Musicology

Students take twelve (12) graduate seminars and design their program in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies (“DGS”), who must approve all course selections prior to registration. The typical course load is three seminars per semester; however, students who wish to take a reduced course load of two seminars while preparing for the General Exams in spring of their second year, may choose to take a seminar in the fall of their third year or (less typically) to take a fourth seminar during their first year. The seminars offered usually reflect the current research interests of the faculty. A professional development seminar is offered every two years; all students should enroll in this course when it is offered, either during their first or second year of the program.

While it is expected that the majority of your seminars will be with the musicology faculty, students may occasionally supplement or substitute musicology course offerings with graduate seminars taught by the composition faculty, from other departments, or through the exchange programs at other Universities with the permission of the DGS. While we encourage students to sample courses in other departments relevant to their interests, we recommend that no more than one course be taken outside the department in any given semester. Normally advanced undergraduate courses do not count as seminars; if you find one that is particularly relevant to your research interests, you may petition the DGS for an exception. Language courses do not count as seminars. Students may also take additional seminars in other departments after completing their required 12 seminars but should discuss the matter with their advisors to make sure that they have adequate time to concentrate on the dissertation.

Students whose research interests extend to other disciplines may wish to apply to the highly competitive IHUM program, the interdisciplinary PhD in the Humanities, which allows for an extra year of funding that enables students to explore fields beyond the boundaries of their own discipline. Students who are interested in applying to the IHUM program are encouraged to take at least one IHUM seminar during their first two years of study. The application process for the IHUM program begins in the third year of study; applications are due on or around March 1.

Seminar Grading:

Musicology seminars are normally graded P/F (Pass/Fail). To remain in good standing with the department, students are expected to attend seminar meetings and complete assignments in a timely fashion. Failure to complete the work of graduate courses during the semester in which they are taken may result in deferred re-enrollment and negatively impact financial support.

We follow the Graduate School’s policy regarding the grade of “Incomplete” (INC), which is given only under exceptional circumstances. If the work remains incomplete and the grade is not filed within a year, the incomplete automatically becomes an F. If you receive an INC in a course, it is your responsibility to follow up with the instructor and make sure that you have completed the requisite work.

Students should register for courses on TigerHub only after discussion with the Director of Graduate Studies (“DGS”).

Courses may be added through TigerHub during the first two weeks of the semester; the extended Drop period lasts until week nine. Changes in course schedules must also be approved by the DGS. Click here for more information about the dates for adding and dropping graduate courses.

On the first day of classes of the second semester, each student is required to submit to the musicology faculty a written paper based on work done in one of the fall semester courses or seminars.

You may choose to revise a paper based on the comments received from the instructor. If the writing skills demonstrated in the paper necessitate a recommendation for remedial work, the Director of Graduate Studies will notify you by the end of the fourth week of classes. The DGS will recommend a specific plan of action to improve writing skills, and this recommendation will be advisory in nature.

All first–year musicology students take a diagnostic theory exam. The purpose of the exam is to determine, based on the students’ research interests and the general requirements of the musicology graduate program, whether they would benefit from additional theory work either independently or in the context of a course or seminar.

The closed-book diagnostic theory exam is sent to students over winter break. Students can take the exam at any point over the break, so long as they do not allocate more than 12 hours to completing it. Completed tests should be submitted via email to the Director of Graduate Studies before the first day of the spring semester. Students will receive the assessment of their exam via email from the Director of Graduate Studies no later than one month into the spring semester.

Assessment will come in the form of a brief prose account of the strengths and weaknesses of the student’s performance on the exam. In the case that additional study is recommended, the Director of Graduate Studies will list the specific options the student can select to address the relevant gap in theory knowledge, and the date by which the remediation should be complete. The student should submit a summary of the additional study they completed to the Director of Graduate Studies via email by that date. If the additional study involved a course or seminar, the student should submit evidence of their course enrollment and grade. If it involves independent study, the DGS will meet with the student to confirm that the additional study has been completed.

The diagnostic theory exam is meant to help students identify and acquire the theory skills they need to flourish as a musicologist. It is advisory in function; no student’s standing in the program will be jeopardized by their performance on the exam or during any subsequent remedial study.

The theory exam asks students to analyze, discuss, and transcribe short pieces of music. Students can prepare by reviewing materials from undergraduate theory curricula such as:

• http://openmusictheory.com/
• Clendinning & Marvin’s A Musician Guide series
• Laitz & Bartlette’s Graduate Review of Tonal Theory: A Recasting of Common-Practice Harmony, Form and Counterpoint
• Burstein & Straus’s Concise Introduction to Tonal Harmony

A reading knowledge of two foreign languages is required before a student can be admitted to the General Exam. The language requirement is satisfied by exams administered by appropriate campus departments as part of intensive reading courses. Facility in a computer programming language (e.g., Python) can satisfy one of the requirements.

Students are urged to satisfy at least one of the language requirements during the first year of graduate study. The requirement can be satisfied by passing a reading exam administered by the relevant language department or by passing one of the University’s summer reading courses. For languages for which there is no formal exam, the Music Department will help assist you in arranging the test with a qualified faculty member. It is the student’s responsibility to confer with the Director of Graduate Studies about the status of their language exams, and to make the necessary arrangements to satisfy this requirement.

The Department of Music provides support for language study, covering the full costs of the reading courses offered through the annual Summer Language Program at Princeton, which typically includes French, German, and Latin. For support for the study of other languages necessary for your research, immersion programs, and intensive summer language study, please confer with the Director of Graduate Studies.

The General Exam is given in May of the second year of study. STUDENT EXAM GUIDE>

The exam focuses on six broad fields or areas chosen by the student in consultation with the faculty, according to the rubric set out in the attached Musicology Generals Handbook. Students should begin discussing prospective fields with the Director of Graduate Studies and faculty as early as spring of the first year of study. Fields must be approved by the DGS no later than October 1 of the academic year in which they are taking their exam.

While we recognize that preparing for the General Exam may involve a good deal of stress, students are not permitted to postpone their exams unless there is a serious medical condition or other emergency.

FORMAT

Individual exams are prepared for each student by the DGS in consultation with the Musicology faculty. The written portion of the exam is given over a two-day period from 9:00am – 5:00pm and is administered and taken in the Music Department. Each student writes on three fields per day. For each field, students are given three questions, and are required to write one long and one short essay. This is a closed book exam. No books, notes, pre-written essays, computer files or websites, recordings, scores or any other outside materials may be consulted.

The oral portion of the exam is administered several days after the conclusion of the written exam. Each student meets with the musicology faculty for no more than an hour to discuss the exam, answer questions posed by the faculty, and to amend, correct, or amplify the written exam.

RESULTS

The Musicology Program maintains high standards for the exam, and the faculty considers the scholarly potential of any student who does not perform adequately on their General Exam, the probability of their future success, and their progress in the first two years of the program. If deemed appropriate by the faculty, a student may be given a master’s degree and terminated from the program. Students who fail some or part the exam may have the opportunity to retake the exam during the following year on the schedule recommended by the DGS and the Graduate School, normally not more than a year after the initial exam. In the event of a second failure, the student is automatically terminated. Students will be notified of the results of the General Exam by the DGS within 48 hours of the exam. Every member of the musicology faculty has an equal voice in determining the results of the exam, regardless of rank. Exam results are confidential and will only be discussed with the student in question. For detailed information on the General Exam, see below.

Students should begin considering possible doctoral dissertation subjects as soon as possible after admission to the program and are urged to identify and meet with faculty whose interests seem best suited to a potential dissertation topic. Concentrated work on the dissertation begins after the successful completion of the General Exam; students should schedule a meeting with a prospective advisor(s) early in the third year to discuss potential topics. Prospective advisors and students are urged to have a frank conversation early in the process to clarify expectations and responsibilities, to work out a mutually beneficial schedule for meetings and deadlines, and establish clear guidelines for communications and expectations regarding reading drafts, requests for letters of recommendations, managing of outside activities (conferences, teaching, publications), etc. It is the students’ responsibility to maintain contact with their advisors and make sure that they are making adequate progress on the dissertation.

The dissertation proposal is the principal requirement for third year students. While third-year students may precept and/or take one or two seminars, most of their attention should be devoted to completing a dissertation proposal no later than midterm of the spring semester. While proposals necessarily differ in length and style according to the topic, a successful dissertation proposal typically includes the following: a compelling discussion of the topic, its rationale and originality, and the contribution the dissertation will make to the discipline; a description of the methodologies; a review of the relevant literature; a preliminary table of contents and paragraph-length abstract of each chapter; a proposed schedule for completion; a bibliography including primary sources and selected secondary sources that intersect with your work. Some proposals may also include a brief preview of the kind of work you intend to do, such as analysis or discussion of a discrete problem. The best dissertation proposals are succinct— typically not more than 25-30 pages. Remember that dissertation proposals are preliminary documents, a snapshot of what the project looks like to you at this point in the research, subject to change over time. A well-crafted dissertation proposal will provide you with prose that you can use for grant applications, elevator speeches, and will likely figure into the introduction of your dissertation. Once their advisor has approved the dissertation approval, it should be submitted to the Academic Administrator for distribution to the musicology faculty and then presented in a Work-in-Progress session before the end of the term. Admission to the fourth year may be contingent upon approval of the dissertation proposal.

Each dissertation must also be read and approved by a second reader who is a full-time (non-emeritus) member of the Music Department Faculty. Second readers may be involved with the dissertation from the initial stages or may enter the process closer to the completion of the dissertation. Both primary and secondary readers submit reports to the Faculty and Graduate School a month before the Final Public Oral Exam (FPO). FPOs will not be scheduled without the full approval of both readers. Depending upon the topic, it may be desirable to have an outside reader from another institution or department, depending upon the special nature of the dissertation and needs of the student. Outside readers are offered a small stipend for their services and may also attend the FPO. The decision to invite outside readers is made by the DGS and advisor in consultation with the student.

It is expected that most fourth-year students will complete at least one chapter before re-enrollment and fifth-year students will complete a minimum of two chapters. (Exceptions to these milestone goals may be made for those who are doing research or fieldwork overseas and thus might begin writing somewhat later.) Be sure to confer with your advisor about an appropriate schedule for your dissertation. Ideally, the doctoral dissertation is written during the student’s official last year in residence to ensure full and frequent consultation with the supervisor and other faculty members. If you have any concerns about the advising process, please speak with the DGS or Chair.

Teaching is an essential part of the graduate program; the Graduate School requires all students to teach at some point during their period of enrollment.

Musicology graduate students are typically not asked to teach until after they have passed the General Exam. Preceptors teach several weekly sections (the minimum appointment is for two Assistants in Instruction “AI” hours), depending upon the class enrollment and course material. Preceptors are also expected to attend all the regular lectures and help with grading or make-up classes as requested by the instructor. First-time preceptors must attend a mandatory training session before they begin teaching. Training sessions are offered by the McGraw Center at the beginning of each semester at the Frist Campus Center.

Students will be polled each semester about their availability and interests in teaching for the following semester. While we will try to factor in students’ individual requests, the teaching assignments depend upon multiple factors including class enrollments, funding allocations, and faculty preferences and needs. Priority may be given to DCE students who have exhausted their regular funding.

Students who have excelled as preceptors may also be able to participate in the Collaborative Teaching Initiative, which provides the opportunity for students to co-design and co-teach a Princeton undergraduate course with a current full-time faculty member. The course proposals, prepared by both the student and the sponsoring faculty, are subject to rigorous review, first by our own curriculum committee (both Directors of Graduate Study, Chair, and Director of Undergraduate Study) and then representatives of the Deans’ Offices. Students who have an idea for an innovative course should begin by discussing it with the faculty member in question no later than February of the preceding academic year. Please keep in mind that in a department our size these opportunities are relatively rare—typically no more than one a year for the entire department—and depend on curricular needs and faculty commitments. We may not be able to put through even the most exciting proposals. As with precepting, priority may be given to DCE students.

Post-Generals students are also encouraged to explore opportunities to gain teaching experience outside the University either in area colleges or the Community College Teaching Fellowship. Students who are in their regular period of enrollment and still receiving full stipends should get permission from their advisors before accepting an outside teaching position.

Students are also encouraged to take an active part in the working musicological community at large, through participation in regional, national, and international meetings. The Music Department will contribute to subsidize membership in the scholarly society of your choice. For information on reimbursement, see the Department’s Business Manager.

While we encourage students to pursue professional opportunities, present papers, teach, and publish articles as appropriate, it is expected that graduate students will discuss these plans with their advisors in advance to make sure that the projects are viable and that they have worked out a plan to share their work with their advisors before submitting it. It is the students’ responsibility to leave enough time before a deadline for their advisors to read a draft of a major conference paper or help vet a publication. Your progress on the dissertation will be evaluated each year at reenrollment and is taken into consideration in awarding extra funding and teaching and is also a factor in deciding whether a student is prepared to apply for various grants and fellowships. It is strongly advised that students not overcommit to publishing projects that prevent them from making reasonable progress on the dissertation.

The Musicology Colloquium series, funded by the Music Department, is organized by the third-year students in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies and features public talks with scholars. The Work-in-Progress (“WIP”) series, also organized by the third-year musicology students, provides an opportunity for graduate students to share their work with one another. Students are expected to present their dissertation proposals at a WIP session during the second semester of their third year and are also encouraged to use the WIP series to rehearse conference papers throughout their enrollment.

Scheduling Colloquium Speakers:

Early in the summer between their second and third years, students should reach out to the Department’s Business Manager for information about the annual budget and procedures for paying speakers. The organizers should submit a proposed slate of speakers to the DGS for approval by August 15. The DGS may request changes before approval, and will provide further information about organizing the event including room reservations. In formulating a proposed slate of speakers, organizers are urged to take account of the breadth of the field, considering not only their own interests but also those of their colleagues. We also ask that they avoid inviting speakers who have visited Princeton in the past five years. Occasionally the faculty may ask to add a guest speaker to the colloquium series; this will be paid for outside of the normal colloquium budget. We also encourage colloquium organizers to take advantage of scholars in residence at the Princeton Institute of Advanced Studies.

Regular attendance in the Musicology Colloquium Series and the Works-in-Progress Series is expected of all students.

Students who have not completed their PhDs after five years may be enrolled for an additional two years in Dissertation Completion Enrollment (DCE) status. The primary goal of DCE status is to provide students with continued access to libraries and other campus resources, health insurance, and—as available— teaching opportunities while they complete their dissertations. Eligible students apply for DCE status with the Graduate School during the annual reenrollment process in the last year of their program of study and must be approved for DCE status by their department and the Graduate School based on criteria for satisfactory academic progress. Students in DCE status are fully and formally enrolled graduate students, working full-time to complete degree requirements. DCE students may be enrolled as regular (in residence) or In Absentia students (pursuing their work away from Princeton).

If students beyond their department’s regular program length are not in DCE status and have not graduated, they will be given Enrollment Terminated/Degree Candidacy Continues (ET/DCC) status. ET/DCC is an unenrolled status in which students are ineligible for the student benefits that come with formal enrollment. For ET/DCC students, library access and student borrowing privileges (for those in Princeton or the vicinity), and e-mail and computer account access will continue for a period of five years beyond the date of the General Exam. Students who choose ET/DCC status may be appointed as part-time Lecturers through the Dean of the Faculty’s Office.

Funding:

Tuition: The Graduate School waives tuition for students who precept for at least two hours a week. In addition, students in good standing may apply to the Music Department for DCE tuition subsidies in semesters in which they are not teaching or if they are funded by outside grants that do not include tuition.

Funding: Most students enter DCE status having exhausted their regular funding. The exceptions are students with outside fellowship who have been able to bank a year of regular funding and those who have parental/childbirth leaves. Students should begin discussing DCE funding with their advisors at least a year before their funding runs out to see if they are ready to apply for outside grants, such as the AMS 50 or the ACLS/Mellon Dissertation Completion Fellowship, which typically requires students to have at least two chapters drafted. Many students in DCE status supplement their income with precepting; students who anticipate needed precepting hours should indicate their need and availability on their DCE application (see below). While we do preliminary precepting assignments in the preceding semester, the exact number of hours for appointments may not be finalized until the end of the drop-add period.

There are several opportunities to receive internal funding during the DCE period. The Music Department will typically nominate one musicologist for Honorific Fellowships, which is voted upon by the musicology faculty. Since these are exceedingly competitive, the department will only nominate students whose work is exceptional and who are likely to finish the dissertation the following academic year. The faculty puts forward these nominations only when there are qualified applicants. In addition, we may nominate one musicologist for the Dean’s Completion Fellowship/PGRA Program, which pays the DCE tuition and a full stipend for one semester during their sixth year. Students who successfully defend the dissertations by the end of that semester have to opportunity to be appointed as Post Graduate Research Assistants for the spring semester, with full stipends. If the candidate nominated for an Honorific Fellowship is not successful, the musicology faculty will automatically nominate that student for the Dean’s Completion Fellowship. If they are successful, the faculty will choose another candidate only if they are likely to finish their dissertations within the prescribed period.

All graduate students who are eligible will be considered for these fellowships; we ask that students not lobby their advisors or the DGS on their behalf.

The final public oral examination (“FPO”) is a final examination in the student’s field of study as well as a defense of the dissertation. The department holds the final public oral examination after the Graduate School reviews and accepts the reader reports and is satisfied that all other requirements have been met. As you begin the final stages of your dissertation, you should carefully consider the scheduling of your FPO, allowing at least six (6) weeks from the time of completing your dissertation until the FPO. In order for the FPO to be scheduled:

1. The Academic Administrator and DGS must receive written approval from the two readers and a third current faculty member.
2. Two reader reports and a PDF version of the dissertation must be submitted to the Academic Administrator at least 30 days before the FPO.

At least a semester before the planned FPO, it is essential to establish a timeline for final revisions of your dissertation with your first and second (principal) readers, DGS, and Academic Administrator.

For more information on your status after the FPO please visit this page.

TigerHub is a secure website where students sign-in for the academic year, maintain their personal information, enroll in courses, and sign-up for direct deposit.

The sign-in process begins on August 1. To see this year’s Sign-In period, visit the University’s Academic Calendar. It is essential that you complete this process to receive your paychecks and be able to register for your classes.

All students also undergo a re-enrollment process every year in which their progress in the program is evaluated by the Director of Graduate Study in consultation with the faculty (first and second years) and their advisors (after year three). Readmission to the program is not automatic. During the first two years students are expected to perform satisfactorily in their seminars and participate in the musicological community at large. Students working on their dissertation need to demonstrate adequate progress and should be maintaining close contact with their advisors.

The Bryan Fund offers funding for travel and equipment needs of graduate students during their period of enrollment (Years 1-5 for Composition and Years 1-6 for Musicology). The Dean’s Fund for Scholarly Travel provides support (up to $800/year) to enrolled graduate students (Years 3 – DCE1) invited to present a scholarly research paper at a conference or meeting. A list of other available funding is available through the Graduate School.

Graduate students receive their stipend checks monthly on the last working day of the month, though December pay is typically distributed before Christmas. Students are encouraged to sign up for Direct Deposit through TigerHub.

In accordance with Chapter VII in the University’s Rights, Rules and Regulations, we establish each year a committee of graduate students to act as liaisons between students and faculty. The committee typically includes no more than 6 members. Each class selects its own representative, with one student representative from among the students in DCE status. To make sure that as many voices as possible are heard, we ask that students serve on the committee for only one academic year. The committee serves in an advisory capacity, providing feedback on curriculum, policies, and climate, facilitating communication between graduate students and faculty about areas of mutual concern. Committee members are encouraged to listen attentively to their colleagues’ different perspectives so that all viewpoints can be aired.

The committee meets with the musicology Director of Graduate Study at least twice a semester. It is the responsibility of the committee to arrange meetings with DGS, formulate the agenda, and follow up with DGS with meetings of the minute and action plans as relevant. Names of committee members should be submitted to the Academic Administrator and the DGS no later than October 1 of every year.

Letters of recommendation are an essential part of academic life; the faculty have had vast experience both writing letters of recommendation and requesting them from other scholars throughout their careers. It is a privilege to be able to write strong letters of recommendation for our students that help them get funding, fellowships, post-docs, and jobs. Given the highly competitive nature of our business, only the most positive, detailed, and substantive letters are likely to help our students succeed. It can also be harmful to one’s prospects to apply for certain fellowships or jobs prematurely; it can also be a waste of time and exact a psychological toll. We therefore ask that you follow the following guidelines in requesting recommendation letters:

1. Discuss each application with your advisor(s) in advance to make sure that the opportunity is appropriate for you at this stage in your career.
2. There are always unexpected opportunities that will arise, but under most circumstances you should give each faculty member a minimum of two weeks to write a letter of recommendation, ideally four.
3. Make the job easier for your recommender by providing them with a description of the fellowship or grant, a draft of your proposal, your CV, and a list of bullet points that they might want to emphasize in their letter. For recommenders who are not your primary advisor, make sure they have a clear idea of how your work has progressed since the last time they wrote for you.
4. It is not unusual for an advisor to strongly advise that a student wait before applying for certain grants or jobs or that a proposal be revised multiple times before it is strong enough to be competitive. While we recognize that this can be disappointing and frustrating it is not a reflection on your abilities or potential; rather, this advice is based on decades of experience reading similar applications and submitting them and should be taken seriously.

Graduate students have access to the photocopy machine located in the administrative offices on the 3rd floor of the Woolworth Music Building.  The machine is available for student’s professional use between the hours of 2:00 – 4:45 p.m.