The M.A. and Ph.D. programs in Ethnomusicology at Memorial University offer nationally distinctive and regionally unique opportunities for individuals who are interested in researching music as a cultural practice. The programs offer an opportunity to study diverse musical traditions. Students in the Ethnomusicology program are welcome to participate in School of Music ensembles. In addition, the city of St. John's offers a wealth of music-making opportunities across many musical genres. We also offer courses in radio and video ethnographic documentary making with editing facilities available at the Research Centre for Music, Media and Place (MMaP).

Graduate study in Ethnomusicology at Memorial University is interdisciplinary, with courses offered through both the School of Music and the Folklore Department.

The academic objectives of the program are:

• To study the ways by which music serves as a social practice both within communities and social groups, as well as between and among them.
• To investigate the way in which individuals and groups construct many levels of “meaning” from sounds that are, in themselves, neutral and abstract.
• To study how people conceptualize their practices.
• To examine how music is both an end in itself and, at times, simply the medium for various social negotiations.
• To study how power relations, including matters of policy and hegemonic value systems, impact on musical practices.
• To explore the impact of new modes of communication and globalized economies on the production and distribution of music.

For more information, contact ethnomusicology@mun.ca.

Interested in applying? Visit our admissions page for more information.