School of Engineering and Technology

Departmental E-mail: matinfo@iu.edu

Departmental URL: https://et.iupui.edu/departments/mat/programs/mt/

(Please note that when conferring University Graduate School degrees, minors, certificates, and sub-plans, The University Graduate School’s staff use those requirements contained only in The University Graduate School Bulletin.)

Curriculum

Curriculum
Courses
Faculty

Degrees Offered

Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy

Special Departmental Requirements

(See also general University Graduate School requirements)

Admission Requirements

Bachelor’s degree and evidence of substantial previous work in creative and/or technical areas related to music technology. Candidates should have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 (B) overall from undergraduate studies. E-portfolio comprising of online audio/video content demonstrating musical, computational, or other work related to music technology (minimum of 3 samples). Three letters of recommendation in support of the application. Test of English as a Foreign Language is required of international applicants. A personal interview may be requested.

Program Requirements

Master of Science Degree (on campus or online)

The Master of Science in Music Technology (M.S.M.T.) program provides professional education in areas of computer-based music technology, multimedia and interactive design, and multimedia production techniques. The primary focus is on the development of research-related competencies and integration of research findings into the development and use of music technology with specialties in 1) recording, manipulation, and live sounds; 2) the creative production of electronic music and live electronics; and 3) music technology in education and pedagogy. The program, offered online or on campus, is conferred by Indiana University and accredited by the National Association for Schools of Music.

Course Requirements

• 18 credit hours in Music Technology Courses (at the 500 level or above)
• 6 credit hours in Cognate Courses (400 level or above) to be selected from Music, Business, Education, Communications, Computer Science, Fine Arts, and Liberal Arts
• 6 credit hours from the Cognate Courses or electives (400 level or above) from other fields with pre-approval from the Graduate Program Director.

• 3.0 average to continue
• No grades lower than "B" in core courses and cognate fields will be counted toward the degree
• No grades lower than "C" will be counted toward the degree
• Residency requirement (on-campus student only), 3 consecutive summers or 1 summer and a contiguous academic term.

Admission Requirements

To be eligible to apply for the Master of Science in Music Therapy at IUPUI you need to meet the following requirements:

• Submission of the online application to the campus.
• Bachelor's degree and evidence of substantial previous work in creative and/or technical areas related to music technology.
• All official transcripts of undergraduate and graduate study
• Minimum Grade Point Average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) for the undergraduate degree
• E-portfolio comprising of online audio/video content demonstrating musical, computational, or other work related to music technology (minimum of 3 samples).
• Three letters of recommendation in support of the application (they may be on business letterhead or submitted through the online application link)
• In-person or telephone interview with the graduate program director or a graduate faculty member.
• International students must pass the TOEFL exam.

Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Music Technology (on campus only)

Program Information

The Ph.D. in Music Technology is a research-intensive degree that is designed for students with backgrounds in music technology, music, computer science, engineering, informatics, human computer interaction, and other related fields. The principal objective of the Ph.D. is to train graduate who will conduct research and develop transformative new technologies in music and the arts; examine the practices of designing, making, and managing music technology, and apply music technology in education and industry. The Ph.D. in Music Technology is offered on campus only.

Program Requirements

A total of 90 credits hours is required for the degree, of which up to 30 credit hours may be transferred from a student’s post-baccalaureate degree of study, as approved by the graduate advisory committee.

The 90 credit hours for the Ph.D. are distributed amount the following 6 content areas:

• Music Technology – 12-18 credit hours
• Other Studies in Music – 12 credit hours
• Declared minor area – 12 credit hours
• Dissertation - 18 credit hours

Academic Progress: Time to Degree

Students enrolled in the Ph.D. in Music Technology have a total of ten (10) years from the date of enrollment to complete the Ph.D.

Admission Requirements

To be eligible to apply to the Ph.D. in Music Technology at IUPUI, you need to meet the following requirements:

• Submission of the online application to the campus
• Statement of Purpose – This is a short essay discussing the applicant’s ideas for doctoral research and arguing how their expertise and interests make them a strong candidate for pursuing this research. In preparing this statement, applicants should identify the faculty member(s) that they are most interested in working with. The Statement of Purpose should not exceed three double-spaced pages.
• Letters of Recommendation (3) – Three letters from individuals are required to provide authoritative support for the applicant’s potential success in graduate studies, such as previous instructors, employers, mentors, etc.
• Portfolio – The portfolio is the opportunity for the applicant to persuasively demonstrate the skills, knowledge, and potential ability to engage and contribute to high-quality research in Music Technology. The applicant may submit a portfolio of samples of previous professional, artistic, or academic work on music, technology, and/or related fields. The ideal portfolio will consist of both musical/technical artifacts and writing samples. The portfolio should be made available online (e.g. in your personal webpage) and the URL pointing to the portfolio should be included on the resume submitted as part of the application.
• Musical/Technical Artifacts - Examples include, but are not limited to musical compositions, recordings (please note your role in the recording process), performances, project deliverables, hardware and software development, web pages, digital musical instruments, audio code, acoustic designs, etc.
• Writing Samples – As part of the portfolio three samples of previous scholarly, academic, or technical work on music technology or related fields are required. These samples should represent the applicant’s ability to conduct research and write effectively about their area of specialization. Submission of published work is preferred.
• Resume/curriculum vitae - A resume or curriculum vitae (CV) will be submitted to document the applicant’s academic, scholarly, and career history.
• Research Advisor Support Letter – The Graduate Program Director will facilitate the applicant in contacting potentially interested advisors. Prior to application, the student will be in contact with an MAT Graduate Faculty member, who will conditionally agree to serve as the applicant’s major advisor. This future major advisor will submit a support letter, as part of the application process, that will 1) clearly state that they will serve as the major advisor and 2) explain why the faculty member is a good match for this applicant’s particular research interests.
• Transcripts – The applicant will need to submit transcript(s) and/or academic documents for every institution of higher education attended. If a transcript is not in English, please upload an English translated certified by the college which issued the transcript. All transcripts and/or academic documents uploaded to the online application are considered unofficial. The unofficial transcript(s) will be used for the application review and admission purposes. If the applicant is admitted for admission, they must submit official hard copy transcripts directly to the IUPUI Graduate School upon arrival to campus. If the applicant is currently finishing a baccalaureate degree, they will be required to submit a document that certifies the awarding of that degree. Note: We do not require transcripts from Indiana University campuses.
• GRE  score (required) - The IUPUI school code for the GRE is 1325 – enter this code on the exam’s answer sheets. 
• TOEFL or IELTS scores - For non-native English speakers, TOEFL or IELTS scores taken within the last two years will need to be submitted. Minimum required scores: 79 TOEFL, 6.5 IELTS. The IUPUI school code is 1325. This requirement may be waived if a BS or MS degree has been earned in the United States, ELS Level 112 has been successfully completed, or if the applicant has been placed into G013 or higher on the IUPUI ESL Placement Test.

For applicants who have already completed a master’s degree, a transcript review by the MAT Graduate Committee will determine if any credits qualify as applicable to their Ph.D. requirements.

Grades

A minimum grade point average of 3.0 (B) must be maintained in all course work.

Advancement to Candidacy:

Qualifying Exam

The Qualifying Examination (QE) is a written examination required of all MAT doctoral students. It is a comprehensive, open-book exam. One of the functions of this test is to determine is the student has advanced analytical and critical thinking skills based on their understanding of topics in Music Technology. Students are required to take this test sometime in years 2-4, as specified by the IUPUI Graduate Office. The QE may only be taken after the minimum coursework requirements have been fulfilled. In music technology, typically, this equates to 8 courses if the student enters the Ph.D. program with a master’s degree or 18 courses for direct Ph.D. students. Questions on the exam are “topics” based and the students will be required to answer four (4) questions covering topics germane to Music Technology. One (1) of the questions will be dedicated to the student’s Primary Area of study and another question (1) will be dedicated to the student’s Minor Area of study. The other two questions (2) will stem from topics in Music Technology. The examination is four hours in length.

Preliminary Exam and Proposal Defense

The Preliminary Exam and Proposal Defense (Proposal) is given to determine whether a student is adequately prepared to conceive and undertake a suitable dissertation research topic. Students may not schedule their until after they have passed the QE, submitted their final Study Plan, and compiled their Doctoral Research Committee. The PE/Proposal is comprised of a written research proposal, an oral presentation, and an oral examination covering the content of both the student’s proposed research. The research proposal shall be a document that fully lays out the proposed research. The document will contain three components: a comprehensive literature review, a set of research questions / hypotheses with proposed work plans, and preliminary project design(s)/result(s) that points to project outcomes. Although there is no official length requirement, a suggested length may be approximately 10,000 words.

Students must complete the PE/Proposal at least two academic sessions (counting regular semesters and summer sessions) for which they are registered before taking the Dissertation Defense/Final Examination. It is recommended for the PE/Proposal to occur within 12-18 months after passing the QE. Since one goal of the PE/Proposal is to provide research direction and feedback, it should be taken early enough to allow the Doctoral Research Committee to make an effective contribution. The written dissertation proposal must be submitted to members of the Doctoral Research Committee at least two weeks before the examination. It is the responsibility of the student to schedule the Proposal in consultation with all Doctoral Research Committee Members.

Dissertation/Final Examination (Defense)

Prior to beginning the dissertation research, the student files a dissertation prospectus, which contains a brief description of the dissertation proposal, overall format (traditional or manuscript). If applicable, the IRB approval is submitted with the prospectus. The student provides a full, formatted copy of the completed defense to the research committee at least 4 weeks prior to the scheduled defense. Once the dissertation is prepared and all other requirements have been completed, the student must present and defend their work in a Final Examination. The Final Examination Committee is typically the student’s Doctoral Advisory Committee. At the end of the oral defense, the research committee votes on the outcome of the examination