We are pleased to announce that, after several semesters on hold, the Ethnomusicology Program at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa is again ready to accept graduate students, starting Spring 2024 (application deadline August 1, 2023). The program is headed by Dr. R. Anderson Sutton, with additional staff resources that include four other scholars with PhDs in ethnomusicology (one affiliated faculty member and four other part-time lecturers), and an able cadre of ensemble teachers, which allows us to offer a wide range of academic and performance courses. We encourage applicants from all regions. There are a number of funding sources available on a competitive basis. Interested parties should contact Prof. Sutton at rasutton@hawaii.edu for information prior to applying.
The PhD in Music
The PhD in Music offers concentrations in four areas: composition, ethnomusicology, music education, and musicology. Students work closely with faculty advisors to define coursework in their specialties and in related areas of study, remove pre-program deficiencies, and prepare for the comprehensive exam and dissertation.
Exam-driven rather than course-driven, the Ph.D. in Music requires a variable number of credits depending on the concentration chosen and the background of the individual student. In general, the student takes courses required by his/her area as well as those specified by an advisory panel. Coursework to improve scholarly graduate level writing skills may also be required. At a minimum doctoral coursework must satisfy program residency requirements. (see Program Residency Requirements, below)
All doctoral students must take at least 50% of their coursework at the graduate level (courses numbered 600 and higher).
Doctoral students who have not passed a course in bibliography/library research methods at the master’s level will be required to take Mus 661 as a deficiency course at UHM.
Three semesters of full-time work at UH Manoa or its equivalent in credits fulfills the doctoral program residency requirement. These three semesters may consist of fall semesters, spring semesters, summer sessions, or any combination thereof. Please note that in some areas required coursework may be spread out over a four semester sequence. Students are therefore advised to find out which courses these are and take them when offered.
Up to two semesters of residency earned during a UHM master’s degree may be credited toward doctoral residency requirements if doctoral work continues in the same field. For part-time classified graduate students, completion of 8 credits of required coursework serves as the equivalent to one full-time semester.
Students must earn a minimum grade of B- in music courses that count toward the PhD. This rule applies to students entering in Fall 2016 and after.
Required of all PhD students
Course
|
Credits
|
659 Seminar in College Music Teaching* (649 College Level Teaching Practicum) |
3 |
702 Seminar for Doctoral Students** (repeatable) |
V |
800 Dissertation Research (minimum one cr) |
V |
*659 is ideally taught/supervised by a faculty member in the student’s area of concentration.
The Seminar in College Music Teaching is usually followed by or is concurrent with supervised college teaching experience in the area of concentration.
Required of Ph.D. Students not Concentrating in Ethnomusicology
NOTE: The number of credits may be adjusted by the advisory committee, basing its determination on previous ethnomusicology courses taken. Refer to the ethnomusicology courses in the list of graduate music courses.
Course
|
Credits
|
407 Music Cultures of the World |
3 |
472 Sound Systems of World Musics |
3 |
657 World Musics in Undergraduate Education |
2 |
Choose three credits from the following: 311/411 Ethnic Music Ensembles (1–2 cr) 312/412/413 Hula/Chant I/II/III (2 cr) 370 Music in Modern America (3 cr) 477 History of Rock & Roll (3 cr) 478 Musical Cultures (3 cr) 600c Seminar: Ethnomusicology (3 cr) 670 Regional Music (3 cr) (b) Asia; (c) Oceania
|
3 |
Total for the Ethnomusicology Component |
11 |
For doctoral students in Composition, Ethnomusicology and Musicology, as well as Music Education doctoral students interested in comparative music education, proficiency in one or more foreign languages is required of student whose native language is English. This requirement can be met in one of three ways:
- Foreign Language 202 or its equivalent (at the intermediate level of study) in which the student receives a grade of B or higher.
- A reading proficiency examination administered by the appropriate university department.
- Native speakers of a language other than English will be considered to have fulfilled the foreign language requirement, if their native language is relevant to their thesis research.
At the doctoral level both Ethnomusicology and Musicology require two foreign languages, Composition one foreign language, and Music Education one foreign language when it is relevant to the intended dissertation topic.
Area specific foreign language requirements:
- Composition: One dissertation research language.
- Ethnomusicology: One dissertation research language and one library research language.
- Music Education: Language appropriate to the area of research or research statistics.
- Musicology: Two European languages: German and one other language, preferably French.
All requirements must be completed within seven years after admission in the doctoral program.
Course
|
Credits
|
649 College Teaching Practicum (1 cr × 3) |
3 |
702 Seminar for Doctoral Students (V) |
3 |
800 Dissertation Research (minimum 1 cr)
|
V |
Ethnomusicology Component of Courses 407 Music Cultures of the World (3 cr) 472 Sound Systems of World Musics (3 cr) 657 World Musics in Undergraduate Education (2 cr) Choose three credits from the following: 311/411 Ethnic Music Ensembles (1–2 cr) 312/412/413 Hula/Chant I/II/III (2 cr) 478_ Musical Cultures (3 cr) 600c Seminar: Ethnomusicology (3 cr) 670_ Regional Music (3 cr) (b) Asia; (c) Oceania
NOTE: The number of credits may be adjusted by the advisory committee, basing its determination on previous ethnomusicology courses taken. Refer to the ethnomusicology courses in the list of graduate music courses.
|
11 |
Composition Requirements 787 Doctoral Composition Practicum (3 cr × 4) NOTE: The number of credits required in the courses below may be adjusted by the advisory committee, basing its determination on previous composition courses taken 410e Composer/Performer Collaboration (1 cr) 488 Contemporary Techniques (2 cr) 680d Advanced Analysis (3 cr) 685 Intercultural Composition (3 cr) |
21 |
Recital Requirement A full (50–60 minute) recital of original works composed during the doctoral residency here.
|
|
Minimum Required Credits |
39 |
Course
|
Credits
|
Required courses 601 Ethnomusicology Forum (≤ 4 semesters) (1 cr) 657 World Music in Undergraduate Education (2 cr) 659 Seminar in College Music Teaching (3 cr) 702 Seminar for Doctoral Students (3 cr) 800 Dissertation Research (V)
|
min. 13 |
Ethnomusicology Requirements As advised from the following 600c Seminar: Ethnomusicology (3 cr) 649 Teaching Practicum in Ethnomusicology (V) 670_ Regional Music (b) Asia, (c) Oceania (3 cr) 678b Transcription of Music Performance (3 cr) 678d Other: Fieldwork Methodology (3 cr) 699 Directed Readings (V) |
min. 12 |
Other Music courses As advised from the following 660 Studies in Music Literature (3 cr) 680 Studies in Music Theory (3 cr) 701 Topics in Music (3 cr)
|
V |
Ethnomusicology Component of Courses As advised from the following Anthropology(ANTH) 601 Ethnology (3 cr) 608 History and Memory (3 cr) 611 Contemporary Anthropological Theory (3 cr) 620 Theory in Social and Cultural Anthropology (3 cr) Asian Studies (ASAN) 463 Gender Issues in Asian Society (3 cr) 600 Asian Studies Seminar: Scope and Method (3 cr) 620 Problems/Issues of Contemporary Asia (3 cr) 651 East Asia Now (3 cr) Hawaiian Studies (HWST) 620 ‘Ike Pono-Visual/Cultural Interpretations (3 cr) 621 ‘Ike Maka-Visual/Cultural Knowledge (3 cr) 640 Mo‘olelo ‘iwi: Historical Perspectives (3 cr) History (HIST) 612 Ethnographic History (3 cr) 613 Introduction to Cultural Studies (3 cr) 657 Historiography of Southeast Asia (3 cr) 665 Seminar in Japanese History (3 cr) 667 Seminar in Korean History (3 cr) Pacific Studies (PACS) 601 Learning Oceania (3 cr) 602 Re/Presenting Oceania: Pacific and American Perspectives (3 cr) 640 Women in Oceania (3 cr) Sociology (SOC) 611 Classical Sociological Theory (3 cr) 612 Contemporary Sociological Theory (3 cr)
*The advisor, in consultation with the area committee, will recommend 4–7 graduate courses like those listed above to prepare students for the comprehensive examination and dissertation research. The list may be adjusted to accommodate new offerings and/or the specific focus of the student’s dissertation/specialty. |
min. 12* |
Course
|
Credits
|
659 Seminar in College Music Teaching |
3 |
702 Seminar for Doctoral Students (V) (or 750_) |
3 |
800 Dissertation Research (minimum 1 cr)
|
V |
Ethnomusicology Component of Courses 407 Music Cultures of the World (3 cr) 472 Sound Systems of World Musics (3 cr) 657 World Musics in Undergraduate Education (2 cr) Choose three credits from the following 311/411 Ethnic Music Ensembles (1–2 cr) 312/412/413 Hula/Chant I/II/III (2 cr) 370 Music in Modern America (3 cr) 477 History of Rock & Roll (3 cr) 478 Musical Cultures (3 cr) 600c Seminar: Ethnomusicology (3 cr) 670_ Regional Music (b) Asia; (c) Oceania (3 cr)
NOTE: The number of credits in ethnomusicology may be adjusted by the advisory committee, basing its determination on previous ethnomusicology courses taken.
|
11 |
Research Requirements Two (2) Statistics 600-level courses, 3 cr each
|
6 |
Music Education Requirements As advised from the following 600f Seminar in Music Education (3 cr) 601 Advanced Topics in Music (3 cr) 649 Practicum in College Music Teaching (1 cr, repeatable) 651 Foundations of Music Education (3 cr) 655 Music in Childhood Education (3 cr) 699 Directed Work (var. cr) 701b Psychology of Music (3 cr) 701c Research in Music Education (3 cr) 750_ Seminar in Music Education (3 cr) |
min. 6 |
Other courses relevant to the degree (e.g., foreign languages, cultural studies, etc.). as well as courses recommended by the advisory committee to strengthen any pre-program deficiencies and/or prepare the student for the comprehensive exam and dissertation research (e.g., music theory, music history, applied music, ensembles, graduate seminars other than 600F or 750, etc.) may be added to the above list. |
|
Guide for PhD Music Education Comprehensive Exam
Course
|
Credits
|
659 Seminar in College Music Teaching |
3 |
702 Seminar for Doctoral Students (repeatable) |
3 |
800 Dissertation Research (minimum 1 cr)
|
V |
Ethnomusicology Component of Courses 407 Music Cultures of the World (3 cr) 472 Sound Systems of World Musics (3 cr) 657 World Musics in Undergraduate Education (2 cr) Choose three credits from the following 311/411 Ethnic Music Ensembles (1–2 cr) 312/412/413 Hula/Chant I/II/III (2 cr) 370 Music in Modern America (3 cr) 477 History of Rock & Roll (3 cr) 478 Musical Cultures (3 cr) 600c Seminar: Ethnomusicology (3 cr) 670_ Regional Music (b) Asia; (c) Oceania (3 cr)NOTE: The number of credits in ethnomusicology may be adjusted by the advisory committee, basing its determination on previous ethnomusicology courses taken. |
11 |
Musicology Requirements As advised from the following 701d Research Methods in Musicology (3 cr) 600d Seminar in Music Literature (3 cr, repeatable) 660_ Studies in Music Literature (3 cr, repeatable in different alphas) 649 Teaching practicum in musicology (1 cr, repeatable twice) and/or 699 Directed Readings (v) |
min. 12 |
Non-music courses relevant to the degree (e.g., foreign languages, history or cultural studies), as well as music courses recommended by the advisory committee to recognize any pre-program background, strengthen any pre-program deficiency, and/or to prepare the student for the comprehensive exam and dissertation research may be added to the above list (e.g. graduate music theory, applied music, ensembles, etc.). |
|
Preparing for Final Doctoral Defense
Students should communicate with their committee members 4 months before their projected semester of defense regarding the date they intend to distribute the dissertation and the approximate date of defense.
The student, Chair, University Representative, and a majority of the committee members (as approved on Student Progress Form II) must be physically present at the defense. If a regular member of the committee cannot be physically present, a written request must be sent to the Graduate Chair with as much advance notice as possible, and not later than two weeks prior to the defense date.
It is strongly recommended that the student plan to defend with all committee members present. Under extenuating circumstances, the student’s Committee Chair must petition the Graduate Chair at least six weeks in advance of defense to allow one of the following to participate in the defense remotely: the student, or the Chair. The student should request his/her Committee Chair to write a memo to the Graduate Chair that explains the extenuating circumstances.
If the Committee Chair is requesting remote participation, a written request shall be sent to the Department chair and Graduate Chair. If the Graduate Chair is chairing a committee, and requesting remote participation, a written request shall be sent to the Department Chair and Associate Chair.
Email is an acceptable form of written notice.
A remote participation memo will be submitted by the Graduate Chair to Graduate Student Services no less than two weeks, except in cases of emergency, prior to the date of the defense (with the calendar announcement of the defense). The names of all members with notations next to who is participating remotely and their role (e.g., chair, member, and/or student) will be included. In cases of emergency, the form should still be submitted prior to the defense.
Remote participation must include the following, which must be organized and ensured by the committee chair.
Logistics for Remote Defense Participation
- All materials, including any visual aids, have been distributed in advance to the remote committee participants no later than 48-hours prior to the scheduled defense;
- The remote participants must be able to see and hear any presentation being made and any discussions as appropriate;
- The candidate and the Committee Chair must be visually present throughout, and all committee members must be able to participate in audio conversations;
- All remote participants must participate in the entire course of the meeting.
Other options for doctoral committees with traveling or physically absent members appear on the Graduate Division website.