Graduate Student Handbook

The Master of Music (M.M.), and the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree programs are professional in nature, emphasizing areas in the advanced study of music, and designed to provide an opportunity for musicians to achieve formal education beyond the baccalaureate level. The program focuses on the development of excellence as music professionals, through course work emphasizing the synthesis of music knowledge, and through advanced study in the area of specialization. 

The Department of Music offers graduate programs leading to the Master of Music degree with specializations in Music Education, Choral or Instrumental Conducting, Performance or Pedagogy, and Composition; as well as the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Music Education. You will find course requirements for each of these specializations in the University's Academic Catalog.

Small class sizes and a high degree of one-on-one interaction between students and faculty are characteristic of the Department’s programs. The University of North Dakota is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Music.

The School of Graduate Studies has a wide range of services, activities, and programs that all graduate students are encouraged to take advantage of.

Some of these offerings include:

• The Gershman Graduate Center
• Weekly social meetings
• International student opportunities
• GRAD: Graduate Research Achievement Day (held in the Spring semester)
• 3MT (Three-minute Thesis competition)

Please see the School of Graduate Studies website for more information. 

All graduate students holding teaching assistantships within the department receive office space in the Hughes Fine Arts Center. All Graduate Teaching Assistants should ensure that students and others to whom they are responsible through an assistantship know their office number.

Graduate assistants have mailboxes in the mail room, Hughes Fine Arts Center room 101.

The student lounge is located outside the second-floor doors to the Josephine Campbell Recital Hall and is available to undergraduate and graduate students in the Departments of Music and Art & Design. The microwave and refrigerator are community property and are not the responsibility of any department staff. Please be responsible for the cleanliness of the microwave and the refrigerator.

You will be issued a key for your office (if you have one). Building and classroom keys are not issued to graduate students.

Students may not reserve use of facilities in HFAC, including the Josephine Campbell Recital Hall, choir and band rooms, classrooms, and laboratories. Rather, reservations of rooms must be done by the supervising faculty member. Use of the Josephine Campbell Recital Hall, particularly, is governed by separate policies and procedures, and students should review a copy of these policies, obtainable at HFAC 110, before using the hall for rehearsals and recitals. 

Students holding assistantships may use the departmental copier for Music Department business. The photocopy room is open during regular departmental office hours. A digital scanner is located in the Erickson Music Library. Students may print from their UPrint account at the networked printer near the 2^nd floor lounge. For other duplicating, such as posters and programs, department personnel should make use of Duplicating Services. Orders may be made through the Duplicating Services website. Please consult with Kelly Jordet in the Music Office regarding duplicating policy. Use of duplicating and photocopying services for personal work or research is prohibited.

It is the responsibility of the Director of Graduate Studies in Music to:

• Oversee and maintain the procedures and policies of this Handbook and ensure its accuracy through updates.

• Answer inquiries from prospective students and guide applications received from the Graduate School through the review process culminating in acceptance or denial.

• Act as a provisional advisor to entering students, including course advising in partnership with the student’s main studio teacher or advisor.

• Develop, coordinate, and implement graduate recruiting strategies in conjunction with the Chair and as defined by an overall department strategy.

• Assist students and advisors in the navigation of paperwork and deadlines.

• Assist with development and fundraising, mainly for the graduate program, as directed by the Chair.

• Assist the Chair in the assignment of Graduate Assistantships.

It is the obligation of all students in the Department of Music’s graduate programs to familiarize themselves with and adhere to the policies and standards of conduct set forth in the current edition of the University’s Code of Student Life, and to all regulations pertinent to graduate study discussed here and in other publications of the University. Likewise, students are expected to make regular progress toward their degrees in ways satisfactory to the Graduate School, the Director of Graduate Studies, their advisors, and the graduate faculty of the Department of Music. This includes knowledge of and responsibility towards the deadlines and timetables imposed by the Graduate School.

Students will find that the ability to write with accuracy and clarity is just as important to success at UND as skills in basic musicianship, theory, history, and an appropriate technical ability on an instrument or in voice. Graduate course work will require a significant amount of writing, and almost all specializations culminate in an extended piece of written research. Although the Department of Music does not administer a formal examination in writing, please note that writing skills will be evaluated during the first weeks of MUSC 500 (Introduction to Graduate Study in Music). When necessary, recommendations for further work may be made at that time, possibly through the programs of the University's Writing Center. 

The Department of Music’s process addressing student academic grievances conforms to the relevant policies of the University (Code of Student Life Section III.), the College of Arts and Sciences, and, in the case of graduate students, the Graduate School (Academic Catalog).

The Chair of the Department of Music acts as an advisor to students who wish to lodge complaints or concerns about academic issues involving the department’s faculty. Students seeking advice about how to make a concern heard should meet with the Chair or Director of Graduate Studies, who will advise them regarding the situation. 

It should be emphasized that in almost every case, a formal grievance procedure will begin with a meeting between the student and the faculty member against whom the grievance is brought:  if the issue cannot be resolved at this level, the Music Department Chair or Director of Graduate Studies will advise the student according to the relevant policy. If a grievance arises involving the Music Department Chair, the Chair of the Music Department Executive Committee is the appropriate advisor.

The University’s policy regarding the selection, appointment, and administration of graduate teaching assistantships appears on the School of Graduate Studies website.

The Department of Music has available a limited number of teaching assistantships for its resident graduate students. Assistantship assignments are made by the Chair of the Department of Music.

As graduate students and members of the department’s academic staff, Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) have rights and responsibilities as articulated both in the Code of Student Life §1-9 and in the Faculty Handbook §2-23. A quarter-time assistantship requires 7.5 to 10 hours of work weekly, with a per-semester load of 8-12 credits; a half-time assistantship requires 15 to 20 hours of work weekly, with a per-semester load of 6-10 credits. GTAs are responsible to two persons in the Department of Music:

• Their supervising professor, who oversees the quality of the work.
• The Department Chair, who handles employment issues.

To maximize the learning experience, GTAs should develop meeting times with their supervising professors, who can evaluate their work and suggest means to improve it. The Graduate Director may occasionally call meetings of all graduate students holding assistantships to monitor progress and discuss issues of concern.

A limited amount of tuition waiver funds are available to the Music Department and are awarded to some graduate students. These tuition waivers can be “full” or “partial,” depending on a variety of factors. Tuition waivers are decided on by the Department Chair, in consultation with the Graduate Director. Tuition waivers are awarded on an annual basis and are not guaranteed from year-to-year. Only those courses at the graduate level and are part of the Program of Study are eligible to be covered by tuition waivers. Remedial and Undergraduate courses are not eligible for this benefit. Questions about graduate tuition waivers and funding should be directed to the Department Chair.

The Graduate Faculty determined in 2023 that entrance examinations are no longer necessary as a barrier for admission to the degree programs at UND Music. If significant deficiencies are exhibited by a student in history or theory, it is recommended that the student enroll in undergraduate courses as a remedy.

The relationship with an academic advisor will be the most important of any student’s UND career. The choice of an advisor, therefore, is one of the most crucial decisions of the program, and it is strongly recommended that students approach him or her with the request during the first semester of study.

Choosing a Committee

The Department of Music requires that all Master's degree students have one committee member in addition to their advisor. Committee members will act as further resource persons and second readers for the document.

Non-Thesis Master's Degrees:  Although non-thesis Master's students are not required to have a committee by the UND Graduate School, it is Music Department Policy to require one additional committee member for every Master's candidate in a non-thesis program. Committee members should be selected in consultation with the advisor. These faculty members are officially identified as part of the Program of Study form.

M.M. in Performance students must choose THREE Music faculty members for their pre-recital hearing. These faculty may be on both the Independent Study committee and the recital committee, but this is not required.

M.M. in Music Education (Thesis Option):  Students pursuing this degree must note that the Graduate School requires a standard committee consisting of the advisor and two other graduate faculty members. The Dean of the Graduate School recommends that the committee be convened at least once every six months.

Although it is advisable to retain the same advisor and committee member(s) throughout study, changes are sometimes unavoidable. All such changes must be made via the Request for Change of Advisor or Committee Appointment form. Students must submit in writing their reason for such a request.

The Program of Study

During the second semester or earlier if possible, all students must submit the Program of Study form to the Graduate School. Only courses listed in the graduate portion of the Academic Catalog can be listed on the Program of Study form. The only music courses listed in the graduate portion of the Academic Catalog are at the 5xx and 9xx levels, unless a Program of Study includes undergraduate (3xx or 4xx level) courses that have been approved for graduate credit. The Program of Study form also must be signed by all members of the student’s committee. Changes to the Program of Study may be made after its initial submission by using the “Changes to Program of Study” form.

The Independent Study (or Thesis) Proposal

After outlining the Program of Study, students must submit a formal one-page Topic Proposal narrative for the independent study or (for the thesis option in Music Education) thesis. Because approval of this proposal is a requirement for advancement to degree candidacy, and because a student cannot graduate in the same semester or session in which they become a candidate, the Topic Proposal must be submitted and approved no later than the semester prior to the final semester (e.g. for a four-semester track, in the fall of the second year). 

Students must consult early with the advisor and committee to define a topic as soon as possible. Some advisors may ask that students make significant progress on their proposal drafts within the second semester. Do not wait until the last minute:  students should use their course work, their professors, and all their experiences at UND to help them formulate a cogent direction for research as soon as possible. The advisor will help sharpen ideas and suggest appropriate avenues for research. The Topic Proposal must consist of a title plus three brief sections:  a description of the nature of the study, the methodology to be used to pursue the study, and the anticipated results of the study. The advisor will almost certainly require that the proposal go through several drafts, and they might ask for supplementary materials (e.g. an annotated bibliography) before final approval is given.

Should IRB approval be required for the project (if human subjects are to be included), the student is expected to complete their IRB training modules in a timely fashion and (any other considerations).

The minimum length of the Independent Study varies by degree program, but should be at least 30-50 pages, including bibliography and front matter, for all Master’s students. Further specifics will be discussed with the advisor.

Advancement to Candidacy

For the M.M. degree, this step will follow automatically and does not require the submission of a form. M.M. Students will be advanced to candidacy for the degree once they have:

• Completed at least 12 graduate credits, with a GPA for all course work of at least 3.00 (including the completion of any first-semester undergraduate prerequisites).

• A faculty advisor and (for the Music Education thesis) a committee chosen by the student and approved by the Graduate Director.

• A Program of Study approved by the Graduate School.

• A Topic Proposal approved by the Graduate School.

It is entirely possible to be advanced to candidacy after two semesters of study; remember, though, that one must be a candidate for the degree at least one semester before one plans to graduate.

Application for a Graduate Degree 

Upon having been advanced to candidacy, the Graduate School will send the student an Application for a Graduate Degree. The student will be sent an email with instructions on how to apply for graduation through Campus Connection and should fill it out upon receipt with the anticipated month and year of his or her graduation, together with the name as it ought to appear on the diploma. Submission of this form conforms to a strict deadline published in the Academic Catalog and on the Graduate School’s web site.

Choosing a Committee

The Department of Music requires that all Doctoral students have three committee members in addition to their advisor. One of the committee members must be Graduate Faculty from outside the Music Department. Committee members will act as further resource persons and second readers for the document, and for certain specializations, they will collaborate with the advisor to formulate the questions that will make up the Comprehensive Examination. 

Ph.D. in Music Education:  Students pursuing this degree must note that the standard committee approved by the Graduate School consists of the advisor, two other Music faculty members, and one member from an outside department. The Dean of the Graduate School recommends that the committee be convened at least once every six months.

Although it is advisable to retain the same advisor and committee member(s) throughout study, changes are sometimes unavoidable. All such changes must be made via the Request for Change of Advisor or Committee Appointment form. Students must submit in writing their reason for such a request.

The Program of Study

During the second semester or earlier if possible, all students must submit the Program of Study form to the Graduate School. Only courses listed in the graduate portion of the Academic Catalog can be listed on the Program of Study form. The only music courses listed in the graduate portion of the Academic Catalog are at the 5xx and 9xx levels, unless a Program of Study includes undergraduate (3xx or 4xx level) courses that have been approved for graduate credit. The Program of Study form also must be signed by all members of the student’s committee. Changes to the Program of Study may be made after its initial submission by using the “Changes to Program of Study” form.

For the Ph.D. degree, advancement to candidacy is more complex; the process is described in the Academic Catalog.

The Comprehensive Examination

All Ph.D. in Music Education students will complete their comprehensive exams during or after the last semester of coursework. The purpose of these exams is to allow the student to explore a topic of interest while demonstrating mastery of coursework approaches and concepts. Students will complete three comprehensive exams, representing various areas of emphasis in their degree.

Exam questions must reflect the following:

• One exam based upon a completed music education core class

• One exam based on the student’s selected research method area (qualitative or quantitative)

• One exam based on the student’s cognate area

Format

Students will design their exam questions/prompts in partnership with the faculty member who represents that area. (Music education faculty will supervise the core class and research method prompts, and the cognate representative will supervise the cognate area prompt.) Questions should be designed in advance, so the student has ample opportunity to explore and prepare. Students are encouraged to read, take notes, and outline in preparation for their writing period. No writing may occur before the start of the exam period.

Exam responses should be approximately 15-20 pages in length (12 pt font, Times New Roman, double-spaced). All responses should follow APA 7 formatting. Graduate-level writing is expected (edited for clarity, flow, and grammar, ready for revision). Exam papers should function as complete literature reviews, journal articles, or potential foundations of dissertation chapters. The purpose of this format is to encourage students to develop their writing stamina in preparation for their dissertation as well as working towards professional standards of publication.

For the cognate area, the student may choose to complete an alternative format to the aforementioned article structure. Alternative options may include (but are not limited to): a variation in page length, a conference session with annotated bibliography, a course syllabus with readings and selected lectures/notes. Alternative formats must be approved in advance by the student’s cognate representative and advisor and should be applicable/beneficial for the student’s future career goals.

Writing

Students will have six weeks to complete their responses. They may not seek outside assistance from peers, faculty members, or the writing center. Students will work independently on their responses (e.g., no proctored writing sessions). At the start of the response period, the student will email their advisor/committee to formally acknowledge their questions and their timeline. At the end of six weeks, the student will submit their writing as .docx files to the advisor/committee.

Feedback and Oral Defense

Comprehensive exam committees will include a minimum of three members, including faculty who assigned questions. It is the student’s responsibility to invite a third faculty member to participate in the review and defense, at the faculty member’s discretion. (Students may choose to invite an additional faculty member to participate in the review process at the faculty member and advisor’s discretion, although this is not required.) Following the submission of the exam documents, the faculty serving on the comprehensive exam committee will have four weeks to read and provide written feedback. After the four-week period, the student will meet with the committee members as a group to discuss the responses. At this time, the committee will certify or recommend revisions for the comprehensive exam process and distribute written feedback to the student.

Additional Notes

Students may not submit their dissertation proposal until they have successfully completed their comprehensive exams. Students (and their advisor) must also ensure their response windows do not overlap with peers by more than two weeks. This is to allow adequate time for faculty to read and provide feedback for each student.

Dissertation Defense in Music Education

Students pursuing the Ph.D. in Music Education must give a one-hour oral presentation of the dissertation. The student’s advisory committee plus any other faculty deemed appropriate by the chair of the committee or the UND Graduate School protocols shall take part. The hour will include time for questions by faculty on the subject of the presentation. The presentation will be scheduled by the chair of the advisory committee after consultation with the faculty and student involved.

Application for a Graduate Degree

Upon having been advanced to candidacy, the Graduate School will send the student an Application for a Graduate Degree. The student will be sent an email with instructions on how to apply for graduation through Campus Connection and should fill it out upon receipt with the anticipated month and year of his or her graduation, together with the name as it ought to appear on the diploma. Submission of this form conforms to a strict deadline published in the Academic Catalog and on the Graduate School’s web site.

This deadline will be determined by the Graduate School’s deadline for the submission of the Final Report on Candidate form. This form certifies the completion of the Independent Study for the M.M. students, or thesis for the Ph.D. students and the completion comprehensive examination in the case of Music Education. Whereas it is the responsibility of the advisor to file this form with the Graduate School, it is the student’s responsibility to meet the deadline for submission of the final document so that it may be evaluated by the advisory committee in a timely fashion.

1. The completed Independent Study (IS) or Dissertation must be submitted by the student both electronically and as a paper copy to the Music Librarian. Both copies must have the signature from the student’s committee.
2. The Music Library staff will create a durable cover and binding for the IS or Dissertation (if not already bound). Library staff will catalog the IS or Dissertation into ODIN. An electronic copy will be submitted by Library staff to the UND Scholarly Commons.