[OT] PhD in Integrated Composition, Improvisation, and Technology (ICIT) at UC Irvine

The December 1 deadline is approaching for applications to the PhD in Music with an emphasis in Integrated Composition, Improvisation, and Technology (ICIT), in the Department of Music at the University of California, Irvine. 

The core ICIT faculty are Christopher Dobrian, Nicole Mitchell, Mari Kimura, Michael Dessen, Kojiro Umezaki and Lukas Ligeti, artists whose own work spans diverse forms of music, merging conventional distinctions between classical composition, computer music, improvisation, jazz, and non-Western traditions. Students receive close personal attention from faculty, and are encouraged to work on interdisciplinary projects. We seek students with a strong foundation who wish to develop new creative work integrating a wide range of contemporary music and ideas.

In addition to the six core ICIT faculty, the Music Department includes many other performers, musicologists, theorists, and historians, making for a rich environment in which to develop critical skills that are essential for the 21st-century musician. The Claire Trevor School of the Arts is home to excellent graduate programs in Dance, Drama, and Studio Art. UC Irvine is a quickly growing campus within one of the nation’s leading research university systems. Located near the coast in Orange County, Irvine is an hour south of Los Angeles, a major art world center with vibrant contemporary music scenes.

The normative time to degree is four years (12 quarters). It will generally take students three years (9 quarters) to pass the Qualifying Examination and advance to candidacy. Then students will spend one year (3 quarters) completing the dissertation.

Applicants should possess an undergraduate degree in music or an equivalent level of training, and should demonstrate potential for creative and innovative work. Applicants who already hold a masters degree or have completed prior graduate study may request upon admission that specific course requirements be waived based on equivalent graduate coursework completed at other institutions, up to a maximum of 12 units.

Most students receive stipends and/or salaried work as teaching assistants in addition to tuition waivers and health insurance.

If you have further questions or are interested in applying, please visit the ICIT website at http://music.arts.uci.edu/icit, and then contact one of our core faculty with any further questions. We welcome your inquiries and proposals.

Christopher Dobrian
Professor of Music, UC Irvine