Division of Music History, Theory, and Ethnomusicology

Guidelines for Master's Thesis and Doctoral Dissertation Proposals Effective starting spring 2008. Approved by the Division of Music History, Theory, and Ethnomusicology on Nov. 28, 2007.

Clarification of the Scope and Purpose of the Master’s Thesis

The master's thesis in music history, theory, or ethnomusicology should be regarded as a project of research and writing that will demonstrate the student's synthesis of material and application of concepts covered in coursework to a thesis of no more than 80 pages. Application of knowledge to a new or previously uncharted territory of research is not necessary. The goal of the thesis project is a clear and focused body of research and/or analysis that demonstrates the student's ability to make a contribution, at the master’s level, to the relevant literatures.

Submission Deadline: The deadline for submission of thesis proposals for Fall 2009 is November 6, 2009.

The proposal must:

1. present a clear thesis statement that (a) formulates a main idea; (b) specifies the subordinate elements of this idea; (c) indicates how these subordinate elements relate to one another and to your main idea; (d) indicates the methodologies that you plan to use.

2. present a review of the literature that identifies all significant publications relevant to the topic and explains how the argument of the thesis or dissertation relates to the arguments of the publications. Students should consult with the faculty advisor for the meaning of "all" and "significant" as appropriate to the proposal.

3. describe the research tasks to be accomplished, demonstrate their feasibility (including access to sources, which may include documents, archives, field research sites, interview subjects, or copyright clearances), and present a timeline for their completion.

4. present a provisional outline of the complete thesis or dissertation as an appendix. The outline should show the estimated length of each chapter.

5. show competent use of a citation format in current use in musical scholarship. Suggested formats are the humanities style (footnotes and bibliography) for proposals in musicology and theory, and the author-date system for proposals in ethnomusicology. Consult The Chicago Manual of Style (15th ed.) and its online guide Chicago Manual of Style for models.

6. include a list of references and sources with full citations. The list of references should distinguish between types of sources (primary, second, etc.) as appropriate to the topic.

7. conform to a maximum length: The main body of text, not counting references, appendices, or musical examples, must be no more than 10 double-spaced pages (master's theses) or 20 double-spaced pages (for doctoral dissertations). Adherence to style must be observed: 12 point type, black ink, and no quadruple spacing.

8. See the Master's Thesis Registration Statement for relevant information. The Dissertation proposal must be approved by the Graduate Academic Degrees Committee (GADCom) during the fall or spring semester that precedes the first semester in which the student registers for thesis (dissertation) hours. The proposal must be submitted to the chair of the GADCom no later than the end of week 10 of the long semester (fall or spring) that precedes the first semester in which the student intends to register for thesis hours. The student is responsible for consulting on the proposal with a faculty member who will serve as the principal advisor for the thesis or dissertation before the proposal is submitted to the GADCom. The GADCom will address the matter of students registering for dissertation hours at its meeting on November 25.

Suggested resources

The research process

Booth, Wayne C., Gregory G. Colomb, and Joseph M. Williams. 2003. The Craft of Research. 2nd ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Turabian, Kate L. 2007. A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations. 7th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Includes material from The Craft of Research.

Writing about music

Wingell, Richard J. 2002. Writing about Music: an Introductory Guide. 3rd ed. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall.
Wingell, Richard J., and Silvia Herzog. 2000. Introduction to Research in Music. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall.

Clear writing

Williams, Joseph M. 1990. Style: Toward Clarity and Grace. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Second language issues.
Bailey, Stephen. 2006. Academic Writing: a Handbook for International Students. New York: Routledge. Paltridge, Brian, and Sue Starfield. 2007. Thesis and dissertation writing in a second language: a handbook for supervisors. New York: Routledge.

Style

The Chicago Manual of Style. 2003. 15th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Master's Thesis Registration Hours Statement
Students may enroll in thesis hours once they are in their final semester of coursework and have identified a faculty member who agrees to serve as their major professor. The student should send the name of their major professor and proposed thesis topic to the Office of Graduate Studies and to the GADCom Chair. Students will have one semester to complete the proposal. Extensions will be considered through petition to GADCom with the support of the major professor.
Thesis proposals must be approved by GADCom. Once a proposal has been approved, the student has two long semesters following the semester in which the proposal was approved, to complete and submit the final thesis document.
Extensions will only be considered through petition to GADCom with the support of the major professor (A record of the student’s commencement of thesis work will be kept on file in the GADCom office; a record will also be maintained by the GADCom Chair.)
Approved by GADCom on 5/1/09.