Natalie L. Haslam College of Music

Faculty and Student Advising Guide: Conducting and Performance

After Acceptance

  1. Summer: students should study for musicology and music theory diagnostic exams. Materials available on Canvas. 
  2. Incoming students should be aware of these events, which occur virtually the week before classes begin:
    • GTA training sessions
    • Review sessions for musicology and music theory diagnostic exams
    • New graduate student orientation
    • Musicology and music theory diagnostic exams

First Semester

  1. Review results of diagnostic exams which are posted to the Canvas course site by noon the day following the exams.
  2. If the student wishes to take 500-level courses in MUCO or MUTH, they must have passed the graduate diagnostic exam in that area or take and pass with a grade of B or better than the appropriate review course before attempting graduate-level work.
  3. The normal full load for a graduate student is 9 to 12 hours; the maximum load is 15 hours.
    The course load of a student holding an assistantship should be reduced in proportion to their responsibilities. The course load of a student holding a 25% assistantship should be 9-13 credits, and those at 50%, 6-11 credits.
  4. Review the appropriate degree requirements and rough out a curriculum over the next 4 semesters.
  5. It is strongly recommended taking MUSC 510 in the first semester of matriculation. This course should be successfully completed no later than the second semester.
  6. Begin reviewing steps to graduation.

Second Semester

  1. Begin thinking of a topic for the Special Topics in Performance (MUPF521) course.
  2. At the end of the second semester, complete and submit the Admission to Candidacy form to the College of Music Graduate Studies Administrative Assistant. The major professor, student and Master’s Committee chair together select other Master’s Committee members. The Master’s Committee consists of three members of the College of Music faculty: the major professor (who normally serves as chair of the committee) and two other faculty members chosen by the student, one of whom must be a Musicology, Music Education or Music Theory faculty member. All committee members must be at the rank of adjunct assistant professor or above.
  3. Begin to plan and select date for Graduate Recital. Reserve Powell Recital Hall as far in advance as possible and alert the Master’s Committee of the date..
  4. Graduate students may schedule Powell Recital Hall for the next academic year on March 1.
  5. Consult the area’s policy on pre-recital hearing. Directions for reserving the hall can be found here.

Third Semester

  1. Last chance to submit completed Admission to Candidacy Form to the College of Music Graduate Studies Administrative Assistant.
  2. The Master’s committee chair should schedule a pre-comprehensive exam meeting. The committee’s goals for this meeting can also be shared by other means (e.g. email).  The date of the comprehensive exam as well as the oral defense should be agreed upon by all parties. Several weeks prior to this meeting, it is recommended the student prepare a Statement of Career Goals and share it with the faculty committee. This document, usually one page in length, can be used by the committee to formulate comprehensive exam questions pertinent to the student’s career aspirations.  It is suggested the comprehensive exams not be attempted within a month of the recital date.
  3. Student must turn in Recommended Arrangements for Final Exam form to the College of Music Graduate Studies Administrative Assistant two weeks prior to date of written exam.
  4. Deadlines for completing the oral defense and question revisions are November 15 and April 20.
  5. Look at all deadlines for graduation for the current academic year and expected graduation date (admission to candidacy, graduation application, exam, etc.).
  6. Select a topic for MUSC 521, and turn in the Agendum for Independent Study, detailing their topic to the College of Music Graduate Studies Administrative Assistant.  Once approved by the Director of Graduate Studies, the student will be registered for the class.
  7. Students enrolled in Certificate Programs must complete a Graduate Certificate Course Verification form. This should be completed one semester prior to completion of the Certificate Program. Graduate Certificate Course Verification forms can be found here. In order for the form to be routed correctly, the NetID of the coordinator of the graduate certificate program, Dr. Batey, must be used, so the form can be automatically routed correctly.  Please use Dr. Batey’s net id for this purpose: abatey. It is strongly recommended to review the instructions on the Graduate Guide in completing this form

Fourth Semester

  1. Student schedules a pre-recital hearing, if not yet done (at least two weeks prior to date of recital). They must turn in Pre-Recital Hearing Form.
  2. Submit the recital program. Program content is due no later than 2 weeks prior to the recital and after passing your hearing. This is a hard deadline.  Students who do not make the program submission deadline can run the risk of cancellation of the recital. Complete the Recital Program Information Form following the instructions found on the form.
  3. Complete Written Comprehensive Exams and Oral Defense  Revisions must be completed prior to November 15 or April 20. The Master’s Committee chair is responsible for gathering the questions from the committee and submitting to the College of Music Graduate Studies Administrative Assistant no later than noon on Friday before the examination commences the following Monday.
  4. Prior to the Oral Defense, the Master’s Committee chair downloads the Pass/Fail form.
  5. The Master’s Committee chair is responsible for chain of custody for the Pass/Fail form and must achieve the signatures of all committee members..  The completed form is sent to to the Graduate Studies Administrative Assistant. Do not send the form directly to the Graduate School.
  6. Apply for graduation through MYUTK – careful of the deadline for this.
  7. Pay Graduation Fee through MYUTK – careful of the deadline for this.

Approximate Dates for Comprehensive Exams by Area

Third or fourth semester anytime; it is recommended the exam is not within a month of the recital date.

Definitions

Diagnostic exams

Exams in Theory, and Musicology students take prior to the start of class in their first semester. If exam is failed, students must take and pass a review course in that discipline. This review course will need to completed and passed before progressing to the other courses in the area of the respective review course.

Special Topics in Performance (MUSC 521)

A chosen course of study between the student and the supervising professor. Topics are wide-ranging and free-form, but will need to be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies through submission of the Agendum for Special Topics form.

Pre-Recital Hearing

A formal hearing of the student’s graduate recital, after which the graduate recital will be approved or disapproved by the student’s committee. This hearing can be a complete representation of the literature on the student’s impending recital, or it can be abridged, at the discretion of the supervising professor and committee members.

Written Comprehensive Exams

An extensive take-home exam consisting of one (broad) question from each of the three members of the student’s Master’s Committee. The student has one week to complete the exam, and is excused from classes and ensembles during this time (from 9am on a Monday until 9am on the following Monday). The exam is emailed to the committee with a copy to the Graduate Studies Administrative Assistant.

Oral Comprehensive Exams

An examination, generally reflective, of the student’s written comprehensive exams, between the student and their Master’s Committee. At this exam, committee members ask the student to explain, elaborate, and/or defend the positions proffered in their written exams.

Graduate Recital

A formal program and solo recital consisting of 50-minutes of graduate level literature for that student’s primary instrument. This recital may include chamber music as part of the 50-minute program, however, it should not be a primary component of the recital.

Policy For 50% GTAs

GTAs that are appointed at 50% may not work additional hours on campus when classes are in session without prior permission from Dr. Batey. If you are contacted for additional work that occurs on campus during the semester, including performance gigs, you may not accept them without Dr. Batey’s permission before the gig. Please be aware you will not receive pay for any performance gig that is not approved by Dr. Batey PRIOR to the gig.

Procedure For Approval

Before you can be approved, you must complete this form and have it signed by your major professor. This form should be used when making requests for work in excess of 20 hours per week, excluding summer. This includes requests for work done during spring and fall breaks and for work done between semesters. If you are an international student, you must obtain the signature of the Director of the Center for International Education. After those signatures are obtained, email the completed form to Dr. Batey at abatey@utk.edu. She will review it, and if approved, will sign off on it and send the form to the Graduate School for their approval.