Ph.D. Qualifying Exams in Music Theory
The Graduate Academic Degree Committee (GADCom) oversees the administration of all qualifying exams.
GADcom Committee, 2009-10
Eileen M. Hayes (chair), Deanna Bush, Steven Friedson, Benjamin Brand, Timothy Jackson, Steven Slottow, Graham Phipps (ex-officio)
ANNOUNCEMENT
The Music Theory Qualifying Exams were revised in Spring 2009. Students who matriculated in the doctoral program prior to Fall 2008 have the option of taking the "old" version of the exams or taking the "new" version. Information concerning the new Music Theory quals appears at the bottom of this page. Please address any questions to Eileen Hayes at eileen.hayes@unt.edu.
Important Dates for Fall 2009
Orientation meeting to discuss "the old" versions of the Ph.D. qualifying exams for Music Theory students: September 28, 2009 at 4:00 pm. in Room 250.
The deadline to register for the "old" quals 1 and 2 exam: October 2, 2009, 5:00 pm. (see the Graduate Studies office for more details).
Dates for the "old" Theory quals exams are as follows: Phase 1: week of October 26-30, 2009. Phase 2: November 9-13, 2009.
Introduction And General Instruction (the old quals)
The PhD qualifying exam consists of two phases, a Proficiency Review (Phase I) and a Professional Review (Phase II), each consisting of three exams. Both Phases must be taken by PhD candidates in Music Theory.
The Proficiency Review must be taken during the third long semester of PhD coursework. It tests general knowledge in music history and theory, including repertory, research methodology, and major aspects of current research. The Proficiency Review tests general knowledge at the level appropriate to the master's degree level.
The Professional Review will be administered after completion of coursework, demonstration of required language proficiency, and passing the proficiency review. It is highly recommended that candidates will have already formulated special fields for their dissertations and set up the dissertation committee before signing up for the exam. The exam will test students’ capability for professional research, including essay writing and language proficiency in their special fields, as well as professional knowledge in a related field or minor field.
Evaluation Procedures
The members of the GADCom provide the exam questions and determine a grade of pass or fail for each examination. Should the committee fail to reach agreement, the Director of Graduate Studies is called upon to evaluate the exam in question and to render a final decision.
Pass Or Fail
Candidates must pass all three exams to qualify for further study at the doctoral level. All failed exams must be retaken in the following long semester.
Candidates who do not pass these exams in two attempts will not be given permission to proceed in the doctoral program. The following instructions describe the content, procedure, and policies of eligibility and assessment for both phases of the qualifying exam. This text is subject to change at the recommendation of the GADCom.
Phase I – Proficiency Review
The Proficiency Review consists of three exams, taken over two days. The dates of the exams will be announced at the end of the previous semester. Usually the exams will take place in March and October (this may change due to special schedule conflicts). They will not be given during the summer.
All candidates will take the exams in the same room. The exams may be handwritten or the candidates may bring their own computer. Please indicate your choice so that the room can be set up accordingly.
In order to ensure fairness, including fairness to students who opt to write the exams by hand, students who plan to use a computer for the exam will be asked to sign an honor code document with the following provisions:
A text-only or plain text editing program such as Wordpad (Windows) or TextEdit (Mac) must be used for the writing, not a fully-featured word processor. The essay must be saved in .txt format.
The computer's wireless card must be removed, or its wireless function turned off.
No wired network connections can be used.
No information stored on the computer can be used in writing the exam essays.
At the completion of the exam, the essays will be saved on a blank CD-R provided by GADCom, and emailed to GADCom, and printed out for the student to sign, along with additional attachments such as handwritten examples, figures etc.
Members of GADCom will be present during the exam as proctors, to help with any technical problems, and to preserve a quiet working environment for the exam-takers.
If the candidate has an established disability as defined by the “Americans with Disabilities Act” and wishes to request accommodation, a written request must be turned in to the Chair of the GADCom no later than the deadline to sign up for the exam.
Exam 1: Music History (2 Hours)
Candidates will be asked to write on two out of the six topics given. The two topics must be from different periods in music history:
1. Medieval-Renaissance 2 topics
2. Baroque-Classical 2 topics
3. Romantic-Twentieth Century 2 topics
Instructions that will appear on the exam:
Write on two of the following subject areas, which must be from different categories. You should construct a coherent argument focused on a topic within the subject area of the question. Essays should be well organized and accurate. They must demonstrate close knowledge of representative repertory, and awareness of current scholarly literature. It is possible to write successfully about only one piece in an essay provided that the discussion shows graduate-level understanding of relevant historical and cultural questions.
Assessment:
Essays will be assessed on the basis of the following criteria: organization, accuracy, coherence in the development of the argument, awareness of current scholarly literature, and knowledge of representative repertory.
No credit will be given for information unrelated to the subject area. This means, for example, that students should not go into the prehistory of the subject area.
Sample questions used in August 2007
I. Medieval--Renaissance
1. Oral transmission, memory, and performance in medieval music
2. Modes, tonality, and analysis and the Renaissance motet
II. Baroque--Classical
3. Rhetoric and the affections in Baroque music
4. Comic opera in Italian from the Classical period
III. Romantic--Twentieth Century
5. Music and politics in the nineteenth century
6. Non-Western styles and instruments in Western art music of the twentieth century
Exam 2: Music Literature (2 Hours)
Candidates will be asked to discuss salient (in other words, prominent, of notable significance) characteristics of eight musical excerpts, choosing at least two from each of the following periods of music history:
Medieval-Renaissance 4 excerpts
Baroque-Classical 4 excerpts
Romantic-Twentieth Century 4 excerpts
On the basis of the characteristics cited (specify measure numbers), students will be asked to identify the genre, the decade of composition, and the name of a likely composer whose music embodies the characteristics described. Original titles and musical instructions in the score will not be translated, if they are in French, German or Italian.
Instructions that will appear on the exam:
Discuss significant features of eight of the twelve musical excerpts, which have been placed in chronological order. You have been given four excerpts from each of the following categories and are to choose at least two from each:
Medieval-Renaissance
Baroque-Classical
Romantic-Twentieth Century
On the basis of the characteristics that you cite (specify measure numbers), identify the genre, the period of composition (be as precise as possible), and the name of a likely composer. Being able to identify the composer is less important than being able to discuss features of the music in a knowledgeable manner.
Exam 3: Music Analysis, 3 Hours
Candidates will be asked to write an analytical essay on one of two provided works, discussing significant structural aspects. The two works will be chosen from the period 1700-1900.
Specific questions, instructions or comments may be provided for each work. Candidates will have access to a keyboard (students will take the exam in the keyboard lab). A translation will be provided in case of a foreign language text in vocal music. Original titles and musical instructions in the score will not be translated, if they are in French, German or Italian.
Assessment:
Instructions that will appear on the exam:
Write an analytical essay on one of the following two prompts. The analysis should be directed towards an interpretation of the work(s) and not simply consist of labeling structural features. The analysis should address the questions in the prompt and demonstrate understanding of both small- and large-scale analytical issues.
Assessment:
Answers will be evaluated on the quality and organization of the analytical observations. The presentations may include music examples, tables, etc. as appropriate.
Sample questions used in August 2007
1) The scores of Handel's Fugue in G minor (HWV 605) and the choral fugue "He Smote the First Born of Egypt" from his Oratorio "Israel in Egypt" (HWV 54) are provided. Considering significant aspects of fugal design and structure, discuss how Handel developed the choral movement from the keyboard piece.
2) The score of the first movement of Beethoven's Piano Sonata in E minor, Op 90, is provided. Discuss Beethoven's use of sonata form in this minor-mode movement. How does this movement conform to the usual harmonic practice for a minor mode sonata; are there some unusual, deviating features? In the exposition, where does the second subject begin, and why? Explicate the overall tonal organization of the development. What is unusual about the retransition and beginning of the reprise?
About the prompts:
Each prompt will consist of several questions about one work from 1700-1900, the score of which will be provided.
Phase II– Professional Review
This phase of the exam is intended to allow the student to demonstrate readiness to proceed with dissertation work. All parts of Phase II will be written in collaboration with the student's qualifying exam committee, with each individual student's area of expertise in mind. Questions about methodology, for example, will focus on methodologies that the student's committee and GADCom, working together, view as essential for the student intended research topic.
Students must have formed a qualifying exam committee before signing up for Phase II. (The form for this is available in the COM Graduate Office.) See pages 66-68 and 293 of the 2009-10 Graduate Catalog for the specific requirements with respect to the qualifying exams and degree plan. The sequence of events is the following: once a student has signed up for the exam and told the GADCom chair who the members of the student's qualifying exam committee are, GADCom will ask the student's major professor to formulate questions, in collaboration with the other members of the student's committee, and to forward those questions to GADCom.
The qualifying exam committee is not necessarily the same as the dissertation committee. In other words, a student's dissertation committee may include faculty members who were not part of the qualifying exam committee.
Each candidate will be provided with an individual work space for Exams 2 and 3. The exams may be handwritten or candidates may bring their own computer, under the provisions of the honor code described under Phase I. The two-week essay may be written using word-processing software.
Exam 1: Professional Essay
For the Professional Essay candidates will be assigned an essay to be completed within fourteen days. The topic shall be given at 9 a.m. on a given Monday and handed in Monday, two weeks later, at 9 a.m. All sources used by the student must be clearly cited in a bibliography.
The candidate’s essay should include a discussion of current research literature and should consider analytical, methodological, and critical questions pertinent to the topic. In this essay, the candidates should demonstrate their understanding of original and secondary sources, demonstrating professional ability to synthesize these sources with analytical and critical observations. The essay should clearly and concisely address the given topic. The level of research should be that of an essay assignment in an advanced graduate course; the level of writing should be suitable for submission to a professional conference or scholarly journal.
The GADCom will formulate the topic in consultation with the candidate’s major professor. Although centered in the candidate’s projected field of specialization, the assigned topic will be broad in scope; it will not, for example, center on a single work. The topic may concern matters such as genre, a style period, a given repertory of works by a single composer, historical or methodological ideas, cultural issues, and philosophical or theoretical systems. In all cases, candidates must provide evidence in support of their arguments. The candidate will accordingly define the focus of the essay.
Grading of the professional essay is the responsibility of the GADCom in consultation with the major professor.
Exam 2 For Majors In Music Theory Or Music History
This exam will comprise two sections, of three hours each, taken on a single day.
Section 1: Foreign Language Document This section shall address a text in one of the two required languages, French and German. The student will choose which one of these languages the test will use, in consultation with the major professor. If the candidate’s special field language is not French or German, then a document in another language may be added as appropriate. The history area will determine the appropriate documents for history candidates; the theory area will determine the appropriate documents for theory candidates. A printed (in other words, non-electronic) bilingual dictionary may be used for this section of Exam 2.
Section 2: Methodology
For Music Theory majors:
This section might address pedagogical, methodological, or critical theories, including the history of theory. Depending on the content of Section 1, this section could deal with a contrasting topic.
Oral exam (2 hours)
Once a candidate has passed all parts of the Phase 2 exams, he or she will consult with his or her major professor about the outcome of Phase 2 and the candidate's preparation for the oral exam. With the major professor's permission, the candidate may schedule the oral exam.
Approximately one half of the two-hour exam will follow up on the content of Phase 2 of the Qualifying Exams in one or more of these ways: another opportunity to answer a question that was not answered adequately in the written part; further exploration of a topic that was handled adequately in the written exams; other questions as specified by the candidate's Qualifying Exams Advisory Committee in advance of the exam; follow-up questions on topics that arise during the exam.
The second half of the oral exam will test the comprehensive knowledge of music history, repertoire, and literature, including significant secondary sources, that is expected of all doctoral candidates.
If the candidate does not pass the oral exam, he or she may not retake it sooner than the following long semester. The exam may be taken again only once. In order to retake the exam, the student needs permission from his/her major professor.
The Related or Minor Field requirement is a part of the Professional Review. See the document "Related Field Possibilities" for more information.
These guidelines are subject to revision.
THE "NEW" QUALIFYING EXAM FOR DOCTORAL STUDENTS IN MUSIC THEORY
In January 2009, music theory students already enrolled in the doctoral program were given a choice between taking the "old" quals exams or taking the "new" qualifying exams, described below. Note that in order to satisfy the related or minor field requirement, students must comply with the stipulations of the related or minor field area.
Important Dates for Fall 2009
The deadline to register for the new quals exam: October 2, 2009, 5:00 pm. (see the Graduate Studies office for more details). By this date, students must notify Dr. Graham Phipps of their intention to take the new version of the qualifying exams.
DESCRIPTION OF THE "NEW" QUALS
The examination consists of three written components (Analysis, History and Methodology). Each component includes 6 hours of examinations subdivided into smaller parts as given below. Each part will be accompanied by specific questions or instructions.
All parts of the qualifying examination will be graded by members of the theory faculty. The grade of “pass” or “fail” will be given as a single grade for each of the three components. An added oral examination may be assigned by the graders for borderline grades on any or all components.
Each of the three component examinations may be taken a maximum of three times.
1. ANALYSIS
Two essays (3 hours each).
Several complete works or movements in full score are provided. The student is to write an analytical essay on two of them--one written before 1750, and the other after 1750. A piano will be provided, but no recordings.
The student may engage any analytical approaches deemed appropriate and pertinent. Each of the two essays should demonstrate the student’s understanding of the complete work or movement by addressing various issues in relating the component parts to the whole.
2. HISTORY
Two essays (3 hours each).
2.1 Repertoire essay: 6 extended score excerpts (complete shorter pieces, and/or an entire formal section of a larger piece) are provided. The student is to select four of these score excerpts. For each of them, the student is to identify and describe specific features of the score excerpt that may be regarded either as characteristic “signature’ gestures of an individual composer or as evidence of a given musical style. Finally, drawing upon these cited features, the student is to surmise a probable date when the work was composed and a possible composer.
2.2 Language document essay. Two excerpts from theoretical texts in a foreign language are provided. The student chooses one and writes an essay on the content and context of the text.
3. METHODOLOGY
Three essays (2 hours each).
3.1 History of Theory: the student writes an essay on a given topic/problem/issue in the history of music theory. Some possible topics could be: a theoretical concept, theoretical problems in a specific historical period, the writings of a specific theorist, or specific theoretical terminology.
3.2 Theory Pedagogy: the student is to write an essay on a given topic in theory pedagogy. The topic may be related to a pedagogical concept or a case study of a specific teaching situation.
3.3 A list of terms will be given. The student will select a specified number of them to define and put in context.
The fulfillment of requirements for the Related or Minor Field is an integral part of the Ph.D. qualifying process. See the document titled "Related Field Possibilities" for more information.
Last revised: February 6, 2009