DMA Handbook

Academic Year and Scheduling

The academic year is divided into two semesters (fall and spring) of approximately 15 weeks each and a summer term. The summerterm is conducted as a regular part of the academic program. While some courses are offered for the full term, most are offered in one of two consecutive sessions, each complete within itself so that the student may enroll for one session or for both sessions. Prior to continuing student registration, a listing of course offeringsis available on-line at https://services.bgsu.edu/ClassSearch/search.htm. The Summer School Schedule is available on-line at the Registration and Records web site at http://summer.bgsu.edu/.

Registration Deadlines

Students must make a formal application for admission to the Graduate College prior to registering for classes in order to receive graduate credit. The Graduate College is located at 120 McFall Center. The University requests that ALL graduate students register for classes at the designated time listed on the Office of Registration and Records web site. This process will allow early evaluation of low enrollment courses and the possible cancellation of sections. Please register early to ensure that the graduate courses you are planning to take are offered. Registration may be completed on the web through MyBGSU (with a BGSU account). Students who register during continuing student registration will be billed by the bursar. Registrations after fees are due must be paid by the last business day prior to the start of the term. Funded students will automatically be prepaid. Graduate students who use University services must be regularly registered for credit.

Credit Hour Load

A full-time graduate student is defined as a student registered for eight semester hours. A graduate assistant is required to register for the number of hours specified by the tuition scholarship awarded. Student in the first year of the program are required to register full-time. Audits do not count toward minimum registration loads. Graduate assistants completing a doctoral dissertation should consult their advisers for appropriate registration requirements. Excess credit hour loads (beyond 18 hours in an academic semester or beyond the 12-hour limit for summer) require approval from the dean designate of the Graduate College. An excess credit fee of $200 per hour is charged for each hour over the limits stated above.

Before the start of each semester the ESL Program conducts placement testing for all incoming students whose first language is not English. All non-native English speakers need to test regardless if they have lived in the United States prior to attending BGSU. Doctoral students who will have instructional duties may be required to take the spoken English test (SET). Any ESL courses required because of placement results must be completed within the first year of residency.

Upon beginning the program each student will meet with the DMA Coordinator for advising. The DMA Coordinator meets with each student several times each semester and is responsible for helping the student plan the required course of study. The DMA Coordinator works closely with the Director of Graduate Studies and the student’s Mentor.

DMA students choose a Mentor in consultation with the DMA Coordinator. The Mentor is usually the main private teacher of a student. While the Mentor serves to help a student in all phases of their doctoral education, the main role is to guide the student with regard to their degree specialization (composition or performance). The Mentor does not replace the DMA Coordinator in counseling a student on degree requirements. The Mentor also serves as chair of the student’s doctoral committee.

All courses numbered 5000 through 7000 carry graduate credit. Courses not approved for graduate credit cannot be added to a student’s degree program for graduate credit. The course numbering scheme is as follows: 5000-level courses can be co-listed with 4000-level courses; 6000-level courses are primarily for master’s students; 7000-level courses are primarily for doctoral students. The only courses that can be cross-listed at the graduate and undergraduate level are 5000- and 4000-level classes. Any graduate student enrolled in a graduate class open to undergraduates (5000 level) is required to do additional work of an individual nature to earn graduate credit for the course. The instructor is responsible for designating the type and amount of additional work. It is never appropriate for a graduate student to attend 1000-, 2000-, or 3000-level courses as partial fulfillment of a graduate-level independent study course. If a graduate student wishes to take 1000-, 2000-, or 3000-level undergraduate courses, the courses must be taken for undergraduate credit. At the discretion of the instructor, a graduate student may attend a 4000-level undergraduate course that has not been approved for graduate credit in partial fulfillment of a 5000-level independent study course. It is never appropriate to do this for 6000- and 7000- level independent study courses. No more than 10 hours of 5000-level course work may be counted towards the doctoral degree. 

Grading Policy for Graduate Courses 

Graduate courses approved for letter grade (A-F) and listed as such cannot be taken on an S/U basis (unlike undergraduate courses). The grading policy for individual graduate courses is approved by the Graduate Council based upon the recommendation of the graduate program in which the course is offered. 

Incomplete Grades 

An INC (incomplete) may be given only when, for some justifiable reason, a student fails to take the final examination or to fulfill a specified requirement in a course. An INC may be removed and a grade substituted if the student completes course requirements to the satisfaction of the instructor prior to the deadline established by the Office of Registration and Records. The Office of Registration and Records deadlines for removal of incomplete grades for the respective academic semesters are: 

Fall semester: March 1
Spring semester: August 1
Summer semester: November 1

However, an individual instructor may come to an agreement with their student for an earlier deadline for removal of an incomplete grade. The Director of Graduate Studies has the authority to extend the deadline for an incomplete. The instructor's support is required for approval of the request. See http://www.bgsu.edu/graduate/documents-and-forms.html for "Incomplete Extension Request." For courses taken S/U, any mark of INC not removed by these deadlines will change to U. For courses taken for a letter grade, any mark of INC not removed by these deadlines will change to F. A student cannot graduate with a grade of INC in a graduate level course.

Two or More Incompletes 

The Graduate College may inform all Graduate Coordinators about students who accumulate more than two incompletes on their academic record. The Graduate College may ask the Director of Graduate Studies to review the student’s academic progress and to consult with the student as appropriate. Students who accumulate three or more incompletes on their transcript may not be eligible for a graduate assistantship. 

Incompletes at Graduation 

All incompletes in course work (with the exception of thesis and dissertation hours) must be finished by the graduation deadline and the grade must be received in the Office of Registration and Records by the final graduation deadline in order for the student to be approved for graduation. The graduation deadlines take precedence over any other deadlines. 

Grade Appeal Process 

See the Graduate Catalog. 

Independent Study Registration

Generally, students should not take more than 9 hours of independent study at the doctoral level. 

Drop/Adds (Schedule Change) 

See the Graduate Catalog. 

Changes in Registration 

The Graduate College will not approve the addition of a regularly scheduled class nor the change to or from an Audit after the first 14 calendar days of fall and spring semesters or the first 3 calendar days of each summer session. After these dates exceptions may be granted only by the Director of Graduate Studies. 

Withdrawing from a course after the drop date 

Instructors assign a grade of "W" (withdrawn) or "WF" (withdrawn failing) if a student withdraws from a course after the last day to drop but before (1) the 10th week of a course in the fall and spring semesters, (2) the twenty-fifth calendar day of the eight-week summer session, or (3) the nineteenth day of a six-week summer session. For flexibly scheduled courses, the instructor assigns a "W" or "WF" if a student withdraws after completing at least 13% but not more than 60% of the course. During the specified time intervals, "W" is assigned if the student is passing at the time of withdrawal or if the instructor determines there is insufficient evidence to judge the student's progress at the time of withdrawal. "WF" may be assigned if the instructor determines the student is failing at the time of withdrawal. A grade of "WF" also is assigned if the student withdraws after the intervals described above, stops attending without processing a withdrawal, or has never attended and fails to process a withdrawal. A student who officially withdraws from the University receives a "W" in all courses for the semester, unless the student has previously withdrawn from a course with a "WF." These provisions apply to all grading options, including "S/U." The grade of "WF" is used with zero quality points in computing the grade point average; "W" is not used in computing the grade point average. 

Dismissal/Withdrawal from a Course 

The University reserves the right to withdraw any graduate student from any course when the student’s continuance is not in the interest of the student, the class, or the University. The dismissal of a graduate student from a course and the grade and/or notation in the official record are determined by the dean designate of the Graduate College and the Vice President for Academic Affairs, after consultation with the instructor of the course. Students have the right of appeal as prescribed in the Student Affairs Handbook.

The Doctoral Committee will conduct DMA juries at the end of each semester. Each student will submit a semester report listing activities in the areas of teaching, research/creative activity, service, as well as plans for the coming semester. Normally only first- and second-year students are required to have juries, although every student in the program is required to submit a semester report to the DMA Coordinator. At the jury the Doctoral Committee will review each student’s accomplishments and future plans, ask questions, and comment on the student’s progress.

Pre-recital juries for degree recitals will follow the guidelines established by each applied area.

The Check Sheet lists courses that students plan to take to meet the requirements of the DMA in Contemporary Music degree program. An approved check sheet constitutes an agreement that successful completion of the proposed course of study, and the general degree requirements set down in the Graduate Catalog, will result in the awarding of the degree. The check sheet should be completed in consultation with the student’s academic advisor (DMA Coordinator) and submitted to the Director of Graduate Studies before submitting the Preliminary Exam Application, normally at the end of the second year of study. The check sheet is to list only those courses required for completion of the degree program, and is used to verify eligibility for graduation at the end of the degree program. If the student needs to change the check sheet after submitting it for approval, the student should contact the DMA Coordinator or Director of Graduate Studies to make the change.

In order to be eligible for transfer to a graduate degree program, a course must be part of a graduate degree program at a regionally accredited university and, in the judgment of the Director of Graduate Studies, be of appropriate content and quality to warrant inclusion in the student’s planned course of study. Courses that have already been applied in whole or in part in any way toward any other degree or certificate may not be transferred. See https://www.bgsu.edu/graduate/documents-and-forms.html for the course transfer request form.

Processing Transfer Credit 

Transfer of credit is approved by the Graduate Dean designate upon the recommendation of the Director of Graduate Studies of the program in which the student is enrolled. Students must have completed at least 8 credits in their BGSU program before credit transfer can be approved. It is the responsibility of students to document that course(s) are appropriate for their course of study by submitting the following items to the Director of Graduate Studies:

1. Verification that the course is part of a degree program at the institution where it was taken. This verification can be either: 
       a. A copy of the page from the graduate catalog of that institution which indicates that the course counts toward a degree program, or 
       b. A letter to this effect from the graduate dean of that institution
2.  An official transcript sent from the institution directly to the Graduate College showing the credit earned for the course. Transcripts “issued to student” will not be accepted. It is suggested that the Director of Graduate Studies review the documentation to determine whether the course has the appropriate content and quality to warrant inclusion in the student’s planned course of study. 

Credits to be transferred must be:

1. Listed on the student's check sheet. Only graduate-level courses can be transferred to graduate degree programs; 
2. Within the eight-year time limit for completion of a doctoral degree. Transfer credit cannot be revalidated; and 
3. Only courses in which the student received a grade of A or B. Credit for an S grade will only be permitted if documentation shows that a grade of S is regarded as a B or better. Credit hours, not grades, are transferred to the student’s degree program. Therefore, transfer credit does not affect the student’s cumulative grade point average at BGSU. 

NOTE: Courses taken for “professional development” cannot be transferred for graduate credit. A student may transfer up to a maximum of 9 semester hours of post-master's credit into a doctoral program subject to approval of the program and the Graduate College.

To become a candidate for a doctoral degree the student must file an application for graduation by the published deadlines below:

Fall semester: September 23
Spring semester: February 3
Summer semester: June 16 (variable)

Students applying for graduation must do so on-line through MyBGSU – Registration Services. Please consult the Graduation Checklist to ensure completion of degree requirements before submitting the application. Please read the instructions and complete the application carefully. Once you submit your application on-line, you will get a confirmation screen. You are strongly advised to print the confirmation screen for your records.

Graduation-Minimum Registration Requirements

Graduate College policy requires that all graduate students be registered for at least one semester hour during the term in which they graduate.

The time limit to complete all degree requirements for doctoral students is eight years from the end of the earliest course used to fulfill degree requirements. If a course has been taken more than eight years before graduation (doctoral), students should consult their graduate program coordinator. The graduate program coordinator will determine if that course needs to be retaken, or if a revalidation experience can be offered. If offered, a revalidation experience may include a special examination or other written assignment, a portfolio, a new comprehensive or preliminary examination, or another academically appropriate experience. A thesis or dissertation may also serve as a revalidation method if approved. Students may be required to register for academic credit to accompany the academic revalidation experiences. If the revalidation is successful (e.g., passed by a grade of B or better), then the original course grade will be retained and the student’s transcript will reflect revalidation. If the revalidation is unsuccessful, then no change will be made to the student’s record. More than one attempt to revalidate a course is permitted if supported by a recommendation from the graduate coordinator of the degree program and approved by the dean designate of the Graduate College.

Limits to Revalidation 

1. Revalidation opportunities are offered at the discretion of the program and may not be offered in all situations. 
2. A successfully revalidated course can be used to fulfill degree requirements for up to two years from the semester in which it was revalidated. 
3. Students may not revalidate courses with a grade of C or lower, courses that are internships or other forms of practicum, or courses taken at other institutions.

Students who wish to request a leave of absence from the University must initiate the Leave of Absence form, found at: https://www.bgsu.edu/graduate/documents-and-forms.html. In the form, students explain the reason(s) for their request, when they need to begin their leave, and when they intend to return. Leaves of absence are not awarded without compelling reasons and, in the case of medical emergencies, supporting documentation from the student’s medical doctor should accompany their request. The leave of absence must be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies. A leave of absence must be for a designated period of time. Typically, a leave is from 6 to 12 months. If a student is on an approved leave of absence, the time of the leave does not count against the eight-year time limit for degree completion; the student cannot use University services during a leave of absence. Students may not take a leave of absence for the purpose of taking undergraduate courses.

For an overview of the required coursework and examinations, please see the DMA Degree Requirements & Assistantships page.

An overview of the internship requirement, along with a list of past DMA student internships, may be found on the DMA Internships page.

A student who wishes to complete an internship should follow the suggested protocol approved by the Doctoral Implementation Committee on 11/20/09:

1. Research possible internship sites at least one or two semesters before intended semester of internship. 
2. Identify at least 10 viable possibilities and gather the following information—thorough examination of website which includes mission of organization and organizational structure; onsite contact person for internship information; personal and financial considerations. 
3. Check possibilities with BGSU DMA Internship Coordinator and student’s DMA Mentor. 
4. Mutually decide on who to contact at the site and how to contact them, when you might do the internship, what you can offer the organization, and why this particular experience would be beneficial to you. 
5. Secure internship with internship coordinator; coordinator contacts site and works out official agreement with site supervisor. 
6. Coordinator sends official letter and outlines expectations. 
7. Student registers for MUS 7880 or 7890 and adheres to the syllabus requirements. 
8. Final portfolio—student’s internship experience will form a part of the final portfolio as outlined by the portfolio requirements.

Each student is responsible for organizing a doctoral committee, which consists of a minimum of three professors from the College of Musical Arts and a graduate faculty representative (to be appointed by the Graduate College). The student’s Mentor is the chair of the committee, and all members must have graduate faculty status. The doctoral committee should be formed no later than the spring semester before the student takes the preliminary exams.

The doctoral committee oversees the preliminary examination and administers the specialization portion of the preliminary examination. The committee also oversees the culminating experiences, including attendance at degree recitals, reading and approving the proposal and document, reviewing the portfolio, and administering the final examination. 

For the culminating experiences, students may retain original committee members or change committee members after passing the preliminary examination. Any changes in committee membership must be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies and filed with the Graduate College. It should be noted that results of examinations conducted without the participation of the representatives are not acceptable.

Instrumentalists and vocalists must present three solo/chamber music/ensemble programs (45–60 minutes of music each) of contemporary music (written after 1945) after the completion of Preliminary Exams. One of these recitals must be presented outside the city of Bowling Green, a requirement intended to help students develop the entrepreneurial skills required of every professional. A major concerto performance with orchestra or band or a major role in an opera production may be substituted for one of the recitals.

Students in conducting have the option of compiling 45-60 minutes of performances (approved by the student’s doctoral committee or the DMA committee) as a substitute for each of the three required recitals. A portion of these performances should be off-campus, if possible.

Composers must present one concert of original works (45-60 minutes of music) composed during the time of their DMA degree program. Any exception to this must be approved by the appropriate committee.

Any student wishing to present a required recital before the completion of Preliminary Exams must petition the DMA Committee for permission. Students may present up to two recitals prior to the completion of those exams.

The program and sites for each recital will be submitted to and approved by the student’s doctoral committee or the DMA committee the semester before the recital takes place. A proposal stating the reasons for the choice of literature and the proposed program with timings and personnel (using the student recital program template) must be submitted to the appropriate doctoral committee for review no later than one week before the last day of classes the semester before the recital takes place. Any changes in the program must be approved by the committee. The committee is encouraged to attend the recital if it is on-campus. Pre-recital juries will follow the guidelines established by each applied area.

Permission for any alternative to these requirements must be secured from the student's doctoral committee or the DMA Committee.

For instructions regarding documentation of performance compilations of conducting students and for documentation of off-campus doctoral recitals, please see the DMA Coordinator.

As part of the culminating experiences, a composer is required to write an original work for large resources. The scope of the project must be presented to and approved by the student’s doctoral committee.

The document proposal will be developed under the guidance of the student’s Doctoral Committee chair. Other committee members will review the proposal, so that appropriate suggestions and assistance may be offered prior to the formal presentation of the proposal. The chair of the student’s committee will determine when the student’s proposal is ready for presentation to the student’s Doctoral Committee. The chair of the student’s Doctoral Committee is responsible for scheduling a meeting of the full committee to review and approve the student’s proposal. The student is responsible for providing a final draft proposal to each member of the committee approximately two weeks in advance of the scheduled committee meeting. The document is expected to be an original contribution to research and should demonstrate the student’s potential as a scholar. Students should consult the Graduate College Thesis/Dissertation Handbook for preparing the correct format and writing style. (http://www.bgsu.edu/graduate/thesis-and-dissertations/thesis-dissertation-handbook.html)

To be approved for a fourth year of funding, it is expected that the proposal be submitted and approved during the spring semester of the third year of a full-time student’s program.

The document proposal should contain the following information:

• Title
• Problem
• Purpose
• Terminology
• Methodology
• Limitations and Boundaries of Study
• Significance of Study
• Chapter Outline
• Bibliography

For the title page, use the Graduate College title page template, found at: https://www.bgsu.edu/graduate/thesis-and-dissertations/recommended-file-formats.html. The student’s Doctoral Committee determines if the proposal is acceptable and may grant approval with no more than one dissention. Once the committee approves the proposal, the student should email a copy of the proposal to the Director of Graduate Studies, and is responsible for initiating the Topic Approval-Dissertation Form located on the Graduate College Documents and Forms webpage at: http://www.bgsu.edu/graduate/documents-andforms.html. A copy of this form is placed in the student’s file and the original report is sent to the Graduate College.

All proposed research projects involving human subjects, including DMA document proposals, must be reviewed by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) to provide assurance to the University that research conducted under its auspices does not violate the rights and welfare of any human subjects involved in that research. The student is responsible for obtaining this approval by completing the appropriate forms through the Office of Research Compliance at BGSU. All students and document chairs must also complete an Institutional Review Board training workshop before an application for Human Subjects Review can be submitted.  

After receiving approval of the DMA document proposal, the student may commence with actual research and development of the formal document. Continuous registration of at least one credit hour of MUS 7990 per semester (excluding summers) is required until completion and final approval of the document. Upon completion of the DMA document and after tentative approval from the committee chair and committee, the student must pass an oral defense conducted by the student’s Doctoral Committee. At least one week prior to the defense, the student will provide a copy of the abstract of approximately 150 words to all committee members and will make the complete PDF file of the document available to the committee.  

After the final oral defense and portfolio review, a PDF of the manuscript is submitted for approval to the CMA Director of Graduate Studies. The student will initiate the Dissertation Defense and Manuscript Form, found at the Graduate College Documents and Forms webpage at: http://www.bgsu.edu/graduate/documents-andforms.html

Once the manuscript has been defended, approved by the Doctoral Committee, converted to a PDF document and approved by the Director of Graduate Studies, the student is ready to upload it to OhioLINK. Complete instructions on converting the document to PDF format and electronic submission are found at http://www.bgsu.edu/graduate/thesis-and-dissertations/submission-and-approval-of-your-manuscript.html. The document must be uploaded and the Dissertation Defense and Manuscript Approval Form must be signed by all members of the committee and the Director of Graduate Studies by the posted deadline of the intended semester of graduation. In addition, the Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED) must be completed and submitted to the Graduate College. Please visit this webpage for more SED information: https://sed-ncses.org/login.aspx

The student will submit an electronic portfolio to the chair of the Doctoral Committee two weeks before the examination date. The student and the chair of the doctoral committee must verify that the content of the portfolio is complete. Compiling and maintaining the portfolio is the responsibility of the student. Contents of electronic portfolio, with indexing, must include:

• Current biography (PDF)
• Curriculum vitae (PDF)
• One-page narrative of teaching philosophy (PDF)
• Syllabi of courses taught (PDF)
• Videos of teaching
• List of all courses taken during graduate study
• Research papers from classes (PDF)
• Document (PDF)
• Concert programs
• Documentation of other creative activity (examples might include presentations at conferences, publications, awards received or competitions won)
• Recordings/videos of performances both as a composer and/or performer. These should be indicative of what you might submit for a job application. 
• Scores (composers) (PDF)
• Repertoire list (performers)
• List of works (composers)
• Internship Paper

Reading proficiency in a foreign language is required only if deemed appropriate in light of the student’s proposed dissertation topic and specialization. The specific language(s), levels of proficiency, and method of examination are to be determined by the student’s doctoral committee in consultation with the student and DMA Coordinator. This language requirement must be satisfied before defending the dissertation proposal.

Preliminary examinations (written and oral) are usually administered at the beginning of the fall semester and are taken after completing 40 hours of course work, not including the internship. With the exception of the music history exam, the primary focus will be on contemporary music. Students must register to take preliminary examinations in the spring semester before the fall semester in which the examinations are given. The student will initiate the Preliminary Exam Application Form from the Graduate College Documents and Forms webpage at: http://www.bgsu.edu/graduate/documents-and-forms.html. Upon successful completion of the Preliminary Examinations, the student will be allowed to begin the culminating experiences in composition or performance. The format of the exams is as follows:

Music History 

Content: The test will cover style, genre, and culture in Western music history from the medieval period to the late twentieth century.
Format: Written (typed); three 90-minute sessions; no notes. Students will be randomly assigned essay prompts from a list made available to students at least three months in advance.
Recommended Review: Read A History of Western Music, 10th ed., by J. Peter Burkholder (Norton)

Music Theory 

Content: The test will utilize analytical knowledge as applied to a work or excerpt from a work from the late 20th–21st century with regard to all relevant musical elements. Student will present findings in one well-prepared analytical paper of around 10-12 pages PLUS examples. The essay should address large-scale organization and significant “close” analysis of local details across a variety of musical parameters
Format: Written; take home for one week; can use any reference materials, but should not consult others for answers.
Recommended Review Course: MUCT 6170, Post-Tonal Analysis (3cr). 

Multidisciplinary Seminars (Culture, Digital Media, Music Cognition) 

Content: The test will cover the content of seminars required of all DMA students.
Recommended Review: Careful re-examination of syllabi and organization of class notes and required readings, as well as research paper/project.
Format: Written (typed); 3 hours; open notes (no computers); materials can be referenced during exam. 

Styles and Literature 

Content: The test will focus on several short audio excerpts of post-1945 music. Student will be asked to give a coherent explanation of the music with as much relevant detail as possible.
Format: Aural exam with written (typed) response; 1 hour; no notes.
Recommended Review Course: MUCT 6700, Contemporary Styles and Literature (2cr). 

Specialization 

Content: The test will focus on student’s area of specialization—composition or performance (specific instrument, voice or conducting). It will be broadly organized in 4 sections—history, pedagogy, literature, and the profession. The student’s Mentor is the primary architect of the exam with input from the student’s committee. All will be present at the exam.
Format: Oral; 2.5 hours; no notes.
Recommended Review: The student’s Mentor will help guide the student’s preparation accordingly. Students may confer with each member of the committee regarding the area and general nature of the questions. 

At the conclusion of the specialization exam, the student’s Doctoral Committee will review the results of each section of the Preliminary Exam (written and oral), and grade the entire Preliminary Examination as Pass, No Pass, or Pass with Conditions. The student’s Mentor will write a report to the Director of Graduate Studies summarizing the results within one week of the specialization exam. If the student’s Doctoral Committee recommends Pass with Conditions, the conditions will be clearly stated, with a timetable for completion. Examples of conditions are: writing a paper, a retest of a section, or taking a class. A Pass can only be given if the vote is unanimous or there is one dissenting vote. Therefore, two Pass votes and two No Pass votes would not constitute an overall Pass. A copy of the specialization exam questions should also be included with the final memo. The Director of Graduate Studies will report the results of the Preliminary Exam to the student.

The student should initiate the Preliminary Exam Form, which may be accessed from the Graduate College Documents and Forms webpage at: http://www.bgsu.edu/graduate/documents-and-forms.html.

If the preliminary examination is failed, the student may, after a lapse of six months or more, take a second examination upon the recommendation of the DMA Committee. Dismissal from the doctoral program will result if the second examination is failed.

Candidacy

After passing the preliminary examination, a student may achieve candidacy by securing approval for the document topic from the Director of Graduate Studies, the student’s doctoral committee, and the Graduate College. The student should initiate the Dissertation Topic Approval Form, which may be accessed from the Graduate College Documents and Forms webpage at: http://www.bgsu.edu/graduate/documents-and-forms.html.

The final examination will take place at the end of the degree program, no later than one week before the Graduate College’s final examination deadline. The student will submit an electronic portfolio as outlined in the Culminating Experiences section of this document. The contents of the final examination will be based on the culminating experiences, including a defense of the document, as well as the contents of the electronic portfolio. The student and the chair of the doctoral committee must verify that the contents of the portfolio are complete. Compiling and maintaining the portfolio is the responsibility of the student.

Students must submit the portfolio to the chair of the doctoral committee two weeks before the examination date. Both the student and the committee will review the document and portfolio to determine the scope and the general content of the exam.

The final examination is in two parts: (1) A 30-minute oral presentation by the student on the contents of the document, followed by committee questions about the presentation and the document and (2) Committee questions about the contents of the portfolio.

The student should initiate the Dissertation Defense and Manuscript Approval Form, which may be accessed from the Graduate College Documents and Forms webpage at: http://www.bgsu.edu/graduate/documents-andforms.html. The Director of Graduate Studies will not sign the Dissertation Defense and Manuscript Approval Form until all culminating experiences have been completed and the DMA Culminating Experiences Report has been filed by the doctoral committee chair with the Graduate Secretary. The chair of the committee will submit a written summary of the examination to the Graduate Secretary.

The checklist below is designated to facilitate the completion of degree requirements and to help the student move smoothly through the process of graduation. All forms (with the exception of the Language Requirement Form, Transfer of Credit Form and the DMA Culminating Experiences Report, available from the CMA Graduate Secretary) are available on the Graduate College web site. The checklist is for your personal use and does not have to be filed in any university office.

_____ Submit official transcripts at the office of the Graduate College for all approved transfers of course credit from other universities (up to nine hours of coursework taken at other universities may be approved). (first semester)

_____ Selection of Mentor. The Mentor is selected by the student at the beginning of the degree program, in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies and the DMA Coordinator. The Mentor will guide the student through the degree program and serve as chair of the Doctoral Committee. (first semester)

_____ Selection of Cognate. In consultation with the Mentor and DMA Coordinator, select a cognate by second semester and find courses to fulfill the 12 required cognate hours. (second semester) 

_____ Check Sheet. Filled out in consultation with the DMA Coordinator. This should be submitted by the end of the second year.

_____ Completion of all course work, normally done by the end of the first two years of full-time study.

_____ Internship. This takes place after the completion of 40 hours of required course work.

_____ Selection of Doctoral Committee. Must consist of a chair (the Mentor) and at least two other members of the CMA graduate faculty. The graduate faculty representative will be appointed by the Graduate College. All appointments are subject to approval by the Director of Graduate Studies and the Dean of the Graduate College. The Doctoral Committee must be formed and the Preliminary Exam Application filed in the semester before taking Preliminary Examinations.

_____ Preliminary Examination. Offered annually in September, the preliminary examination is taken after completing 40 hours of course work (normally by all third-year doctoral students). The examination must be passed and all conditions met before the student can be admitted to candidacy.

_____ Admission to Candidacy. After passing the preliminary examination, a student may achieve candidacy by filing the Dissertation Topic approval form, thereby securing approval for the dissertation topic from the Director of Graduate Studies, the student’s Doctoral Committee and the Dean of the Graduate College.

_____ Culminating Experiences. The student must complete all culminating experiences prior to graduation.

_____ The student submits documentation of off-campus recital(s) per instructions from DMA Coordinator.

_____ The student must have continuous registration of at least one hour (excluding summer) from the time of matriculation until graduation. The student must be registered for at least one hour in the semester of graduation.

_____ Portfolio. The student compiles a portfolio as outlined in the Doctoral Handbook and submits to the chair of their doctoral committee two weeks before the Final Examination.

_____ Final Examination. Upon completion of all degree requirements and culminating experiences, the student will take the Final Examination/Defense of Document. The student will initiate the Dissertation Defense and Manuscript Approval Form before passing the Final Examination.

_____ A PDF of the final error-free version of the dissertation is sent to the Director of Graduate Studies; following approval, the final PDF copy of the document is uploaded to OhioLINK, the Director of Graduate Studies signs the Dissertation Defense and Manuscript Form.

_____ The chair of the student’s Doctoral Committee submits the DMA Culminating Experiences Report with the Graduate Secretary.

_____ The student is required to fill out the Survey of Earned Doctorates, found at: https://sedncses.org/login.aspx, and forward it to the Graduate College prior to graduation.

_____ Application for Graduation. Applyduring the semester of graduation. Consult the Graduate College for deadlines.