The program is designed to educate scholars and performers both to teach and to engage with the shifting lines of inquiry and methodological debates that define the field. To date the U.B.C. School of Music's Ethnomusicology division faculty have focused their research on Asian musics, especially those of Korea and Indonesia, but the program can accommodate interests in ethnomusicology's wide range of geographic areas and intellectual issues. UBC strongly encourages performance, close interaction with related disciplines (Anthropology, Area Studies, Sociology, Linguistics, etc.), as well as border crossing within music. Students with an interest in designing a course of study integrating ethnomusicology with Western theory, composition, or historical musicology are encouraged to inquire. The Ethnomusicology Division is located in the Old Auditorium (Room 206). Students from the social sciences or from Asian studies, with backgrounds in music, are also encouraged to apply, though some remedial work in music may be required.

Program Component: Coursework + Thesis required

Supervision

Students in research-based programs usually require a faculty member to function as their supervisor. Please follow the instructions provided by each program whether applicants should contact faculty members.

Instructions regarding supervisor contact for Master of Arts in Music, Emphasis Ethnomusicology (MA)

Applicants should browse faculty profiles and indicate in their application who they are interested in working with. No commitment from a supervisor prior to applying is necessary, but contacting faculty members is encouraged.

1) Transcripts
2) Transcription exercise
3) Maximum of two papers dealing with a topic in music that is representative of work to date.
4) Language Proficiency (If Applicable)

The applicant must ordinarily possess a B.Mus., B.S. or B.A. degree Course Requirements: The applicant must ordinarily possess a B.Mus., B.S., or B.A. degree and demonstrate strengths in a range of musical skills, including musicianship, transcription, and analysis, as well as prose writing skills. No rigid prerequisites are specified but a music major is strongly recommended, including courses in World Music Cultures and close study of individual world areas. Solid grounding in performance and/or fieldwork is an asset. Applicants should demonstrate interest in the practice and perspectives of ethnomusicology in its broadest senses, including its place (and the place of music) in the history of ideas and cultural relations. Predetermination of a focused research topic can certainly be helpful but is not expected at this stage. Sustained interest in European Art Music may prove beneficial. It is also recognized that ethnomusicology is closely related to other disciplines, such as anthropology, sociology, folklore, Asian studies (or other area studies), and linguistics. Students with Bachelor's degrees in these disciplines are encouraged to consider this program and discuss its prerequisites prior to application. Other Requirements: The applicant must demonstrate strength in a range of musical skills and prose writing skills.