Musicology on a topic centrally related to issues of Gender and/or Women's Studies.
Course List
| Course |
Title |
Credits |
| MUGS 683 | Master's Thesis Research 1. | 3 |
Master's Thesis Research 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Independent research work under the direction of the Thesis Supervisor. |
| MUGS 685 | Master's Thesis Research 3. | 9 |
Master's Thesis Research 3. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Independent research work under the direction of the Thesis Supervisor. |
| MUGS 686 | Master's Thesis Research 4. | 12 |
Master's Thesis Research 4. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Independent research work under the direction of the Thesis Supervisor. |
Complementary Courses (15 credits)
3 credits from the following:
Course List
| Course |
Title |
Credits |
| MUHL 591D1 | Paleography. | 1.5 |
Paleography. Terms offered: Fall 2025 The theory and practice of musical transcription for the period 1100 to 1600. Black modal notation, Franconian notation, French and Italian Ars Nova notation, Mannerism, white mensural notation, proportions, and lute and keyboard tablatures will be studied. |
| MUHL 591D2 | Paleography. | 1.5 |
Paleography. Terms offered: Winter 2026 See MUHL 591D1 for course description. |
| MUHL 592 | Popular Music Studies. | 3 |
Popular Music Studies. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An overview of scholarly methods used in the study of popular music. Topics will include a broad range of issues related to music analysis, including technical-stylistic
approaches as well as ideas about analytical pertinence, aesthetics, and semiotics. Introduction to approaches associated with the sociology of music, sound studies,
media studies, gender and critical race studies. These topics will be explored through a range of readings, and the analysis of selected recordings. |
6 credits from the following:
Course List
| Course |
Title |
Credits |
| MUHL 680 | Seminar in Musicology 1. | 3 |
Seminar in Musicology 1. Terms offered: Fall 2025 Seminar in musicology. Topic varies by year. |
| MUHL 681 | Seminar in Musicology 2. | 3 |
Seminar in Musicology 2. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Seminar in musicology. Topic varies by year. |
| MUHL 682 | Seminar in Musicology 3. | 3 |
Seminar in Musicology 3. Terms offered: Fall 2025 Seminar in musicology. Topic varies by year. |
| MUHL 683 | Seminar in Musicology 4. | 3 |
Seminar in Musicology 4. Terms offered: Fall 2025, Winter 2026 Seminar in musicology. Topic varies by year. |
| MUHL 684 | Seminar in Musicology 5. | 3 |
Seminar in Musicology 5. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Seminar in musicology. Topic varies by year. |
| MUHL 685 | Seminar in Musicology 6. | 3 |
Seminar in Musicology 6. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Seminar in musicology. Topic varies by year. |
3 credits of seminars at the 600 level or higher, approved by the Schulich School of Music.
3 credits from the following:
Course List
| Course |
Title |
Credits |
| WMST 602 | Feminist Research Symposium. | 3 |
Feminist Research Symposium. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Discussion and development of participants' research in gender and women's studies. |
Or a 3-credit seminar at the 600 level or higher, on gender/women's issues, which may be selected from within or outside of the Schulich School of Music. The selection must be approved by the Musicology Area.
