Graduate Study

PhD Requirements - Introduction

An outline of curricular requirements for the various programs of study offered by the Department are given below. Should you wish more comprehensive information, please consult these documents (available as pdfs):

PhD Program Requirements:

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, each program has specific requirements, listed on the individual program pages. General information regarding departmental policy for each category is given below.

More information on overall policies of the Department of Music can be found in the 2007-2008 Student handbook (PDF).

On this Page:

Residency Status Colloquium Comprehensive Examinations
Course Requirements Language Examinations Candidacy
M.A. Degree Musicianship Examinations Musical Performance
Seminars    

Residency Status.
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. If the requirements are not completed within ten calendar years from entry into the program, students must enroll in Extended Residence (ER). During this time, students are entitled to use of the library, e-mail accounts, network access, and faculty contact, but not other benefits or facilities use associated with SR or AR status.

Course Requirements.
All students will normally take a total of fifteen required courses during the first two years of scholastic residence before taking their Comprehensive Examinations at the beginning of the third year. Students who enter the program with an M.A. in Music (or equivalent degree) from a different institution may, in consultation with Director of Graduate Studies, reduce the standard course requirement of fifteen courses for the first two years of Scholastic Residence requirement to nine courses and take their Comprehensive Examinations at the beginning of the second year. After the Comprehensive Examinations all students will take four seminars (History/Theory and Ethnomusicology programs; five seminars for students entering with an M.A.) or four courses in the Minor Field (Composition program).

M.A. Degree.
Students may apply for an M.A. degree from the University of Chicago once they have fulfilled the necessary requirements as specifed by the Graduate Curriculum. 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 go through the normal first two years of Scholastic Residence. Specific requirements for the M.A. degree are detailed separately for each of the three programs.

Seminars.
Seminars include all courses numbered above 400 not including the Graduate Curriculum. Students are encouraged to take seminars that offer a wide variety of approaches and subjects. Seminar enrollment is limited to 10 students. Students will be admitted on the basis of seniority. Reading courses may not be substituted for a seminar.

Colloquium.
The Colloquium is a series of lectures given each quarter, at least half of which must be attended to fulfill the Colloquium Requirement. The lectures, followed by discussion, are 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.

Language examinations.
Language examinations are administered by the Department of Music to its students. Students do not take the Foreign Language Reading Examinations administered by the University. Department examinations in German, French, Italian and Latin are given each quarter, except summer, and in other languages by special arrangement. They require the student to translate about 400 words of a passage of medium difficulty from source materials or musicological literature. Students are given two hours to translate the entire passage with the aid of a dictionary; the quality as well as the accuracy of the translation are judged. There is no limit to the number of times that a student may retake a language examination. Sample examinations are available in the Department office.

Specific circumstances regarding languages used to fulfill degree requirements may be addressed in the form of a petition to the Graduate Curriculum Committee, including petitions for 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 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 or another instrument in the Western musical tradition. Advanced musicianship skills include three skills to be realized at the piano (for students with advanced keyboard skills) or realized in written form (for students with no advanced keyboard skills): figured bass, reading of open vocal scores in old clefs, and orchestral score-reading (with a 24-hour preparation period). Other advanced musicianship skills are atonal dictation, transcription of music from oral or improvisatory traditions, improvisation in an improvisatory tradition, and playing in a University ensemble for at least one year concluding with a public concert. Students may petition to play in a recognized performing group other than official University ensembles. Students may also petition to fulfill the ensemble requirement through a solo performance in a university concert.

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. Instruction will be offered on an individual basis. The Department is not obligated to offer instruction in the area chosen by the student. Sample examinations are available in the Department office. 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.

Comprehensive examinations.
Comprehensive examinations are given annually in mid-September. Students must take the exams at the beginning of their third year of Scholastic Residence. Students entering with an M.A. may take the comprehensives at the beginning of the second year. The Comprehensive Examination, or any portion thereof, may be repeated if necessary during the following academic year. Further retakings are only allowed 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.

Candidacy.
Candidacy is obtained when all requirements for the Ph.D. have been met except for the dissertation.

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 New Music Ensemble, the University Chorus, the Motet Choir, the Jazz X-Tet, the Javanese Gamelan, and the Middle East Music Ensemble.