Comprehensive Exams

 Students who started the program before 2019

Comprehensive Exams for students who started the program before September 2019.

Comprehensive exams are taken in May or November.

Deadlines

  • First year: First Doctoral Committee Annual Progress meeting.  Identify three possible exam topics.
  • Second year: Second Doctoral Committee Annual Progress meeting.  Present three final topics for approval, along with preliminary bibliography for at least two of them.  
  • Semester before comprehensives:
    • Notify graduatestudies.music [at] mcgill.ca of your intent to take the exams next semester, and email them your completed bibliography, by:
      • May 1 for November exams  
      • November 1 for May exams
    • ​At the same time, submit bibliography to the committee for final approval and comments.
      • September 1 for November exams
      • March 1 for May exams
    • Submit final bibliography to the graduatestudies.music [at] mcgill.ca (Music Graduate Studies Office).
  • ​One month before exams, the committee Chair requests 2 or more questions per topic from each member based on your bibliography.  Chair then compiles draft exam with 10 questions and submits to your D.Mus. Dissertation Committee for final approval.

Written Exam

5 essay questions chosen from a list of 10, with at least 1 from each of 3 topic areas based on your bibliographic readings.  Remaining 2 questions are chosen from 2 different topics.  Take-home exam, completed over one week.  Questions are emailed on Monday, 9am and answers submitted no later than 4pm the following Friday.

  • Topics 1 and 2: General topic areas ensuring a broad knowledge of repertoire, performance traditions, pedagogy, etc. for your given instrument.
  • Topic 3: "Special-field" topic, involving a relatively short time period, set of performance practice issues, or innovative artistic practices/research tied to specific repertoire. It usually defines the context for your lecture-recital topic. For a list of examples, see My Courses.

Oral Exam

  • When: Approximately one week after the written examination.
  • Duration: Two to three hours.
  • Scope: Opportunity to elaborate, correct and enhance essay answers through committee questions. You may also be asked about the other 5 exam questions or related topics, to assess breadth of domain-specific knowledge. Remember to relate issues and repertoire for your own instrument to art music more generally.

Preparation

Begin preparing as early as possible, using placement exam results to determine where to put special effort. Work primarily with your Music Research advisor and studio teachers, but also consult widely with exam committee members.  Choose topics that interest you and fit your career aspirations.

Preparation of bibliography:

  • Compile draft bibliographies of 30-35 items for each topic.
  • Work with Research and committee members to identify thematic issues or "narrative" categories central to your interests and unique to each bibliography.  Subdivide your final bibliography into those categories.
  • Bibliographies should reflect a range of current and historical scholarship, with primary and secondary sources as relevant. Scores and recordings may be included where relevant as a primary research resource.

General preparation should include:

  • Summarizing and synthesizing important themes, issues, and debates in literature
  • Identifying and learning key or representative repertoire, including preparation of examples
  • Writing historical narratives
  • Writing sample questions and answers
  • Selecting relevant musical examples and describing how and why they are important
  • Preparing mock presentations and defending mock questions
  • Responding to listening examples
  • Collaborating with Research, committee members and the D.Mus. Colloquium team along with other Area students who have completed, or are preparing for, their comprehensives.

Committee

  • The Advisory Committee is determined in your first semester.
  • The Chair is selected by the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies in Music, or Graduate Program Director.

Resources

Additional Resources: MYCOURSES exams link 


 Students who started the program in 2019 and onwards

Comprehensive Exams (MUGS 701). For students who started the program in September 2019 and onwards.

Deadlines

 
Component Paper 1 Papers 2-3 Questions received by student Essays due Oral

 

Due May 1 Due December 15* January 15* February 15** March

*If date falls on a weekend, questions will be received the following working day.
**If the due date falls on a weekend, questions should be received by Sunday midnight of that weekend.

Comprehensive exams are taken during DMus 3 (2nd year in the program).

The comprehensive exams for DMus Performance students have two components: a written part and an oral examination. The three topics for the comprehensive exams are identified in collaboration with the student’s advisory committee. This committee consists of three members from the faculty: the practical instructor (supervisor), a member from the Research department (co-supervisor) and the Area chair (or delegate). The committee is chaired by the D.Mus. Performance Studies Coordinator (or delegate).

General definition of the three topics:

  • Topic 1: Main topic. Normally involving a relatively short time period, set of performance practice issues, or innovative artistic practices/research tied to specific repertoire. It usually defines the context for the final project.
  • Topics 2 and 3: General topic areas ensuring a broader knowledge of repertoire, performance traditions, pedagogy, etc. for your given instrument.

Timeline

  • Winter semester DMus 2.
    The bibliography (8-12 items, not including scores) for the first topic, the main topic, is developed and discussed with the advisory committee and in the DMus Performance Colloquium (MUGS 711) in the Winter semester of DMus 2. An essay of approximately 10 pages is submitted by the end of the semester, with focus on a research question related to the main topic.  The bibliography and essay must be submitted to graduatestudies.music [at] mcgill.ca and simon.aldrich [at] mcgill.ca (Simon Aldrich) by May 1.
  • Fall Semester DMus 3
    The bibliographies (8-10 items, not including scores) for topics 2 and 3 are developed and discussed with the advisory committee and in the DMus Performance Colloquium (MUGS 712) in the Fall semester of DMus 3. Two essays, one on each of the two topics (8-10 pages) on a research question related to each topic. The bibliographies and 2 essays must be submitted to graduatestudies.music [at] mcgill.ca and simon.aldrich [at] mcgill.ca (Simon Aldrich )by December 15.
  • January 15* DMus 3
    The student receives 6 questions (two questions per topic) from the committee. These questions aim to clarify and encourage the student to expand on the material covered in the three essays. The student must answer both questions for topic one, and chooses one question from each of the other two topics. These four answers should take the form of essays of 5 to 10 pages.
  • February 15 DMus 3
    Last day to submit the four essays to graduatestudies.music [at] mcgill.ca.

Oral examination

  • The oral examination is scheduled in March with a maximum duration of two hours.
  • The oral examination is an opportunity to elaborate, correct and enhance essay answers through committee questions. The committee can also ask question related to the other two exam questions to assess breadth of domain-specific knowledge.

 

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