M.A. in Applied Intercultural Arts Research

AIAR GIDP

M.A. in Applied Intercultural Arts Research

The Interdisciplinary Program in Applied Intercultural Arts Research (AIAR) is housed in the Graduate Interdisciplinary Programs unit within the UArizona Graduate College. The AIAR program offers a PhD, Masters, and minor degree programs in partnership with six other academic colleges: Education, Fine Arts, Humanities, Science, Social and Behavioral Science, and Public Health.

This program seeks applicants interested in solving problems that may be informed by music and the arts. Beyond that it seeks applicants interested in the range of arts experiences in the world’s many cultures.  The AIAR MA degree recognizes the value of arts research to a wide range of disciplines. 

Most applicants will want to apply directly to the AIAR PhD. The MA is an shorter program option and is available to applicants who have research interests in applied intercultural arts research but may have earned bachelor's degrees in other fields.  

The aim of the program is to prepare graduates for the application of knowledge of music, arts and culture to contemporary problem-solving to enhance the health and well-being of individuals, societies, and environments in an interconnected world.  

Masters students are required to complete 30 minimum total credits to be awarded their degree. This includes 6 units of core courses, 18 units of electives, and 6 units of Thesis.

  • CORE COURSES (6 Units)
    • AIAR 601 (3 Units) - Proseminar in Applied Intercultural Arts 
    • MUS 696F OR MUS 695B (3 Units) - One Seminar in Ethnomusicology 
  • ELECTIVES (18 Units) 
  • THESIS (6 Units)
    • AIAR 910 - Masters Thesis 

Substitutions permitted?: Yes, with approval from faculty advisor and AIAR Chair. 

Teaching and research assistantships, traineeships and fellowships provide the most common forms of support for graduate students. Assistantships at .50 FTE or higher include a stipend, health insurance, and full tuition. Assistantships at less than .50 FTE include a stipend, health insurance, out-of-state tuition, and 50% of in-state tuition: https://grad.arizona.edu/funding/ga. 

Research assistantships (RAs) are awarded to graduate students by faculty advisors and funded by the faculty advisor’s research program. Priority is given to PhD candidates. RA contracts may be for .25 FTE, .33 FTE or .50 FTE. The faculty advisor is responsible for supervising RAs whom they employ. In many cases, the funding for a graduate student’s master’s or doctoral study project research project comes from their mentor's research grant or laboratory.

Teaching assistantships (TAs) are awarded depending on the student’s experience and expertise and thus may be in various departments. The School of Music typically reserves one TA position for students in the AIAR GIDP, depending on previous training. AIAR GIDP students may also be hired by other departments, depending on their experience and background, such as having taken an equivalent course as an undergraduate. All TAs must pass the Graduate College’s Teaching Assistant Online Training and Orientation (TATO) test. FERPA training is required for all TA positions. Further information regarding FERPA requirements can be found at: http://registrar.arizona.edu/personal-information/ferpa-tutorial. TAs are supervised by their assigned course instructor.

Out of state tuition is waived with all RA and TA contracts. RAs and TAs receive partial or full in-state tuition coverage as part of their employment benefit as follows:

.25 FTE: 50% in-state tuition covered

.33 FTE: 50% in-state tuition covered

.5 FTE: 100% in-state tuition covered

Students awarded less than .5 FTE are responsible for payment of 50% of their in-state tuition. For specific information on tuition costs, students can refer to the online Tuition Calculator at https://tuitioncalculator.fso.arizona.edu. Students who are awarded TA/RA positions will receive an offer letter outlining their specific funding, including tuition coverage at 50% or 100%, prior to the beginning of the semester in which they will serve as a TA/RA.

The Graduate College’s Office of Funding and Community Engagement assists graduate students in searching and applying for funding outside of the UA. Sign up for their monthly newsletter for up-to-date information on funding opportunities and advice on applying for funding. The office also provides writing workshops for proposal and grant writing.

The Graduate and Professions Student Council (GPSC), in addition to providing a full range of Graduate and Professional Student Support, also provides research and travel grants for graduate students.

Typically, AIAR M.A. students are expected to finish in 2 years. Depending on the nature of their thesis and course load each semester, the student's M.A. completion timeline can vary. 

Students earning the MA degree must complete 6 units of AIAR 910 master’s thesis coursework, culminating in the defense and submission of the master’s thesis document. Students should submit a master’s thesis proposal to their major advisor no later than mid-term of the semester before they expect to complete the thesis.The outline for the master’s thesis proposal should address the same topics as outlined for the dissertation proposal, with detail appropriate for the size of the study.

For more information on the M.A. thesis proposal, creating a thesis committee, thesis requirements, etc., please visit the AIAR student handbook. 

For questions regarding if AIAR would be the right fit for you and developing you work in the AIAR program, please contact Dr. Jennie Gubner, AIAR program chair, at jgubner@arizona.edu. 

Please contact Maya Rivera, AIAR program coordinator and admissions contact, for more information on UA GradApp, admissions requirements, visiting campus, etc. at mayarivera@arizona.edu.