Prior to taking any graduate music study, all doctoral students must take the Graduate Music Diagnostic Examination and, early in their studies, complete all deficiencies or courses resulting from the exam. Ph.D. students must be admitted to degree candidacy no later than the completion of the equivalent of two semesters of full-time study (12 credits total for graduate assistants and 18 credits total for others) and must complete a minimum of 60 credit hours of graduate work past the master’s degree. At least 18 of the credit hours must be completed as part of doctoral residency (18 approved credits taken within a span of three consecutive semesters, with at least one semester being spent in full-time study on the Columbia campus) Prior to the scheduling of the comprehensive examination, degree candidates must have satisfied the proficiency in research methods by successfully completing MUED 795, MUED 796, EDRM 710, EDRM 711, and EDRM 740. Doctoral candidates in music education must also complete written comprehensive examinations in music education (and any minor area) as well as an oral comprehensive examination that covers music education, music history/literature, music theory, and any doctoral minor. In addition, degree candidates must complete a written dissertation. The final doctoral requirement is the successful oral defense of the dissertation.

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