musichistorygeek

Congrats! Best of luck!

I just did this (again), and the "earliest" program I applied to apparently has done email interviews during the last week of January. So for any sort of news, I'm looking at a minimum of two and a half more weeks. And I'm working part-time on campus for the next two weeks before classes start, so I have lots of time to stare at my email, various incarnations of Apply Yourself, and Grad Cafe and wish for magical status changes that are probably at least a month away. Argh!

I can't speak to what a certificate or minor does or doesn't do. I'm mostly looking at this option because (1) my career goals are in musicology, but I plan on doing research on music and sexuality and (2) a number of musicology PhD programs require a minor or certificate and I have a background in WGSS. With these things in mind, it seems like doing a degree in musicology with LGBT Studies as a secondary field would be more useful than going for a PhD in Gender Studies and trying to do research in music without a music degree. If anyone out there has done or is in a minor/certificate/concentration program and can speak to their own experiences, that would be great.

I only applied to one WGS program--McGill's combined PhD in Music and Gender/Women's Studies--but I applied to other programs where I could do a minor, concentration, or certificate in gender studies or LGBT studies.

To fulfill the language requirement for my MA program, we were given the option of taking beginning courses from Continuing Education over the summer (not for credit and generally not covered by funding, but significantly cheaper than tuition for a 3-5 credit course), audit an undergrad course at whatever level (obviously not for credit but generally covered), or take a "language for reading knowledge" class designed for graduate students who wanted to improve their translation skills (for credit and definitely covered). If you didn't take the reading knowledge class, you needed to take a separate translation exam administered by the department. Which option you took depended on your courseload and/or teaching schedule, as well as how proficient you were in the language. (If I recall correctly, if you already had advanced reading knowledge of a language, you could just take the exam without doing any additional coursework.)

Applications in. I have no idea how I'm going to make it to March.

When my longtime roommate at my undergrad school and her boyfriend announced their engagement two years ago, I initially agreed to be her maid of honor. My long-term plan at that point included applying to combined grad/professional programs in the general area, since family and other concerns at the time made a cross-country or international move seem unlikely. Their very long engagement (former roommate and her husband-to-be are both wonderfully geeky STEM folks who want to get married on Pi Day, 2015) didn't worry me too much, since at the time I thought I'd probably be studying/working in the region. In the meantime, my own plans changed, and I'm now finishing up an MA and applying to PhD programs. There's a good chance that in 2015 I might be living thousands of miles away from the happy couple, and I definitely won't have the time or funds to fly back for the usual wedding party stuff (much less help with various maid-of-honor duties). Is there a polite way to decline now (while the wedding is still almost two and a half years away)?

I think it depends on the field or subject. Do the prof's viewpoints directly relate to the material at hand? (For example, is she trying to relate an issue in history to current events, or is this just coming seemingly out of nowhere?) If this is a class where politics are important to understanding the field, are the students prepared for having these discussions? I was a women's studies major as an undergrad, and, while most of the professors in introductory and lower-level courses did an excellent job of explaining that political and social perspectives were vital to understanding the class material, some did not. It could be that this is something to gently suggest to the professor as a possible matter to address in lecture.

Revising my MA thesis, sleeping, and (hopefully) recovering from comps. And enjoying some of the aforementioned hot chocolate!

I'm applying to at least 5 schools for Fall 2013--4+ in the US and one in Canada. When people outside of my field hear that McGill is one of my top choices, I tend to get: 1. I bet the election will affect your decision, then. Haha. (I understand the "liberals talking about moving to Canada after an election year" joke. I just wish everyone who brought it up didn't think they were being sooo funny and original.) 2. What's wrong with schools in the US? (Nothing is wrong with schools in the US. I did my BA and am doing my MA at US schools. I'm also applying mostly to PhD programs in the US....and one in Canada.) 3. Ugh. Americans romanticize Canada so much. You know, we have problems with the economy/international relations/racism/homophobia and transphobia/etc., too! (I know. I'm not looking at McGill because I believe Canada is a magical sparkly land of equality and liberalness that has solved all of the problems with which the US struggles. I just...like the musicologists I've corresponded with at McGill, think they have interesting programs that could support the research I want to do, and could see myself living in Montreal.)

And the process begins again! I'm applying to PhD programs in musicology. So far, I'm considering McGill, Wisconsin, Cornell, Yale, UCLA, and possibly CUNY. I'm particularly looking for places with strong gender/women's/sexuality studies departments and support for that type of study among the musicology faculty.

Does anyone here know anything about McGill's joint PhD program in music and GWS? The general coursework seems to be the same as the musicology degree, with the addition of a few courses in feminist theories and methodologies. I've corresponded a bit with Lloyd Whitesell on the merits of both programs, but am still on the fence as to which one would be better for my ideal dissertation topic (writings linking male homosexuality and music in turn-of-the-twentieth century European social science) and job prospects, such as they are, for musicologists. McGill has a policy that you can only apply to one program within a division, so applying to both is unfortunately out. Is anyone currently in this program (or know someone who has completed it)? I'm glad that the Music Research Department supports feminist and LGBT studies, but this doesn't make the application process any less confusing!

My advisor led the seminar during my first semester in grad school, and it was the best introduction to the program (and grad school in general) for which I could have hoped. Being in his class forced me to talk with him more about my research, and gave me a head start at thinking about what he might be looking for in a thesis topic.

I'm currently an MA student in musicology and will be applying to PhD programs this fall. Is anyone familiar with McGill's PhD option in music with an emphasis in gender and women's studies? Looking at the required coursework and thesis, it seems to be identical to the musicology degree with a couple of additional courses in feminist theories and methodologies, but I am curious about the practicality of this program as compared to a PhD in musicology with a minor in GWSS. I've been in contact with some of the musicologists at McGill, but I'd be interested in hearing more about the experiences of folks in the program.

Probably (96% sure) heading to UW-Madison for the MA program in Music History. I'm excited--this was one of my top choices--but concerned about the probable lack of funding.

Option #1: 2 year MA in Music History (with a certificate in Gender/Women's Studies) at UW-Madison. Upsides: established program, great professors and research environment for my field, familiarity with the area, ability to live with extended family in the area, in-state tuition. Downsides: current financial and political turmoil, probable lack of financial aid. Option #2: 1 year Joint MA in Music and Women's and Gender Studies at Brandeis. Upsides: excellent research environment (especially in gender studies), more "known" music department, possible foot in the door for (fully funded) doctoral program in musicology, partial funding offer for MA. Downsides: cost of living in Massachusetts, less traditional program, feeling of "putting all my eggs in one basket" with regards to a one-year MA. Any ideas?

Has anyone heard anything regarding funding from UW-Madison? (I wouldn't be surprised at all if there isn't any, especially for MA students, but I'm still curious...)

Does anyone know anything about how PhD programs (either in WGSS or in "adjacent" fields with strong ties to gender studies) view one year masters programs. There's been a slight kerfluffle in the Music 2011 section on the importance/validity/value of the one-year MA and MPhil degrees, and I am curious if this is an issue for WGSS folks? Does it depend on individual PhD program admissions requirements? Do places generally prefer people who've done the two-year masters path? I'm curious because the program to which I was admitted at Brandeis is a one-year program (in both Music and WGS), and I'm wondering if will help or hinder my goal of getting a PhD. Thanks!

Just adding that I would love to go to a school with a Southeast Asian Transgender Film Club, even if they make me buy cookies and soda...

Congrats! I found out today that I got into the joint program in Music and WGS. I'll also need huge amounts of loans, but I'm thinking it might be worth it if I want to focus on feminist and/or queer musicology. (Also, time outside of WI might be a good thing, both for the experience and given the current situation.) Sadly, I wasn't accepted for WGS at Madison, but I'm pretty set on a career in musicology right now, anyway.

Has anyone heard anything from the MA program at UW-Madison? (I wouldn't be surprised if admissions are behind because of the situation in Madison, but I'm still worried... )

News from Ohio State in Women's Studies and UWM and Madison in Music History. No word on funding anywhere, Gender/Women's Studies at Madison, official confirmation from Madison's Graduate School, or anything from Brandeis. (To be honest, I'm sort of expecting a rejection from Brandeis based on their super-competitiveness, but I'm taking it as a good sign that no one has posted any music acceptances/rejections on the results page yet.)