Academic Year 2018–2019

Overview

General

Degree Programs

Graduate students in the Department of Music are admitted in one of three Ph.D. programs: Composition, Ethnomusicology, or History & Theory. Students who complete a sufficient subset of the requirements for the Ph.D., as itemized below for each degree program, are eligible to apply for the M.A. degree

NB: All students receive their official degrees in “Music,” not in the name of their specific subdiscipline. For example, ethnomusicology concentrators will receive a diploma—Ph.D. or M.A.—in “Music,” not “Ethnomusicology.” This both accords with Divisional policy and reflects the Music Department’s commitment to interdisciplinary inquiry across all of our subfields.

Overview of Requirements

Each of the three Ph.D. programs requires successful completion of courses, language examinations, musicianship examinations, comprehensive examinations, a dissertation, and a final examination on (“defense of”) the dissertation. In addition, the program in Composition requires approval of the Minor Field Plan, defense of the Minor Field Paper, and approval of the Composition Prospectus; the program in Ethnomusicology requires a Special Field Examination; and the program in History & Theory requires a Defense of the Dissertation Proposal.

General information on requirements that span the subdisciplines is given in this opening section of the curriculum. Requirements for specific degree programs are accessible here:

Residency Status

The University mandates that all full-time students begin their studies with four years of Scholastic Residence (SR) during which they normally complete their course work and most of their degree requirements. Following Scholastic Residence, all full-time students progress to Advanced Residence (AR), the final stage in which students complete their degree requirements. Students who have not completed their Ph.D.s after twelve years of study will no longer be allowed to register in their degree programs. Those who complete the dissertation after twelve years will nevertheless be allowed to petition the Music Department to defend and submit their dissertation. For more information, refer to the annually updated Student Manual of University Policies and Regulations.

M.A. Degree en Route

Students may apply for an M.A. degree from the University of Chicago once they have fulfilled the necessary requirements for their area of study as specified in the sections below on each program. Students entering with an M.A. in Music from a different institution may earn a second M.A. from the University of Chicago only if they follow Track 2 as described below.

Satisfactory Progress

Students are expected to maintain Satisfactory Progress in their degree studies on a year-by-year basis. The requirements for Satisfactory Progress, per year and per degree program, are described under specific degree requirements. By April 1 of each year, all students must complete Satisfactory Progress forms and submit them to the Director of Graduate Studies. Students must demonstrate that they have completed all requirements for the previous year and that they are on schedule to complete requirements for the current year. Students who wish to extend the time limit on any of the requirements for satisfactory progress must file a petition by April 1 stating clear reasons for the extension.

Inability to comply with Satisfactory Progress requirements may result in one of the following actions: (1) the student may be placed on probation for one year and reviewed at the end of that year; (2) the student may be asked to take a Leave of Absence until the outstanding work is satisfactorily completed; (3) the student may be given an “unsatisfactory progress” rating, with the consequence that outstanding federally supported educational loans come due immediately and the University discontinues financial aid; (4) the department may recommend that the student be withdrawn from the program.

Candidacy

Candidacy is obtained when all requirements for the Ph.D. have been met except completion of the dissertation. Candidacy status is known informally as ABD (“all but dissertation”); students will normally achieve ABD status by the end of their third year (for ethnomusicology and history/theory) or by the end of their fourth (for composition). For more information, see the Satisfactory Progress Requirements for each degree program below. At least nine months (three quarters) must elapse between admission to candidacy and defense of the dissertation.

ABD students are expected to meet with their dissertation committees at least once each academic year to discuss progress on the dissertation. Such meetings should take place before the end of March. If not all members of the committee are able to attend, the meeting should include—at minimum—the primary dissertation advisor and one secondary reader. Students who are not in residence can meet “virtually” with their committee (e.g., via Skype). After this meeting the advisor will submit a brief e-mail to the Chair and the Director of Graduate Studies summarizing the student’s progress and the committee’s recommendations.

Courses

Course Requirements

Students in History/Theory and Ethnomusicology will normally take a total of seventeen required courses of 30000- to 40000-level instruction during Scholastic Residence. Composition students will normally take nine quarters of Music 34000 (Composition Lessons), twelve quarters of Music 34100 (Composition Seminar) and twelve required courses of 30000- or 40000-level instruction.

Tracks 1 and 2

Students who enter the program with an M.A. in Music (or equivalent degree) from a different institution may, in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies, opt for one of two tracks. Under Track 1, the standard number of required courses will be reduced as outlined in each program description below, and the Comprehensive Examinations will be taken in the summer before the second year. Under Track 2, students will complete the standard two-year curriculum for their area of study and take the Comprehensive Examinations in the summer before their third year.

Seminars

Seminars include all courses numbered above 40000, not including the Graduate Colloquium. Students are encouraged to take seminars that offer a wide variety of approaches and subjects. Reading courses, whether topic-based or directed, may not be substituted for a seminar.

Colloquium

The Colloquium is a series of lectures followed by discussion and normally given by speakers from other institutions who are specially invited by the Music Department to share their recent research or compositions with students and faculty. Attendance at a total of six quarters of colloquium is required, and students may register for colloquium in any quarter. Students must attend at least half of the lectures in a given term to fulfill the colloquium requirement for that term.

Music Theory Placement Exam

All entering students take a diagnostic placement exam in Western music theory. Based on the results of this exam, students may be advised to take a remedial course in music theory. As indicated in the descriptions of each degree program below, any such remedial music theory course counts toward the course requirements for the Ph.D (as an elective, or as the required course in the analysis of Western music for ethnomusicology concentrators).

Incompletes

Students are expected to complete work for a specific course during the quarter in which the course is taken. Students unable to complete the requirements for a departmental course by the end of that quarter will not receive a letter grade (known as a “quality grade”) and will instead receive an incomplete (I) on their transcript. This incomplete will be replaced by a quality grade when all requirements for that course have been fulfilled and evaluated.

All outstanding coursework for incompletes must be completed and submitted by September 1 before the beginning of the following academic year. If coursework is not completed by this date, the incomplete grade will automatically be changed to an R (for “audit”) and the student will be required to take a new course to fulfill the given requirement in the syllabus.

Academic Integrity

All work submitted by a student must be his or her own. All work copied, translated, or paraphrased from the writings of others must be accompanied by appropriate citations, following guidelines from the Chicago Manual of Style or an equivalent reference work. Failure to cite work appropriately constitutes plagiarism, an offense punishable under the University disciplinary system. Students with questions about the application of these criteria to individual cases should consult with the instructor.

Exams

Language Examinations

As of Summer 2018, exams are being administered by the Language Center: http://languages.uchicago.edu/.

Here, students will take the ARCA reading comprehension model, described at: http://languageassessment.uchicago.edu/page/academic-reading-comprehension-assessment

A grade of 85 or better is needed to pass. Students can be reimbursed for the exam cost by submitting a receipt to the Academic Affairs Specialist in the Music Department.

Students may also satisfy the requirement by taking the first quarter of 2nd-year undergraduate instruction (e.g. French 201) for a grade and receiving an “A” in the course.

In the case of languages not offered by the Language Center (and only in such cases), the Department will make arrangement for a written translation exam. Students are given two hours to translate a 350-400 word passage with the aid of a dictionary; the quality as well as the completeness and accuracy of the translation are judged. There is no limit to the number of times that a student may retake a language examination. Departmental language exams are taken in week 6 of the quarter and students must notify the Director of Graduate Studies of their intention to take the exam by Monday of Week 3 in their chosen quarter.

Any request for a departure from the languages used to fulfill degree requirements may be addressed in the form of a petition to the Graduate Curriculum Committee, including petitions for examinations in languages not regularly tested. Such petitions must demonstrate specific and direct relevance to the student’s research or compositional work. Petitions should be addressed to the Director of Graduate Studies, and must be submitted at least two months before the student would take the exam.

Musicianship Examinations

Examinations in practical musicianship skills (also called “practica” or “practicum exams”) are administered by the Department of Music. These include examinations in basic musicianship skills and advanced musicianship skills.

  • Examinations in basic musicianship include musical dictation, sight-singing, and sight-reading at the piano.

Students may request to take the sight-reading examination on another instrument in the Western musical tradition. Such requests should be made to the Lecturer in charge of musicianship examinations at least one month before the regularly scheduled examinations.

  • Advanced musicianship skills include three skills to be realized at the piano: figured bass, reading of open vocal scores in old clefs, and orchestral score-reading (this last with a 24-hour preparation period).

Requests to realize an advanced skill in written form should be made to the Lecturer in charge of musicianship examinations at least one month before the regularly scheduled examinations.

Students may, upon consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies and in conformance with their program requirements, replace one of the advanced musicianship skills with one of the following:

  • Atonal dictation
  • Transcription of music from oral or improvisatory traditions
  • Improvisation within the context of a recognized improvisatory tradition
  • Performing a solo recital at the University
  • Playing in a University ensemble for at least one academic year (including participating in all public concerts scheduled by the ensemble)

A petition to make such a substitution must be submitted to the Lecturer in charge of musicianship exams at least two months before the student would take the exam. Under certain circumstances, other forms of musical activity may be added to this list of substitutions; to effect such additions, students should consult with the Lecturer and the Director of Graduate Studies.

The number and kind of musicianship examinations for Composition, Ethnomusicology, History, and Theory are specified under the respective programs below. Musicianship requirements are given during each of the three quarters. There is no limit to the number of examinations a student may take at a single sitting, and no limit to the number of times that a student may retake a musicianship examination. The Department offers free, informal, non-credit instruction in these skills, on an individual basis. The Department is not obligated to offer instruction in a special area chosen by the student (such as sight-reading on an instrument other than the piano). Sample examinations are available in the Department office.

Comprehensive Examinations

Comprehensive Examinations are given annually each summer, with take-home analysis exams in June and “sitting exams” (timed exams, written on campus) in mid-September. Students typically take the exams in the summer before their third year, though all students may take an analysis exam after their first year. Students entering with an M.A. and pursuing Track 1 take the comprehensives in the summer before their second year. In the event that a student fails to pass a portion of the comprehensive exams, the student may, in consultation with the faculty, choose to retake the exams prior to their being offered in the fall of the following year. Retakes for most portions of the exam will be offered during winter term; retakes for the composers’ repertory exam will be offered in early spring term (allowing students sufficient time to study the assigned works). Should a student fail the exam retake, further retakes will be allowed only upon successful petition to the department. Copies of examinations from previous years are on file in the departmental office for consultation. See particular programs of study for information regarding the content of these exams.

Dissertation

To access information on the dissertation in each of the three programs, use the following links: composition, ethnomusicology, history/theory.

Dissertation Proposal Seminar

A Dissertation Proposal Seminar (DPS) is offered as a registration elective to assist students in crafting a dissertation proposal, gaining critical feedback from peers, and honing compelling research projects. Three quarters of DPS will count as one elective equivalent to a 40000-level seminar in the Department of Music. Participants may include students in Ethnomusicology and History/Theory who are writing dissertation proposals, as well as Composition students working on a Minor Field Paper. It is expected that most students will enroll in the DPS during Year 3 so that they will be able to defend their dissertation proposal by the end of spring term.

Musical Performance

Students are expected to be able to perform creditably on some instrument or to sing, and candidates for the degree are encouraged to participate in one or more of the performance organizations on campus supported by the Department of Music. These include the University Symphony Orchestra, the Wind Ensemble, the University Chorus, the Motet Choir, the Early Music Ensemble, the New Music Ensemble, the Jazz Ensemble, the Middle Eastern Music Ensemble, and the South Asian Music Ensemble.

Ph.D. Program in Composition

Courses

Students in the first three years of the program will normally take nine quarters of Music 34000 (Composition Lessons) and twelve quarters of Music 34100 (Composition Seminar). Starting in year 4, students work with one dissertation adviser by appointment. Students also complete twelve courses of 30000- or 40000-level instruction, including the following:

  • 
If indicated by the Music Theory Placement Test, one introductory course focused on the analysis of Western art music (e.g., Music 30809, 30909, 31801). This will count as one of the student’s four electives (see final bullet below).
  • Music 31100: Analysis of Tonal Music I
  • Music 31300: Analysis of Twentieth-Century Music
  • Music 32800: Music since 1900
  • A 30000-level course in ethnomusicology; students are strongly encouraged to take either Music 33500 (Introduction to World Music) or an area-studies course focused on non-Western music.
  • A course in Advanced Orchestration, either in traditional orchestration/instrumentation (34600), or a Special Topic (36715, Composing for Orchestra in the 21st Century).
  • At least two quarters of Computer Music. If the student is already coming in with a more advanced background, these courses can be taken in outside departments such as Computer Science, DoVA, etc. Courses which fulfill the requirement are agreed upon in consultation with the Director of the Computer Music Studio and the Director of Graduate Studies.
  • Music 38000: Score-reading and Conducting (a one-year course for one course credit)
  • Four electives, of which three will be used to fulfill Minor Field requirements. These 
electives will be chosen in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies to meet individual objectives and with a view toward filling out, rather than simply reinforcing, the student’s base of knowledge.

Entering with an M.A. in Music

Students entering with an M.A. (or equivalent degree) in Music and pursuing Track 1 will normally complete nine quarters each of Music 34000 and 34100 (Composition Lessons and Composition Seminar) and nine courses of 30000- or 40000-level instruction, including the following:

  • 
Music 31300: Analysis of Twentieth-Century Music
  • A 30000-level course in ethnomusicology; students are strongly encouraged to take either Music 33500 (Introduction to World Music) or an area-studies course focused on non-Western music.
  • A course in Advanced Orchestration, either in traditional orchestration/instrumentation (34600), or a Special Topic (36715, Composing for Orchestra in the 21st Century).
  • At least two quarters of Computer Music. If the student is already coming in with a more advanced background, these courses can be taken in outside departments such as Computer Science, DoVA, etc. Courses which fulfill the requirement are agreed upon in consultation with the Director of the Computer Music Studio and the Director of Graduate Studies.
  • Four electives, of which three will be used to fulfill Minor Field requirements. These 
electives will be chosen in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies to meet individual objectives and with a view toward filling out, rather than simply reinforcing, the student’s base of knowledge.

Colloquium

All students must enroll in six quarters of Colloquium (Music 41000). Students may register for Colloquium in any quarter.

Exams

Languages

A reading knowledge of one foreign language, normally chosen from German, French, and Italian. Another language may be substituted upon approval of petition. The student’s language of origin (parent tongue) may not be used to fulfill this requirement. See Language Examinations for further details.

Musicianship

The successful completion of six musicianship examinations, including three basic skills (dictation, sight-singing, sight-reading at the piano or another instrument in the Western tradition) and three advanced skills (figured bass, old clefs, score reading, or atonal dictation) to be realized at the piano.

Comprehensive Examination

A three-part Comprehensive Examination consisting of

  • composition examination, to be fulfilled over a three-day period
  • an analysis examination, to be fulfilled over a three-day period
  • a two-hour oral examination on musical repertory, focusing on six compositions. A list of works with guidelines will be made available to the students no later than five months before the examination.

The analysis exam may be taken in June, when students in ethnomusicology and history/theory take their analysis exams. See the general discussion of comprehensive exams for more details.

Minor Field

The minor field consists of three courses that will prepare the student to write the Minor Field Paper. The department approves four minor fields for composers: Ethnomusicology, Musicology, Theory and Analysis, and Research in Computer Music.

The minor field in ETHNOMUSICOLOGY consists of

  • Music 33000 or Music 33500
  • One other course numbered between Music 33100 and 33700
  • A seminar on an ethnomusicological topic (to be determined in consultation with the 
Director of Graduate Studies)

The minor in MUSICOLOGY consists of

  • one course numbered either Music 32500 or 32600
  • Music 32700
  • one seminar on a musicological topic (to be determined in consultation with the 
Director of Graduate Studies)

The minor in THEORY AND ANALYSIS consists of

  • two courses from among the following: 
Music 31200; Music 31400; Music 31500; Music 37100; Music 37200
  • one seminar on an analytic or theoretical topic (to be determined in consultation with 
the Director of Graduate Studies)

The minor in RESEARCH IN COMPUTER MUSIC consists of

  • Music 34800: Introduction to Computer Music II
  • One course or seminar which is foundational to the research topic. Appropriate 
coursework from other academic units, such as computer science, physics, mathematics, psychology, and linguistics, may be selected in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies, the Director of the Computer Music Studio, and the student’s major faculty advisor.
  • Music 36800: Seminar in Computer Music

Plan for the Minor Field

The student must submit to the Director of Graduate Studies a plan for the completion of the minor field, consisting of a list of the courses that will complete the course requirements, a one-page proposal for the minor field paper, and the name of the faculty member who has agreed to advise the project. Once approved, the plan will be filed in the student’s dossier in the Department of Music.

Minor Field Paper

A paper, normally 30-50 pages in length, the proposal for which is presented to and approved for work by a committee of three faculty members, including one member of the Composition faculty. The completed paper will normally emerge from coursework done in pursuit of the minor field, typically in one of the four following fields outlined above (Computer Music, Ethnomusicology, Music History, Music Theory). Students wanting to work between fields or carry out a minor field in another area should petition the Director of Graduate Studies. After completion of the paper, the student will defend it before the three-person committee. The Minor Field paper must be submitted to the Committee no later than two weeks before its defense. Students are strongly encouraged to complete and defend the Minor Field during year 3. The Minor Field should in any case be completed by the end of Scholastic Residence (the end of year 4). Candidacy cannot be attained without successful defense of the Minor Field, which must therefore in all cases no later than nine months prior to defense of the dissertation.

Dissertation

The Composition Prospectus

A one-page document describing the dissertation composition. It should describe the dissertation in as much detail as possible, specifying the instruments, personnel, hardware, and software to be used, as well as setting out any other parameters that might affect the final realization of the composition. The defense of the Composition Prospectus should not be scheduled until all parts of the Comprehensive Examination have been successfully completed. Following approval of the Prospectus, the document will be filed in the student’s dossier in the Department of Music. Substantive changes in the proposed composition should be submitted to the Director of Graduate Studies for faculty approval.

Admission to Candidacy

Following the completion of all of the above requirements, including the submission of the composition prospectus, the student will be recommended by the Department of Music to the Dean of Students for admission to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree.

Dissertation

A substantial work with score (and a full set of parts where relevant), accompanied by a program note and a set of instructions for the performers (where relevant). If the composition exists solely in an electronic format (as a compact disc, videotape, or both), it must be submitted together with a description of the hardware and software used and a time line that describes graphically or verbally the relationship between raw musical material (acoustic or electronic), electronic processing, and final acoustic event. The composition should be completed within three years after admission to candidacy. Extensions, however, may be granted under special circumstances.

Defense of the Dissertation

A final oral examination in defense of the dissertation; the faculty committee for the defense must include at least two members of the Composition faculty. The dissertation composition must be approved by two members of the composition faculty. At least nine months (three quarters) must normally elapse 
between admission to candidacy and the final examination. All other requirements must be completed before the defense is scheduled.

N.B.: Students may not apply for the Ph.D. degree until all degree requirements have been met.

Satisfactory Progress Requirements

The following specific requirements for the program in Composition should be read in the context of the general comments on satisfactory progress provided above. The following requirements are a minimal lower limit; students are encouraged to exceed these requirements at whatever rate suits them.

During year 1 students should complete at least 8 courses and at least 2 musicianship examinations or 1 language.

By the end of year 2 students should have completed all courses (with the exception of composition lessons and the composers’ seminar) plus either the language examination and 2 musicianship examinations or 3 musicianship examinations.

Students with an M.A. degree in Music pursuing Track 1 should complete the following requirements by the end of year 1: 9 courses plus either 2 musicianship examinations or 1 language and 1 musicianship examination.

By the end of year 3 students should have completed all of their musicianship and language examinations, and passed all sections of the Comprehensive Examinations.

By the end of year 4 students should have completed and defended their minor field paper and dissertation prospectus.

Year 5 should be dedicated to composing the dissertation piece.

M.A. Degree en Route in Composition

Students may apply to receive the Master of Arts upon completion of the following requirements:

  • 12 courses in the Department of Music, including 6 courses in Composition, and
  • including at least 4 other non-elective courses
  • 1 language exam
  • 3 musicianship exams
  • An M.A. composition written in residence. Normally the composition will be more than 8 minutes in duration. The composition should be submitted to the Department in final form at least one month before Convocation. A bound, legibly written copy of the composition is to be deposited in the Department of Music.

Students who enter with a Master’s in music may only receive the Masters en route if they are pursuing Track 2.

Ph.D. Program in Ethnomusicology

Courses

Students will normally complete seventeen courses of 30000- to 40000-level instruction, including the following:

  • Music 33000: Proseminar in Ethnomusicology
  • Music 33500: Introduction to World Music
  • Music 33800: Ethnographic Methods
  • Music 33900: Music Anthropology
  • Music 31500: Modal Analysis
  • Three Topics and Area Studies courses (Music 33100–33700). A relevant course in another department may be substituted upon approval by the Director of Graduate Studies.
  • One course focused on the analysis of Western art music (e.g., Music 31801, 30809, 30909)
  • Two Proseminars in Music History (Music 32500–32800)
  • Six electives relevant to the student’s research interests and objectives. At least three of these will normally be 40000-level seminars in the Department of Music

Entering with an M.A. in Music

Students entering with an M.A.  in Music and pursuing Track 1 will normally complete the following twelve courses:

  • Music 33000 (Proseminar in Ethnomusicology)
  • One Area Studies course (Music 33100–33700)
  • One introductory course focused on the analysis of Western art music (e.g., Music 30809, 30909, 31801)
  • One further course in Music Analysis (Music 31100–31600)
  • One course in Music History (Music 32500–32800)
  • Seven electives relevant to the student’s research interests and objectives. At least five of these will normally be 40000-level seminars in the Department of Music.

Programs of study will be worked out in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies to meet individual needs and objectives.

Colloquium

All students must enroll in six quarters of Colloquium (Music 41000). Students may register for Colloquium during any quarter.

Exams

Languages

Students must pass exams demonstrating a reading knowledge of three languages. In consultation with faculty, students will select languages that fulfill the following functions:

  1. Field language (a language necessary for field research)
  2. Classical language (a world language with a literary tradition)
  3. Scholarly language (a language important for broader research in ethnomusicology)

See Language Examinations for further details.

Musicianship

Successful completion of four musicianship examinations, including two basic skills (dictation and either sight-singing, or sight-reading on the piano or another Western instrument); and two advanced skills. Students may choose freely from the substitute advanced skills listed here, although performance with an ensemble can be used to satisfy only one of the requirements for advanced skills.

A Comprehensive Examination

A Comprehensive Examination, consisting of the following four components:

  1. Conceptual Foundations: essays covering broad issues of theoretical importance to
    ethnomusicology and musicology.
  2. Cultural Areas: essays demonstrating knowledge of two world musical cultural areas. For each area, there will be a long essay chosen from two options, followed by two short essays, to be chosen from four.
  3. A Repertory Exam: students will be given a list of 16 items (10 recorded, 6 printed/notated) in the first weeks of the Winter quarter, in preparation for a half-hour oral exam that will draw upon four items from the list.
  4. A close analysis of a musical work, selected by faculty prior to administration of the examination from three options:
    1. An ethnomusicological example (which may involve transcription from a recording, analysis of a previous transcription, or some combination of these)
    2. A tonal Western example
    3. An atonal Western example

Special Field Examination

An oral examination in two parts. The first part tests a student’s knowledge of a specialized area which may provide a broader context for the dissertation. (The delimitation of the special field is determined through consultation with the student’s dissertation committee when a date for the examination is chosen.) The second part is a defense of a proposal for the doctoral dissertation. The proposal, which must be submitted to the faculty no later than two weeks before the examination, should demonstrate the propriety and feasibility of the topic and the student’s knowledge of the existing literature about it. A complete bibliography for the topic area should be included with the proposal. The Special Field examination should not be scheduled until all parts of the Comprehensive Examination have been successfully completed. Following a successful Special Field examination, the proposal will be filed in the student’s dossier in the Department of Music. Substantive changes to the topic must be submitted to the Director of Graduate Studies for faculty approval.

Admission to Candidacy

Following the completion of all the above requirements, the student will be recommended by the Department of Music to the Dean of Students for admission to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree. At least nine months (three quarters) must normally elapse between admission to candidacy and the final examination.

Dissertation

A Dissertation that makes an original contribution to knowledge. The dissertation must be approved by at least three faculty members who can verify that it meets the necessary requirements. A copy of the dissertation manuscript and an abstract must be submitted to the Music Department no later than two weeks before the defense. Ethnomusicology committees are likely to include at least one member from another Department. The dissertation normally should be completed within three years after the Special Field Examination. However, the student may petition to the Department for yearly extensions.

Defense

A final oral examination in defense of the Dissertation. At least nine months (three quarters) must normally elapse between admission to candidacy and the final examination. All other requirements must be completed before the defense is scheduled.

N.B. Students may not apply for the Ph.D. degree until all degree requirements have been met.

Satisfactory Progress Requirements

The following specific requirements for the program in ethnomusicology should be read in the context of the general requirements for satisfactory progress. The following requirements are a lower limit; students are encouraged to exceed these requirements at whatever rate suits them.

During year 1 students should complete at least 8 courses, 1 language, and at least 1 musicianship examination.

By the end of year 2 students should have completed all course requirements (with the exception of the Dissertation Proposal Seminar, typically taken in year 3); 2 languages; and 2 musicianship examinations.

By the end of year 3 students should have completed all languages and musicianship examinations, passed all four sections of the Comprehensive Examinations, and passed the Special Field examination.

Years 4 and 5 should be devoted to fieldwork and dissertation writing.

M.A. Degree en Route in Ethnomusicology

Students may apply to receive the Master of Arts upon completion of the following requirements:

  • 12 courses in the Department of Music, excluding the free electives
  • 1 language exam
  • 2 musicianship exams
  • Two seminar papers demonstrating scholarly competence. These papers are to be submitted for faculty approval by the beginning of the quarter in which the degree is to be received.

Students who enter with a Master’s in music may only receive the Masters en route if they are pursuing Track 2.

Ph.D. Program in History and Theory of Music

Courses

Students will normally take seventeen courses of 30000- or 40000 level instruction, including the following:

  • If indicated by the Music Theory Placement Test, one introductory course focused on the analysis of Western art music (e.g., Music 30809, 30909, 31801). This will count as one of the student’s ten electives (see below).
  • Music 31100: Analysis of Tonal Music I
  • One further course in Music Analysis (Music 31200–31900)
  • Three of the four proseminars in Music History (Music 32500, 32600, 32700, and 32800)
  • Two ethnomusicology courses. These should include Music 33000 or 33500 and a further ethnomusicology course at the 30000 level.
  • Ten elective courses at the 30000 or 40000 level. These courses should be relevant to the student’s research objectives and be taken either in the Department of Music, or, with permission of the Director of Graduate Studies, from other Departments within the University. At least six of these electives will normally be 40000-level seminars in the Department of Music. Students preparing for a career oriented toward musicology should take the remaining Music History Proseminar. Students preparing for a career oriented toward theory and analysis should take Music 37100 (History of Music Theory I) and 37200 (History of Music Theory II) to fulfill two of these elective course requirements.

Minor Field in Composition

Students pursuing a minor field in composition will normally complete six quarters Music 34000/341000 (Composition/Composer’s Seminar) and thirteen courses of 30000- or 40000-level instruction, including the following:

  • If indicated by the Music Theory Placement Test, one introductory course focused on the analysis of Western art music (e.g., Music 30809, 30909, 31801). This will count as one of the student’s seven electives (see below).
  • Three courses in Music Analysis (31100 through 31900)
  • One proseminar in Music History (Music 32500 through 32800)
  • Two ethnomusicology courses. These should include Music 33000: Proseminar in Ethnomusicology or 33500: Introduction to World Music and a further ethnomusicology course at the 30000 level.
  • Seven elective courses at the 30000 or 40000 level. These courses should be relevant to the student’s research objectives and be taken either in the Department of Music, or, with permission of the Director of Graduate Studies, from other Departments within the University. At least four of these electives will normally be 40000-level seminars in the Department of Music. Students preparing for a career oriented toward theory and analysis should take Music 37100 (History of Music Theory I) and 37200 (History of Music Theory II) to fulfill two of these elective course requirements.

Entering with an M.A. in Music

Students entering with an M.A. in Music and pursuing Track 1 will normally complete the following twelve courses:

  • Music 32500 (Proseminar in Western Music to 1500)
  • One Proseminar in Music since 1500 (Music 32600–32800)
  • One course in Music Analysis (Music 31100–31900)
  • Music 33000: Proseminar in Ethnomusicology or Music 33500: Introduction to World Music (with strong encouragement to take both if possible)
  • Eight elective courses at the 30000 or 40000 level. These courses should be relevant to the student’s research objectives and be taken either in the Department of Music, or, with permission of the Director of Graduate Studies, from other Departments within the University. At least three of these electives will normally be 40000-level seminars in the Department of Music.

Colloquium

All students must enroll in six quarters of Colloquium (Music 41000). Students may register for Colloquium in any quarter.

Exams

Languages

Students preparing for a career oriented toward theory and analysis are required to pass two language examinations. Students preparing for a career oriented toward musicology are required to pass three language examinations; German is required for both groups of students. The one or two other language exams are normally chosen from among French, Spanish, Italian, or Latin, or from other languages upon approval of a petition to the DGS.

See Language Examinations for further details.

Musicianship

Students preparing for a career oriented toward musicology are required to pass four musicianship examinations. These include two basic skills (dictation, sight- singing, or sight-reading on the piano or another instrument in the Western tradition) and two advanced skills. Students preparing for a career oriented toward theory and analysis are required to pass six musicianship examinations. These include three basic skills and three advanced skills. In both cases, students may replace only one advanced skill with one of the alternatives listed here.

Comprehensive Examination

A Comprehensive Examination, consisting of the following four components:

  1. The identification of musical scores or excerpts drawn from European traditions of the 9th to the 20th centuries. A total of 12 examples, 6 pre-1800 and 6 post-1800. Students pursuing a minor field in composition may substitute a two-hour oral examination on musical repertory, as described here.
  2. History concentrators will take two sets of essays on the history of European traditions, corresponding to the four proseminars in music history. These will be divided as pre-1800 and post-1800. Each will consist of one long essay, to be chosen from two options, and two short essays, to be chosen from four. Theory concentrators take essays in the history of music theory (two long essays, each to be chosen from two options), and will additionally take one set of historical essays (pre- or post-1800).
  3. A close analysis of a single work or movement, to be selected from tonal analysis or atonal analysis.
  4. One further set of essays, to be drawn from the following:

Dissertation

Defense of the Dissertation Proposal

A two-hour oral examination, based on a proposal which must be approved by the faculty committee for purposes of the defense and submitted in final form to the committee no later than two weeks before the examination. The proposal should demonstrate, and the student will be examined on, the propriety and feasibility of the topic, as well as the student’s broad knowledge of literature and repertory, both directly related to the topic and in areas surrounding the topic, as appropriate. A bibliography, incorporating both directly related writings in music and relevant works in other fields, should be included. The defense should not be scheduled until all parts of the Comprehensive Examination have been successfully completed. Following a successful defense, the proposal will be filed in the student’s dossier in the Department of Music. Substantive changes to the topic must be submitted to the Director of Graduate Studies for faculty approval.

Admission to Candidacy

Following the completion of all the above requirements, the student will be recommended by the Department of Music to the Dean of Students for admission to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree.

Dissertation

A Dissertation that makes an original contribution to knowledge. The dissertation must be approved by at least three members of the Department who can verify that it meets the necessary requirements. A copy of the dissertation manuscript and an abstract must be submitted to the Music Department no later than two weeks before the defense. The dissertation should normally be completed within three years after the special field examination. However, the student may petition the Department for yearly extensions.

Defense

A Defense. A final oral examination in defense of the Dissertation. At least nine months (three quarters) must normally elapse between admission to candidacy and the final examination. All other requirements must be completed before the defense is scheduled.

N.B. Students may not apply for the Ph.D. degree until all degree requirements have been met.

Satisfactory Progress Requirements

The following specific requirements for the program in History & Theory of Music should be read in the context of the general requirements for satisfactory progress. The following requirements are a lower limit; students are encouraged to exceed these requirements at whatever rate suits them.

During year 1 students should complete at least 8 courses, 1 language, and at least 1 musicianship examination.

By the end of year 2 students should have completed all course requirements (with the exception of the Dissertation Proposal Seminar, typically taken in year 3); 2 languages; and 2 musicianship examinations.

By the end of year 3 students should have completed all language and musicianship examinations, passed all four sections of the Comprehensive Examinations, and defended their dissertation proposals.

Years 4 and 5 should be devoted to dissertation research and writing.

M.A. Degree en Route in History and Theory

Students may apply to receive the Master of Arts upon completion of the following requirements:

  • 12 courses in the Department of Music, including 10 non-elective courses
  • 1 language exam
  • 2 musicianship exams
  • Two seminar papers demonstrating scholarly competence to be submitted for faculty approval by the beginning of the quarter in which the degree is to be received