Graduate Academic Policy

05.01 Residency

It is expected that all work for a graduate degree will be done in residence. This includes the thesis for programs and majors in which such a document required. In rare cases, permission will be granted for credit to be transferred for courses taken at other institutions, as noted in (Graduate Transfer Credit). Students may also request permission from the Associate Dean of Graduate to register for thesis work in absentia, provided that the basic research has been completed, all residency requirements have been met and satisfactory arrangements can be made for close supervision of the work by the advisor. It should be understood, however, that such a procedure is decidedly exceptional, and the permission of the advisor must be obtained in advance.

Full-time residence is defined as two consecutive semesters exclusively devoted to graduate study. A full-time course load consists of:

• 12 credits per semester OR
• 9 credits per semester for students holding a graduate assistantship (except as noted below)
• 12 credits per semester for graduate students in their first year who receive a graduate award solely for playing in Conducting Orchestra.

When a graduate program cannot be completed in one residence year, as in the case of doctoral programs and certain master's degree programs, it is strongly urged that the candidate arrange his or her residence plans so as to be in residence writing the thesis during the academic year. Thus, for example, when only a single complete academic year may be devoted to a graduate program, the required course work should be completed largely in summer sessions before the residence year.

Students should also refer to the sections pertaining to their specific degree and major for additional information regarding residency requirements.

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05.02 Continuous Registration

(Continuation of Graduate Enrollment form)

The Council on Graduate Studies of the University of Rochester has established a principle of continuous registration for graduate students. This means that graduate students must register every fall and spring semester from their first semester of study until their degree is completed.

The exception to this requirement is that music education graduate students who are admitted with "Summers Only" status (program code: MES) must be continuously enrolled during consecutive summer sessions, but are not required to register during fall or spring semesters. Traditional music education graduate students (program code: MUE) who wish to change their status to 'Summers Only' must first obtain approval from the chair of the music education department. See: (Music Education 'Summers Only') (pdf).

There are three registration options that enable graduate students to maintain continuous enrollment when not registered for coursework or thesis/dissertation credits. All three require approval from the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies. International students with F-1 or H-1 visa status must also obtain approval from the International Services Office. Students intending to register for one of these three registration options must submit the appropriate form to the Graduate Office prior to the end of second full week of classes for each semester or they will be charged a late registration fee. The three registration options are as follows:

ESM 995: Continuation of Graduate Enrollment (part-time status). For graduate students who are completing non-credit-bearing requirements (e.g., writing a dissertation, preparing a recital, taking qualifying exams, etc.) after all coursework and thesis or dissertation credits (if applicable) have been completed. Students are not considered to be in residence and therefore comprehensive, activity, and health fees are not charged. Students registered for ESM 995 are considered to have less than half-time status and are not eligible for financial aid or student loan deferment. (Continuation of Graduate Enrollment form)

ESM 999: Continuation of Graduate Enrollment (full-time status). For graduate students who are completing non-credit-bearing requirements (e.g., writing a dissertation, preparing a recital, taking qualifying exams, etc.) after all coursework and thesis or dissertation credits (if applicable) have been completed. With approval from the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies, ESM 999 may be taken with coursework in certain cases. Students are considered to be in residence and therefore subject to comprehensive, activity, and health fees. Students registered for ESM 999 are considered to have full-time status and are eligible for financial aid and student loan deferment. (Continuation of Graduate Enrollment form)

ESM 985: Inactive Status. For graduate students who, for extraordinary reasons, must temporarily delay progress on their program of study. Such circumstances may include, but are not limited to, medical problems, military service, employment opportunities, or study elsewhere. Usually, though not always, this means that the student is not in residence at Eastman. Medical reasons require documentation in the form of a written statement from the Director of University Health Services. (Inactive Status form)

Students who are enrolled in ESM 985 Inactive Status for longer than three consecutive years must make a formal request for reinstatement to their degree program.

See (Reinstatement to Graduate Degree Program)

See (Special Enrollments)

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05.03 Placement Examinations and Remediation

All entering graduate students are required to take placement examinations in music theory and music history before registering for any course. Students majoring in jazz and contemporary media should also refer to their individual degree requirements for information regarding additional placement exams within their department.

Details about content of the music history and music theory placement exams, and suggestions about how to prepare for them will be made available to new students by the admissions office once the student's enrollment deposit has been received. These exams are normally given during the week preceding the start of fall, spring and summer terms. Faculty members of the music theory and musicology departments grade the exams, and the results are made available to the students prior to course registration. Students are urged to carefully note their placement exam results, and to take any required remedial courses as early in their degree program as possible.

Students who are unable to take the placement examinations on the prescribed date may, with the permission of the chairs of the music theory and musicology departments, be able to take them after classes have begun. Those who follow this procedure will, as a result, register late, miss class sessions, and may find that space is no longer available in some classes.

Students whose background in music theory is found to be deficient will be required to take one or both of the remedial music theory courses: TH 117 and TH 118 Theory, Analysis and Musicianship Review (1.5 credits each). Students who matriculated before fall 2007 and require remediation take TH 115 Review Dictation and/or TH 116 Review Analysis and Written Skills at 1.5 credits each as required. These courses will not count toward the total credits of any degree program nor fulfill any degree requirement, and they may not be used as electives. However, credits earned in these courses will count toward the student's credit load during the semester that they are taken.

If theory test results reveal that a master's degree student must take TH 116 Form and Analysis Review, s/he may not enroll for the music theory course required in the master's degree curriculum until TH 116 has been satisfactorily completed.

Students whose music history background is found to be deficient will be required to make up for this in a manner which may vary from individual to individual. Some may be required to take MHS 119 (Music History Review - 1.5 credits), a review course that does not count toward the total required credits for any degree, and may not be used as elective credit. However, the course will count toward the student's credit load during the semester that it is taken.

Other students may be required to take one or more of the music history courses numbered MHS 421 through MHS 426, each of which concentrate on a specific historical period.

Those entering the DMA or PhD program with a previous master's degree from Eastman are not required to take the placement exams for a second time, unless they did not receive passing scores on the Medieval and Renaissance portions of the exam (the first 32 questions of the exam). Students in this situation should plan to retake this portion of the placement exam and achieve passing scores; if not, they will be required to take MHS 421 and/or MHS 422 to make up the deficiencies.

In addition to the courses mentioned above, a review language course or courses may be required in certain cases. Remedial courses do not count toward the total required credits for any graduate degree, and may not be used as elective credit. However, they will count toward the student's credit load during the semester that they are taken.

(Updated 7/25/07)

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05.04 Graduate Transfer Credit

A maximum of six semester hours of graduate credit taken not more than five years before matriculation at Eastman may be accepted for graduate degree requirements. The subject(s) taken must form an integral part of the student's program of study, and the student must have earned a grade of "B" or better in the courses in question.

Normally, no transfer credit is given for applied music or ensemble taken at another institution, as these courses must reflect the unique resources of the Eastman School. Academic credit, such as music history or music theory, may be eligible for transfer. Students should submit an official transcript and other supporting documentation (such as papers, projects, assignments, a syllabus, etc.) for the courses in question to the appropriate department chair for evaluation. If the department chair approves graduate credit or credits for transfer, written approval should be forwarded to the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies along with the student’s academic transcript for final review.

Permission to transfer credit from another school must normally be secured before the student registers for those course(s). In rare cases, transfer credit is granted retroactively, provided such credit has not been used toward another degree.

In addition, any transfer credit requested by doctoral students must be for coursework taken above and beyond a 30-credit master's degree. Requests coming from doctoral students will be forwarded to the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies who will forward them to the Graduate Professional Committee (for DMA students) or the Graduate Research Committee (for PhD students) at the same time the student proposes his or her program of study.

Additional information concerning the transfer of credit is available from the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies.

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05.05 Graduate Credit and Grading

Semester hours of credit are assigned to courses in accordance with the recommendations of the National Association of Schools of Music and the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers. In general, one semester hour of credit is assigned for each class hour (contact hour) per week, per semester. In subjects requiring less outside preparation, or with ensemble registrations, two to four one-hour periods per week may be required for each hour of credit. Credit for applied music study is based upon the relationship of that study to the student's major field and the length of the lessons.

Grades for graduate studies are reported on one of the following three systems:

• Letter grades: "A" excellent; "A-"; "B+"; "B" good; "B-"; "C" poor; "E" failure
• "S" satisfactory; "E" failure
• "CR" credit; "NC" no credit

Note: a grade of "I" Incomplete may be awarded at the instructor's discretion when required coursework is outstanding at the end of the semester. The letter "I" will precede the final grade if all work is completed within the time frame agreed to by the instructor (for example: "IB+" or "ICR".) A final grade of "E" will be awarded if work is not completed by the specified deadline. In general, courses taken for a graduate degree at Eastman must receive a letter grade in order to count for degree credit. Exceptions involve the following registrations:

1. Required registrations that carry no credit are to be graded on the "S/E" basis. These include degree recitals (ESM 401, 402, 405, 406, and 501- 506), as well as continuation registrations (ESM 985/995/999), and studio accompanying (ACY 100G). A grade of "E" is considered a failure and may cause the student to be placed on academic probation.
2. Some required registrations that carry degree credit are graded on a "CR/NC" basis. These include thesis and dissertation registrations that may extend over several semesters. Thesis and dissertation credits should be graded with a "CR" if the student is making satisfactory progress. Other courses that may be graded "CR/NC" include: RPO management internship (ORC 421), study abroad (SAB 400), theory colloquium (TH 591), jazz department forum (JCM 491-2), and in some cases, Arts Leadership (ALC) courses not taken to fulfill degree requirements. A grade of "NC" is considered a failure and may cause the student to be placed on academic probation.

Exceptions to the above letter grade requirement must be approved by the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies. Minimum passing grades for graduate courses are "C" (except that "C" is considered a failure for a student on probation), "S", or "CR". See (Graduate Probation). (rev. 2/15/07)

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05.06 Satisfactory Academic Progress

U of R Graduate Council Consensus Recommendations:

In addition to course grades & qualifying examinations, every department (or program should have a standard method to provide doctoral students with periodic feedback on their progress. In some cases very small programs might do this on a less formal basis, but the feedback should be regular.

• Students should receive formal written feedback at least once a year
• Feedback should be in writing to avoid misunderstandings that might be costly to all concerned.
• Students should get regular feedback before the dissertation is underway (as well as after).
• In most instances a faculty member or committee beyond the student's dissertation advisor should be involved in determining satisfactory progress and providing feedback.
• A majority of Rochester doctoral programs already follow these practices. If they were adopted universally both students and faculty would benefit.

Eastman's Graduate Research Committee Procedures (MA & PhD degree students)

• Theory: The theory department, during their last departmental meeting of the academic year, reviews each student's progress and writes a report on each student.
• Music Education: The music education department conducts an annual review of each doctoral student with a 45-minute meeting and a written progress report.
• Musicology: The musicology department evaluates all student coursework each year and that first-year students are evaluated in the spring. They do not have a system to evaluate student progress once the student starts dissertation work.
• Composition: The progress of all graduate students in composition is reviewed by the department at the end of their first year of study and the results are conveyed to each student by his/her academic advisor. The department holds a less formal review of the progress of continuing graduate students in their second year or beyond each April, and any concerns expressed here also are conveyed to the student.

Additional requirements for maintaining satisfactory academic progress

• The academic departments, in consultation with the Graduate Studies Office, will monitor progress towards meeting these requirements and initiate action as necessary if these requirements are not met.
• There is a 6-year limit (if entering with a master's degree) or 7-year limit (if entering with a bachelor's degree) limit on time to doctoral degree.
• All foreign languages requirements must be completed by the 3rd or 5th semester
• The program of study must be approved after 20 hours, and at least 4 months before the comprehensive exams are taken.
• Students must take comprehensive exams within 5 years of having finished their coursework.

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05.07 Graduate Probation

A student who accumulates grades of "C" in 6 credit hours (master's) or 3 credit hours (doctoral) will be considered to have an unsatisfactory record, will be placed on probation, and may be dismissed from the degree program. A student on probation may not hold a graduate award. Students in extenuating circumstances may appeal to the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies. Students who do not demonstrate adequate progress in their primary applied-music study, as demonstrated by either a "C" in applied studio lessons or by a failed jury, may also be placed on probation at the discretion of the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies in consultation with the department chair.

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05.08 Graduation

Graduate degrees are conferred in October, May, and March of each academic year. It is the student's responsibility to verify with his or her academic advisor and with the Registrar's Office that all degree requirements have been satisfied. The student must also complete a degree application with the Registrar's Office at least three months prior to the intended graduation date (e.g.- by February 1 for May commencement.) If the student's program of study includes any major or primary applied study, the student also must present at least one jury examination to allow ratification of that applied study.

The actual diploma and transcript showing degree completion will be available from the School only after all degree requirements have been satisfactorily completed, and the degree(s) are officially conferred. Graduate students may participate in May commencement ceremonies only after ALL credit and non-credit requirements are complete. There is no option for graduate students to participate in commencement ceremonies "on completion". Students awarded degrees in October or March can participate in the following May commencement. Students are not permitted to participate in May commencement ceremonies prior to the completion of an October or March degree.

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05.09 Graduate Calendar

The Graduate Calendar is maintained by the Graduate Studies Office, and can be found on following web page: www.esm.rochester.edu/grad/calendar.php.

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05.10 Graduate Student Association

All graduate students at Eastman are automatically members of the Graduate Student Association (GSA), the primary purpose of which is to provide an effective forum for communication among graduate students and a communication channel between those students and the faculty and administrative officers of Eastman and the University of Rochester. This communication may concern curriculum, policies, or daily problems that graduate students may have. To this end, the officers of GSA have ready access to the School's Dean, Dean of Academic Affairs, and to the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies and the Assistant Dean for Student Life. Communication also may take the form of an informal exchange of ideas between faculty and students.

The GSA also has provided other services, including the funding of various educational projects, both curricular and non-curricular, proposed by and for individual graduate students. More information is available at www.esm.rochester.edu/gsa/.

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05.11 Resolving Problems

A variety of difficulties may arise during a graduate student's degree-study. If things are not going smoothly between the student and the major applied teacher, advice should be sought from the relevant applied department chair and/or the Dean of Academic Affairs. Problems with other courses should be taken to the appropriate department chair and subsequently, if necessary, to the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies. If a student feels that the difficulties s/he is experiencing are also affecting other graduate students, these difficulties should be brought to the attention of the officers of the Graduate Student Association, to see if they are indeed shared by others and to learn if concerted effort by the Association might be the most effective way to find a solution.

No problem which adversely affects a student's work at the School needs to be borne by the student alone. In addition to the avenues suggested above to secure assistance with School-related problems, help with personal problems also is available from the Dean of Academic Affairs or the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies and others. The Dean is a professional in this area, and stands ready to do whatever s/he can to provide relief from the inevitable pressures of graduate study. In some cases, discussion by the student with different people of varying backgrounds (the Dean of Academic Affairs, the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies, faculty members) may afford a wider choice of viewpoints. Problems will be treated confidentially in all faculty and administrative offices.

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05.12 Reinstatement into Graduate Degree Program

Students who have been enrolled in ESM 985 (Inactive Status/Leave of Absence), or those who have not maintained continuous registration, for longer than three consecutive years and who wish to be considered for reinstatement into a graduate degree program at the Eastman School of Music must contact the chair of their respective department and make a formal request for reinstatement. With this request, documentation for the reasons or circumstances for the student's absence must be given; in addition, extra materials (such as tapes or CDs, research papers, and the like) may be required by the department. Should the department recommend reinstatement, the request is then taken to the relevant graduate committee, which makes the final decision on requests for reinstatement. (rev. 8/1/05)

See (Special Enrollments) under Course Descriptions

See (Continuous Registration)

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