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Musicology & Ethnomusicology

Types of Degrees Musicology & Ethnomusicology Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Musicology & Ethnomusicology have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	43
Master’s Degree	65
Doctor’s Degree	47

What Musicology & Ethnomusicology Majors Need to Know

Programs in Musicology & Ethnomusicology emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Musicology & Ethnomusicology graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Musicology & Ethnomusicology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Fine Arts — Importance 4.9 / 5; level 6.5 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.8 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• Communications and Media — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills built by a Musicology & Ethnomusicology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Learning Strategies — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Musicology & Ethnomusicology careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Musicology & Ethnomusicology graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Thinking Creatively	4.8 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.6 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.5 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.5 / 7
Coaching and Developing Others	4.3 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.2 / 7
Getting Information	4.0 / 7
Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates	3.9 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Musicology & Ethnomusicology professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Apple Final Cut Pro	Video creation and editing software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Autodesk MotionBuilder	Video creation and editing software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Adobe Photoshop	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
Sonic Studio audio software	Music or sound editing software	—
MySQL	Data base management system software	—
Sakai CLE	Computer based training software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Musicology & Ethnomusicology graduates include:

• Media Arts Professor
• Adjunct College Instructor
• Digital Arts Instructor
• Adjunct Music Instructor
• Baton Teacher
• Singing Teacher
• Vocal Teacher
• Theater Professor
• Makeup Artistry Instructor
• Violin Teacher
• Arts and Crafts Instructor
• Art Educator
• Music Instructor
• Music Educator
• Visual Arts Instructor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Musicology & Ethnomusicology graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Master’s degree	47.4%
Doctoral degree	30.0%
Bachelor’s degree	15.4%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	2.4%
Post-master’s certificate	1.7%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.9%
Some college courses	0.9%
Less than a high school diploma	0.8%
High school diploma or equivalent	0.6%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Musicology & Ethnomusicology?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 55.5% women and 44.5% men among Musicology & Ethnomusicology graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	86	55.5%
Men	69	44.5%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Musicology & Ethnomusicology graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	92	59.4%
Asian	9	5.8%
Hispanic or Latino	14	9.0%
Black or African American	6	3.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native	1	0.6%
Two or More Races	6	3.9%
Race Unknown	12	7.7%
International Students	15	9.7%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Musicology & Ethnomusicology Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Musicology & Ethnomusicology graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$29,248
4 years	$35,586
5 years	$40,828

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $40,828 — roughly 40% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Musicology & Ethnomusicology Programs

Distance learning is reported by IPEDS for Musicology & Ethnomusicology. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Master’s	1	1

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Musicology & Ethnomusicology Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Musicology & Ethnomusicology graduates earn a median of $35,586 four years after completion — about 6% below the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000). On earnings alone, this program does not show an income premium over the baseline; non-financial outcomes (career interests, certification requirements, advancement potential) are typically the stronger argument for fields in this range.

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Music	50.09
Brass Instruments	50.0914
Conducting	50.0906
Jazz/Jazz Studies	50.0910
Keyboard Instruments	50.0907
Music History, Literature, and Theory	50.0902
Music Pedagogy	50.0912
Music Performance, General	50.0903
Music Technology	50.0913
Music Theory and Composition	50.0904
Music, General	50.0901
Music, Other	50.0999

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.