Music, Ph.D.           1

MUSIC, PH.D.The mission of the Mead Witter School of Music is:

• to provide a rich, integrated program of undergraduate andgraduate education that promotes the highest levels ofprofessional, creative, and scholarly development whilechallenging students to achieve their greatest potential;

• to cultivate an environment that inspires creativity, stimulatesintellectual curiosity, and fosters critical thinking; and

• to serve the university community, the public, and theprofession through performance, composition, scholarship,music education, outreach, and engagement.

The Mead Witter School of Music  enriches students' educationalexperience by hosting guest artists and scholars for master classes,recitals, colloquia, seminars, and festivals. Its performing organizationsand ensembles perform more than 350 recitals and concerts every year,making a significant contribution to the cultural life of the university andthe wider Madison community.

DEGREES AND MAJORSThe Ph.D. in music, a research degree, is offered in the two areas ofhistorical musicology and music theory.

Ph.D. degrees require significant work beyond the master's degree,including the extensive independent work described above. Eachdegree track varies slightly. See the Course Lists available through theRequirements tab for details on each track. Contact the Mead WitterSchool of Music graduate office, gradadmissions@music.wisc.edu, forfurther information about the Ph.D. music degree.

The Ph.D.–music program is suited to students who have proven theirscholarly discipline, motivation, and ability to write fluently and cogentlyin the historical musicology or music theory fields. The principal outcomeof the program is a dissertation that makes a significant contribution tothe relevant major field. A minor field of study (http://guide.wisc.edu/graduate/music/music-doctoral-minor), required of all Ph.D.–musicstudents, assures breadth in a field of study outside the major specialty.Proficiency in foreign languages supports research in the major field.

Each Ph.D. student benefits from the mentorship of multiple facultymembers, whether from the student’s own specialty or from other areasof scholarship or performance. An advisor is assigned upon the student’sentering the program, and the musicology or music theory area faculty, asappropriate, participate in the preliminary examinations. The dissertationcommittee is designated with the student’s particular research interestsin mind. Through their guidance and support of the student through thedegree program, faculty members offer multiple perspectives on thestudent's performance and research.

A summary of important information on academic policies for the Ph.D.program is available through the Policies (p. 4) tab. Completeinformation is available in the Mead Witter School of Music GraduateHandbook (http://www.music.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/SOM-Grad-Handbook-1.pdf). Since the School of Music offers the Ph.D.program under the aegis of the UW–Madison Graduate School, all Ph.D.students also need to be familiar with the UW-Madison Graduate School'sAcademic Policies and Procedures (https://grad.wisc.edu/acadpolicy).In addition to the area faculty advisor, academic guidance is available

through the director of graduate studies and the graduate office in theMead Witter School of Music.

FACILITIESThe Mosse Humanities Building, built in 1969, houses most of the musicclassrooms, rehearsal rooms, faculty studios, and 111 practice rooms.Most recitals and concerts take place in one of three performancespaces: Mills Concert Hall, Morphy Recital Hall, and Eastman OrganRecital Hall. The school's extensive collection of instruments, bothcommon and unusual, is available to both faculty and students. MusicHall with its clock tower, built in 1879, is a campus landmark. Renovatedin 1985, it is the home of the opera program. The new Hamel MusicCenter is scheduled for opening in 2019 and will include a concert hall, arecital hall, and a large ensemble rehearsal space.

Memorial Library is the home of the Mills Music Library, which offersextensive research and circulating collections, attractive study space,and personal staff assistance with research. Music materials on campusnumber over half a million, ranging from scores and sheet music toarchival collections and historic audio recordings. Through Mills MusicLibrary and other UW–Madison libraries, students have access to a widerange of online research databases as well as millions of articles, books,and streaming media. All genres of music are represented, with notablystrong collections in Americana and ethnic music. Nationally knownspecial collections include the Tams–Witmark Collection, a treasuryof early American musical theater materials, and the Wisconsin MusicArchives.

The Mead Witter School of Music is a member of the NationalAssociation of Schools of Music (NASM), the national accreditation bodyfor schools of music, and was reaccredited in 2014.

ADMISSIONS

Minimum admission requirements of the Graduate School apply to allapplicants for graduate study in music. The Mead Witter School of Musichas additional requirements. Applicants should have a master’s degreein music or equivalent foundational course work as required by each areaof study. A cumulative GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale, calculated on the last60 credit hours) is necessary for full admission. The Ph.D. program inmusic involves substantial academic work and requires excellent reading,writing, and speaking skills. Therefore, all international students arerequired to submit a TOEFL score. See the Mead Witter School of Musicgraduate admissions website (http://www.music.wisc.edu/admissions/graduate) for information on minimum score requirements. The MeadWitter School of Music does not waive the TOEFL score requirement forstudents who have completed a degree at an American university. AllPh.D. applicants must submit a scholarly paper as part of the application.Ph.D. applicants are also expected to submit Graduate Record Exam(GRE) scores. A visit to campus for a personal interview is recommended,especially if the applicant wishes to be considered for financial aid. Fordetails on specific audition requirements and additional applicationmaterials, visit the Mead Witter School of Music graduate admissionswebsite (http://www.music.wisc.edu/admissions/graduate).

GRADUATE SCHOOL ADMISSIONSGraduate admissions is a two-step process between academic degreeprograms and the Graduate School. Applicants must meet requirementsof both the program(s) and the Graduate School. Once you have

2        Music, Ph.D.

researched the graduate program(s) you are interested in, apply online(https://grad.wisc.edu/admissions).

FUNDING

GRADUATE SCHOOL RESOURCESResources to help you afford graduate study might includeassistantships, fellowships, traineeships, and financial aid. Furtherfunding information (https://grad.wisc.edu/funding) is available fromthe Graduate School. Be sure to check with your program for individualpolicies and processes related to funding.

PROGRAM RESOURCESMead Witter School of Music offers teaching and project assistantappointments in music history, music theory, piano, conducting, voice,and other areas. These positions offer tuition remission plus a stipendand health care benefits. In addition,  Mead Witter School of Musicselects qualified applicants for the University Fellowship and AdvancedOpportunity Fellowship. The UW–Madison Office of Student FinancialServices assists students in obtaining general grants and loans. All MeadWitter School of Music students who receive funding are required toenroll full-time with 8–12 graduate credits.

REQUIREMENTS

MINIMUM GRADUATE SCHOOLREQUIREMENTSReview the Graduate School minimum academic progressand degree requirements (http://guide.wisc.edu/graduate/#policiesandrequirementstext), in addition to the program requirementslisted below.

MAJOR REQUIREMENTSMODE OF INSTRUCTIONFace to Face Evening/

WeekendOnline Hybrid Accelerated

Yes No No No No

Mode of Instruction DefinitionsEvening/Weekend: These programs are offered in an evening and/or weekend format

to accommodate working schedules. Enjoy the advantages of on-campus courses

and personal connections, while keeping your day job. For more information about the

meeting schedule of a specific program, contact the program.

Online: These programs are offered primarily online. Many available online programs

can be completed almost entirely online with all online programs offering at least

50 percent or more of the program work online. Some online programs have an on-

campus component that is often designed to accommodate working schedules.

Take advantage of the convenience of online learning while participating in a rich,

interactive learning environment. For more information about the online nature of a

specific program, contact the program.

Hybrid: These programs have innovative curricula that combine on-campus and online

formats. Most hybrid programs are completed on-campus with a partial or completely

online semester. For more information about the hybrid schedule of a specific program,

contact the program.

Accelerated: These on-campus programs are offered in an accelerated format

that allows you to complete your program in a condensed time-frame. Enjoy the

advantages of on-campus courses with minimal disruption to your career. For more

information about the accelerated nature of a specific program, contact the program.

CURRICULAR REQUIREMENTSMinimumCreditRequirement

51 credits

MinimumResidenceCreditRequirement

32 credits

MinimumGraduateCourseworkRequirement

Half of degree coursework (26 credits out of 51 totalcredits) must be completed graduate-level coursework;courses with the Graduate Level Coursework attribute areidentified and searchable in the university's Course Guide(http://my.wisc.edu/CourseGuideRedirect/BrowseByTitle).

OverallGraduate GPARequirement

3.25 GPA required.

Other GradeRequirements

Graduate students at UW–Madison must meetexpectations for satisfactory progress toward completionof the degree while enrolled. In School of Music graduateprograms, a graduate student must maintain a cumulativegrade point average (GPA) of 3.25. Even though gradesbelow B do not count for graduate credit toward thedegree, those grades are included in computation of theGPA.

In the first semester in which the cumulative GPA fallsbelow 3.25 the director of graduate studies will notifythe student in writing. After a second semester in whichthe GPA remains below 3.25 the student will be placedon probation for the next semester enrolled. This actionsuspends all financial aid awards through UW–Madison,though loans and work-study are not affected. Failure toraise the GPA to 3.25 or above in the probation semesterresults in the student’s withdrawal from the GraduateSchool and from the School of Music program.

To maintain satisfactory progress School of Musicstudents on UW–Madison funding (teaching assistants,project assistants, fellows, and scholarship recipients)must maintain full-time status. A student’s satisfactoryprogress is also in jeopardy should a major project orrecital be judged incomplete or deficient. Failure ofone or more parts of the comprehensive examinations,preliminary examinations, or final defense is alsoconsidered a lapse in satisfactory progress.

Music, Ph.D.           3

AssessmentsandExaminations

In addition to evaluations in individual classes, School ofMusic programs examine graduate students at definedpoints in their career.

For doctoral students, preliminary examinations are toolsto evaluate the student’s currency and knowledge ofthe major field and the minor area of study, but also todetermine the readiness to embark on the final stage ofresearch. The first part of the Comprehensive Examinationis written, and the second part is an oral exam attended bythe student’s committee members.

Once doctoral candidates have completed all their work,the oral defense is an opportunity for the dissertation(Ph.D.) or DPRC (DMA) committee to address thecontributions made through the dissertation (Ph.D.) orthe doctoral performance and research (DMA). No gradesare reported on the transcript for these program-levelexaminations.

LanguageRequirements

All School of Music doctoral programs require proficiencyat the intermediate level in at least one foreign language.Foreign language proficiency assures that the student hasthe tools needed to pursue comprehensive research inthe major field. Details on foreign language requirementsand ways to fulfill proficiency expectations are outlined inthe course lists available through the Requirements tabfor each degree. This information is also available in theadvising worksheets for each degree major track.

DoctoralMinor/BreadthRequirements

All doctoral students are required to complete a minor.Minors with coursework entirely within the Schoolof Music total 12 credits and are taken as Option B–distributed minors. These distributed minors are narrowlydefined to ensure the principle of breadth in relation to themajor specialty.

REQUIRED COURSESHistorical Musicology Track 1

Code Title CreditsRequired Seminars 21Coursework from the following:

MUSIC 911 Seminar in Musicology (everysemester offered)

MUSIC 821 Historical Music Theories 1MUSIC 822 Historical Music Theories 2MUSIC 799 Independent Work (requires

approval of musicology faculty)MUSIC 909 Music and Culture WorkshopMUSIC/FOLKLORE  915

Seminar in Ethnomusicology (onecourse required if offered)

MUSIC 921 Current Issues in Musical Thought 1MUSIC 925 Topics in Music Analysis 1MUSIC 926 Topics in Music Analysis 2MUSIC 927 Seminar in Composition

Other Required CoursesMUSIC 900 Colloquium 0MUSIC/L I S  619 Music Research Methods and

Materials3

MUSIC 923 Seminar in Notation (offered everytwo years)

3

Doctoral Minor 9-129–12 credits in a field other than the major specialty. Seethe Doctoral Minors page or the Mead Witter School ofMusic Graduate Handbook for details.Language ProficiencyIntermediate-level proficiency is required in two foreignlanguages, one of which must be German. The secondlanguage may be French, Italian, or any other languagewhich can be argued as essential to the proposed doctoralresearch. Each language requirement may be satisfiedwith:

Four semesters of undergraduate-level study(completed within five years prior to matriculation),earning a grade of B or better in the final semester OROne semester of the following with a grade of B orbetter:GERMAN 391 German for Graduate Reading

Knowledge IITALIAN 301 Italian for Reading KnowledgeFRENCH 391 French for Reading KnowledgeOR satisfactory completion of an approved languagereading examination at the intermediate level.

Consult with the area faculty or with the Mead WitterSchool of Music graduate office for further details.Preliminary ExaminationsPreliminary examinations occur in the semester all ofthe above requirements are fulfilled. See the Policies tabor, for full information on policies and procedures, theMead Witter School of Music Graduate Handbook for fullinformation.Preliminary examinations are administered by theMusicology area faculty.After preliminary examinations continuous registration forexactly three research-related credits is required.DissertationMUSIC 999 PhD Diss/DMA Project 1-3Oral DefenseThe oral defense is to be scheduled with the dissertationcommittee after ALL WORK is complete.

Total Credits 37-42

1 These tracks are internal to the program and represent differentpathways a student can follow to earn this degree. Track names donot appear in the Graduate School admissions application, and theywill not appear on the transcript.

Music Theory Track 1

Code Title CreditsSeminars and Independent Work 21The following courses are required:

MUSIC 821 Historical Music Theories 1MUSIC 822 Historical Music Theories 2MUSIC 823 Schenkerian AnalysisMUSIC 824 Post-tonal Analysis

Additional courses—2 seminars may be in MusicologyMUSIC 911 Seminar in Musicology

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MUSIC 921 Current Issues in Musical Thought 1MUSIC 923 Seminar in Notation (musicology)MUSIC 925 Topics in Music Analysis 1MUSIC 926 Topics in Music Analysis 2MUSIC 927 Seminar in CompositionMUSIC 799 Independent Work

Other required courses 3MUSIC/L I S  619 Music Research Methods and

Materials3

MUSIC 900 Colloquium 0Doctoral Minor9-12 credits in a field other than the major specialty. Seethe Doctoral Minors page or the Mead Witter School ofMusic Graduate Handbook for details.Language ProficiencyIntermediate-level reading knowledge is required in twolanguages. Languages must be approved by the musictheory area. The most common ways of meeting thelanguage proficiency requirements are:Four semesters of undergraduate-level study (completedwithin five years prior to matriculation), earning a grade ofB or better in the final semester OR1 semester of the following:

GERMAN 391 German for Graduate ReadingKnowledge I

FRENCH 391 French for Reading KnowledgeITALIAN 301 Italian for Reading Knowledge

OR satisfactory completion of an approved languagereading examination at the intermediate level.Consult with the area faculty or with the Mead WitterSchool of Music graduate office for further details.Students should note that the course credits as describedabove total 33 at minimum. Up to 11 additional credits(including Dissertation credits) may be needed to earn thedegree minimum of 51 credits.Preliminary ExaminationsPreliminary Examinations occur in the semester all ofthe above requirements are fulfilled. See the Policies tabor, for full information on policies and procedures, theMead Witter School of Music Graduate Handbook for fullinformation.Preliminary Examinations are administered by the MusicTheory Area.After preliminary examinations continuous registration forexactly three research-related credits is required.Oral DefenseThe oral defense is to be scheduled with the DissertationCommittee after ALL WORK is complete.

1 These tracks are internal to the program and represent differentpathways a student can follow to earn this degree. Track names donot appear in the Graduate School admissions application, and theywill not appear on the transcript.

POLICIES

GRADUATE SCHOOL POLICIESThe Graduate School’s Academic Policies and Procedures (https://grad.wisc.edu/acadpolicy) provide essential information regardinggeneral university policies. Program authority to set degree policiesbeyond the minimum required by the Graduate School lies with thedegree program faculty. Policies set by the academic degree program canbe found below.

MAJOR-SPECIFIC POLICIESGRADUATE PROGRAM HANDBOOKThe Graduate Program Handbook (http://www.music.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/SOM-Grad-Handbook-1.pdf) is the repositoryfor all of the program's policies and requirements.

PRIOR COURSEWORKGraduate Work from Other Institutions

No more than 6 credits may be approved for graduatecoursework taken at other institutions.

UW–Madison UndergraduateThe Graduate School allows departments to review requeststo count up to 7 credits of undergraduate work at UW–Madison toward graduate program requirements, but this israrely approved by the School of Music faculty.

UW–Madison University SpecialSome students may have completed coursework at 300 levelor above at UW–Madison as a Special Student; with programapproval coursework so taken may be considered to fulfill upto 6 credits of graduate program requirements. However theGraduate School mandates that fees be paid in these cases.

PROBATIONPh.D students who fail to make satisfactory progress in any ofthe following four areas: grades, course load, time constraints,or exams, will be notified in writing by the DGS. At the end of thesecond semester of failing to make satisfactory progress thestudent is placed on probation effective the next semester. Thisaction suspends financial aid (but does not affect loans or work-study). For details see Satisfactory Progress for Doctoral Students(http://uwsom.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/DoctoralSatisfactoryProgressDocument.pdf).

ADVISOR / COMMITTEEAll programs provide for faculty from several disciplines to followthe student’s progress through the degree, provide mentorshipalong the way, and assess the student’s success in reachingexpected learning outcomes. Committee structures differ amongdegrees and majors. The principal advisor for most graduatestudents in the Mead Witter School of Music is generally referred toas the major professor.

In M.A. and Ph.D. programs the advisor may not be the eventualthesis or dissertation advisor. In all programs the major professoris determined with the student's particular interests in mind. Thedirector of graduate studies is also an advisor for all graduatestudents in Mead Witter School of Music programs. Students

Music, Ph.D.           5

are expected to consult with the director of graduate studies atleast once per semester to determine appropriate course plans.Consultation is mandatory in the semester before intendedgraduation.

Ph.D. students have two committees: a four-member preliminaryexamination committee composed of the major professor, minorprofessor, and two others determined by the area; and a dissertationcommittee with four faculty including the major professor and afaculty member from a program other than the major. Three of thesefour members must be graduate faculty.

CREDITS PER TERM ALLOWED15 credits

TIME CONSTRAINTSGraduate students in DMA or Ph.D. programs are allowed amaximum of four calendar years from the date entering the programto complete all course work requirements and successfully passthe preliminary examinations. The candidate must complete thedissertation (Ph.D.) or doctoral performance and research (DMA)within five years after passing the preliminary examinations.

OTHERn/a

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

GRADUATE SCHOOL RESOURCESTake advantage of the Graduate School's professional developmentresources (https://grad.wisc.edu/pd) to build skills, thrive academically,and launch your career.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

1. Articulates research problems, potentials and limits with respect totheory and cultural understanding of music.

2. Formulates ideas and concepts beyond the current boundaries ofknowledge in the field of music study.

3. Demonstrates breadth within the learning experiences in an area ofstudy outside the principal field of inquiry.

4. Accomplishes research that makes a substantive contribution to thefield.

5. Creates well-written monographs based upon original research thatmake substantive contributions to the field.

6. Communicates complex ideas in a clear and understandable manner,both verbally and in writing.

7. Fosters ethical and professional conduct.

PEOPLE

Faculty: Professors Cook (director), Blasius, Calderón, Chisholm, Crook,DiSanza, Dill, Doing, Fischer, Fulmer, Hetzler, Hyer, Johnson, Karp, Koza,Leckrone, Perry, Rowe, Schaffer, Schwendinger, Stowe, Swack, B. Taylor,

C. Taylor, Teeple, Thimmig, Vardi, Vallon; Associate Professors Dobbs,Grabois, Wallmann; Assistant Professors Altino, Lee, Ronis

The faculty of the Mead Witter School of Music is a distinguishedgroup of educators, performing musicians, and active scholars. Thebackgrounds of performance faculty include rich experiences asprofessional musicians, researchers, recording artists, and entrepreneurs.Faculty in music education have particular insight into their field asa result of their backgrounds as school educators, performers, andscholars. In areas such as music theory and musicology, the musicalcommunity has high regard for the past and current contributions tothe study of musical theory, historical perspectives on music, the roleof music in societies around the world, and the unique contributionsof American musicians. Teaching is a priority for the faculty, who arereadily accessible to students for advice and support. Faculty, staff, andstudents cooperate in extraordinary ways with joint ventures that reachacross disciplines both in research or instruction.

ACCREDITATION

ACCREDITATIONNational Association of Schools of Music (https://nasm.arts-accredit.org)

Accreditation status: Accredited. Next accreditation review: 2022–2023