Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music

Kevin Sanders, D.M.A.
Director
Room 2119, Scheidt Family Performing Arts Center
901.678.3742

http://www.memphis.edu/music/

The Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music is a member of the National Association of Schools of Music. It offers three graduate degrees in music– Master of Music, Doctor of Musical Arts, and Doctor of Philosophy– several graduate certificates, and the Artist Diploma in Music. Individual program requirements described in the Graduate School Issue of the latest published About Graduate Catalog of The University of Memphis are subject to change. Please consult your graduate advisor for changes that may occur before publication of the next issue of this Catalog. All graduate students must comply with the general requirements of the Graduate School (see Admission Regulations, Academic Regulations, and Minimum Degree Requirements) as well as the program requirements of the degree being pursued.

Admission Requirements
1. All requirements for admission to the Graduate School must be met before a student’s application will be considered by the School of Music. See the Admissions section of this catalog for further information.
2. Admission to graduate study in the School of Music is competitive and will be based on the student’s demonstrated fitness for advanced academic work in music and for the specific demands of the proposed concentration.
3. A baccalaureate degree in music or the equivalent is normally expected before entrance into a graduate program in music. Students with degrees in other disciplines will be considered for admission to a master’s program but may be required to make up undergraduate credits in music history, music theory, and/or other subjects as necessary for their intended concentration.
4. Auditions and Work Samples
  1. Students in performance must perform a successful audition for the music faculty in the appropriate area. Auditions are normally on the principal instrument only; students in the woodwinds specialization within the performance concentration must audition on three woodwind instruments.
  2. Students in composition must submit acceptable compositions in various media to the composition faculty.
  3. Students in music education must submit a written philosophy of music education.
  4. Students in musicology must submit an acceptable writing sample (not necessarily on a musical subject) to the appropriate faculty.
5. Students planning a concentration in jazz and studio music must achieve a satisfactory grade on the proficiency examination administered by that division. Students showing deficiencies may be placed in appropriate undergraduate courses. Students planning to take applied jazz instruction at the 7000 level must perform an audition of classical and jazz literature in several styles. Students planning to take jazz composition/arranging must submit tapes and scores of several works for various media.
6. All students entering master’s or doctoral programs in music education are expected to hold a current teaching license in music; all requirements for licensure must be met before admission to graduate study.
7. Students taking courses in vocal pedagogy or vocal performance must satisfactorily pass the proficiency examination in diction administered by the voice faculty. Students who fail this test must take MUSE 4211 and/or 4212 at the first opportunity.

Master’s Degree Programs

The Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music offers the Master of Music degree with concentrations in performance, conducting, pedagogy, musicology, Orff-Schulwerk, music education, jazz and studio music, and composition.

Program objectives are: (1) development of competency in music theory, music history, bibliography, and pedagogical areas related to the discipline; (2) preparation for advanced study in Music; (3) preparation for teaching positions at the elementary, middle, and high school level; and (4) preparation for auditions at orchestra or performing ensemble.

Prerequisites to Master’s Degree Candidacy
1. The student shall declare a concentration area at the time of application. Admission to graduate standing in that concentration, and any subsequent changes in concentration, must be approved by the appropriate area coordinator.
2. Evidence of keyboard proficiency is required of students in the music education, composition, and voice performance concentrations.
Prerequisites for Graduation
1. A student with a concentration in performance must successfully complete a hearing, normally before the area faculty, for the public recital and shall perform that recital to their satisfaction. Advisors may recommend outstanding performers for the Performer’s Certificate at any time after the recital by submitting a recording of the recital to the chair of the School of Music Awards Committee.
2. All students must pass a comprehensive examination administered by the School of Music.
3. A student of whom a thesis is required shall submit a thesis acceptable to his or her advisor and committee and to the Graduate School. Students should familiarize themselves with the Thesis/Dissertation Preparation Guide before beginning to write.
4. Certain concentrations have language requirements. Those requirements can be found in section 3.9 of the School of Music Graduate Student Handbook.
5. Complete details of this outline can be found in the School of Music Graduate Student Handbook.

Doctoral Degree Programs

The Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music offers the Doctor of Musical Arts degree with concentrations in performance, composition, and conducting. The School also offers the Doctor of Philosophy degree with concentrations in musicology and music education.

Admission to Doctoral Programs

All auditions, writing or composition samples, proficiency examinations, etc., described above are required for entry into doctoral and master’s programs alike; standards for the former are naturally higher than for the latter. Completion of a master’s degree in music at the University of Memphis does not guarantee admission to a doctoral program.

Prerequisites for Doctoral Degree Candidacy
1. Before declaring degree candidacy, doctoral students must have completed 24 hours of graduate coursework.
2. Doctoral candidates who did not have a course in Bibliography and Research Methods at the master’s level must complete MUHL 8400 during doctoral study. (Students in the PhD in music education may substitute MUSE 8220 for this requirement.)
3. Students must fulfill all university requirements, including residency for two consecutive semesters.
4. Students must successfully pass written and oral comprehensive examinations. For students in the PhD programs, comprehensive examinations will be taken near the end of coursework and will be tailored to the individual student’s course of study and dissertation interest. For students in the DMA programs, there will be two sets of tests, the qualifying examinations in music history and theory, and later a comprehensive examination in the major and minor fields. Opportunities for remediation will be provided by courses, organized study or review sessions, and/or reading lists. A second failure will result in termination from the program. The DMA qualifying examinations may be taken after the student has completed 24 hours (including the core); the exam is usually taken in the third or fourth semester of full-time study. A student should consult with his/her advisor before registering for the exam. Students may perform only one degree recital before passing the qualifying exams.
  
  The DMA comprehensive examination will normally be taken during the last semester of coursework (exclusive of dissertation hours) for the degree. The examination has a written and an oral component and will be administered by the student’s committee and tailored to his or her major and minor areas. Further details may be found in the departmental Graduate Student Handbook.
5. Some doctoral programs and concentrations have language requirements which can be found in section section 3.9 of the School of Music Graduate Student Handbook.
6. Upon completion of these prerequisites, the student may file the candidacy forms and work with his or her committee on the proposal(s) for the dissertation or dissertation equivalent.
The Dissertation or Dissertation Equivalent
1. The PhD program requires a doctoral dissertation on an approved scholarly or experimental topic. For most DMA programs, the conventional dissertation is replaced by a dissertation equivalent appropriate to the individual disciplines. Dissertation requirements for each of the DMA concentrations can be found in section 8.6 of the School of Music Graduate Student Handbook.
2. Submission of the Dissertation: All regulations of the Graduate School regarding the mechanics and submission of doctoral dissertations apply to dissertations and dissertation equivalents in music. All degree recitals are recorded and a copy of the recording placed on file in the Music Library.
3. Dissertation defense: every doctoral candidate must defend his or her dissertation or dissertation equivalent before the doctoral committee. Other faculty may attend the dissertation defense or be invited to participate. At the conclusion of the defense, the results will be conveyed in writing by the major professor to the Assistant Director for Graduate Studies.
4. Graduation: The timetable and requirements for graduation are set by the Graduate School and can be found on the Graduate School website.
Post-Master’s Assistantships

Study at the post-master’s level involves considerable sacrifice of time and often earning power to fulfill the requirement of most institutions that a full year must be spent in residence before a degree can be awarded. By awarding assistantships at the post-master’s level, the Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music seeks to attract the very best combination of talent and scholarship available and to encourage as many talented, mature students as possible to continue learning by providing basic subsistence during the year of residence. Normally, stipends to post-master’s students will be for one to three years.

Programs

Master

Doctoral

Graduate Certificate