Special program requirements
Acceptance into the degree program
Acceptance into the degree program occurs in three steps: (1) permission to enroll in course work; (2) acceptance into the doctoral program in music education; and (3) admission to doctoral candidacy at UNT.
To obtain permission to enroll in course work, the student must:
- apply for admission to UNT through the Graduate School (an evaluation of the student’s transcript will determine leveling course requirements);
- submit an acceptable score on the general test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE); contact the College of Music or the Toulouse Graduate School for standardized admission test requirements;
- submit an example of scholarly writing (a research paper);
- document a record of three years of successful teaching experience in group instructional setting; and
- submit a DVD or videotape of teaching that highlights classroom instructional episodes, such as rehearsals or warm-ups.
After arriving on campus for the first semester’s work, the student must:
- attend all orientation sessions scheduled by the director of graduate studies in music; and
- enroll in at least 4 hours of courses in music education.
To be accepted into the doctoral program in music education, the student must have taken a minimum of 12 hours of music education courses. The application for acceptance is directed to the coordinator of the music education PhD program and should contain:
- a cover letter, and
- an academic resume.
In making the acceptance decision, the music education graduate committee will take all available information about the student under advisement. Success in course work alone does not guarantee acceptance to the program.
Upon acceptance to the doctoral program in music education, the student will choose a doctoral (dissertation) committee under whose counsel a degree plan is devised and submitted to the Toulouse Graduate School. The qualifying examinations cannot be taken unless the approved degree plan is on file in the Toulouse Graduate School.
Doctoral residence
A doctoral student is officially in residence when carrying at least 9 hours of course work in each of two consecutive long terms/semesters.
Students who acquire residency toward another doctorate in the College of Music may, with the approval of the music education graduate committee, receive favorable consideration for residency in music education. Each case will be considered on an individual basis.
Demonstration of professional activity
Either prior to or shortly after the qualifying examinations, the student must demonstrate specific professional skills within a chosen area of specialization. This demonstration may consist of a workshop/clinic on a given subject, presented at a conference or in a pre-approved UNT College of Music course, or completion and submission of an article to a refereed journal.
Qualifying examinations
To obtain admission to doctoral candidacy at UNT, the student will take the qualifying examinations upon the completion of most of the course work. The examinations seek to confirm that the student has:
- a broad knowledge in and about the field of music education as defined in the Bulletin for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Music Education, and
- in-depth knowledge in and about selected areas within that field.
All examinations seek to assess the prospective candidate’s ability (a) to organize facts and content knowledge into meaningful information; (b) to generalize from, draw conclusions about and interpret that information; and (c) to speak and write in the exacting style of the scholar.
The examinations are usually given in November, March and June. The student must pass at least 50 percent of the examinations (B minus or better). If less than 50 percent is passed, all portions of the examination must be retaken; if more than 50 percent is passed, only those portions must be repeated in which the student scored below B minus. No more than two repeats are allowed. Oral examinations may be requested by the music education graduate committee in cases for which a repeat of the written examinations is not feasible.
Dissertation
After the successful completion of all portions of the qualifying examinations and upon being admitted to candidacy by the Toulouse Graduate School, the student must maintain continuous enrollment in MUGC 6950 each long term/semester until the dissertation has been completed, defended and accepted by the graduate dean.
The dissertation process is divided into two steps:
- preparing and defending the dissertation proposal; and
- writing and defending the dissertation.
The proposal and its defense
The proposal is a public hearing during which the candidate presents to the doctoral committee in writing the purpose, research questions and proposed methodology of the dissertation. The proposal serves as a structural model for the dissertation itself and usually will be from 30 to 50 pages in length.
The dissertation defense and final steps in completing all requirements
The dissertation defense is a public hearing during which the candidate will defend the completed dissertation before the doctoral committee and any other interested students, faculty and members of the community. The dissertation must follow the UNT rules for preparing theses and dissertations.
The successful defense is indicated by the signatures of all members of the doctoral committee. The approved dissertation must be in the office of the dean of the College of Music at least a week before the deadline for filing theses and dissertations in the graduate office of the university. An abstract of the dissertation must be prepared and submitted with one original and two copies of the complete work to the Toulouse Graduate School for final reading and approval. A reading copy of the dissertation is due in the College of Music Graduate Office one week prior to the Toulouse Graduate School submission deadline.
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