Master's Comprehensive Exams

In order to be eligible to graduate, each Master's student must complete a “Comprehensive Exam” to be given by the Major Professor:

• For MM Performance students, this will be some kind of written exam or project complementing the final Master's recital/composition.
• For MA Musicology and MM Music Education, the comprehensive exam is typically an oral presentation of the Master's thesis before the full thesis committee.

The Major Professor will determine the format of the student’s exam. Faculty may consult the Director of Graduate Studies for advice on crafting the exam question(s).

Option 1: Proctored exam (2 hours)

The Major Professor will submit the question(s) to James Doing, who will coordinate with the student to schedule a time and location (typically a classroom) during the exam week. The exam should contain one or more questions that require a comprehensive response from the student, not to exceed what can be accomplished in a 2-hour proctored setting. The exam will be written into a bluebook or completed via Honorlock (at the Major Professor's discretion) and returned to James.

Option 2: Take-home exam

The Major Professor will send the question(s) to the student via email at a specified time, and the clock will begin on an exam window to be determined by the Major Professor. The take-home exam should contain one or more questions that require a comprehensive response from the student, not to exceed what could have been accomplished in a 2-hour proctored setting. The student will send the finished exam directly to the Major Professor via email.

Option 3: Thesis presentation (oral exam)

This is the preferred format for MA Musicology and MM Music Education only. The Major Professor will consult the committee members to coordinate the scheduling and requirements of the oral exam. The entire exam (i.e. thesis presentation plus questions) should be about 2 hours long. The exam must take place no later than Friday, May 8.

• For MA Musicology students only: The date of the thesis presentation must be communicated to James Doing no later than Friday, April 17, in order to request the MA degree warrant. 

Spring 2026 Comps Schedule: