Overview

Through coursework, exams, and the written dissertation, doctoral students develop an area of secondary expertise and are prepared to teach both composition and cognate subjects at the university level. Students of the Composition course at Rutgers University may also enroll in classes at Princeton, Columbia, CUNY, NYU, the New School, Stony Brook, and Fordham through the Inter-University Doctoral Consortium.

In all degree programmes, students receive intensive career development mentorship to prepare them for graduate school or professional life

Professional Opportunities

Each year, our composers take part in a variety of department-sponsored opportunities:

Reading sessions of student orchestral works by the Rutgers Symphony Orchestra

Concerts of student chamber music presented by the Rutgers University New Music Ensemble

Performances by HELIX, the graduate contemporary chamber orchestra

Annual concerts of electroacoustic music through the New Jersey Digital Audio Concert series

Performances of student works for laptop orchestra by the Rutgers Interactive Music Ensemble

Composer-choreographer collaborations in partnership with the Dance Department

Composing for visiting professional soloists and ensembles

Reading sessions of student works by Rutgers Wind Bands

Programme Structure

Curriculum:

At the PhD level, individualized qualifying exams prepare students for the dissertation, which consists of a major composition as well as a substantial essay on a subject related to the field of contemporary music.

Through coursework, exams, and the written dissertation, doctoral students develop an area of secondary expertise and are prepared to teach both composition and cognate subjects at the university level.

PhD students may also enroll in classes at Princeton, Columbia, CUNY, NYU, the New School, Stony Brook, and Fordham through the Inter-University Doctoral Consortium.

In all degree programmes, students receive intensive career development mentorship to prepare them for graduate school or professional life.

Key information

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2027-09-01 00:00:00
- Apply before 2027-01-01 00:00:00

Language

English

Duolingo English Test

120

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Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

New Brunswick, United States

Disciplines

Music Composition View 42 other PhDs in Music Composition in United States

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Academic requirements

GRE^®

Required

English requirements

Duolingo English Test

120

Take A Free Practice Test!

TOEFL^® IBT

Schedule TOEFL®

IELTS

Prepare for Your English Test

Cathoven AI IELTS Preparation

Learn your IELTS Score

AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.

Trusted by 300k learners
98 accuracy using real exam data
4.9/5 student rating

Other requirements

General requirements

Online application

$70 Rutgers application fee

One official transcript from each post-secondary institution attended

Letters of recommendation, as required by the program

A personal statement

Current test results, as required by the program

Supporting materials, as required by the program

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

37176 USD / year

≈ 37176 USD / year
Out-of-State

37176 USD / year

≈ 37176 USD / year
Domestic

Applies to you

In-State

21648 USD / year

≈ 21648 USD / year

Living costs

New Brunswick

United States

1204 - 2963 USD / month

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Funding

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Scholarships Information

Below you will find PhD's scholarship opportunities for Composition.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

About

Overview

Professional Opportunities

Programme Structure

Key information

Start dates & application deadlines

Language

Prepare for Your English Test

Delivered

Campus Location

Disciplines

What students do after studying

Academic requirements

English requirements

Prepare for Your English Test

Other requirements

General requirements

Tuition Fees

International Applies to you

Domestic

Living costs

New Brunswick

Funding

Scholarships Information

Available Scholarships

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