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Graduate Student Policies and Procedures

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Final and Comprehensive Examinations

Final examinations are scheduled by the School of Music Academic Office. They are written on campus, usually November and April. All members of the examination committee must be on campus at the time of the examination in order to serve on the committee.

• The requirements for all master's degrees include a final written examination. Such an examination will not duplicate course examinations. It will be evaluated by an examining committee consisting of at least three members of the graduate faculty, two of whom are from the major area. The examination is judged to be satisfactory or unsatisfactory, with two unsatisfactory votes making the committee report unsatisfactory. If the area so recommends, candidates who fail the examination may present themselves for re-examination, but not sooner than the next regularly scheduled examination period in the following session. The examination may be repeated only once.
  
• Candidates for doctoral degrees must pass a comprehensive examination, consisting of written or oral parts or both at the discretion of the major area. Admission to the comprehensive examination is granted upon the recommendation of the major area, the filing of the Plan of Study (see C. below), and the approval of the Dean of the Graduate College. A student must be registered in the Graduate College at the time of the comprehensive examination, which must be passed not later than the session prior to the session of graduation. This examination is intended to be an inclusive evaluation of the candidate's master of the major and related fields of study, including the tools of research in which competence has been certified. For doctoral committees a minimum of five faculty members evaluate the exam.

The following are degree examination requirements within the School of Music:

• M.A. - Final Examination (see specific area information)
• M.F.A. - Final Examination (see specific area information)
• Ph.D. Composition, Theory - Qualifying Examination
• Ph.D., D.M.A. - Comprehensive Examination (see specific area information)
• Ph.D., D.M.A. - Final Examination, Defense of Dissertation, Thesis Composition,
  D.M.A. Essay/Thesis

Last updated 29-oct-07