Transcript Evaluations and Leveling Courses

Transcript evaluations are conducted by the area coordinator, who evaluates an applicant’s prior transcript(s). The assignment of leveling courses based on the transcript evaluation will be communicated to the applicant through email before they matriculate. Students must enroll in leveling courses in the first semester in which these courses are available.

Faculty Mentor

The area coordinator will assign a faculty mentor to each student upon matriculation. This mentor will assist the student in choosing courses and in planning a concrete way to fulfill degree requirements. The role of faculty mentor is distinct from that of major professor, who chairs the student's advisory committee and advises the MA thesis or PhD dissertation.

The Degree Plan

Students should consult with their faculty mentor as they prepare a tentative plan to meet the requirements associated with their degree. Students must submit the degree plan, approved by the faculty mentor and (if applicable) the related-field professor to the College of Music Graduate Studies Office by the completion of twelve hours of study (usually at the end of the student’s first year). All changes to the degree plan must be submitted in writing on the Graduate Degree Plan Change Form and approved by the Director of Graduate Studies. Degree requirements are determined by the Graduate Catalog in force at the time the degree plan is approved by the Dean of the Graduate School. Degree plans may not be filed in the term/semester a student plans to graduate. See Degree Plans and Forms for a complete list of degree plans.

Professional Expectation Policy

The UNT College of Music expects graduate students in music to be committed to their degree and to follow the UNT Code of Student Conduct (University Policy Manual, section 07. 012). Success in a graduate program requires students not only to meet minimum academic standards but also to be active contributors to the artistic and scholarly community of the College of Music. Hence, students must exhibit professional behavior, which includes (but is not limited to): 1) attending classes and meetings (including seminars, masterclasses, and departmentals); 2) meeting area, division, college, and university deadlines; and 3) maintaining respectful interactions with all members of the UNT community. Students are also expected to adhere to professional standards as outlined in division/area handbooks. In cases where there is substantial evidence of unprofessional behavior, students will 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. 

Graduate Student Excellence Award

Each year, one enrolled MHTE graduate student is selected for the graduate student excellence award, which is given for an outstanding paper they wrote in a seminar during the previous calendar year. The award is decided by the Graduate Academic Degree Committee, and when funds are available, the award comes with a monetary prize.

Teaching Assistantships and Fellowships

Teaching assistantships and fellowships are awarded on a competitive basis and according to the policies and procedures outlined in the UNT College of Music Faculty Handbook, section 5.6. A TA or TF must be enrolled in nine graduate hours unless they have achieved candidacy, in which case they must be enrolled in three graduate hours. Assuming they perform satisfactorily as a TA and/or TF and make progress toward their degrees, master's students can expect two years of funding and doctoral students may expect three years. Appointments may exceed these time limits if there is a demonstrated instructional need or there are extenuating circumstances in a particular student's academic status.

Teaching Fellowships in Music Theory

Teaching Fellows (TFs) in Music Theory are a select group of graduate students who must pass an audition and who teach courses from within the undergraduate curriculum. This includes primarily aural skills courses (covering sight singing and rhythm reading, dictation, and keyboard applications) and sometimes theory courses (covering fundamentals, form analysis, and counterpoint). 

All music theory TFs work with theory faculty members in charge of core courses. TFs typically teach two classes that meet three times a week or three classes that meet two times a week, as well as participate in weekly staff meetings for their course. TFs also assist in proctoring and grading entrance exams during the week before classes begin. A general training session is provided for all TFs before each semester. Teaching Fellow positions are offered either as 50% (20 hours per week) or 25% (10 hours per week). Positions that are 50% FTE are considered full-time and include benefits and in-state tuition. Stipends for TF/TAs are based on FTE and progress toward the degree.

All UNT graduate students who are currently enrolled may audition for a music theory TF position. These auditions are scheduled through the area, through the process described below. Applicants for graduate study may also be invited to apply. The audition includes an evaluation of the candidate's own skills in the areas mentioned in the first paragraph above, a discussion of any prior teaching experience, and an evaluation of the candidate's ability to explain musical materials clearly and correctly.

The audition is in three parts: sightsinging, aural skills, and keyboard sightreading/analysis as enumerated below. Once you have carefully reviewed all this information, if you feel that you are qualified to apply for a Teaching Fellow position in Music Theory and wish to do so, email to the area coordinator of music theory.

1. Sightsinging

You will be asked to sing a tonal melody of moderate difficulty. Two melodies comparable to those used are shown below. You may sing using any system, including solfége or numbers, or you may use a neutral syllable. The melodies should be sung at steady tempo, with few errors, and without losing the tonic key. Applicants should also be able to explain how to help students through difficult passages.

Example 1:
​
Example 2:
​
2. Aural Skills

A. Intervals and chords. Applicants will be asked to identify a series of intervals and chords played on the piano. Intervals are identified by quality and size (e.g., m10, P5), while chords are identified by quality and inversion (e.g., “major, root position”; “major-minor six-five” or “dominant six-five”). Applicants should be able to correctly identify most of the items played.

B. Harmonic progression. Applicants will be played a tonal chord progression and asked to provide a harmonic analysis of the chords. The progression will include some chromaticism. Two or three hearings are permitted. Successful applicants should be able to quickly and accurately identify most or all of the chords.

Sample progression:
​

3. Keyboard Sight-reading and Score Analysis

Keyboard. Good functional keyboard skills are important for effective classroom work. Applicants should therefore be prepared to sight-read at the keyboard an easy to moderately difficult musical example, such as a sonatina by Haydn or Beethoven, a waltz by Schubert, or a mazurka by Chopin. Below is a representative score. Those auditioning should be able to play the piece accurately, with a steady pulse. For excerpts with fast tempo markings, a performance at a slower tempo generally is permitted.
Sample score​

​

Score analysis. The candidate will be asked to discuss the same musical score. The applicant should be able to discuss the musical materials with a fair degree of sophistication. Questions may be asked about such things as key and changes of key, chord progressions, non-chord tones, rhythmic/melodic motives, phrase structure, possible large-scale form, and so on. The applicant will also be asked to make a few comments about possible composer, the type of piece, and a possible year of composition.

Scope and Purpose of the Thesis and Dissertation

The master's thesis 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 document of no more than eighty pages.

The doctoral dissertation, in contrast, is a lengthier document that results from a more extended period of research and writing and that often entails application of knowledge to a new or previously uncharted area of scholarship or the use of innovative methodology.

Master's Thesis Hours Enrollment

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 major professor. The proposal must be completed within the semester in which the student first enrolls in thesis hours; the thesis itself must be defended within two semesters after the semester in which the proposal is accepted. Extensions will be considered only through petition to GADCom and with the support of the major professor.

Requirements of Thesis and Dissertation Proposals

Students usually find that crafting the thesis or dissertation proposal is a lengthy process that requires repeated consultation with the major professor and other committee members. Be sure to plan ahead.

The thesis and dissertation proposals 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, secondary, 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 ten double-spaced pages (master's theses) or twenty double-spaced pages (for doctoral dissertations). Proposals must adhere to a standard format: twelve-point type, one-inch margins, black ink, and double spacing.

Suggested Resources

The Research Process
Booth, Wayne C., Gregory G. Colomb, and Joseph M. Williams. 2008. The Craft of Research. 3rd ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2008.
Turabian, Kate L. A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations. 7th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2007.

Writing About Music
Wingell, Richard J. Writing about Music: An Introductory Guide. 4th ed. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 2008.
Wingell, Richard J., and Silvia Herzog. 2000. Introduction to Research in Music. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall.

Clear writing
Williams, Joseph M. Toward Clarity and Grace. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1995.
Bailey, Stephen. 2011. Academic Writing: A Handbook for International Students. New York: Routledge. Paltridge, Brian, and Sue Starfield.
Thesis and Dissertation Writing in a Second Language: A Handbook for Supervisors. New York: Routledge, 2007

Style
The Chicago Manual of Style. 2003. 16th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

MA in Music (Concentration in Musicology)

Language Requirement

Before applying for graduation in this degree, the student must pass an examination testing reading knowledge of one major Western European language other than English. Language exams will be prepared and graded by two faculty members and will be administered once every semester as the need arises. The exams in any language will consist of two parts, both of which will require students to work with excerpts from texts that have to do with music.  Students may use whatever dictionaries they find appropriate. Part 1 will require students to translate a short excerpt from an older document, possibly from a musical treatise, dictionary, or encyclopedia, and almost certainly printed using archaic fonts. Part 2 will require students to read and understand a longer excerpt from a recent document, most likely a scholarly article; rather than translating the excerpt, students will have to answer questions that test their comprehensive of it.  Students will receive the documents one at a time and will be allowed one and a half hours to complete each part.  Parts 1 and 2 will be graded separately on a pass/fail basis; it is therefore possible to pass one part but fail the other. Students may retake language examinations as many times as desired without penalty. If a student passes one part of the examination in a given language but fails the other part, he or she need only retake the failed part.

PhD (Concentration in Music History)

The Doctor of Philosophy Degree with a Major in Music and Concentration in Musicology features two tracks. Students with a previous master's degree may earn the doctorate by completing a minimum of 60 hours of graduate credit including the Common Core. Students without a previous master's degree may earn the doctorate by completing a minimum of 72 hours of graduate credit including the Common Core.

The minimum residence requirement for the doctoral program consists of two consecutive long semesters (fall and the following spring, or spring and the following fall) with a minimum load of nine hours during each term. Students who enter with a previous master's degree are expected (1) to achieve candidacy (i.e. complete all requirements besides the dissertation proposal and dissertation) by the end of their sixth long semester and (2) to graduate by the end of their tenth long semester. Those that enter without a previous master's degree are expected (1) to achieve candidacy by the end of their eighth long semester and (2) to graduate by the end of their twelfth long semester.

The Doctor of Philosophy degree cannot be earned by routine work alone, regardless of accuracy or amount. The degree will be conferred on the basis of mastery of the field of music as a whole and of proven ability to plan and carry out an original investigation with distinction.

Qualifying Exams

Timing

Phase 1 — Score Identification

Phase 2 — Essays

Dissertation Phase

The culmination of the doctoral work is a dissertation of appropriate scope, quality and originality. After completing their coursework, passing the qualifying exams, and demonstrating the required proficiencies, students will start working on their dissertation proposals while finishing course work. Once they have finished course work, students will be admitted to candidacy.

The student will officially request a tenure-track or tenured member of the music history faculty to serve as major professor, register for one semester of dissertation hours with that professor, and put together a dissertation committee. The student must fill in the Committee Designation Form, seek the appropriate signatures, and file it with the Office of Graduate Studies. This committee will oversee the writing of the student’s dissertation. This committee is comprised of three to five faculty members, including the major professor, a representative of the student’s minor/related field, and at least one additional member (usually a second music historian). The composition of the committee can be revised at any time by means of the same form.

In communication with the major professor and the committee, the student will select a dissertation topic, write a dissertation proposal and submit it to the Graduate Academic Degrees Committee (GADCom) for approval. Consult the Thesis and Dissertation Guidelines for more information.

If it is deemed necessary, the student may be required to define a broader area of study that sufficiently contextualizes the topic. In this case, the student will compile a bibliography on the broader area and schedule a one-hour oral exam. The student’s committee will oversee the exam, during which the student will answer questions on the literature in his/her area as represented by the bibliography. Upon admission to candidacy, the student must maintain continuous dissertation enrollment (MUGC 6950) each long semester until the dissertation has been completed and accepted by the Dean of the Graduate School. Registration in at least one summer session is required if the student is using university facilities and/or faculty time during that summer session.

Before the degree is granted, the candidate must pass an oral defense of the dissertation. The oral defense may be scheduled in the fall or spring semesters no sooner than one month after a complete draft of the thesis has been approved by the major professor and submitted to the advisory committee. Requests for summer or winter term defenses must be approved by the full advisory committee.

Related Field in Musicology (DMA or PhD)

Course Requirements

The related field in musicology requires twelve credit hours. Courses used to fulfill major-field requirements may not be used to fulfill the related-field requirements.

With the permission of the area coordinator, the final three hours of the related field may also be fulfilled by Teaching Music History, a Special Problems course (MUMH 6900) taught by the instructors of MUMH 3500 or MUMH 3510 during certain semesters. Students interested in this class must contact the area coordinator at registration time.

Music Theory

The graduate programs in music theory at the University of North Texas provide advanced instruction in the diverse sub-disciplines currently found in the profession and thus prepare you for a career as college or university theory professor. The curriculum includes: studies in analytical techniques covering the entire history of Western musical practice as well as specialized methodologies such as Schenkerian studies with a strong emphasis on counterpoint, history of music theory, and music theory pedagogy. During your period of study, you are mentored and encouraged to present scholarly papers at local, national, and international conferences and to submit essays to scholarly journals in the field of music theory. The culmination of graduate study in music theory at UNT is a master's portfolio or doctoral dissertation.

Course Requirements

Master's Portfolio

During the last semester of study, you will ask three professors from the music theory area to serve on your MA oral exam committee. You will submit a portfolio to the committee that consists of two papers written for MUTH courses required from your MA degree. You must pass an oral examination administered by the committee that covers the area of concentration and the two papers in particular. You may take this exam no more than three times. 

Course Requirements

Qualifying Exams

When and How Students Should Take the Qualifying Exams
Qualifying examinations are administered during orientation week before the fall and spring semesters. Be prepared to spend three full days on the written examination. Ph.D. students are required to take the Qualifying Examinations no later than the third long semester after they have completed all coursework and language requirements have been satisfied. Any portions of the Qualifying Examination that are not passed must be retaken in the subsequent long semester. If upon a second try there are still portions that have not been passed, they must be retaken in the following long semester. Students may take any portion of the exam no more than three times.

Tentative exam schedule:

DAY 1: assignments 1.1, 1.2

DAY 2: 1.3, 2.1

DAY 3: 2.2, 2.3

The next exam will be offered during the orientation week before the Fall 2021 semester.

For sign-up, and more information, contact the area coordinator. All materials will be provided, monitored, and collected by the area coordinator.

Students may use their own computers for all exams. They should also have staff paper and scratch paper at hand. The main text, saved as a WORD-file, must contain page numbers and must be double-spaced. Students who write any examples or figures on staff paper they provide themselves should be sure to make clear reference to them in their prose. Any score analysis should be similarly labeled and referenced if it is intended to be considered in the grade.  

Click here to view/download sample questions from past exams.

Description

The examination consists of six assignments in two categories (Analysis, and History and Methodology). Each assignment 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 assignment within the two categories may be taken a maximum of three times.

1. Analysis. Three analytical essays (three hours each).

1.1 Analytical essay on a work composed before 1750. The candidate chooses one out of two examples.

1.2 Analytical essay on a work written between 1750-1900. The candidate chooses one out of two examples.

1.3 Analytical essay on a work written after 1900. The candidate chooses one out of three examples. The examples represent different structural domains: non-post-tonal/serial, post-tonal/serial, and popular music style.

The student may engage in analytical approaches deemed appropriate and pertinent for the chosen example. Each of the three 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. Prompts may be provided; the candidate will address these prompts within the context of the piece as a whole. A score and a piano will be available. A recording will be provided only if the example and/or the methodology require it.

2. History and Methodology. Three essays

2.1 Repertoire essay (three hours): eight score excerpts from the Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and modern periods (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 History of Theory (two hours). 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.

2.3 Theory Pedagogy (Two hours). 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.

Dissertation

The culmination of the doctoral work is a dissertation of appropriate scope, quality and originality. The dissertation proposal will be presented to GADCom after successful completion of the qualifying examination. Upon admission to candidacy, the student must maintain continuous dissertation enrollment (MUGC 6950) each long term/semester until the dissertation has been completed and accepted by relevant administrators of the College of Music and Toulouse Graduate School. Registration in at least one summer session is required if you are using university facilities and/or faculty time during that summer session. The final copies of the dissertation must be placed in the hands of your major professor at least two weeks before the scheduled oral examination in any given term/semester. The oral examination will be scheduled after the dissertation has been completed and accepted by your major professor, and before the last day for filing dissertations in the office of the graduate dean, as announced in the academic calendar.

Related Field in Music Theory (MM)

The related field in music theory requires nine credit hours. Courses used to fulfill major-field requirements may not be used to fulfill the related-field requirements.

Application

Doctoral students wishing to select music theory as related field must submit a formal application. Applications will be reviewed during long semesters only and will consist of three items:

• a cover letter including contact information
• an analysis paper that the student wrote for a past music theory class (not necessarily at UNT)
• a personal statement (300-500 words) addressing theoretical/analytical interests and goals

These materials must be sent to the area coordinator. Area faculty will then evaluate the application and issue a formal decision of acceptance or rejection. Only once a formal acceptance is officially communicated to the student will he or she be admitted to the related field in music theory.

Related-Field Exam

The related-field professor will select two pieces representative of the standard repertoire. The pieces may involve original notation; they may be in full score (symphonic movements of moderate length).

The student will write an analytical essay on one of these pieces and should begin with a clear thesis, in which he or she indicates the purpose and the analytical approach of the essay. The essay should continue by addressing (at least briefly) salient large-scale issues of form and structure.

The student may then decide whether to write about large-scale matters, or whether to narrow down their discussion to particularly rich passages. The essay’s analytical discourse must be supported by precise evidence in the form of musical examples, diagrams, and/or sketches. If relevant to the work, the student might address extra musical elements such as word-painting, poetic ideas, narrativity, rhetoric, and aesthetics, being careful to ground such elements firmly in the immediate details of the work at hand. A conclusion should provide a clear overview of the results and significance of the essay’s thesis.

MA (Concentration in Ethnomusicology)

Language Requirement

Students must demonstrate reading knowledge of one foreign language approved by the major professor prior to applying for graduation.

Two-Paper Option

As an alternative to the thesis requirement in ethnomusicology, graduate students may write two research essays. If you choose the two-paper option, you must enroll in MUGC 5930 for two semesters. The Master's Two-Paper Option Proposal Form must be completed and submitted to the Division Chair for approval to begin the process. Each essay must have a different advisor, and will be evaluated by a committee of three faculty members: the advisor of paper #1, who will also serve as the instructor of record and Committee Chair; the advisor of paper #2, and a third faculty member. One essay must be a revised and extended research paper generated in a 5000- or 6000-level ethnomusicology class. The other paper may either be from a graduate class or be an independent project. Both papers must be on substantially different topics in the field of ethnomusicology. The committee evaluates both essays, determines what revisions or expansions are needed, and determines when they are ready to be defended, at which time the papers are either approved, approved with revisions, or not approved.

Course Requirements

Language Requirement

The student must demonstrate through a written examination competency in a foreign language other than English relevant to literature related to the dissertation research.

Related Field in Ethnomusicology (MA, MM, DMA, and PhD)

Transcript Evaluations and Leveling Courses

Transcript evaluations are conducted by the area coordinator, who evaluates an applicant’s prior transcript(s). The assignment of leveling courses based on the transcript evaluation will be communicated to the applicant through email before they matriculate. Students must enroll in leveling courses in the first semester in which these courses are available.

Faculty Mentor

The area coordinator will assign a faculty mentor to each student upon matriculation. This mentor will assist the student in choosing courses and in planning a concrete way to fulfill degree requirements. The role of faculty mentor is distinct from that of major professor, who chairs the student's advisory committee and advises the MA thesis or PhD dissertation.

The Degree Plan

Students should consult with their faculty mentor as they prepare a tentative plan to meet the requirements associated with their degree. Students must submit the degree plan, approved by the faculty mentor and (if applicable) the related-field professor to the College of Music Graduate Studies Office by the completion of twelve hours of study (usually at the end of the student’s first year). All changes to the degree plan must be submitted in writing on the Graduate Degree Plan Change Form and approved by the Director of Graduate Studies. Degree requirements are determined by the Graduate Catalog in force at the time the degree plan is approved by the Dean of the Graduate School. Degree plans may not be filed in the term/semester a student plans to graduate. See Degree Plans and Forms for a complete list of degree plans.

Professional Expectation Policy

The UNT College of Music expects graduate students in music to be committed to their degree and to follow the UNT Code of Student Conduct (University Policy Manual, section 07. 012). Success in a graduate program requires students not only to meet minimum academic standards but also to be active contributors to the artistic and scholarly community of the College of Music. Hence, students must exhibit professional behavior, which includes (but is not limited to): 1) attending classes and meetings (including seminars, masterclasses, and departmentals); 2) meeting area, division, college, and university deadlines; and 3) maintaining respectful interactions with all members of the UNT community. Students are also expected to adhere to professional standards as outlined in division/area handbooks. In cases where there is substantial evidence of unprofessional behavior, students will 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. 

Graduate Student Excellence Award

Each year, one enrolled MHTE graduate student is selected for the graduate student excellence award, which is given for an outstanding paper they wrote in a seminar during the previous calendar year. The award is decided by the Graduate Academic Degree Committee, and when funds are available, the award comes with a monetary prize.

Teaching Assistantships and Fellowships

Teaching assistantships and fellowships are awarded on a competitive basis and according to the policies and procedures outlined in the UNT College of Music Faculty Handbook, section 5.6. A TA or TF must be enrolled in nine graduate hours unless they have achieved candidacy, in which case they must be enrolled in three graduate hours. Assuming they perform satisfactorily as a TA and/or TF and make progress toward their degrees, master's students can expect two years of funding and doctoral students may expect three years. Appointments may exceed these time limits if there is a demonstrated instructional need or there are extenuating circumstances in a particular student's academic status.

Teaching Fellowships in Music Theory

Teaching Fellows (TFs) in Music Theory are a select group of graduate students who must pass an audition and who teach courses from within the undergraduate curriculum. This includes primarily aural skills courses (covering sight singing and rhythm reading, dictation, and keyboard applications) and sometimes theory courses (covering fundamentals, form analysis, and counterpoint). 

All music theory TFs work with theory faculty members in charge of core courses. TFs typically teach two classes that meet three times a week or three classes that meet two times a week, as well as participate in weekly staff meetings for their course. TFs also assist in proctoring and grading entrance exams during the week before classes begin. A general training session is provided for all TFs before each semester. Teaching Fellow positions are offered either as 50% (20 hours per week) or 25% (10 hours per week). Positions that are 50% FTE are considered full-time and include benefits and in-state tuition. Stipends for TF/TAs are based on FTE and progress toward the degree.

All UNT graduate students who are currently enrolled may audition for a music theory TF position. These auditions are scheduled through the area, through the process described below. Applicants for graduate study may also be invited to apply. The audition includes an evaluation of the candidate's own skills in the areas mentioned in the first paragraph above, a discussion of any prior teaching experience, and an evaluation of the candidate's ability to explain musical materials clearly and correctly.

The audition is in three parts: sightsinging, aural skills, and keyboard sightreading/analysis as enumerated below. Once you have carefully reviewed all this information, if you feel that you are qualified to apply for a Teaching Fellow position in Music Theory and wish to do so, email to the area coordinator of music theory.

1. Sightsinging

You will be asked to sing a tonal melody of moderate difficulty. Two melodies comparable to those used are shown below. You may sing using any system, including solfége or numbers, or you may use a neutral syllable. The melodies should be sung at steady tempo, with few errors, and without losing the tonic key. Applicants should also be able to explain how to help students through difficult passages.

Example 1:
​
Example 2:
​
2. Aural Skills

A. Intervals and chords. Applicants will be asked to identify a series of intervals and chords played on the piano. Intervals are identified by quality and size (e.g., m10, P5), while chords are identified by quality and inversion (e.g., “major, root position”; “major-minor six-five” or “dominant six-five”). Applicants should be able to correctly identify most of the items played.

B. Harmonic progression. Applicants will be played a tonal chord progression and asked to provide a harmonic analysis of the chords. The progression will include some chromaticism. Two or three hearings are permitted. Successful applicants should be able to quickly and accurately identify most or all of the chords.

Sample progression:
​

3. Keyboard Sight-reading and Score Analysis

Keyboard. Good functional keyboard skills are important for effective classroom work. Applicants should therefore be prepared to sight-read at the keyboard an easy to moderately difficult musical example, such as a sonatina by Haydn or Beethoven, a waltz by Schubert, or a mazurka by Chopin. Below is a representative score. Those auditioning should be able to play the piece accurately, with a steady pulse. For excerpts with fast tempo markings, a performance at a slower tempo generally is permitted.
Sample score​

​

Score analysis. The candidate will be asked to discuss the same musical score. The applicant should be able to discuss the musical materials with a fair degree of sophistication. Questions may be asked about such things as key and changes of key, chord progressions, non-chord tones, rhythmic/melodic motives, phrase structure, possible large-scale form, and so on. The applicant will also be asked to make a few comments about possible composer, the type of piece, and a possible year of composition.

Scope and Purpose of the Thesis and Dissertation

The master's thesis 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 document of no more than eighty pages.

The doctoral dissertation, in contrast, is a lengthier document that results from a more extended period of research and writing and that often entails application of knowledge to a new or previously uncharted area of scholarship or the use of innovative methodology.

Master's Thesis Hours Enrollment

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 major professor. The proposal must be completed within the semester in which the student first enrolls in thesis hours; the thesis itself must be defended within two semesters after the semester in which the proposal is accepted. Extensions will be considered only through petition to GADCom and with the support of the major professor.

Requirements of Thesis and Dissertation Proposals

Students usually find that crafting the thesis or dissertation proposal is a lengthy process that requires repeated consultation with the major professor and other committee members. Be sure to plan ahead.

The thesis and dissertation proposals 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, secondary, 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 ten double-spaced pages (master's theses) or twenty double-spaced pages (for doctoral dissertations). Proposals must adhere to a standard format: twelve-point type, one-inch margins, black ink, and double spacing.

Course Requirements

Thesis Phase

The length and scope of the thesis will vary depending on the chosen topic and the professional goals of the student. The thesis must comprise a minimum of 7,500 words (excluding front matter, bibliography, footnotes, and appendices).

By the final semester of coursework, the student will officially request a member from the area to serve as major professor, register for thesis hours with that professor, and put together an advisory committee. The student must submit the Committee Designation Form with the appropriate signatures to the Graduate Studies Office. This committee will oversee the writing of the student’s thesis. This committee comprises a minimum of three faculty members including the major professor. The composition of the committee can be revised at any time by means of the same form.

Before the degree is granted, the candidate must pass an oral defense of the thesis conducted by the advisory committee. The oral defense may be scheduled in the fall or spring semesters no sooner than three weeks after a complete draft of the thesis has been approved by the major professor and submitted to the advisory committee. Requests for summer or winter term defenses must be approved by the full advisory committee.

Course Requirements

If an entering PhD Student has not already completed the UNT College of Music’s MA common core requirements specific to the degree plan for their concentration, or their equivalent courses, they will be assigned the necessary levelling courses to complete these requirements. Hours earned in these leveling courses do not count toward the PhD degree. This requirement does not apply to the 36-hour PhD degree.

Proficiencies

The following proficiencies must be demonstrated before submitting a dissertation proposal: knowledge of two foreign languages, research and writing skills, and adequate mastery of a minor or related field. These proficiencies will not be tested when students are taking the qualifying exams. They should be demonstrated by the end of the sixth semester of study and must be demonstrated before the student submits a dissertation proposal. The student is responsible for documenting the demonstration of the proficiencies on the Final Milestones Form.

Language Proficiency

German and a second language subject to the approval of the musicology area is required. Language exams will be prepared and graded by two faculty members and will be administered once every semester as the need arises. The examinations in any language will consist of two parts, both of which will require students to work with excerpts from texts that have to do with music. Students may use whatever dictionaries they find appropriate. Part 1 will require students to translate a short excerpt from an older document, possibly from a musical treatise, dictionary, or encyclopedia, and almost certainly printed using archaic fonts. Part 2 will require students to read and understand a longer excerpt from a recent document, most likely a scholarly article; rather than translating the excerpt, students will have to answer questions that test their comprehension of it. Students will receive the documents one at a time and will be allowed one and a half hours to complete each part. Parts 1 and 2 will be graded separately on a pass/fail basis; it is therefore possible to pass one part but fail the other. Students may retake language examinations as many times as desired without penalty. If a student passes one part of the examination in a given language but fails the other part, he or she need only retake the failed part.

Proficiency in Research

The student must submit a revised seminar paper to be read and approved by the area. Students will undertake these revisions in consultation with at least one member of the area faculty. The revised paper should be of a scope, length, and quality suitable for submission for publication as an article.

Proficiency in a Related or Minor Field

To complete a doctorate in musicology, students must demonstrate proficiency in a related or minor field. Requirements for demonstrating proficiency and the administering of any examination will fall under the auspices of the related or minor field area.

The related field (within the College of Music) or minor field (a course of study outside the College of Music) must comprise at least twelve credit hours of study. The course of study and method of evaluation for the related or minor field will be determined by the faculty in that area. Some related fields require a formal application or audition. Students should contact the related-field faculty to determine whether that is the case for their intended related field.

If degree credit is to be given for applied music, the student must pass the master's-level entrance audition in performance prior to enrollment for these credit hours. The student who does not pass or take the audition may study applied music, but this credit will not count toward the sixty hours required for the degree.

Related Field in Musicology (MM)

The related field in musicology requires nine credit hours. Courses used to fulfill major-field requirements may not be used to fulfill the related-field requirements.

Application

Doctoral students wishing to select musicology as related field must submit a formal application. Applications will be reviewed during long semesters only and will consist of three items:

• a cover letter including contact information
• a paper that the student wrote for a past music history class (not necessarily at UNT)
• a personal statement (300-500 words) addressing the student’s musicological interests and goals

These materials must be sent to the area coordinator. Area faculty will then evaluate the application and issue a formal decision of acceptance or rejection. Only once a formal acceptance is officially communicated to the student will he or she be admitted to the related field in musicology.

Course Requirements

Master's Portfolio

During the last semester of study, you will ask three professors from the music theory area to serve on your MA oral exam committee. You will submit a portfolio to the committee that consists of two papers written for MUTH courses required from your MA degree. You must pass an oral examination administered by the committee that covers the area of concentration and the two papers in particular. You may take this exam no more than three times. 

Course Requirements

Qualifying Exams

When and How Students Should Take the Qualifying Exams
Qualifying examinations are administered during orientation week before the fall and spring semesters. Be prepared to spend three full days on the written examination. Ph.D. students are required to take the Qualifying Examinations no later than the third long semester after they have completed all coursework and language requirements have been satisfied. Any portions of the Qualifying Examination that are not passed must be retaken in the subsequent long semester. If upon a second try there are still portions that have not been passed, they must be retaken in the following long semester. Students may take any portion of the exam no more than three times.

Tentative exam schedule:

DAY 1: assignments 1.1, 1.2

DAY 2: 1.3, 2.1

DAY 3: 2.2, 2.3

The next exam will be offered during the orientation week before the Fall 2021 semester.

For sign-up, and more information, contact the area coordinator. All materials will be provided, monitored, and collected by the area coordinator.

Students may use their own computers for all exams. They should also have staff paper and scratch paper at hand. The main text, saved as a WORD-file, must contain page numbers and must be double-spaced. Students who write any examples or figures on staff paper they provide themselves should be sure to make clear reference to them in their prose. Any score analysis should be similarly labeled and referenced if it is intended to be considered in the grade.  

Click here to view/download sample questions from past exams.

Description

The examination consists of six assignments in two categories (Analysis, and History and Methodology). Each assignment 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 assignment within the two categories may be taken a maximum of three times.

1. Analysis. Three analytical essays (three hours each).

1.1 Analytical essay on a work composed before 1750. The candidate chooses one out of two examples.

1.2 Analytical essay on a work written between 1750-1900. The candidate chooses one out of two examples.

1.3 Analytical essay on a work written after 1900. The candidate chooses one out of three examples. The examples represent different structural domains: non-post-tonal/serial, post-tonal/serial, and popular music style.

The student may engage in analytical approaches deemed appropriate and pertinent for the chosen example. Each of the three 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. Prompts may be provided; the candidate will address these prompts within the context of the piece as a whole. A score and a piano will be available. A recording will be provided only if the example and/or the methodology require it.

2. History and Methodology. Three essays

2.1 Repertoire essay (three hours): eight score excerpts from the Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and modern periods (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 History of Theory (two hours). 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.

2.3 Theory Pedagogy (Two hours). 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.

Dissertation

The culmination of the doctoral work is a dissertation of appropriate scope, quality and originality. The dissertation proposal will be presented to GADCom after successful completion of the qualifying examination. Upon admission to candidacy, the student must maintain continuous dissertation enrollment (MUGC 6950) each long term/semester until the dissertation has been completed and accepted by relevant administrators of the College of Music and Toulouse Graduate School. Registration in at least one summer session is required if you are using university facilities and/or faculty time during that summer session. The final copies of the dissertation must be placed in the hands of your major professor at least two weeks before the scheduled oral examination in any given term/semester. The oral examination will be scheduled after the dissertation has been completed and accepted by your major professor, and before the last day for filing dissertations in the office of the graduate dean, as announced in the academic calendar.

Related Field in Music Theory (MM)

The related field in music theory requires nine credit hours. Courses used to fulfill major-field requirements may not be used to fulfill the related-field requirements.

Application

Doctoral students wishing to select music theory as related field must submit a formal application. Applications will be reviewed during long semesters only and will consist of three items:

• a cover letter including contact information
• an analysis paper that the student wrote for a past music theory class (not necessarily at UNT)
• a personal statement (300-500 words) addressing theoretical/analytical interests and goals

These materials must be sent to the area coordinator. Area faculty will then evaluate the application and issue a formal decision of acceptance or rejection. Only once a formal acceptance is officially communicated to the student will he or she be admitted to the related field in music theory.

Course Requirements

Revised course requirements approved by the University Graduate Council, September 19, 2019.

Thesis Phase

Around the finalization of course work, the student will officially request a member from the ethnomusicology area to serve as major professor, register for thesis hours with that professor, and put together an advisory committee. The student must fill in the Designation of Advisory Committee Form, seek the appropriate signatures, and file it with the Office of Graduate Studies. This committee will oversee the writing of the student’s thesis. This committee is typically comprised of three faculty members, approved by the major professor.

The composition of the committee could be revised at any time by means of the same form. In communication with the major professor and the committee, the student will select a thesis topic, write a thesis proposal and submit it to your committee chair for approval by the committee and ethnomusicology faculty in a timely manner. The Thesis and Dissertation Guidelines provide specific guidelines for this process.

Before the degree is granted, the candidate must pass an oral defense of the thesis. The oral defense may be scheduled in the fall or spring semesters no sooner than three weeks after a complete draft of the thesis has been approved by the major professor and submitted to the advisory committee. Requests for summer or winter term defenses must be approved by the full advisory committee. The examination may be taken no more than three times.

PhD (Concentration in Ethnomusicology)

The Doctor of Philosophy Degree with a Major in Music and Concentration in Ethnomusicology requires a minimum of ninety semester hours beyond the bachelor's degree. Of these ninety hours, at least sixty must be taken at UNT. Thirty hours may be transferred from other institutions with the approval of the coordinator of ethnomusicology. A master's degree from an accredited institution usually is accepted in lieu of the first thirty hours. The minimum residence requirement for the doctoral program consists of two consecutive long semesters (fall and the following spring, or spring and the following fall) with a minimum load of nine hours during each term.

It should be understood that the Doctor of Philosophy degree cannot be earned by routine work alone, regardless of accuracy or amount. The degree will be conferred on the basis of mastery of the field of ethnomusicology as a whole and of proven ability to plan and carry out original fieldwork, research and writing with distinction.

Qualifying Exams

The qualifying examinations are given by request after consultation with your major professor and the area coordinator. You must submit the request in the semester before the exams are to be taken and no later than the end of your third year of study.

The written examination will cover five general areas: (1) history of the discipline; (2) area studies; (3) theoretical focus; (4) related field; and (5) listening identification/analysis. In preparation, you will consult with faculty and develop a bibliography of relevant sources for each area.

Any portion of the qualifying examination that you do not pass must be retaken in the subsequent long semester. If upon a second attempt there are still portions that you have not passed, they must be retaken in the following long semester. You may not take any portion of the exam more than three times.  

The exam consists of essays in response to prompts and identification/analysis of listening examples. Plan on three full days for the exams. On days one and two you will be given several prompts and three hours to write the essays. After a break, you will be given a second series of prompts and another three hours to write essays. Approved notes may be used. On the third day you will be given two three-hour time slots to listen to musical examples and to write a response that identifies, analyzes, and contextualizes the musical excerpts. 

A ninety-minute oral exam administered by the full area faculty and related-field professor will follow several days later. The oral exam is more than a defense of the written work; it is an opportunity to expand, clarify, and revise answers in order to demonstrate an intellectual flexibility commensurate with doctoral studies.

Dissertation Phase

The culmination of the doctoral work is a dissertation of appropriate scope, quality and originality. After passing the qualifying exams, students will start working on their dissertation proposals while finishing course work. Once they have finished course work, students will be admitted to candidacy. The student will officially request a member from the ethnomusicology area to serve as major professor, register for one semester of dissertation hours with that professor, and put together a dissertation committee.

The student must fill in the Designation of Advisory Committee Form, seek the appropriate signatures, and file it with the Office of Graduate Studies. This committee will oversee the writing of the student’s dissertation. This committee is comprised of three to five faculty members, including the major professor, a representative of the student’s minor/related field, and at least one additional member (usually a second ethnomusicologist).

The composition of the committee could be revised at any time by means of the same form. In communication with the major professor and the committee, the student will select a dissertation topic, write a dissertation proposal and submit it to the Graduate Academic Degrees Committee (GADCom) for approval. See Requirements for Thesis and Dissertation Proposals for more information.

If it is deemed necessary, the student may be required to define a broader area of study that sufficiently contextualizes the topic. In this case, the student will compile a bibliography on the broader area and schedule a one-hour oral exam. The student’s committee will oversee the exam, during which the student will answer questions on the literature in his/her area as represented by the bibliography.

Upon admission to candidacy, the student must maintain continuous dissertation enrollment (MUGC 6950) each long semester until the dissertation has been completed and accepted by the Dean of the Graduate School. Registration in at least one summer session is required if the student is using university facilities and/or faculty time during that summer session.

Before the degree is granted, the candidate must pass an oral defense of the dissertation. The oral defense may be scheduled in the fall or spring semesters no sooner than three weeks after a complete draft of the thesis has been approved by the major professor and submitted to the advisory committee. Requests for summer or winter term defenses must be approved by the full advisory committee. The examination may be taken no more than three times.

Application

Master’s and doctoral students wishing to select ethnomusicology as related field must submit a formal application. Applications will be reviewed during long semesters only and will consist of three items:

• a cover letter including contact information
• a paper that demonstrates graduate-level writing competency (not necessarily at UNT)
• a personal statement (300-500 words) addressing ethnomusicological interests and goals

These materials must be sent to the coordinator via email. Area faculty will then evaluate the application and issue a formal decision of acceptance or rejection. Only once a formal acceptance is officially communicated to the student will he or she be admitted to the related field in ethnomusicology.