Advising & Examinations

Currently enrolled students should consult with their advisor regularly to be sure they are on track for graduation. The advisors in music theory and composition are as follows:

Please consult the following link for information on how doctoral students in music theory and composition can satisfy the scholarly engagement requirement.

Summer/Fall 2023:

All incoming first-year undergraduate music majors are required to take a short music theory placement exam. The exam tests fluency in music fundamentals to determine whether students need to take an introductory music theory course. Students who do not have sufficient knowledge of the material will be required to take Fundamentals of Music (MUT 1001) before beginning the four-semester music theory sequence. The course will help ensure students’ success in subsequent theory classes. Students who take MUT 1001 during their first fall semester will take first-year music theory courses (MUT 1111, MUT 1112) during the following spring and summer semesters. They will then be ready to continue the second-year theory courses on track during their second year.

The exam contains timed sections, testing fluency in identifying:

1. Notation
2. Major and minor key signatures
3. Scales
4. Intervals
5. Triads

The exam will take approximately 30 minutes. Please take it on a computer (not a phone) with a reliable internet connection. Some sections are timed and the timer begins as soon as you click on the section. The time limit for each section will be specified before each section begins. Once you have completed a section and submitted it, you will not be able to return to it. Although it is possible to pause between sections, be careful not to get “timed out” of the system because you will be prevented from taking the exam a second time. Please be sure that you have 30 minutes of uninterrupted work time, and have the password ready.  The exam is available May 11 – 20 and August 7 – 18

Take the Exam

Remember that the purpose of this exam is to determine which theory class is best suited for you, and this should help you succeed in the theory sequence. Students without adequate mastery of the material covered on this exam typically do poorly in Music Theory I. You must therefore take this entrance exam without any form of outside help or assistance.

Exemption exams for Music Theory I (MUT 1111) and Music Theory II (MUT 1112) will be given on the Friday afternoon before the start of fall-semester classes . Please be aware that these exams are intended for transfer students and mid-year admissions; students previously enrolled in Music Theory I and II are not permitted to exempt the courses by examination. There are no exemption exams for Music Theory III and IV (MUT 2116 and 2117).

If you have done well on the AP Music Theory Exam: we strongly recommend that you not simply assume you should exempt any of our music theory courses. In addition to going into greater depth, Music Theory I (MUT 1111) covers topics not typically addressed in high school AP courses. Students who avoid taking MUT 1111 often feel behind in MUT 1112. If you take our exemption exam, we will provide feedback so that you can decide what is best for you. These exams are hand graded, and we provide specific information that should be helpful (e.g., what grade your part-writing would receive using the standards applied on the MUT 1111 final exam).

Part 1 of the exemption exams for each level of Aural Skills (MUT 1241L, MUT 1242L, MUT 2246L, and MUT 2247L) will be given shortly before the start of classes via Zoom (contact Dr. Joanna Hunt for the appropriate Zoom link). Students who attain a sufficient score on Part 1 (dictation) will then be invited to complete Part 2 (sight singing) via Zoom.

Students may not attempt to exempt a course in which they were previously enrolled or if they previously attempted the exemption exam.

To be approved for upper-level composition lessons, one must pass the Undergraduate Composition Listening Exam (pieces are selected from the PDF at the link below and 80% must be correctly identified) and pass the Sophomore Composition Jury (based on a portfolio with three recent, representative compositions). The listening exam and juries are held on Wednesday of Finals Week, with the listening exam at 9:00 am, and the juries scheduled individually. Students wishing to take the Sophomore Composition Jury must attempt the Undergraduate Composition Listening Exam one semester earlier. As long as you attempt the listening exam (even if you do not achieve 80% on your first attempt), you will be permitted to take your sophomore jury the following semester.

Download Listening List

Click on this link for information from the Graduate Handbook on the GMCE

The Graduate Music Theory Proficiency Exam is optional for all graduate students in music except for theory/composition students. Students may not enroll in a few particular graduate theory courses—e.g. MUT 5627, MUT 5656, MUT 5751—unless they have passed the Graduate Music Theory Proficiency Exam or passed our graduate elective entitled “Analyzing Tonal Music. The exam is offered in a fully computerized format. The four sections of the exam cover topics from the first three semesters of undergraduate  theory: (1) realization of figured bass, (2) identification of partwriting errors, (3) the proper identification and resolution of chromatic harmonies (secondary dominant and leading tone chords, modal mixture, Neapolitan and augmented sixths), and (4) form and analysis (formal type, phrase structure, motivic process, cadence identification, chromatic chord identification). The exam does NOT cover ear training, sight singing, or post-tonal music. Any mainstream undergraduate theory textbook can be used to review for this exam.

Graduate students in music theory must pass competency exams in keyboard harmony and in chorale-style melody harmonization; students pursuing the Specialized Studies program in Pedagogy of Music Theory must also pass those two exams. Graduate students in composition must pass the Style Identification competency exam. All composition students are required to pass the Style Identification competency exam; doctoral students in composition may also be required to pass the other tests as an outcome of their diagnostic examination. Exams will be evaluated on a pass/fail basis and may be taken as many times as needed to pass. The exams are described below.

A. Keyboard Harmony (required for graduate degrees in music theory and for the Specialized Studies Program in Pedagogy of Music Theory; recommended for composition majors)

This exam is normally conducted on the third Friday of Fall and Spring semesters, beginning at 3:30 pm in Dr. Rogers’s office (Longmire 406). Each exam will last approximately 10 minutes, and at least three members of the theory faculty will be present. A sign-up sheet will be posted on the bulletin board outside Dr. Rogers’s door (beside Longmire 406) the week prior to the exam.

You will be asked to play one or more examples from each of the components below. You may choose to attempt only certain components of the exam on a given date, but you must attempt at least one component of the exam every semester until you have passed all components. The exam is performed entirely without notation. To pass a section, you must demonstrate appropriate harmonic progressions and voice-leading with adequate fluency. The exercises may be played slowly, but each should maintain a clear beat and meter. Obviously, you will want to maintain typical keyboard style (i.e., one voice in the left hand and three in the right).

You should prepare the following exercises in all major and minor keys up to four sharps or four flats. The examining committee may ask you to repeat a progression in a different key or mode. All progressions should be long enough to establish the tonic, illustrate the required feature, and end with a conclusive cadence. (Usually 7-12 chords is sufficient.)

1. Establish the initial key, smoothly modulate either to the dominant or to the relative key (your choice), and end with a convincing cadence in the new key.
2. Establish the initial key, smoothly modulate either up a tritone or up a half-step (i.e., to #IV or bII — your choice), and end with a convincing cadence in the new key.
3. Play short progressions that illustrate characteristic uses of common chromatic chords: secondary dominants, secondary leading-tone chords, mode mixture chords, augmented-sixth chords (all three types), and Neapolitan (bII) chords. You may incorporate two or more of these chords into a single progression (examining committee choice).
4. Play some form of ascending sequence (your choice), leading to a suitable cadence.
5. Play some form of descending sequence (your choice), leading to a suitable cadence.

To help you prepare for the exam, you may wish to consult the keyboard harmony appendix of Aldwell and Schachter’s Harmony and Voice Leading, which is on reserve in the Music Library.

B. Style Identification (required for all graduate students in composition; recommended for music theory graduate students)

This exam is given during the seventh week of each semester. You must attempt this exam during your first or second semester; if you do not pass on the first try, you are encouraged to (re-)attempt this exam every semester until passing, but you may skip ONE semester between attempts. The exact time and location of the exam will be announced just prior to its administration. You will hear five excerpts twice each, then examine five scores (excerpts from ten separate works). You will be asked to identify the probable composer and date of the excerpts, and then, considering issues of style and genre, you will be asked to provide three thoughtful statements to support your assertion of composer and date for each excerpt. A masters level student will be expected to score approximately 60%, while a doctoral student will be expected to earn a score of approximately 80%.  A sample exam may be downloaded at this link.

C. Melody Harmonization (required for graduate degrees in music theory and for the Specialized Studies Program in Pedagogy of Music Theory; optional for composition students unless required for D.M. students after taking diagnostic exams)

A melody of approximately 10-12 measures must be harmonized in SATB texture. The part writing must be error free and the progressions should be in the style of common practice tonal music. You may check your work at a keyboard. This exam is typically during the tenth week of the semester. The start date and time will be announced in advance; please contact Dr. Grasso if you have a conflict with the specified schedule. Exams will be distributed from LON 311. You must attempt this exam every semester until you pass it.

Before taking the comprehensive oral examination, you must pass the Graduate Theory Competency Exams (see above).

I. Thesis Program

For this program, the Master’s Comprehensive Examination consists of an oral section that is usually administered immediately following the defense of Thesis. You must be registered for MUS 8966 (0 credit) during the semester in which you take the exam. You may expect some or all of the music theory faculty to be present during the oral comprehensive examination, and you may be asked questions related to your entire degree program.

There is no limit to the number of times that the oral examination may be retaken.

Note: Students who select the thesis program must identify their entire committee by the end of the seventh week of their penultimate semester, inform the area coordinator as to the names of all committee members, and submit a committee form to the College of Music Graduate Office.

II. Non-Thesis Program

For the non-thesis program, students must take a written examination, to be distributed on the Wednesday in the same week as Veterans Day and the Wednesday before Spring Break. The exams are closed book and must be completed by the Monday 12 days later. An oral follow-up to the written exam will be scheduled following the written exam.

When submitting the written part of the examination, students must also submit a scholarly writing sample to their entire committee and to the area coordinator. The writing sample must comprise at least ten double-spaced pages of prose and must be comparable in tone and substance to a professional conference paper, but with references provided (in footnotes or a different format). Musical examples may be included but may not be counted toward the minimum page count. It is acceptable to submit a paper that was written for a class or a DIS during the M.M. degree. Students who previously submitted a writing sample as part of a doctoral application may request that their prior submission be counted as their M.M. scholarly writing sample.

Note: students who select the non-thesis program must select their major professor (i.e., their M.M. committee chair) and must inform the area coordinator as to their selection by the end of the seventh week of their penultimate semester. Two other faculty members will also be appointed to your committee by the area coordinator. The student must submit a committee form to the College of Music Graduate Office by the end of their penultimate semester.

Note to students planning to stay at FSU for their doctoral studies: to avoid having to produce two more analyses as part of the Ph.D. diagnostic exam, students may request that the M.M. comprehensive exam be evaluated by the entire theory faculty instead of just a three-person committee. (The Ph.D. diagnostic exam would then consist of only an essay surveying the field of music theory and assessing the student’s own areas of knowledge and curiosity.) Contact the Area Coordinator by the end of January if this option is desired.

The doctoral diagnostic examination is designed to determine your understanding of music theoretical concepts, your skills in formal analysis, and your familiarity with the field of music theory. The written diagnostic examination consists of:

• An essay (approximately 5000 words or 8-10 pages) providing both 1) an overview of significant research areas and topics in the field of music theory and 2) a statement of your research interests in music theory, including where your interests are situated within ongoing research in the field.
• Analyses of two short pieces, one tonal and one post-tonal, including a brief essay on each piece, scores with analytical markings, and any other illustrations suitable to convey your analytical insights.

Each of these three components of the exam is to be completed within a four-hour block of time; therefore the entire exam will take 12 hours to complete.

Ph.D. students will take the exam over spring break their first year in the doctoral program. The examination materials will be distributed the Wednesday before spring break, and the analyses and the essay on research interests will be due the Monday following spring break, allowing a twelve-day window to complete the exam components. An oral follow-up to the written exam will be administered prior to the end of spring term. All theory faculty will be present and you will be asked questions related to your written examination, your research interests, and your readiness to pursue the Ph.D. in music theory.

The doctoral diagnostic examination must be passed prior to enrolling in your third doctoral seminar. Students who do not pass the exam during spring semester of their first year in the doctoral program are encouraged to retake it in the fall semester of their second year in order to be able to take the third doctoral seminar spring of second year, but have the option to delay their third doctoral seminar to retake the exam during the spring semester of the second year. Students do not have to re-take any portion of the exam that they previously passed. For fall-semester examinees, the examination materials will be distributed the Wednesday before Veterans’ Day and the exam will be due Monday of the following week, allowing a twelve-day window to complete the examination components. Failing to pass this exam by the end of the second year of the degree will constitute unsatisfactory degree progress, which may result in the loss of an assistantship or dismissal from the program.

Preliminary Exam Advising (the “pre-pre”)
The Preliminary Exam Advising session represents the last opportunity for feedback on your proposed dissertation topic from the entire theory faculty. A meeting will be scheduled with the theory faculty during Finals Week, normally at the end of the doctoral student’s second year. The student should deliver a Statement of Research Plan document (a prose statement describing the chosen dissertation research topic, including an extensive bibliography) to all theory faculty members no later than a week prior to the meeting. In addition to discussing the proposed topic, the faculty will identify certain areas of scholarship that you should investigate in preparation for your preliminary exams.

Prior to the advising session, each candidate will complete the College of Music Program of Studies form, listing his or her course work toward the doctoral degree, which is signed by Prof. Clendinning (as Doctoral Advisor) and reviewed by Prof. Jones (as Theory/Composition Area Chair), prior to submission to the Music Graduate Office, where it is signed by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and filed. This form requires the following information: the course number, title, instructor, grade, credit hours, curricular requirement met, and term taken. Any courses in progress or yet to be taken should be listed with as much of the above information as is available. As a part of the review of coursework, the candidate must show that he or she has completed the language competency and all skills competency requirements or provide detail of the plan for doing so.

The Examination
The preliminary examination, taken during or following the final semester of coursework, is a written and oral demonstration of readiness to proceed with the dissertation. It is tailored to the candidate’s specific interests as they pertain to the dissertation, and engages an understanding of the discipline of music theory through topics in music theory, history, analysis, and literature that are relevant to the candidate’s dissertation.  The written examination will consist of three papers on topics or questions submitted by the committee.  The candidate will typically choose three questions from four submitted by committee members. The committee may designate questions as “open book”—where research materials and notes may be used, or “closed book”—to be written without reference to any notes or research materials. The candidate will have one week to complete the exam, a copy of which should be given to each committee member.

To schedule the Preliminary Exam, the candidate should contact his or her major professor who will then solicit questions from the examining committee members. Preliminary Exams will be administered between August 1 and March 15. The oral examination will be scheduled no sooner than 2 weeks after submitting the completed exams, and only during the Fall and Spring semesters. The candidate will schedule the oral examination in conjunction with the major professor.

The Master’s Comprehensive Exam in Composition is normally taken after completing course work or during the final semester of course work. It is comprised of five questions. The take-home questions on the exam, outlined below, will be distributed on the Wednesday in the same week as Veterans Day and the Wednesday before Spring Break. Completed exams will be due 12 days later (Monday). Students should make an easily readable scan of their answers and should submit the scan as well as their original hard copy to the M.M. advisor. An oral follow up examination with the composition faculty will be scheduled on Wednesday two weeks after the exams have been turned in. In preparation, reread and critique your exam and bring a copy of the exam with you to the oral examination.

The exam will consist of the following questions:

Questions 1 and 2: Analysis of one tonal and one post-tonal composition, relatively short, using appropriate analytical methods and terminology. Your analyses may incorporate score annotations, graphs, diagrams, tables, and/or other analytical notations. As time permits, you are encouraged to approach at least one of the pieces from multiple analytical perspectives. Provide prose commentary to clarify your analyses, to speak to your choices of methodology, and to cite published precedent where relevant. The question is closed book. You may allot up to 4 hours to complete each of the analyses, total of 8 hours.

Question 3. Melody Harmonization: Harmonize a given melody in four-part chorale style; include a Roman-numeral analysis. You may allot up to two hours to complete this question. A keyboard may be used.

Question 4. Counterpoint: Complete counterpoint exercises as indicated. You may allot up to 2 hours to complete this question. The exercises will include three two-voice exercises (tonal first species, modal second species, and tonal fifth species) as well as a fugal exposition in three voices.

Question 5. 20th- and 21st-Century Composers: Provide extensive information about 15 composers (selected from among 45 names provided) in point-form format, including each composer’s dates, stylistic features, significance, and major works. This question will be answered under proctored conditions on the top floor of the music library during a four-hour time-slot very soon after your submission of Questions 1-4.

Entering doctoral students in composition must take the Doctoral Diagnostic Exam in Composition in the fall or spring of their first year, except if they previously passed FSU’s M.M. Composition Comprehensive Exam. It is comprised of five questions. The take-home questions on the exam, outlined below, will be given out the Wednesday prior to Veterans Day in the Fall semester, and the Wednesday prior to spring break in the Spring semester. Students should make an easily readable scan of their answers and should submit the scan as well as their original hard copy to the D.M. advisor. An oral follow up examination with the composition faculty will be scheduled on Wednesday two weeks after the exams have been turned in. In preparation, reread and critique your exam and bring a copy of the exam with you to the oral examination. This exam must be passed prior to registering for a fourth semester of composition lessons (MUC6261).

The exam will consist of the following questions:

Questions 1 and 2: Analysis of one tonal and one post-tonal composition, relatively short, using appropriate analytical methods and terminology. Your analyses may incorporate score annotations, graphs, diagrams, tables, and/or other analytical notations. As time permits, you are encouraged to approach at least one of the pieces from multiple analytical perspectives. Provide prose commentary to clarify your analyses, to speak to your choices of methodology, and to cite published precedent where relevant. The question is closed book. You may allot up to 4 hours to complete each of the analyses, total of 8 hours.

Question 3. Melody Harmonization: Harmonize a given melody in four-part chorale style; include a Roman-numeral analysis. You may allot up to two hours to complete this question. A keyboard may be used.

Question 4. Counterpoint: Complete counterpoint exercises as indicated. You may allot up to 2 hours to complete this question. The exercises will include three two-voice exercises (tonal first species, modal second species, and tonal fifth species) as well as a fugal exposition in three voices.

Question 5. 20th- and 21st-Century Composers: Provide extensive information about 15 composers (selected from among 45 names provided) in point-form format, including each composer’s dates, stylistic features, significance, and major works. This question will be answered under proctored conditions on the top floor of the music library during a four-hour time-slot very soon after your submission of Questions 1-4.

The preliminary examination, taken during or subsequent to the final semester of the student’s coursework, is a written and oral demonstration of the student’s progress during their residency (at least one academic year). The preliminary exam will consist of two parts: a written exam and an oral exam.

The written exam consists of:

• A personalized prompt (provided by your major professor) for a short composition written over the course of one week.
• A Dissertation Composition proposal that consists of an overview of the proposed work, logistical and technical considerations, and an accompanying artistic statement that highlights the significance of the proposed work in terms of the composer’s ouvre (i.e. how it differs from what came before, past influences, and the impact it aims to have on the field).
• A course proposal that includes a course title and description, annotated syllabus, a list of assigned readings, recordings, and scores, and a description of the objectives for each section of the course.
• A doctoral portfolio consisting of compositions completed at FSU.

  The dissertation composition proposal, the course proposal, and the doctoral portfolio should be submitted to the Doctoral Committee no later than 2 weeks prior to the week scheduled for the “short composition.”

The oral exam follows at least one week after the end of the written exam and consists of a discussion with the Doctoral Committee of the Doctoral Portfolio, the short composition, course proposal, and the Dissertation Composition proposal.