Ph.D. Comprehensive examination for students in Musicology and Ethnomusicology

The comprehensive examination is to be taken no sooner than the final semester of course work or upon completion of all course work (except the dissertation course, for which one may not register without having been officially admitted to candidacy). Musicology/Ethnomusicology students must have their course work evaluated by the Musicology Division before taking comprehensive exams. In addition, doctoral students must have already satisfied the foreign language requirement(s) before taking the comprehensive examination in their major area. Doctoral comprehensive examinations, including orals, must be completed between the first and last class days of the semester. Comprehensives will not be administered during registration, holidays (including Spring Break), final examinations, or between semesters. Students must be registered during the semester they plan to take comprehensives. Retakes do not require the student to be registered. Suggestions regarding the material on which students may be examined are given below.

A student in musicology or ethnomusicology taking the comprehensive examinations should demonstrate a competent knowledge of the general history of music as well as a more extensive knowledge of two specific fields or subjects (usually defined as musical eras or topics of a systematic nature). One of these, which includes within it the student's dissertation topic, will be considered the principal area; the other will be considered the secondary area, and both fields must be approved by the faculty of the Musicology Division at least four months prior to the scheduled examinations. For each of the chosen areas, the student will be expected to show a firm grasp of its music history and literature, bibliography, historiography, methods and problems, and cultural context.

Selection of a comprehensive examination committee
A comprehensive examination committee normally consists of five faculty members. At least two committee members are from the student's major area and the rest of the committee is made up from other areas in which the student has taken course work. For example, a musicology student might have three musicology faculty members, a theory faculty member, and an ethnomusicology faculty member; an ethnomusicology student might have three ethnomusicology faculty members, a musicology faculty member, and an anthropology faculty member. A faculty member of the student's academic division serves as chair. The student should verbally ask each member if they would be willing to serve on the committee. The student should then prepare a typed list of proposed committee members and present this (along with the proposed principal and secondary areas of specialization) to the Musicology Division Head for approval by the Division faculty.

After the course outline and the makeup of the committee have been approved, the student should then verbally inform each committee member about a proposed exam date, and find out how much time he/she will need for each exam question. A preliminary meeting of the committee with the student may be held in order for the student to obtain an idea of what will be expected in the examination. It is up to the student to meet with committee members on an individual basis to discuss topic areas. When the student feels ready to schedule the exam, he should inquire with the Graduate Coordinator regarding availability of times/dates for the graduate conference room. The student should then provide the Graduate Coordinator with this confirmation of the exam date and time requested. If the graduate conference room is unavailable, the student may check with the scheduling office to find another room, but the Graduate Coordinator must be informed when and where the exam will be taking place.

Scheduling the exam
Students should contact the Graduate Coordinator at least four weeks prior to the proposed date of their examination to reserve specific examination dates and to make sure a room will be available at that time. In the Musicology Division, the comprehensive examination is normally a sixteen-hour examination spread over two to three days; however, a take-home question to be completed over a weekend may be added. Doctoral comprehensive examinations, including orals, must be completed between the first and last class days of the semester. Comprehensives will not be administered during registration, holidays (including Spring Break), final examinations, or between semesters. Any deviation from the normal examination schedule or time limits must be approved by the student's committee and/or the Graduate Adviser.

The examination questions are normally requested from the committee by the committee chair, assembled, and given to the Graduate Coordinator up to two weeks prior to the examination. Students should confirm that the Graduate Coordinator has received all exam questions a day or two before the exam has been scheduled. If an exam question is missing on the date the exam is to be taken, the exam may be canceled or that question may be eliminated, at the discretion of the Graduate Adviser.

Personal computers may be used during the comprehensive examination within strict guidelines. Because of the rapid changes in electronic equipment, policies regarding the use of personal computers or memory typewriters are subject to frequent change. Interested students should contact the Graduate Coordinator to inquire about the policies in effect at the time of a scheduled examination.

After the examination is completed, copies are sent to the student's committee. The student and the committee should then arrange for the oral examination. The oral examination should be scheduled at least two weeks after the date of the written examination. One and a half to two hours should be scheduled for the oral examination. Prior to the oral examination, the student may review the written examination in the Graduate Office.

Evaluation of student performance
Evaluation forms will have been given to the committee chair at the time the copies of the written exam are sent. After the oral has taken place, each committee member makes an evaluation of the written and oral portions of the examination on the forms. The Graduate Office will then send the student an official letter regarding the results of the comprehensive examination. In some instances, a student may be required to submit additional work or re-take the examination. No student will be admitted to candidacy until all portions of the comprehensive examinations have been successfully completed.