Enrollment Policies for Doctoral Students

Enrollment Policies for Doctoral Students

• Minimum course load for doctoral degree students
• Doctoral students in their final semester of coursework (or beyond)
• Enrollment for doctoral candidates 
• Candidate program planning sheet
• Full-time Enrollment Confirmation

Minimum semester course loads

In any semester in which a doctoral student chooses to register, the following minimum course loads apply:

Students enrolled in the doctoral program must usually register in a minimum of 8 credit hours in the fall or spring semesters. There is no minimum enrollment for the summer term.

With permission from the director of graduate studies, doctoral students who have not reached their final semester of coursework may be permitted to enroll part-time for a maximum of two semesters. This policy is intended to allow students who, for reasons of financial hardship, would otherwise need to take a year off to continue making some degree progress. Students enrolling part-time under this provision may not enroll in individual study with a faculty member (e.g., lessons or chamber music). Note that in this scenario ensemble participation is NOT required of part-time students (for those doctoral degrees that usually require ensemble enrollment).

Important note: Certain categories of students may not be able to enroll part-time under this policy. These include students whose financial aid requires full-time enrollment, and international students who must enroll full-time to retain their visa status. Enrolling part-time may also affect a student's eligibility to participate in their parents' insurance plans and to defer student loans. Students are encouraged to consult with appropriate campus offices.

Doctoral students who have fewer than 8 credit hours remaining for their degree may enroll for those hours only in the fall or spring.

Doctoral students who are done with coursework

This pdf has a summary of registration options for doctoral students at the post-coursework stage of the degree.

The Jacobs School of Music does not require doctoral students to register while they are preparing for or taking qualifying exams, but they may register then if they wish. If you register in one or more credit hours the Music Graduate Office will consider you to be full-time, meeting the academic requirement. But if you need full-time status for any other reason (student loans, health insurance, financial aid, etc.), then you need to contact the offices in charge of those matters to find out what they consider full-time enrollment.

Here are two common options for students who choose to enroll after doctoral coursework is completed and before candidacy.

1. MUS-X 601 Doctoral Qualifying Exams. This one-credit course carries no tuition (because it is in the X category, like ensemble). It has been coded as representing full-time enrollment, which normally makes students eligible for deferral of student loans when they enroll in MUS-X 601. Enrollment in MUS-X 601 will be limited to a maximum of two semesters. The course will be graded on a deferred (R) basis, with a grade of Satisfactory (S) recorded once the student passes the last qualifying exam.

Students can enroll in MUS-X 601 only once all doctoral coursework is completed (except for final project/dissertation/piano essay credits and recital credits).  They are not eligible to enroll in MUS-X 601 if any language requirements or proficiency requirements are still incomplete.  They cannot enroll in MUS-X 601 once they are a doctoral candidate. 

Students enrolled in MUS-X 601 will not be charged the JSoM program fee.  They will be charged the mandatory fees for a 1 credit course.

2. Students may enroll in one or more final document credits (doctoral final project, doctoral piano essay, dissertation) and pay the normal tuition for those credits. Students enrolled in document credits are already normally considered to be full-time students for purposes of student loan deferral. Document courses are graded on a deferred (R) basis, with a final grade assigned upon final submission of the document.

Students who are done with all doctoral coursework except for final document credits, and who enroll in final document credits only while taking or preparing for qualifying exams, will not be charged the JSoM program fee.  They will be charged the mandatory fees if they are living inside Bloomington.

International students in the doctoral program

International doctoral students who have completed their course work, have applied to begin qualifying exams, and who wish to stay in the United States on student visas must be continuously registered during the fall and spring semesters.

To meet this requirement, international doctoral students who have completed their course work and who have applied to begin qualifying exams may enroll in MUS-X 601 (see above). If the qualifying exam process takes more than two semesters, students needing more time will need to register in at least one hour of final project, piano essay, or dissertation credits to maintain their status.

Enrollment in MUS-X 601 will give international students valid student status.  However, it cannot be used in relation to Curricular Practical Training (CPT - off-campus work authorization). Please contact the Office of International Services for more details.

Doctoral candidates

After successful completion of all doctoral qualifying exams, the student is admitted to candidacy.

Beginning the fall or spring semester immediately following the semester in which you pass your qualifying exams, you are required to enroll every fall and spring semester until you graduate. If you will graduate during the summer term, enrollment in that summer term is required as well. If you will graduate in the same semester you pass your oral qualifying exam, then you must be enrolled in that semester. Students must enroll in coursework, dissertation, piano essay, final project credit, or MUS-G 901 Advanced Research in order to maintain their candidacy. 

MUS-G 901 Advanced Research costs approximately $150 each semester. Note that students must have completed all qualifying examinations and reached candidacy BEFORE they are eligible to enroll in MUS-G 901.  MUS-G 901 is offered in the summer only for students who will graduate in that summer.  PhD students are required to enroll in all required dissertation credits before they are eligible to enroll in MUS-G 901. DM and DME students are strongly recommended to register in all required final project/dissertation/piano essay and/or recital credits prior to enrolling in MUS-G 901 since those credit hours are required for graduation.    MUS-G 901 does not fulfill any degree requirements or replace any other credit hours in the degree requirements. MUS-G 901 is 6 credits.

MUS-G 901 is LIMITED TO SIX ENROLLMENTS. After six semesters, students must enroll in 1 final project/dissertation/piano essay credit (or any other course of 1 or more credit hour) each semester to maintain candidacy.

Candidacy is valid for a maximum of 7 years from the date on which the student passes the oral qualifying exam. Students must complete all degree requirements and graduate within 7 years of that oral qualifying exam date.

Summer registration is not required for DM or DME students unless they plan to graduate in August. Summer registration is also not required for Ph.D. students unless they plan to graduate in June, July or August (through the University Graduate School). If you must graduate in the summer, you need to enroll in coursework or a dissertation, piano essay, or final project credit during that summer session.  MUS-G 901 is also available for students who still have any MUS-G 901 enrollments left.

It is the student's responsibility to contact the Music Graduate Office each semester about registration before the late registration deadlines. Late registration begins the week before classes commence each semester.  It is also the student’s responsibility to regularly check their IU email accounts.

It is essential that students update any address changes to One.IU during candidacy.

For all candidates, the registration program planning sheet is available online. Once you submit the form, you will receive an e-mail with confirmation of your eligibility to register and registration instructions.

Candidate registration

For all candidates, the registration program planning sheet is available online. Once you submit the form, you will receive an e-mail with confirmation of your eligibility to register and registration instructions.

Please keep your mailing address updated on One.IU.edu.  

Full-time enrollment confirmation

If you need confirmation that you are enrolled as a full-time student (for insurance, housing, loan deferment, etc), then you should use the Student Central on Union's Enrollment Verification Service. This service is free.