About Music in Stony Brook University

The Department of Music offers programs that normally lead to the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Music History and Theory, in Ethnomusicology, and in Composition. The Department also offers programs that normally lead to the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Music Performance. Masters Degrees in Music History and Theory, in Ethnomusicology, in Composition, and in Music Performance are also available.

Stony Brook’s programs have grown out of an unusual partnership between the academy and the conservatory. The Music Department has a distinguished and well-balanced faculty in the areas of music history, theory, ethnomusicology, composition, and performance. The degree programs are designed to favor interaction among musical disciplines that have traditionally been kept separate. For example, the performance programs at Stony Brook all have an academic component. Graduate courses typically have a healthy mix of students from all areas. A number of courses are team taught by two or more faculty members, examining topics from several disciplinary viewpoints. Several examine music in a broader social context, drawing on such disciplines as ethnomusicology, cultural studies, and feminist theory. Interdisciplinary studies are central to the educational philosophy of the department. The Department encourages the development of professional competence in more than one area of musical study. For students at the Doctoral level who propose to do serious work both in performance and in some other area, a variety of options are available, including some dual degrees.

The music of the 20th and 21st centuries is a particular emphasis of both the performance and academic programs, but other areas are also amply represented. Students can choose seminars from a broad spectrum of topics, ranging from medieval music theory to popular music. Performing organizations include Baroque Chamber Ensemble, Chamber Music, Jazz Ensemble, Contemporary Chamber Players, Camerata Singers, Stony Brook Symphony Orchestra, VOLTA West African Music Ensemble, and Opera Workshop.

Academic qualification equivalents

• Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree 

English language requirements 

• IELTS :6.0
• TOEFL IBT: 80

Stony Brook University Highlights

Stony Brook University Cost of Attendance

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