Master of Arts in Music: Musicology focus
The musicology area acknowledges its unique position among the rich cultures found in the Pacific region and embraces a robust and globalized perspective of the field. The degree of Master of Arts in Music, with musicology focus, is a comprehensive and current program that reflects the discipline’s historical position while engaging with new directions in the discipline at large. The degree requires thirty credits, including a minimum of twelve credits in 600-level courses, excluding 699 (directed work) and 700 (thesis). No more than four credits in ensembles may be applied to the degree. Students are advised that it often takes at least two years to complete a master’s degree at the University of Hawai‘i.
The musicology faculty are committed to exposing students to a variety of methodologies in historical musicology. Faculty expertise ranges from medieval music theory in Europe to American film music, affording students a foundation for studies from multiple perspectives. The musicology area strongly encourages a cross-examination of methods and approaches from the discipline of ethnomusicology, facilitated by the superb faculty in ethnomusicology at the Music Department. This multifaceted approach of the degree programs prepares students for a variety of subsequent pursuits, whether these serve a local community, academic work, or careers in the music industry.