Master of Arts - Music Theory (Thesis Option)

This 30 credit hour program is designed for advanced studies in music theory. The first 15 credit hours are devoted to honing students’ critical writing and thinking skills, through courses in bibliography and research techniques specific to music, specialized music theory seminars, and directed reading courses in the area of the student’s research interests. All students also take graduate courses in critical theory in the fine arts. The remainder of the program is devoted to writing a thesis on an original topic chosen by students in consultation with their supervisor. Current areas of faculty expertise are broad and include tonal and post-tonal analysis, music of the Renaissance and Baroque periods, opera of the 18th and 19th centuries, music in Canada, the Lied, contemporary classical music, and interdisciplinary topics such as soundscapes and sound art.