2. Graduate School of Music

Ⅲ. Guidelines for Doctoral Degree Conferral Process

2.6. Degree Examination

2.6.1. Examination Committee

The advisor organizes an Examination Committee according to the thesis defense rules once the degree dissertation and final application has been submitted.

2.6.2. Examination Items

The doctoral review in music is a comprehensive evaluation of practical research (involving a performance or musical composition for the thesis review), academic research (the doctoral candidate’s dissertation), and extracurricular research activities (recorded materials).

2.6.3. Doctoral Dissertation

The outcome of practice-based research is documented in a doctoral dissertation, which is submitted to the Office of Educational Affairs by a designated date in October. Dissertations submitted beyond the deadline will not be accepted.

2.6.4. Examination Performance or Musical Composition

In music and dance courses, students ’ practical research achievements are presented in a public examination performance. Academic and extracurricular research outcomes must also be presented at the examination performance (in the form of program notes or a presentation) to have them evaluated.

Composition majors must submit their research composition pieces by adesignated date. Furthermore, records (e.g., programs, recordings, and reviews) of a public concert performance connected to the research topic are added to the doctoral file and submitted to the advisory committee.

The Graduate School of Music makes audiovisual recordings of the examination performance that are archived in a database. To this end, students promptly inform the Office of Educational Affairs of the performance and rehearsal dates, program, performers, and other pertinent information once the schedule for the doctoral recital is set. Furthermore, the performers at the examination performance (including the students themselves) provide written consent regarding the copyright and related rights documents stipulated by the Graduate School of Music, which is promptly submitted to the Office of Educational Affairs after the examination performance.

Composition students are encouraged to submit copyrights and related rights documents for their compositions to the Office of Educational Affairs.

2.6.5. Final Examination (oral interview)

The members of the Degree Committee conduct a final examination consisting of an oral interview once the doctoral dissertation has been submitted and the examination performance (or examination performance composition) has been completed and submitted. The doctoral file is retrieved from the Office of Educational Affairs by the student and submitted to the Advisory Committee in advance.

2.7. Publication of Research Outcomes

Since doctoral program research outcomes must be made public, examination performances and other artistic research outcomes (along with extracurricular research achievements) are electronically archived and published on the websites of the University library and the Geidai Archive Center.

Three bound copies of the doctoral dissertation are submitted to the Office of Educational Affairs within three months of acquisition of the degree (with necessary corrections for misprints or omissions). See “ Bookbinding Specifications ” for more information about binding.

Supplementary Note
(Pre-enrollment information regarding the doctoral program)

Anyone who wishes to enroll in a doctoral program is expected to thoroughly read the information about this program, understand its content, and take an entrance exam. The following two points will be listed in the application materials as part of Public Relation (PR) efforts.

1) The definition of doctoral research

2) Examinees should be instructed to note the following in the entrance examination essay:

(1) Doctoral research topic, goals, and significance (the significance of the topic in question with regard to the current research situation and society)

(2) Overview of research experience to date (including artistic activities)

(3) Doctoral research implementation methods (how practice and research will be combined into a specific research plan)

(4) Anticipated research achievements and social benefits

2.8. Graduate School of Music

	1st year	2nd year	3nd year
April	Appointment of Advisory Committee members First Advisory Committee convenes (registration period) Submit research plan in doctoral file (registration period)	First Advisory Committee convenes (registration period) Submit research plan in doctoral file (registration period)	Request that first Advisory Committee convenes (decision whether doctoral degree application may be submitted in this academic year) Submission of 3rd year research plan Submission of preliminary degree application
May	First year degree recital/composition performance (by December) Second Advisory Committee meeting (by December)	Second year degree recital/composition performance (by December) Second Advisory Committee meeting (by December)
June	↓	↓
July	↓	↓
Summer Vacation
October	↓	↓	Submission of doctoral dissertation
November	↓	↓
December	↓	↓	Submission of musical composition Degree recital and examination (by February) Oral final examination (by February) Examination Committee meeting (by February)
Winter Break
January	Submit progress status report in doctoral file Advisor submits instruction in research progress status report	Submit progress status report in doctoral file Advisor submits instruction in research progress status report	↓
February			↓
March			Degrees conferred Dissertations bound and submitted (by June)

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