Graduate Programs in Music Theory

If you are considering graduate study, the following list organizes schools that offer these degrees in the US, Canada, the UK, and elsewhere. If made available, we have also listed degree programs.

Potential students may also be interested in the American Musicological Society's resource, "Are you considering graduate study in musicology?"

US

University (link)	City	State	Degrees offered
Baylor University	Waco	TX	MM
Brandeis University	Boston	MA
Boston University	Boston	MA
City University of New York	New York	NY	PhD
Columbia University	New York	NY
Eastman School of Music	Rochester	NY	BM, MA, PhD, MA in Theory Pedagogy
Florida State University	Tallahassee	FL	MM, PhD
Harvard University	Boston	MA
Indiana University	Bloomington	IN
Kent State University	Kent	OH	MA Theory, PhD Music Theory-Composition
Louisiana State University	Baton Rouge	LA
Mannes School of Music at The New School	New York	NY	MM
Michigan State University	Lansing	MI	MM
Northwestern University	Evanston	IL	MM, PhD
Ohio University	Athens	OH	MM
The Ohio State University School of Music	Columbus	OH	PhD, MA
Peabody Conservatory of Music of The Johns Hopkins University	Baltimore	MD	MM
Pennsylvania State University	University Park	PA	MA
Princeton University,	Princeton	NJ	PhD
Stanford University	Palo Alto	CA
State University of New York at Buffalo	Buffalo	NY	MA, PhD
Stephen F. Austin State University	Nacogdoches	TX	MM
Stony Brook University	Stony Brook	NY
Temple University	Philadelphia	PA	MS, MM, PhD
Texas State University	San Marcos	TX	MM
Texas Tech University	Lubbock	TX	Certificate in Music Theory Pedagogy, MM in Music Theory, PhD in Fine Arts with concentration in Music Theory
Tufts University	Medford	MA	MA
University of Alabama	Tuscaloosa	AL	MM
University of Arizona	Tucson	AZ
University of California Davis	Davis	CA
University of California, Santa Barbara	Santa Barbara	CA	MA, PhD, combined MA/PhD
University of California, Irvine	Irvine	CA	Ph.D. in Music History and Music Theory
University of Chicago	Chicago	IL	PhD
University of Cincinnati	Cincinnati	OH	PhD and MM
University of Colorado Boulder	Boulder	CO	MM
University of Connecticut	Storrs	CT	MA in Music Theory and PhD in Music Theory and History
University of Denver	Denver	CO	MA in Music Theory, Certificate in Music Theory Pedagogy
University of Houston	Houston	TX	MM
University of Iowa School of Music	Iowa City	IA	MA, PhD
University of Kansas	Lawrence	KS	MM, PhD
University of Kentucky	Lexington	KY	MA, PhD
University of Louisiana at Lafayette	Lafayette	LA	MM
University of Louisville	Louisville	KY	MM
University of Maryland	College Park	MD
University of Massachusetts Amherst	Amherst	MA	MM in Music Theory, Graduate Certificate in Music Theory Pedagogy
University of Michigan	Ann Arbor	MI
University of Minnesota	Minneapolis	MN
University of Missouri Kansas City	Kansas City	MO	MM
University of Nebraska Lincoln	Lincoln	NE	MM in Music Theory
University of North Carolina at Greensboro	Greensboro	NC
University of North Texas	Denton	TX
University of Oregon	Eugene	OR	MA, PhD
University of Pennsylvania	Philadelphia	PA
University of Tennessee	Knoxville	TN	BM, MM, Graduate Certificate in Music Theory Pedagogy
University of Texas at Austin	Austin	TX
University of Texas at Arlington	Arlington	TX	MM
University of Washington	Seattle	WA
University of Wisconsin, Madison	Madison	WI
Washington University	St. Louis	MO
Yale University	New Haven	CT	PhD

Canada

University (link)	City	Province/Territory	Degrees offered
McGill University	Montreal	QC	MA, PhD
University of Alberta	Edmonton	AB
University of British Columbia	Vancouver	BC	MA, PhD
University of Toronto	Toronto	ON
Western University	London	ON

UK

Other Countries

University (link)	City	Country	Degrees offered
Hochschule für Musik Freiburg	Freiburg	Germany	MM Musiktheorie
Hochschule für Musik Hamburg	Hamburg	Germany	MM Musiktheorie
Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover	Hannover	Germany	MM Musiktheorie
Hochschule für Musik Karlsruhe	Karlsruhe	Germany	MA Musiktheorie
Hochschule für Musik Mainz	Mainz	Germany	MM Musiktheorie
Hochschule für Musik und Theater	Rostock	Germany	MA Musiktheorie
Hochschule für Musik Weimar	Weimar	Germany	MM Musiktheorie
Hochschule für Musik Würzburg	Würzburg	Germany	MM Musiktheorie und Komposition
Norwegian Academy of Music	Oslo	Norway	MM in Music Theory
Staatliche Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Stuttgart	Stuttgart	Germany	MA Musiktheorie

This listing of graduate programs in music theory is user-generated. If you would like to update or add a listing, contact the Web Editor with the following information:
School Name, school location, degrees offered (MM, PhD, etc.), link to program information