Comprehensive Final Exam
A comprehensive final examination is administered during the final semester of study to all candidates seeking a Master of Music degree. The examination is conducted orally and is designed to help determine the student's ability to synthesize a broad body of knowledge gained through graduate study. Students may be asked questions of a practical, theoretical, or historical nature as well as specific and general questions relating to the plan of study.
One semester prior to the examination, the student must request examination questions from each member of his or her faculty committee. In addition, the student must coordinate the scheduling of the oral examination with the members of the committee.
In preparation for the oral examination, candidates for the Master of Music in Music Education must prepare a written report based on questions from the faculty committee. The candidate must present copies of this written report to each member of the faculty committee at least one week prior to the scheduled oral examination. Candidates should be prepared to elaborate on the written report as part of the oral examination process.
Candidates for the Master of Music in Performance are not required to prepare a written report as part of their comprehensive final oral examination. Rather, selections performed on the student's graduate recital serve as a basis for answering general and specific questions relating to historical, theoretical, stylistic, and pedagogical areas of concern.
