Graduate Studies

Carleton University’s School for Studies in Art and Culture (SSAC) is proud to offer an exciting Master of Arts degree designed to give students a dynamic forum where perspectives in music and culture can be explored in a uniquely flexible and integrated fashion.

Few other MA degrees of any kind in Canada highlight music as a central focus of interdisciplinary interest. Grounded in the practices of various musics but conducted from within a wide range of theoretical approaches—including critical theory, feminism, cultural studies, and ethnomusicology—the program’s distinctiveness is grounded in critical interdisciplinary. In this program students can choose from three streams to complete their degree: 1) thesis with courses; 2) major research essay with courses; 3) coursework-only. In addition to the MA in Music & Culture, students can also attain an MA in Music & Culture with a collaborative specialization in Accessibility Studies, African Studies or Digital Humanities. Interested students can also explore various graduate diplomas in areas such as curatorial studies, migration and diaspora studies and conflict resolution, and many others.

We believe that good teaching is enhanced by committed research, and our faculty embodies a diverse range of specialties including popular music study, musicology, ethnomusicology, sound studies, disability studies, Indigenous studies, African studies, jazz studies, feminism, cultural studies, communications, globalization, philosophy, and semiotics—not to mention research interests in Canadian music, as well as music for a variety of media (radio, film, television, and interactive media).

In addition to the offerings of the program itself, students will benefit from the rich intellectual environment that exists within the nation’s capital. With access to an unparalleled number of libraries, museums, galleries, and a wide range of ongoing cultural activities and festivals, Carleton students get to experience the distinctive edge of enriching their learning in the national capital region.

2025-2026 Master of Arts in Music and Culture Program Handbook

For further information, please contact: Dr. Anna Hoefnagels, Graduate Supervisor or Kristopher Waddell, Graduate Administrator.

The Capital Advantage

Students enrolled in the Master of Arts in Music and Culture program benefit from the diverse cultural and intellectual environment that exists within the nation’s capital.  Students at Carleton have access to leading cultural institutions, including the National Arts Centre, Library and Archives of Canada and the Canadian Museum of History. Moreover, the city’s large émigré communities and diplomatic representatives from around the world provide a stimulating context for studying music in culture.

Ottawa’s wide range of cultural offerings, from rock concerts at the Canadian Tire Centre and jazz performances at intimate clubs in the Byward Market, to the full season of programming of the National Arts Centre Orchestra, provide students with ample opportunities to experience the different genres and styles of music in performance.