Students entering the PhD program with a Masters typically complete coursework in 4 or 5 semesters; students entering with a Bachelors typically complete coursework in 6 semesters. Students may petition to take extra time to complete coursework, with permission from the Division.
1st Semester:
- Student undertakes foundational disciplinary coursework as described in the degree plan.
- If a student wishes to transfer graduate work completed elsewhere, they should initiate the transfer process their first semester with the Music Graduate Office.
2nd Semester:
- Student continues foundational coursework.
- If a student wishes to transfer graduate work completed elsewhere, they must FINALIZE the transfer process by the end of their second semester with the Music Graduate Office.
3rd Semester:
- Student continues foundational coursework.
4th Semester:
- All students must choose a Primary Academic Mentor/Advisor by this point, as well as another faculty member as Secondary Academic Mentor/Advisor (whether from the Division or from another area of the University, by petition to the Division). Students must notify the Division Head of their choices. The Division will keep track of these selections on a centralized advising document.
- Students are also encouraged to undertake the exercise of generating an article-length essay of publishable quality at the end of their second year, since revising their scholarly work and submitting it to peer review during their graduate studies provides valuable career preparation.
5th Semester:
[Note: If a student’s academic study requires additional coursework, the below benchmarks may be delayed by up to 2 semesters. However, if a student opts to take longer than 10 semesters to complete the degree, the student is responsible for obtaining funding for any additional year(s).]
- Student typically completes their language proficiency requirement during the 5th or 6th semester if not before.
- Student enrolls in MUS 395W “Writing about Music” as they begin work on their dissertation prospectus (If an individual student’s situation necessitates it, they may enroll in MUS 395W in a different semester, in consultation with their Primary Advisor.)
- If taking MUS 398T, Supervised Teaching in Music, student should enroll in the course by their 5th or 6th semester, allowing them to be the principal instructor of undergraduate courses.
- Student begins to identify the faculty whom they wish to serve on their Comprehensive Examination Committee and begins to meet with those faculty to to define areas for their PhD Comprehensive Examination, per the PhD Comprehensive Examination and Dissertation Prospectus Guidelines .
6th Semester:
- Student enrolls in directed reading coursework with one or more faculty involving the finalizing of their PhD Comprehensive Examination preparation and prospectus. (The student should enroll in this prospectus and exam preparation Directed Reading during the semester when exams will be scheduled, if that semester is other than the 6th Semester.)
- Student schedules PhD Comprehensive Examination no later than between weeks 9 and 12 of their 6th semester, with an oral follow-up approximately two weeks later to discuss the written exam and the prospectus, unless different timing is agreed upon in writing by the entire Comprehensive Examination Committee.
- Once all members of the Comprehensive Examination Committee deem the exam and prospectus acceptable, the student can advance to candidacy with the support of the Music Graduate coordinator.
- While by default the same faculty who composed the Comprehensive Examination Committee become the Dissertation Committee upon a student’s advancement to candidacy, the student may change the composition of their Dissertation Committee from that of the Comprehensive Examination Committee. However, it is most expedient to do so before the student submits the paperwork for candidacy.
- For students preparing to conduct fieldwork or other kinds of research with living subjects, it is the responsibility of each student to obtain Institutional Review Board (IRB) clearance for their dissertation research projects by the time they advance to candidacy.
- The process can be involved and students must monitor it carefully, ensuring approval prior to their departure to the field.
- More information about the approvals required for research involving human subjects can be found on the website of the Office of Research Support: http://www.utexas.edu/research/rsc/humansubjects/
- The Division suggests that students to whom this situation applies make an appointment with a university employee at the Office of Research support as they begin planning their fieldwork, well in advance of departure to the field.
7th Semester:
- Student undertakes research/Fieldwork/independent study on their dissertation.
NOTES CONCERNING UNIVERSITY ASSOCIATION AFTER COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATIONS / WHILE IN CANDIDACY
- Students who successfully complete their comprehensive exams are required to maintain a formal association with the University of Texas during their dissertation fieldwork. This is true even if they choose not to formally advance to candidacy until their return from the field.
- The preferred method of association for those planning to travel outside the country is through the International Study and Research program overseen by the Study Abroad office: http://www.utexas.edu/student/abroad/programs/isr.html Participation in this program requires an initial $50 application fee and a fee of $400 per semester of affiliation, and requires approval through the office of the Graduate Advisor in the School of Music. It provides students with a number of useful emergency services and access to university financial aid.
- Students conducting fieldwork in the US can sign up for a minimal one-unit course load.
- Students who have not entered candidacy can also apply for leave through the Graduate Office. However, such a leave effectively eliminates all privileges that a student would have by virtue of enrollment in the University. Students must be aware of such losses, and weigh the benefits and risks as compared to signing up for a minimal load while away.
8th Semester:
- Student continues research/Fieldwork/independent study on their dissertation.
9th Semester:
- Student begins or continues writeup of dissertation, in regular consultation with their Primary Advisor and other members of their Dissertation Committee.
- Student enrolls in dissertation credit hours (including at least 3 hours of MUS 399W) with their Primary Advisor, and are encouraged (but not required) to enroll in MUS 395W, Writing About Music, if offered. Students are encouraged to form writing groups that meet and share work weekly with the help of AGEMS, and drawing on the resources of the University Writing Center.
- Student begins to apply for jobs, in consultation with their Primary Advisor and other professional mentors.
10th Semester:
- Student begins or continues writeup of dissertation, in regular consultation with their Primary Advisor and other members of their Dissertation Committee.
- Student enrolls in dissertation credit hours (including at least 3 hours of MUS 399W) with their Primary Advisor, and are encouraged (but not required) to enroll in MUS 395W, Writing About Music, if offered. Students are encouraged to form writing groups that meet and share work weekly with the help of AGEMS.
- Student schedules doctoral defense, in consultation with their Primary Advisor and other members of their Dissertation Committee and following the guidelines provided by the Music Graduate Office and the Graduate School.
- If doctoral defense is successful, student completes necessary changes as specified by the Dissertation Committee and files for graduation following the guidelines provided by the Music Graduate Office and the Graduate School.
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Student graduates!
