formulated by the
VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS
GRADUATE COMMITTEE
for reference by
students and
advisors
These policies are related to the multidisciplinary aspects of the program. Each student must consult the graduate advisor of the appropriate major area for policies specific to that area. Revisions are in force as the date appearing on the section. (January 2003)
SECTION I. The Program
SECTION II. Requirements, Overview
SECTION III. Core Examination Guidelines
SECTION IV. Internship Guidelines
SECTION V. Professional Problem Guidelines
Established in 1972, the Fine Arts Doctoral Program (FADP) has been administered within the College of Visual and Performing Arts, since September 2002.
The Fine Arts Doctoral Program offers a unique multidisciplinary education in Art, Music, Theatre, and Philosophy; provides a comprehensive approach to doctoral study of the arts and of aesthetic principles; and fosters leadership in the arts for institutions of higher education, for the benefit of regional culture, and for the enrichment of society as a whole. The program is multidisciplinary in the sense that all students participate in a core of courses which provide an overview of the arts and an introduction to aesthetics. At the same time, each student develops a major, usually ten courses or more, in one area of Art, Music, or Theatre Arts. The aim of the program is thus to provide depth and breath in the course of study most likely to develop scholarly, creative and administrative leadership in the arts.
The Fine Arts Doctoral Program is committed to artistic and academic excellence; multidisciplinary perspectives on the arts; development of individual and interactive talent; creativity and innovation; diversity and flexibility; depth and breadth of training; artistic and academic integrity; and artistic and academic freedom.
The Fine Arts Doctoral Program will achieve regional, national, and international recognition for its disciplinary and multidisciplinary innovation and excellence, for its preparation of effective leaders for creative academic and administrative positions, and for its provision of a stimulating and inspiring environment to those who wish and are qualified for advanced and innovative education in the arts.
The Dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts appoints the Graduate Advisor (or equivalent title) and one representative from each of the three major units to serve on the Graduate Committee (GC), the group charged with supervising the Fine Arts Doctoral Program. An Associate Dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts is director of the FADP, chairs the Graduate Committee, and serves as liaison to Chairs and Directors of Art, Music, Theatre and Dance, and Philosophy.
Among other responsibilities, the Graduate Committee makes final recommendations to the Dean of the Graduate School on admissions and maintains a continuing review of all aspects of the program. Acting on behalf of the committee, the Director reviews individual admissions worksheets and degree plans, and forwards them to the Graduate School.
The three major divisions of Art, Music, and Theatre Arts exercise responsibility for students in their individual areas. This responsibility includes screening applicants and recommending admission, counseling students in the development of individual degree plans, administering examinations, and forming advisory committees for direction of dissertations. For this reason, the Graduate Advisor in each unit constitutes an important liaison to the Graduate Committee.
A note on terminology: the degree program is “doctorate in Fine Arts,” “Minor” refers to the multidisciplinary core courses, and “Major” refers to the major (area of specialization), i.e., art, music, or theatre arts.
The Graduate Committee admits students to the Fine Arts Doctoral Program and awards scholarships/fellowships to Fine Arts doctoral students in compliance with the policies of Texas Tech University and the State of Texas. The Graduate Committee was established according to the provisions of the original program proposal approved by the State Coordinating Board. As such, it has the responsibility of reviewing and acting on all applications for admission to the program.
Students applying for admission to the Fine Arts Doctoral Program must apply both to the Graduate School and to the School or Department (Art, Music, or Theatre and Dance) in which they intend to major. Applications approved by a School or Department, which are evaluated according to the criteria and policies of that School or Department, are then forwarded to the Graduate Committee for consideration. The GC does not automatically approve applicants who are recommended by their major units, but it weighs such recommendations most heavily among all the factors considered. The GC considers the individual profile of the student (in particular, his or her professional goals, past professional and educational experiences, portfolios or other demonstrations of ability and motivation, and recommendations), the artistic and academic records of the student, and the test scores of the student. The Graduate Committee evaluates candidates on all pertinent available evidence and seeks to admit the strongest candidates.
The Graduate Committee reviews applications and records its decision as approved, denied, or conditional i.e., “with conditions.” Specific conditions are itemized on the worksheet sent to the Graduate School and are monitored by individual units, which shall report any irregularities to the GC. The Director sends the committee’s final recommendation to the Dean of the Graduate School who notifies the student of acceptance or denial. This process can be lengthy, so applicants should apply as far in advance of desired entry date as possible.
Initial enrollment in coursework should follow the counsel of the graduate advisor in the major. The official program of work is not developed until after a diagnostic evaluation and/or a preliminary examination.
Regardless of the amount of graduate work which may have been completed elsewhere, every applicant for the doctorate is required to complete at least one year of graduate study beyond the master’s degree in residence at Texas Tech. The aim of this requirement is to ensure that every doctoral candidate devotes a substantial period of time to study without the distraction of employment outside the university. For this reason, no one should contemplate doctoral candidacy who is not able or willing to spend at least one year as a full-time student.
The residence requirement for the FADP is fulfilled by satisfactory completion of 18 semester hours of graduate coursework during one 12-month period. The plan for meeting this requirement must be indicated on the form for submitting the doctoral degree plan to the Graduate School.
Each doctoral program at Texas Tech includes a diagnostic evaluation, usually administered by written or oral examination, or both, during the first semester of doctoral work. The purpose of this evaluation is to determine the student’s preparation for doctoral study in the major and to discover aspects of the discipline where additional preparation is needed. On the basis of this evaluation the official program of study is determined and recorded in the degree plan.
The degree plan records the minimum coursework required to complete the program of study and is filed with the Graduate School for its review and approval. At its inception, information required on the plan comprises: leveling courses (if any), tool or foundation subject (if any), coursework in the core (minor), eleven courses in the major, dissertation hours (12), dissertation Advisory Committee chair, and dissertation topic. The degree plan should be submitted to the Director of the Fine Arts Doctoral Program before the end of the first year, preferably near the end of the first semester of doctoral work. Upon review, the Director forwards the plan to the Dean of the Graduate School for final approval, after which it becomes the official program of study.
Soon after the student’s preliminary evaluation, an advisory committee is appointed by the Dean of the Graduate School, with members recommended by the department involved. Each nominee must hold membership on the Graduate Faculty. This committee ordinarily includes at least three members from the department of the major and at least two members from core and/or related areas (the latter may be determined at a later date). Departures from ordinarily arrangements must be approved by the College of Visual and Performing Arts Graduate Committee. The function of this committee is to guide the student in all remaining aspects of the program and especially in research leading to the dissertation.
In addition to study in the major area, each student completes a series of core courses as a minor comprising 15 hours of work outside the major. The following represents all core courses, from which the student chooses five.
ART 5310, 5314
MUS 5310, 5314
PHIL 5310, 5314
TH A 5310, 5314
Students take five of the six courses not offered by their major department. The second-level course in a student’s major area may be included as a part of the 33-hours minimum major requirement if in the opinion of the department a student’s needs are thereby served.
Each student must complete a minimum of 33 hours in the major beyond the master’s degree. The coursework in the major is determined in consultation with the graduate advisor or the advisory committee. The dissertation requires an additional enrollment of at least 12 hours. Once dissertation research has begun, the student must enroll in dissertation hours (8000) each semester, including summers, until the project is complete. Continuous enrollment in dissertation hours can be curtailed only if a formal leave of absence from the program has been granted for medical or emergency reasons.
Near or at the end of the coursework, each doctoral student undergoes extensive examination over the fields of study involved in the program. This examination covers both the core (minor) and the major, though not necessarily at the same time.
MINOR (Core). The core examination is designed to test the student’s general understanding of concepts and materials implicit in the program of core courses required for the degree. It is conducted according to the policy set forth in SECTION III, CORE EXAMINATION GUIDELINES.
MAJOR (Area of specialization). The examination in the major area is conducted according to the policy of the department involved.
When the examination in both the minor (core) and the major (area of specialization) have been evaluated, the Graduate Advisor reports the results to the Graduate School. If all examinations have been passed and all other requirements for candidacy have been met, the Advisor will recommend that the student be admitted to candidacy for the doctorate. If the examination is not passed, the Graduate School will notify the student that one additional opportunity to pass the examination will be permitted.
Some units require a formal or informal dissertation proposal, for which the student must consult policies in the major area.
Each candidate for the doctorate in Fine Arts writes a formal dissertation under the direction of his or her advisory committee for submission to the Dean of the Graduate School. The form of the dissertation project varies from student to student, but follows one of three options: internship study (see SECTION IV), professional problem (see SECTION V), or more traditional research. Some students may choose to develop dissertations from an multidisciplinary approach, in which case the advisory committee should reflect the breadth of the choice and coursework preparation may be more extensive. In any case, the project involves some mode of research and analysis and includes a stated problem, hypothesis, and planned structure of execution. Its written form conforms to the Graduate School’s Instructions for Preparing and Submitting Theses and Dissertations.
A final public oral examination over the general field of the dissertation, often termed the defense, is required of every candidate for the doctorate. It may be scheduled at any suitable time after the dissertation (not necessarily the final version) has been approved by the advisory committee. The examination may not be administered until at least three weeks have elapsed following the candidate’s submission to the Graduate School of the form for scheduling the examination. The student must consult the Thesis/Dissertation Coordinator in the Graduate School for copies of this form.
The advisory committee and the Dean of the Graduate School (or the dean’s representative) conduct the examination. All members of the committee participate fully in the examination and cast a vote. The examination is public so visitors, including professors other than members of the committee, may participate in the examination although they have no vote in determining the outcome. At the conclusion of the examination, the chair of the advisory committee will send a written notice to the Graduate School giving the result of the examination.
The core examination is designed to test the student’s general understanding of concepts and materials implicit in the program of core courses (minor). The goal is to demonstrate an ability to relate general issues and concerns common to all the arts. The Director of the Fine Arts Doctoral Program distributes questions from previous core examinations which illustrate the types of issues assigned by previous examination committees (see Core Exam Questions).
1. When should a student take the core exam?
Students should take the core exam during the semester following the conclusion
of their core class work or at the end of the last semester in which they are
enrolled in core courses.
2. How is the core committee formed?
In consultation with his or her area advisor, the student selects the committee.
One committee member must be from Art, one from Music, one from Philosophy,
and one from Theatre. Ideally, the committee members will be drawn from the
group of instructors who have taught the student in the core classes; when this
is not possible, other core course instructors can be asked to serve on the
committee. The student should contact the prospective committee members and
ask if they will be on the committee, securing their agreement with signatures
on the Core Exam Request form.
When a question-writer has been identified, that faculty member will assist
or advise the student in completing arrangements for the exam. The Director
of the Fine Arts Doctoral Program is automatically the chair of the committee,
unless the director is required to serve as a unit representative. In that case,
the dean or another associate dean shall chair the examination committee. All
members of the committee, including its chair, are voting members.
3. Who writes the question?
The student picks the committee member that the student would like to have write
the question and asks that person if he or she is willing to do so. The person
who writes the question cannot be from the student’s major area. Students
are strongly encouraged to select a writer from one of the arts areas, to maintain
the notion of a degree in Fine Arts, and to avoid placing an undue burden of
service on instructors of aesthetics.
4. How is the question approved?
After talking to the student about his or her interests and experiences, the
examiner writes a question and distributes it to other members of the committee
for discussion. Once the committee members have had an opportunity to make suggestions
about the question within a specified period of time, the examiner sends by
e-mail or campus mail a revised version of the question to all committee members,
who will promptly inform both the Fine Arts Doctoral Program director and the
author of the question whether or not they approve the question.
5. How is the exam scheduled and how are the arrangements finalized?
As the committee is being formed or once the committee is formed, the student
sets a target date for the exam in consultation with the committee. After the
question has been approved and certified as approved by the Fine Arts Doctoral
Program director, the arrangements can be finalized. In consultation with the
student and other committee members, the author of the question confirms the
day and time for the exam and reserves a suitable room. The author of the question
will then send an announcement about the time and place to members of the committee
and to the graduate directors of Art, Music, and Theatre, who may post or otherwise
publicize the announcement.
The question must be formally approved and given to the student two weeks in advance of the exam date. After receiving the question, the student is expected to meet with the committee members in preparation for the exam.
6. What happens at the core examination?
The Fine Arts Doctoral Program director presides at the exam. The exam is open,
meaning that other students, faculty members, or interested parties may attend
as visitors. As the exam begins, all individuals present are recognized, and
the question is read aloud. The student then has up to twenty minutes to make
a presentation responding to the question. The members of the examination committee
will next ask questions of the student about the presentation and about implications
of the question and the presentation. Discussion among the committee members
during the questioning portion of the exam is likely. The questioning period
should last about forty-five minutes to an hour. If time permits, when all of
the committee members have had an opportunity to question the student, any visitors
present may ask questions.
At the conclusion of the questioning, the student and any visitors are asked to leave the room, and the committee members discuss and evaluate the student’s presentation and responses. No written vote is taken, and committee decision does not need to be unanimous; a majority in favor of passing will result in a decision to pass, while a majority in favor of failing will result in a decision to fail. When the committee members have reached a decision about whether the student has passed or failed, the student is invited back into the room and is given the committee’s decision, at which time committee members are encouraged to discuss briefly both performance and outcome with the student.
7. What do committee members expect in students’ core examinations?
Examiners expect the following:
The use of hand-outs, overhead transparencies, slides, video clips, power point presentations, or other audio-visual aids in the core exam presentation is welcome as long as the aids are appropriate for the topic and for the student’s approach to the topic. Elaborate audio-visual aids are not, however, a substitute for the skills, abilities, and characteristics identified above.
8. What happens after the core examination?
The Fine Arts Doctoral Program director will write a letter to the graduate
director of the student’s department indicating whether the student passed
or failed the exam. This letter is copied to the student, the members of the
committee, and the student’s file. If the student passed, the student
proceeds with his or her program of study and the unit’s Graduate Advisor
reports the results to the Graduate School when departmental qualifying exams
are complete and the student is recommended for Candidacy.
If the student failed, the letter is copied, in addition, to the Graduate School.
Graduate School policy dictates that “[a]n applicant who does not pass
the qualifying examination* may be permitted to repeat it once after a time
lapse of at least four months and not more than twelve months from the date
of the unsatisfactory examination. Failure to pass the qualifying examination
within the specified time will result in dismissal from the program irrespective
of performance in other aspects of doctoral study” (Graduate Catalog,
2005-06, 75). Ordinarily, the original committee members will remain on the
committee for the second exam, and the same or a different person may write
the second question; exceptions to the ordinary procedure must be approved by
the core committee. A student who is to take a second examination may continue
to take course work in the area of specialization but may also be advised to
enroll in or audit additional core courses.
*The Fine Arts Doctoral Program Qualifying Examination process comprises an examination of the multidisciplinary core as a minor area and a departmental examination of the major area of study.
9. What if other questions or ambiguities arise concerning the
core examination?
The Fine Arts Doctoral Program director will be responsible for making decisions
in such cases.
A professional internship may be approved as a part of the dissertation requirement of the doctoral program in Fine Arts. The internship itself is extended as a research project that requires analysis, evaluation, and synthesis within a dissertation. Ordinarily, approval is given through the student’s dissertation advisory committee on behalf of the Graduate Committee and is based on review of the stated professional goals of the student and on the nature and location of the internship proposed. Students should follow the guidelines for acceptable internships presented below.
1. What factors distinguish an internship?
The internship must provide the student an opportunity to work under quality
professional supervision in the area of specialization, and must allow the student
to become acquainted with current best practices in a specific arts situation.
It constitutes a legitimate learning situation wherein the research experience
extends beyond merely viewing operations in a delimited setting for a specified
period of time, and serves primarily the student’s educational needs.
2. What responsibilities lie with the host institution?
The host institution assumes responsibility for assigning specific tasks to
the student, subject to the qualifications listed above. The mentor associated
with the host institution may be appointed as an auxiliary member of the student’s
committee provided that the person meets graduate faculty standards at Texas
Tech University. The host institution bears no obligation to employ the student
after completion of the internship.
3. What is the role of the advisory committee and the GC in arranging
an internship?
The student’s dissertation advisory committee bears responsibility for
approving the internship proposal, submitting it to GC scrutiny only in instances
when its provisions appear not to conform to the intent of these guidelines.
In addition, the advisory committee is responsible for formulating agreements
and arrangements with the host institution (or for delegating those tasks).
With the approval of the advisory committee, either the institution or the student
may, for good reason, terminate the relationship at any time before the originally
agreed-upon date of completion.
4. How is an internship approved?
Students wishing to use the internship as part of the doctoral program in Fine
Arts must submit a proposal in writing to the dissertation advisory committee
well in advance of the projected starting date (ideally, six months). The proposal
must provide the title and description of the project, including location, relevance
to the program, expected outcomes, and other pertinent information. Wherever
appropriate, the proposal should provide a review of relevant literature on
the project, of critical strategies for completing it, and/or of aspects of
the student’s background which might be expected to facilitate successful
completion. Finally, the proposal should provide evidence of interest on the
part of the proposed host institution if that is possible.
5. When is an internship undertaken?
The Graduate Committee recommends that internships not proceed until qualifying
examinations (core and departmental) are satisfactorily completed and the student’s
advisory committee has approved the proposal. Neither the GC nor the advisory
committee bears any responsibility for difficulties that may result from an
internship initiated prior to qualifying exams, initiated prior to committee
approval, or proposed fewer than six months in advance of the project.
6. Do I receive credit for an internship?
Students may elect to intern for a period of not less than six months nor more
than one year. Normally, only credit for dissertation research or individual
research courses may be earned during the internship period. The internship
and its presentation in dissertation form will carry no fewer than 12 credit
hours toward the degree with no fewer than four terms of 8000 in the major area.
7. What happens during the period of internship?
Communication is essential for an effective internship. During it the student
must submit a written report at least every two weeks to the chair of the dissertation
advisory committee. The advisory committee is responsible for arranging periodic
oversight, whether by means of forwarded reports, site visits, instructional
technology (interactive video, virtual galleries, tapes and recordings, etc.),
and so on. In addition, the host institution is provided an opportunity to evaluate
the internship.
8. How is the project completed?
Upon completion of the internship itself, the student writes a dissertation
describing the project, identifying a significant problem or issue addressed
within it, explaining his or her approach to the problem through the internship,
analyzing the data and/or experience gained, resolving the problem, and evaluating
the effectiveness of the resolution. This document must survey previous studies
of related projects, acknowledge all relevant scholarship on the subject, and
address original aspects of the project itself. The paper must meet the Graduate
School’s standards for doctoral dissertations as to format and quality
and is submitted to the Dean of the Graduate School when completed.
If the topic is approved by a student’s advisory committee, a professional problem may constitute the focus of examination for a dissertation.
By their nature, professional problems can derive from myriad subjects. Like an internship, professional problems involve the researcher in an experiential situation that constitutes a single, unique set of circumstances that requires analysis. It is not always assumed that conclusions gained from this type of situation-specific study can be generalized directly to other situations.
Depending upon the type and structure of examination proposed, professional problems might include extended critical analysis of one’s own creative work, examination of a specific educational or artistic situation or issue, preparation and evaluation of an administrative program, devising and delivering a course of study, and so on. Any such project, when written as a dissertation, includes the stated problem, a thesis, a planned structure of execution, and research of relevant literature on the topic or strategies to explore it. The final form conforms to all Graduate School requirements for dissertations.
The student’s advisory chair must supervise the project closely since professional problems are potentially open-ended investigations. Students who desire to exercise this option should communicate effectively with all concerned throughout the duration of the project, as appropriate. The proposal form that follows constitutes a model that the student and advisory chair, in consultation, might use as a guide so as to conform to the parameters of the specific professional problem.