MANUAL
FOR
DOCTORAL STUDIES IN MUSIC
School of Church Music
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
May 2014
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
GRADUATE PROFESSIONAL STUDY
DEGREE PROGRAMS
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS AND PROCEDURES
Prerequisites
Application
GRE
English Requirements
Interview
Ph.D. Evidence of Scholarship
D.M.A. Auditions
Organ and Piano
Voice
Conducting
Composition
Admittance to and Continuation in the Program
Special Student Status
ACADEMIC AND ENROLLMENT POLICIES
Continued Enrollment
GPA
Time Limit
Withdrawal
HEALTH AND SAFETY CONCERNS FOR MUSICIANS
Introduction
Hearing Loss
Physical Strain and Injury
Resources
ORIENTATION AND REGISTRATION
Auditions and Placement Examinations
Southwestern M.M. Graduates
Advising and Registration
DOCTORAL PREREQUISITES
Southwestern M.M. Graduates
Non-Southwestern Graduates
Church Music Prerequisites
Concentration Prerequisites
Procedures
DOCTORAL COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Transfer Credits
LANGUAGE COMPETENCIES
German Reading Competency
Second Foreign Language Reading Competency
RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS
REVIEW OF PROGRESS
Periodic Review
Voice Review
DEGREE PROPOSAL
Contents
Leveling Work (if required)
Doctoral Prerequisites (if required)
Transfer Credit (if applicable)
Doctoral Course Work
Chronology
Requests
Format and Sample
Approval
SAMPLE APPROVAL PAGE FOR DEGREE PROPOSAL
FORMAT OF THE DOCTORAL DEGREE PROPOSAL
SAMPLE DOCTORAL DEGREE PROPOSAL
QUALIFYING EXAMINATIONS
D.M.A. Written Qualifying Examinations
Ph.D. Written Qualifying Examinations
Evaluation of Written Examinations
Oral Qualifying Examination
Evaluation of Oral Examination
RECITAL PROGRAMS
DISSERTATION OR DOCUMENT
Organ, Piano Performance, and Voice Performance Guidelines
Piano Pedagogy and Voice Pedagogy Guidelines
Conducting Guidelines for Recitals and Document
Composition Guidelines
Music Ministry, Music Theory, and Musicology Guidelines
Content
Procedure
PROSPECTUS GUIDELINES
SAMPLE TITLE PAGE FOR PROSPECTUS
PREPARATION OF DISSERTATION OR DOCUMENT
MECHANICS OF DISSERTATIONS AND DOCUMENTS
Scholarly Documentation and Literary Style
Musical Notation
School of Church Music Statement on Plagiarism
Copyright
Length
Order of Materials
Spelling and Titles
Font
Italics and Underlining
Spacing of Text
Margins
Composition Dissertations
Footnotes
Illustrative Material
Diacriticals
Flat, Sharp, and Natural Signs
Hymntune Names
Hymn Texts
Placement
Nomenclature
Punctuation
Capitalization
Format
SAMPLE TITLE PAGE FOR DOCTORAL ABSTRACT
SAMPLE TITLE PAGE FOR DOCTORAL DISSERTATION
SAMPLE PRELIMINARY APPROVAL PAGE FOR DISSERTATION OR DOCUMENT
SAMPLE SIGNATURE PAGE FOR DOCTORAL DISSERTATION
INITIAL SUBMISSION OF DISSERTATION OR DOCUMENT
FINAL ORAL EXAMINATION
FINAL SUBMISSION OF DISSERTATION OR DOCUMENT
Abstract
Paper
Signatures
Delivery
GRADUATION
1
MANUAL FOR
DOCTORAL STUDIES IN MUSIC
INTRODUCTION
In this manual, the doctoral student will find the answers to the most frequently asked questions about the Doctor of Philosophy in Church Music and Doctor of Musical Arts in Church Music degree programs. Generally, the survey of procedures is chronological, beginning with admission and orientation and ending with qualifying examinations, the dissertation or document, and the final examination.
The seminary Catalogis the final written authority on academic matters. However, certain policies and procedures established by the facultyare not contained in the Catalog, and thus this manual serves as a supplement toit. Students will follow the requirements of the current Catalog at the time of their full admission into the doctoral program; they may choose to follow a new Catalog if they so desire. Students should consult the latest version of this manual online, however, for matters of procedure that may have been modified.
The individual student is expected to become familiar with degree requirements and the contents of this manual as well as the general academic regulations contained in the Catalog. Consult these documents first whenever in doubt about doctoral policies and procedures. For additional information and advice, please consult the chair of your department or the Associate Dean of the Academic Division.
GRADUATE PROFESSIONAL STUDY
Students in the doctoral degree programs in the School of Church Music at Southwestern Seminary are preparing for special ministry in church music. Their commitment to that ministry lends a distinctive purposefulness to all of their activities in preparation for service.
While this manual deals with mechanical and procedural matters, it should be emphasized from the very beginning that certain attitudes and qualities should characterize the mature graduate student,includingintegrity, responsibility, attention to detail, self-discipline, independence, punctuality, initiative, originality, creativity, and ingenuity.
The doctoral student should possess a framework of general knowledge into which new and specific information can be assimilated. Master’s-level work should have cultivated a comprehensive approach to music, enabling the interpretation of meanings and relationships and the making of valid judgments. Use of resource materials and research techniques should already be mastered. The technical terms of the discipline of music should be thoroughly understood and used with ease and precision. Intelligence in listening, perception in observation, analytical and incisive thinking, and effective oral and written communication are essential. Finally, a genuine enthusiasm and enjoyment ought to characterize much of the doctoral student’s professional pursuits.
DEGREE PROGRAMS
The School of Church Music offers two doctoral degrees: the Doctor of Philosophy in Church Music and the Doctor of Musical Arts in Church Music. The Ph.D. degree emphasizes creative scholarship; the D.M.A. degree emphasizes performance at the highest level. Concentrations on the Ph.D. are music ministry, music theory, and musicology. Concentrations on the D.M.A. are composition, conducting, organ performance, piano pedagogy, piano performance, voice pedagogy, and voice performance.
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS AND PROCEDURES
Prerequisites
A prerequisite for either doctoral degree is a master’s degree from an accredited college, university, or seminary whose requirements approximate those of the Master of Music degree at Southwestern Seminary, and a minimum grade point average of 3.30.
Doctoral applicants in conducting and music ministry are encouraged to have had practical or professional experience in their field after master’s-level work and before formally beginning the doctoral degree.
Application
Prospective doctoral students who have never attended Southwestern Seminary or who have not been enrolled in at least three years will submit a general seminary application to the Office of Admissions. In addition, students pursuing a doctoral degree will submit a doctoral application through the office of the Associate Dean, Academic Division.
For entrance in a fall semester the application should ideally be received by April 1 and for entrance in a spring semester by November 1. All required supporting documents (e.g., test scores, letters of recommendation), which will be reviewed by the Advanced Studies Committee, must be received before an applicant can be formally admitted to the program.
Once the Advanced Studies Committee has accepted a student into the School of Church Music, the Director of Admissions will confirm admission to Southwestern Seminary.
GRE
An application must include a report within the last five years of the Graduate Record Examinations General Test. While there are no minimum scores for the GRE, there is an expectation of 500 in the verbal area and 500 in the quantitative area or a sum of 1000 in both areas of the General Test. Information about the GRE may be obtained from the Educational Testing Service (
English Requirements
Applicants whose first language is not English will be required to take the Internet-Based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL iBT) and achieve a minimum score of 100 (or 600 on the Paper-Based Test). Applicants not achieving the minimum score but who have earned a degree in an accredited English-language program in a North American institution may request a waiver with supporting documentation. Applicants who have completed an M.M. degree at Southwestern Seminary are exempt from the TOEFL requirement. Applicants not achieving the minimum score may be admitted provisionally. In all cases, if English deficiencies are discovered in the course of study, proficiency courses may be required.Information about the TOEFL iBT may be obtained from the Educational Testing Service (
Interview
An applicant for a doctoral degree must be interviewed by the Advanced Studies Committee before final approval for admission can be granted. Ideally, the interview should be held on campus, but interviews via conference call are permissible.
Ph.D. Evidence of Scholarship
Each applicant for the Ph.D. will be required to submit a research document either previously prepared or prepared especially for the Ph.D. application. This document should reflect the applicant’s highest level of scholarship and academic writing.
D.M.A. Auditions
Applicants for the D.M.A. degree will perform an audition before the faculty of the proposed department of concentration. This audition should ideally be performed at the time the applicant is on campus for the interview or it may be performed during orientation.
Organ and Piano
The D.M.A. student who expects to concentrate in organ or piano will be required to play a thirty- to forty-minute entrance audition. The repertoire should represent a contrast of styles and should reflect a level of achievement equivalent to a master’s-degree recital.
Voice
The D.M.A. student who expects to concentrate in voice should arrive on campus in time to confer with an accompanist before the audition. The audition material will consist of six songs from memory: four art songs (one each in German, Italian, French, and English), one opera aria in its original language, and one oratorio aria in English. The selections should represent the major periods of music history, including the modern era.
Conducting
The D.M.A. student who expects to concentrate in conducting is required to give an entrance recital within the first fifteen hours of course work if the master’s degree did not include a master’s-level recital. Prospective conductors must have advanced keyboard proficiency.
Composition
The D.M.A. student who expects to concentrate in composition will submit a list of compositions completed and a representative group of scores and recordings to be evaluated by the composition department.
Admittance to and Continuation in the Program
The Advanced Studies Committee and the faculty of the School of Church Music reserve the right to decline to admit, or to continue as a student, any person who fails to meet established qualifications.
Special Student Status
If a student requires a considerable amount of leveling work or doctoral prerequisites, the Advanced Studies Committee may classify them as a Special Church Music Student until they are ready to begin full-time doctoral study. A student may take as many as three doctoral-level courses (i.e., 7000-level) without formal acceptance by the Advanced Studies Committee into the doctoral program.
ACADEMIC AND ENROLLMENT POLICIES
Continued Enrollment
Every doctoral student is required to enroll in the fall and spring semesters each year and pay the enrollment fee from the beginning of the program until graduation or withdrawal from the program. Doctoral students who are not enrolled for regular course work, Doctoral Research and Writing, or doctoral examinations (either qualifying or final) must enroll in Doctoral Continued Enrollment.
Doctoral students in good standing will automatically be registered for DOCTR 7000 Comprehensive Exam Preparation during the summer term to provide access to seminary services, including the RAC and the Campus Medical Clinic.
GPA
An average grade of B (3.0) must be maintained to remain in the doctoral program.
Time Limit
Both the Ph.D. and D.M.A. degrees must be completed within a period of seven years from the time of formal admission into the doctoral program. Extensions may be granted to students who are serving in an international mission field.
Withdrawal
Doctoral students who, for any reason, withdraw from course work during a semester are required to follow prescribed seminary procedures. The student should discuss the situation with the Associate Dean of the Academic Division of the School of Church Music to explore other scenarios. If withdrawal is deemed absolutely necessary, the student should complete a withdrawal form from the Registrar’s Office and obtain clearance from the seminary Business Office, Roberts Library, and any other applicable seminary offices.
HEALTH AND SAFETY CONCERNS FOR MUSICIANS
Introduction
As musicians, we use our bodies in very specific ways as we hone our craft as students and perform for a lifetime as professionals. It is crucial, therefore, that we be aware of the physical hazards that musicians face on a daily basis and that we make appropriate and well-informed decisions to protect our bodies. The School of Church Music pledges to support you in this endeavor through education, guidance, and in providing a safe environment for music studies.
Hearing Loss
Perhaps the most important physical damage that we all potentially face is the loss of hearing. Hearing loss is devastating to anyone, but even more so to those who depend on making and hearing sound as their livelihood. An information pamphlet concerning hearing loss is available here, and we encourage all students to read it carefully and follow its suggestions. Many of you may already suffer hearing loss and may not even be aware of it. By the time hearing loss has become noticeable, much irreparable damage has been done. It is important to limit your exposure to loud sound on a regular basis. If you believe any environment on campus is aurally unhealthy, please discuss this with your ensemble director, private teacher, or music administrator for a possible remedy.
Physical Strain and Injury
Each performing discipline has its potential hazards, whether it’s vocal nodules for singers or tendinitis for pianists. We encourage you to be aware of any pain you experience as you practice or perform. Your private teacher can help guide you to appropriate solutions. It is important not to delay seeking help before permanent damage takes place.
Resources
Additional online resources can be found here that will help you in your journey of becoming a safe and healthy musician. These resources include a bibliography of materials available in Bowld Music Library and links to websites of organizations concerned with medical issues of performing musicians and websites with specialized information on these issues. It is important that you become well informed of risks and solutions and that you assume an active role in staying healthy for a lifetime of music making.
ORIENTATION AND REGISTRATION
Auditions and Placement Examinations
All new students in the School of Church Music are required to participate in orientation before their first semester of study. During this time, all doctoral students will take auditions and placement examinations to determine any need for leveling work, and all new D.M.A. students will audition for their applied area if they have not already done so. Auditions are required of all doctoral students in voice, piano, and conducting; placement examinations are required in music theory and music history. In addition, students who have not taken the four basic courses in church music at the master’s level (worship, philosophy in ministry, congregational song, administration in ministry), either at Southwestern or comparable classes at other institutions, may choose to take examinations in those areas to satisfy the prerequisite for doctoral studyor they may take the courses at Southwestern.
More detailed information on auditions and placement examinations is available online.
Southwestern M.M. Graduates
A student who has earned a Master of Music degree from Southwestern within the previous two yearsdoes not need to participate in orientation or take the auditions and placement examinations.
Advising and Registration
After completing auditions and placement examinations, the doctoral student will meet with his advisor, normally the chair of the department of concentration, to determine the student’s schedule for the first semester.
In subsequent semesters, the student and advisor will review the student’s degree proposal (discussed below) during each semester’s advance registration period.
DOCTORAL PREREQUISITES
Doctoral prerequisites are those courses that a student should have completed before pursuing advanced doctoral work.
Southwestern M.M. Graduates
A student who has earned a Master of Music degree from Southwestern and will continue in the same concentration in the doctoral program will have satisfied all doctoral prerequisites.
A student who has earned a Master of Music degree from Southwestern in a different concentration than they wish to pursue in the doctoral programwill be required to complete the differences between the two master’s-level concentrations, including the written comprehensive concentration exam and, if required on the concentration, a thesis, recital, and/or document.
Non-Southwestern Graduates
The transcript of a student with a master’s degree from another accredited institution will be evaluated for appropriate prerequisites for doctoral work at Southwestern in two main areas.
Church Music Prerequisites
All doctoral students must have had equivalent master’s-level courses in the following areas as prerequisites for doctoral study in church music: worship, philosophy in ministry, congregational song, and administration in ministry. If any of these areas is lacking, the student may either take the course at Southwestern or pass the advanced standing examination offered during orientation.
Concentration Prerequisites
Based on the student’s transcript as well as auditions, the department of concentration may require any course work that must be completed before the student is fully admitted into the doctoral program. These requirements may include private study in applied areas, specific master’s-level course work, the written comprehensive concentration exam,and thesis, recital, and/or document.
Procedures
All procedures and requirements for the doctoral prerequisites of a thesis, recital, or document will be identical to those for the M.M. degree as detailed in the Manual for Master’s Students. These procedures include the submission of a thesis prospectus to the Curriculum Committee for approval, the assignment of first and second readers, and the binding of the thesis for the library with related fees. In addition, the thesis will be presented to the Advanced Studies Committee for final approval. For the recital, these procedures include any preliminary recital as required by the department and the preparation of programnotes for the printed program.