The PhD program in Music Technology prepares students for research and teaching careers in academia and industry at the constantly changing intersection of music, sound, and technology. This degree program involves research in the fields of computer music, immersive audio, music psychology and neuroscience, sound and music computing, and data science, as well as in cutting-edge technologies for music experiences, interaction, education, creation, production, and accessibility.
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Official Degree Title
PhD in Music Technology
Format
Full-time or Part-time
Credits
36–48
Start Date
Fall
Application Deadline
A Flexible PhD Tailored to Your Areas of Interest
You will be able to personalize your course of study around individual research interests, taking courses that support your particular area of specialization in the field of music technology.
Throughout your doctorate, you will study:
- Quantitative and qualitative research methods
- Scientific computing
- Music perception and cognition
- Digital signal theory
- 3D audio
- Music information retrieval
- Foundations in various disciplines including mathematics, computer science, engineering, psychology, and neuroscience
- Curricular development with hands-on teaching experience
- Paper writing for publication in conference proceedings and journals
The program of study is distributed among foundation courses, cognate course work related to your area of specialization, content and dissertation proposal seminars, course work in specialized research methods, and research requirements.
You will be mentored closely by faculty based at the NYU Steinhardt School while benefiting from courses, facilities, resources, and rich research opportunities across different schools and departments across the University, including the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Tandon School of Engineering, Center for Data Science, Tisch School of the Arts, and the Graduate School of Arts & Science.
Funding for Full-Time PhD Students
If you are accepted as a full-time NYU Steinhardt PhD student without an alternate funding source, you are eligible for our competitive funding package, which includes a scholarship and tuition remission. Learn more about our funding opportunities.
NYU Abu Dhabi Fellowship
Music Technology PhD candidates may choose to become NYU Abu Dhabi Fellows. NYUAD Fellows commence their degree work in New York, taking full-time coursework for a year before continuing on to Abu Dhabi to complete coursework, research, and their dissertation, all while maintaining close contact with faculty in New York, including regular research visits. Opportunities in Abu Dhabi include extensive facilities, world-class faculty in computer music, recording, machine learning, and (ethno)musicology, and collaboration with the Music and Sound Cultures (MaSC) research group, which develops groundbreaking work on the computational analysis and understanding of music from the Arabian Gulf and surrounding regions. Interested applicants should include in their statement of purpose ideas as to how their research interests could be applied in the NYUAD context.
Questions
If you have any additional questions about our degree, please feel free to contact us at jb2843@nyu.edu.
Program Benefits for International Students
If you’re an international student, you may be able to work in the United States after graduation for an extended period of time. Most students studying on F-1 visas will be eligible for 12 months of Optional Practical Training (OPT) off-campus work authorization. F-1 students in our program may also be eligible for the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics) OPT extension, allowing you to extend your time in the United States to pursue degree-related work experience for a total of 36 months or 3 years. For more information on who can apply for this extension visit NYU’s Office of Global Services: STEM OPT.
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