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Registrar's Web Team
19 August 1997
The Doctor of Philosophy is a research degree designed to prepare students to discover, integrate, and apply knowledge as well as to communicate and disseminate it. The degree emphasizes development of the capacity to make significant original contributions to knowledge within the context of free inquiry and expression. The student pursuing this degree is expected to develop the ability to understand and to evaluate the literature of his or her field and to apply appropriate principles and procedures to the recognition, evaluation, interpretation, and understanding of issues at the frontiers of knowledge. In contrast to the PhD, other doctorates such as the Doctor of Education and the Doctor of Musical Arts are designed for professional training or focus on applied rather than basic research.
Course Requirements
No specific number of semester hours has been set for attainment of the Doctor of Philosophy degree, although advanced coursework is an integral part of a doctoral candidate's preparation. All the completed coursework that is included in a degree program at the time of admission to candidacy for a doctoral degree must have been taken within the preceding six years (exclusive of a maximum of three years of military service). All doctoral work is subject to review by the graduate dean.
In addition to courses and research in a field of specialization, additional work is taken to broaden or supplement the field. This supporting work may consist of coursework in one area or several; it may be in conference, laboratory, or problems courses; or it may be a supervised activity off campus relevant to the major interest. Normally some portion (not necessarily all) of the supporting work is outside the major area, unless that area covers more than one department. At least three courses or the equivalent from outside the major area are generally proposed.
Foreign Language Requirement
The Graduate School has no foreign language requirement. However, many graduate programs require the study of one or more languages. These requirements are given in chapter 4 or are available from the graduate adviser.
Graduate Studies Committee Requirements
The Graduate Studies Committee specifies the coursework the student must complete, the qualifying examinations (written or oral or both) he or she must pass, the conditions under which he or she may retake all or part of an examination, and the procedures he or she must follow in developing a dissertation proposal.
In consultation with the graduate adviser, the student proposes a Dissertation Committee to advise or direct him or her on the research and writing of the dissertation. The student selects the chairman of the Dissertation Committee, with the consent of that person.
Admission to Candidacy
Each student seeking the PhD must be admitted to candidacy on the recommendation of the Graduate Studies Committee in the major area. Students may not register for the dissertation course until they are admitted to candidacy, and completion of coursework does not in itself constitute admission. Formal admission to doctoral candidacy consists of the submission and approval of the following:
- Program of Work. The Program of Work comprises a list of courses
taken
and proposed, the prospective dissertation title, and similar information. The
Graduate Studies Committee must approve the Program of Work before the graduate
dean considers it. The Dissertation Committee may, in a review of the Program of
Work, recommend additional course requirements to the Graduate Studies Committee.
- Dissertation Committee. The Dissertation Committee, proposed by the
student
with the consultation and approval of the graduate adviser, is submitted to the
Graduate School for appointment by the graduate dean. The committee consists of
at least
five members, at least one of whom must be from outside the major program.
- Dissertation Proposal. A brief statement of the proposed dissertation must be submitted.
The Dissertation Committee
The Dissertation Committee advises the student on the research and writing of the dissertation, conducts the final oral examination, and approves the dissertation.
The chairman of the Dissertation Committee ordinarily serves as the supervisor of research. Other members of the committee should be consulted as appropriate. Occasionally, a research scientist, research engineer, or adjunct faculty member may be recommended by the Graduate Studies Committee to serve as the research supervisor for a specific dissertation. When the research supervisor is not a member of the Graduate Studies Committee, a member of the Graduate Studies Committee will be appointed as cochairman of the Dissertation Committee.
The Dissertation
The student must register for the dissertation course for a period of more than one semester or summer session. The dissertation research course (399R, 699R, 999R) must precede the dissertation writing course (399W, 699W, 999W) and may not be repeated. A dissertation is required of every candidate. It must be an original contribution to scholarship, the result of independent investigation in the major area, and must be approved by the Dissertation Committee.
The dissertation is normally written in English. Requests for permission to write in another language pertinent to the research will be granted when there are circumstances warranting an exception. An insufficient command of English is not justification for an exception. The formal petition from the graduate adviser should include assurance that faculty members competent both in the language and in the field are available and willing to serve on the Dissertation Committee. The request must be approved by the graduate dean when the student is admitted to candidacy. The abstract and a substantial summary and conclusions section in English must be submitted with the dissertation.
Review of Progress
The Graduate Studies Committee reviews the progress of students who have not completed the doctoral degree by the end of three years from admission to candidacy; the committee reviews each student's progress annually thereafter. The committee may recommend that the student take additional courses or examinations or that the candidacy be terminated. Since annual reviews must be made after the first review, the committee will recommend extensions of only one or two semesters. Recommendations are forwarded to the graduate dean for approval.
Final Oral Examination (Defense of Dissertation)
A satisfactory final oral examination is required for the approval of a dissertation. Not less than four weeks before the date on which the student intends to defend the dissertation, a copy of the final draft of the dissertation, reviewed for technical and grammatical correctness by the supervisor, should be submitted to each member of the dissertation committee. Two weeks before the defense, a written request to hold the final oral examination must be submitted to the Graduate School. This request signifies the receipt of the doctoral dissertation for the purpose of giving the examination. The committee's decision to examine a dissertation must be unanimous.
The examination covers the dissertation and the general field of the dissertation and such other parts of the student's program as the committee determines. If the members of the committee are satisfied that (1) the dissertation is an independent investigation in the major field and itself constitutes a contribution to knowledge, (2) the student has passed the final oral examination, and (3) the student has submitted for publication in Dissertation Abstracts International an abstract approved by the committee, they indicate approval on the Report of Dissertation Defense. The Report of Dissertation Defense and individual reports on the dissertation are filed within two weeks following the defense.
The decision of the committee must be unanimous. In the event that a committee cannot agree on a single decision, the matter is referred to the graduate dean for review. The dean's recommendation concerning the dissertation must be approved by a majority of the dissertation committee. The results of the review are communicated to the student, the graduate adviser, the chairman of the Graduate Studies Committee, the committee members, and the department chairman, if applicable.
Submission and Publication of the Dissertation
After defending the dissertation, the student must submit it to the Office of Graduate Studies for publication. (By the year 2001, the Graduate School will require dissertations to be submitted in a digital format.) The Office of Graduate Studies then submits the dissertation to University Microfilms International for reproduction. The student is billed for the cost of its reproduction and preparation for shelving in the General Libraries.
Other forms of publication may be accepted to fulfill this requirement. A proposal for an alternate form of reproduction must be approved by the graduate dean. Publication as described above does not preclude subsequent publication of the dissertation, in whole or in part, as a monograph or in a journal.
The student may arrange for registration of copyright, at his or her own expense, by completing a form available in the Student Services Division. The student may request that the graduate dean delay publication by microfilm for one year in order to protect patent or other rights. This request must be supported by a written recommendation from the dissertation supervisor.
Approval of the Degree
Upon approval by the Dissertation Committee of the dissertation and its defense, the Graduate Studies Committee certifies that the student has completed all assigned work, has passed all examinations required by the department, and is entitled to the award of the doctoral degree.
The Doctor of Education (EdD) is a professional degree that emphasizes
preparation for the highest levels of educational practice. It provides academic
training
and educational service experiences for individuals who will have leading roles
in
educational practice and who will help define the scope and functions of
education
in society. Programs are oriented toward the application of theory and research
to
issues of education and human development in a democratic society and to the
development of skilled practitioners to fill a variety of roles in institutions
that
educate children, youth, and adults.
Policies affecting course requirements, the foreign language requirement, the dissertation, the review of progress, the final oral examination, submission and publication of the dissertation, and approval of the degree are similar to those for the PhD given above.
Admission
In addition to the requirements for admission to the Graduate School, each department may require evidence of successful performance in an educational setting and evidence of interpersonal problem-solving skills and other skills useful for predicting success in professional educational roles. The applicant must hold a master's degree or the equivalent.
Admission to Candidacy
In addition to the requirements listed above for the PhD degree, the curriculum must have a clear and predominantly applied focus. The student's program normally entails an internship in an operational setting that is distinct from previous or concurrent work experience.
In addition to the requirements listed above for the PhD degree in regard to the Dissertation Committee, at least one member of the committee must be from outside the major program or from the field of practice represented by the dissertation.
The Doctor of Musical Arts degree allows for three majors: performance
(including conducting and opera), composition, and music education. Candidates
for
this degree must have demonstrated outstanding professional competence as well
as artistic maturity, exceptional knowledge of the historical and practical
aspects of
their major field, and the ability to research a topic appropriate to this field
and present
it in the form of a scholarly treatise. For composition majors, a musical work
replaces the treatise; for performance majors, additional coursework may replace
the
treatise. A jazz emphasis is available in each of the three majors.
The requirements for the degree and the procedures for admission to candidacy are generally similar to those outlined above for the Doctor of Philosophy, with the following additions.
Admission Requirements
To enter this program, the applicant must hold a Bachelor of Music and a Master of Music degree, or the equivalent, from an accredited institution. Before beginning work on the degree, he or she should submit evidence of qualifications in the proposed major field. Performers should submit a performance tape or arrange for an audition in Austin; composers should send scores and/or tapes of their music; students expecting to major in music education are urged to arrange for a personal interview if possible. In any case, the applicant should submit an account of his or her professional experience, samples of written work, published or unpublished, and any other material that will help the Graduate Studies Committee to evaluate his or her abilities.
Foreign Language Requirement
Certification of reading competence in one foreign language, normally German, is required. For information concerning the methods of meeting this requirement, consult the graduate adviser.
Diagnostic and Comprehensive Examinations
All students must take diagnostic examinations in music theory and in music history and literature before they register for their first semester of graduate work. Passage of these examinations or removal of deficiencies by the means prescribed is a prerequisite to doctoral comprehensive examinations.
The written and oral comprehensive examinations represent the last test of the student's academic competence in the major area of study before admission to candidacy. They are taken after the residence requirement has been fulfilled and all coursework needed for candidacy has been completed. For further information, consult the graduate adviser.
Program of Study
Normally the student should present supporting work in two fields, one an aspect of music other than the major, the second a related area outside music.
Although the Graduate School has set no specific number of semester hours for this degree, the programs of study recommended by the Graduate Studies Committee in music normally call for approximately sixty semester hours beyond the bachelor's degree level or about thirty hours beyond the master's degree level. For further information about degree plans, consult the graduate adviser.
Doctoral Dissertation
For composition majors, the dissertation normally consists of an opera or a work of major proportions for orchestra or for chorus and orchestra. For music education majors, the dissertation is comparable to the Doctor of Philosophy dissertation in length and quality.
For performance majors, the dissertation consists of (1) three public performances in which the student demonstrates a superior level of musicianship and (2) either a written treatise, demonstrating high scholarly achievement and the ability to do independent research (option 1), or three graduate courses in music beyond the normal course requirements for the degree (option 2). Only students with a record of sufficiently high quality in academic coursework and in the comprehensive examination are encouraged to pursue option 1. For admission to option 1, students must petition the Graduate Academic Affairs Committee of the School of Music, which will make a decision based on the student's academic record.
Students who are denied or do not seek admission to option 1 will pursue option 2. The three courses in option 2 consist of a course in scholarly writing in music and two graduate courses in musicology, music theory, or music education that each require completion of a scholarly paper of at least twenty-five pages. Students may petition the graduate adviser to waive the course in scholarly writing. If the graduate adviser, upon consultation with the appropriate faculty members, grants such a waiver, the student must take three courses in musicology, music theory, or music education, rather than two. Only one course in music education will be counted toward the dissertation requirement.
Continuous Registration
The Doctor of Philosophy
Residence
Additional Degrees
Limitation for Faculty
Grade Point Averages
Graduate Credit
Leave of Absence
Change of Major
Warning Status and Scholastic Dismissal
Time Limits
The Doctor of Education
The Doctor of Musical Arts
Graduate Catalog
Contents
Chapter 1: Graduate Study
Chapter 2: Admission and Registration
Chapter 3: Degree Requirements
Chapter 4: Fields of Study
Chapter 5: Members of Graduate Studies Committees
Appendix: Course Abbreviations
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