6 Academic Policies

VI Academic Policies

Students must be aware of the curricular requirements for their degree programs, and also aware of course rotations and scheduling. Certain courses have specific requirements or guidelines:

702 (Graduate Theory Survey) and 704 (Graduate History Survey)

  • M.M. in Music Education:

    • 702 and 704 are the required history and theory/analysis courses.

  • M.M. and D.M.A. in Performance and Conducting:

    • Based on diagnostic entrance exams, 702 and/or 704 may be required before or alongside further coursework in theory and history.
    • Both are online review courses and do not count toward degree credit totals or electives in performance, conducting, or theory pedagogy tracks.

Scheduling:

  • 704: taken in Fall, first semester of residency.
  • 702: taken in Spring, second semester of residency.

Other courses (including undergraduate work) may also be required, depending on student preparation.

748 (Bibliography and Research Methods)

  • Required of all M.M. and D.M.A. students in performance and conducting.
  • Taken in the Spring semester during the first year of residency.

789 (Thesis)

  • Four credits required for D.M.A. students.
    • 1st credit: Fall, first year of residency
    • 2nd credit: Fall, second year of residency
    • Last two credits: as arranged with advisor and committee

Applied Study

  • Performance majors:
    • One-hour lesson weekly
    • D.M.A. = 4 credits
    • M.M. = 2 credits
  • Elective applied study may be available:
    • Secondary instruments for performance students
    • Applied instrument/voice study for conducting students
    • Typically 30-minute lessons with juries and studio policy requirements set by the instructor

General Policies

  • Only courses with A or B grades count toward the degree.
    • C or lower in a required course = course must be repeated.
  • Undergraduate courses (required after diagnostic exams or as remediation):
    • Not covered by tuition waiver (except for language courses).
  • Students may be dismissed for inadequate progress toward the degree.
    • Decisions made by advisor with approval from the committee, graduate coordinator, and director of CSoM.
  • Continuous enrollment:
    • At least 1 credit each Fall and Spring until all requirements (including final document) are complete.
    • Graduate Dean requires up to 4 credits of research to cover semesters missed by leave of absence.
    • Students absent for 2 consecutive years must reapply and are subject to current degree requirements.
    • M.M. in Music Education: 6 credits per calendar year required for compliance.
  • Incomplete grades: Only given in exceptional cases with strict completion procedures (see graduate coordinator).

Academic Warning

  • GPA below 3.0 at any time = Academic WARNING.
  • Students admitted conditionally due to GPA deficiency = Academic WARNING.
  • If GPA remains below 3.0 in the following semester, status changes to Academic PROBATION.

Academic Probation

  • Students on PROBATION cannot continue in the program without a waiver from the Graduate Dean.
  • Waiver requires:
    • Review of student’s status.
    • Proposed remediation plan to return GPA to ≥ 3.0 within one semester.
  • Failure to achieve GPA ≥ 3.0 after that semester = dismissal from the program.
  • Students on PROBATION are ineligible for graduate assistantships and tuition waivers.

Transfer Credits

  • Determined by the advisor and committee by the end of the first month of study.
  • M.M. students: Up to 9 credits may be applied from approved post-baccalaureate work.
  • D.M.A. students: Of the 90+ hours required, up to 30 credits may be applied (usually from a master’s degree), with approval from the advisor, committee, and graduate coordinator.