Master of Music Performance Handbook (2023-2024)

Students must fulfill all requirements specified on the UNT College of Music Admissions Website. In addition, they must receive a grade of B or better for all courses counting toward the degree, including deficiency courses.

3. Degree Progress and Academic Dismissal Policy

Students must maintain satisfactory progress towards their degree and are subject to university policies regarding academic probation and suspension. In addition, they will be subject to dismissal from the program if one or more of the following conditions apply: 1) If the student receives one grade of a C or lower in two consecutive semesters. 2) If the student receives two grades of a C or lower in a single semester. 3) If the student receives a grade of NPR for thesis or dissertation hours in two consecutive semesters. In cases where one or more of these conditions apply, students will typically be removed from their program upon the recommendation of the director of graduate studies in consultation with the division chair and major professor. Students may appeal this decision by contacting the College of Music associate dean for academic affairs.

4. Entrance Exams and Transcript Evaluations

The Graduate Placement Examinations (GPE) in music history and music theory must be taken during orientation week of the first semester in which the student enrolls as a master's student. Transcript evaluations are conducted by the appropriate area coordinator who evaluates applicant's prior college transcripts; coursework deficiencies found in the transcripts will be emailed to the applicant. Questions concerning the transcript deficiencies should be addressed to the appropriate area coordinator. Students must enroll in remedial coursework (i.e. deficiency courses) assigned on the basis of the GPE and/or the transcript evaluation in the first semester in which these courses are available. Neither GPE nor transcript deficiency courses may be counted toward the degree plan or as electives.

5. Degree Plan and Advisory Committee

Students should consult their major professor as they prepare a tentative program to meet the degree requirements and select an advisory committee. After enrolling in 18 hours of courses, which usually occurs in the second semester of study, the student must select an advisory committee by submitting the Designation of Advisory Committee form to the Graduate Studies Office. The committee must be comprised of at least three members and must include: 1) the major professor, 2) the related-field professor (i.e. the related-field representative) and 3) a third committee member.

At the same time, the student must submit a degree plan, which lists all courses required for the degree and is approved by the student's major professor, for the approval of the Director of Graduate Studies and the Dean of the Graduate School. All changes to the degree plan must be submitted in writing on the Graduate Degree Plan Change form, approved by the major professor and the Director of Graduate Studies, and filed with the Graduate Studies Office.

Courses listed on the degree plan must carry letter grades with the exception of those in which the student is engaged in individual research and is not attending an organized class. These courses, with the approval of the department, may be assigned pass/no pass grades. Degree requirements are determined by the Graduate Catalog in force in the semester the student matriculates. Degree plans may not be filed in the semester a student plans to graduate. Click on the following links for particular degree plans:

6. Related Field Requirements

All MM students must pursue a related field of not fewer than 9 hours. The Graduate Catalog as well as area/division websites, specify the requirements associated with individual related fields. Students are responsible for consulting these resources as well as relevant faculty in order to ascertain these requirements.

Students wishing to pursue a related field outside the College of Music must submit the "Request for Related Field Outside the College of Music" form to the Graduate Studies Office along with a justification of ca. 300 words explaining how the proposed related field will further their professional and artistic goals. The Graduate Performance Degree Committee must approve the related field before the student files the Degree Plan and Committee Designation Form.

Request for Self-Designed Related Field form

7. Participation in Performance Laboratories/Ensembles (including zero credit enrollment)

Master's students who major in band or orchestral instruments are required to participate in two semesters of laboratory (MULB); one semester is required for voice majors. Laboratories are: a cappella choir, brass band, chamber choir, concert choir, concert orchestra, men's chorus, women's chorus, grand chorus, symphony orchestra, wind ensemble, wind symphony, symphonic band, concert band, marching band, university band, jazz labs and accompanying. To meet this requirement, students must choose laboratories approved by the major advisers. Credit may be earned by enrolling in MULB 5171-5175 (1 semester hour each.)

Two semesters of chamber music (MUCM) or ensemble (MUEN) are required of all performance majors, with the exception of conducting majors. Ensembles available for graduate participation are: opera theater, vox aquilae, baroque orchestra, chamber orchestra, wind ensemble, brass choir, trumpet choir, horn choir, trombone choir, tuba-euphonium ensemble, flute choir, percussion ensemble, steel drum band, marimba ensemble, African ensemble, gamelan ensemble, electric and acoustic guitar ensembles, NOVA ensemble, and smaller string, woodwind, brass, harp and jazz chamber ensembles.

Master's students on scholarship are eligible for zero credit for MULB/MUCM/MUEN after they have met their degree requirements. Teaching Assistants and Fellows are eligible for zero credit if the workload assignment requires enrollment in MULB/MUCM/MUEN. After the MULB/MUCM/MUEN requirements have been met, students either register for MULB/MUCM/MUEN for elective credit or they may elect to register for zero credit. Master's students without a College of Music scholarship are eligible for zero credit by petition only.

Master's students without a College of Music scholarship are eligible for zero credit if an ensemble/chamber director requests participation in a MULB/MUCM/MUEN ensemble. Signatures must be obtained on the Zero Credit Petition form by the ensemble/chamber director, the division chair, and the Director of Graduate Studies.

Bancroft Quartet
Members of the Bancroft Quartet are awarded a 50% TA position. As part of the duties, members are expected to register for MUCM and MULB each semester, both of which are eligible for zero credit.

Graduate Woodwind Quintet
Members of the Graduate Woodwind Quintet are awarded a 50% TA position. As part of the duties, members are expected to register for MUCM and MULB each semester, both of which are eligible for zero credit.

Graduate Conductor's Quartet
Members of the Graduate Conductor's Quartet are awarded a 50% TA position. As part of the duties, members are expected to register for MUCM and MULB each semester, both of which are eligible for zero credit.

Permission codes to register for zero credit are issued by the Graduate Studies Office in the College of Music. Zero credit does not count toward full-time enrollment for scholarships or financial aid. Students are restricted to 2 zero credits per semester and zero credit is not included in GPE calculations.

8. Recital Procedures and Application

You must be enrolled in the appropriate recital course (MUAG 5701 or MUAG 5702), or be fulfilling an incomplete from a previous semester, to receive credit for a master's recital. Students who perform a recital without being properly registered may not receive credit for that recital.

Minimum length of a regular recital's total musical content is 50 minutes with the following exceptions: brass players and percussionists must include at least 40 minutes of music; choral conductors must include at least 30 minutes of music. Maximum length is 60 minutes.

Step 1: Go online to ScheduleFM to research a date and time for your recital and to fill out the recital form.

Step 2: Students are responsible for providing a full program complete with date, time and location of performance, titles and dates of works, names and dates of composers, and assisting performers to Linda Strube in the College of Music Program Office (MU 241). This information is due NO LATER THAN three weeks prior to the performance. The student is also responsible for proofing the program once the first draft is completed by the Program Office.

Contact Linda.Strube@unt.edu or 940-565-3709 for assistance.

Procedures for Off-Campus Recitals

All off-campus MM recitals must be approved by the GPDC, to which the student must submit a formal petition. The petition must demonstrate the following:

The actual solo playing time totals 50 minutes. Ensemble time only counts if the student is still playing or singing a solo line.
At least one member of the recital committee should be able to attend in person. If a recital occurs outside the DFW area, the student's full committee must agree to view the recording.
The student must submit a recording of the performance to the Graduate Studies Office. This should be a high resolution file shared electronically, not a Youtube link. This is non-negotiable.
Students will follow procedures to file this recital recording with the UNT Music Library. Consult the Graduate Studies Office for the most up-to-date procedure.
You may not combine performances. The entire performance must occur during one concert. Conducting majors may split their events.
The petition must include a letter or email from the professor and the division chair in support of the off-campus performance.
The performance must be in the future. Do not submit MM recital applications for performances that have already taken place.
All degree recitals must be performed in a public venue. House concerts are not considered suitable substitutions for degree recitals.
Paid professional performances do not take the place of degree recitals.

Cancellations

Students who cancel their recital must immediately inform Concert Scheduling Office, (940) 565-3707, in the Concert Scheduling Office, so that the date and time of their recital can be made available to others and publicity concerning the event can be cancelled.

9. Final Oral Exam and Graduation

Before the degree is granted, the performance candidate must pass a final oral comprehensive examination covering the major and related fields. The examination may be taken no more than three times. The student may take the examination before or after the completion of the master's degree recital. When scheduling the oral examination date, the student must be aware of the Toulouse deadline for filing the results of the oral examination in order to graduate.

All master's degree students must file a graduation application with the Toulouse School of Graduate Studies during the semester in which they plan to graduate. Deadlines vary for each term, but they typically fall within the first 4 weeks of the semester. Upon receipt of the student's graduation application, the Toulouse School sends the student's oral examination form to the College of Music Graduate Studies Office. The student's major professor should contact the COM Graduate Studies Office several days before the oral examination to obtain the form.

10. Time Limit

All work to be credited toward the MM degree degree must be completed within a period of 5 years. Time limits are strictly enforced. Students exceeding the time limit may be required to replace out-of-date credits with up-to-date work and/or show other evidence of being up-to-date in their major and related fields. Students anticipating that they will exceed the time limit should apply for an extension before their fourth year of study. Those wishing to apply must complete the Time Extension Form and submit it with the support of their major professor to the Graduate Performance Degree Committee. Holding a full-time job is not, in itself, considered sufficient grounds for granting an extension.