Doctor of Musical Arts In Performance Handbook - UNT College of ...

Note: Any students using human subjects as part of the dissertation research must obtain approval through the
UNT Institutional Review Board (http://www.unt.edu/ospa/compliance/humans.html). This includes surveys
and interviews.
Final Comprehensive Oral Examination/Dissertation Defense
Upon completion of the dissertation credits, the student is required to pass a two-hour final comprehensive
oral examination and dissertation defense of his/her project before the Advisory Committee.
Evidence of Satisfactory Progress
A grade of “B” or better is required in all courses used to satisfy DMA requirements.
Time Limit
All work to be credited toward the doctoral degree beyond the master’s degree must be completed within
a period of 10 years from the date doctoral credit is first earned. No course credit beyond the master’s degree that
is more than 10 years old at the time the doctoral degree is completed will be counted toward the doctorate.
Time limits are strictly enforced. Students exceeding the time limit may be required to repeat the comprehensive
exam, replace out-of-date credits with up-to-date work, and/or show other evidence of being up-to-date in their
major and related fields. Students anticipating that they will exceed the time limit should apply for an extension
before their ninth year of study. Holding a full-time job is not considered in itself sufficient grounds for granting an
extension. All petitions for extensions must be supported by the major professor and made in writing to the
Graduate Performance Degree Committee.
Functions of the Graduate Performance Degree Committee (GPDC)
• To consider issues of policy for the degree program
• To consider DMA topic proposals for approval/denial
• To consider all petitions for exceptions, including time extensions, course substitutions, performances
of degree recitals during first semester of study, etc.
• To serve as grading committee members for individual recitals
The Graduate Performance Degree Committee meets on the fourth Monday of each month during long
semesters at 4:00 pm in the Dean’s Conference Room. All materials for the Committee’s consideration must be
submitted to the Graduate Office (MU 216A) on the following schedule:
Topic Proposals: One week prior to the meeting
Petitions: On the Wednesday before the meeting. Petitions should be addressed to the chair of the GPDC and in
letter form. They must also be accompanied by a letter of support from the student’s major professor.
Additional meetings and email ballots may be convened at the discretion of the Chair.
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