Styles Guidelines for DM Composition Dissertations and MM Composition, Computer Music Composition, and Music Scoring for Visual Media Theses
Document Guidelines
When dissertations and theses are submitted, the doctoral clerk reviews it for conformance to the following guidelines. Students are strongly encouraged to check their document against these guidelines before submitting the document to the committee and again before submitting the final copy. These items are explained in detail below.
- Guidelines for DM Composition Dissertation and MM Thesis for Composition and Computer Music Composition
- Guidelines for MM Music Scoring for Visual Media thesis
The guidelines include details related to the following:
- Fonts
- Margin Requirements
- Sequence of Pages and Pagination
- Vocal works with text
- First page of score
- Program notes
Here are sample documents that can be used as a reference to see examples of the items in the checklist or as a template for your own document. The samples are for Composition and Computer Music Composition programs. The title page and acceptance page for the MM thesis can also be used as reference for the Scoring degree.
- Sample DM Dissertation - letter size (8.5 x 11) (Word doc)
- Sample DM Dissertation - tabloid size (11 x 17) (Word doc)
- Sample MM Thesis - letter size (8.5 x 11) (Word doc)
- Sample MM Thesis - tabloid size (11 x 17) (Word doc)
For electronically submitted documents, the signature page should be included, but committee members should not sign the page.
For computer music composition majors - if your thesis is a fixed-media piece that is not possible score on paper, you will submit a zip file for the score component. Consult with the Music Graduate Office for format instructions. You will also still need to submit the thesis front matter according to the thesis guidesline above including (the thesis front matter will be included in the zip file):
- Title page
- Blank Page
- Approval Page
- Blank Page
- Instrumentation (or in this case, a description of the medium)
- Performance Information
- Program notes
- Text (if appropriate)
- Dedication/Inscription
- Blank page
Standards of Notation
The composition department recognizes the works listed below as standards of notational practice. Refer to one of them when in doubt about correct procedures and consult your committee for advice.
You also need to carefully follow the Composition department's Musical Notation Style Guide.
Gould, Elaine. Behind Bars. London: Faber Music Ltd, 2011.
Stone, Kurt. Music Notation in the Twentieth Century: A Practical Guidebook. New York: W. W. Norton, 1980.
Read, Gardner. Music Notation: A Manual of Modern Practice. Second Edition. Boston: Crescendo Publishers, 1969. (paperback edition: New York: Taplinger Publishing Company, 1979)
Engraving and Printing
The score must meet the highest professional standards and be generated with a high quality computer notation program; any hard copies are to be printed double sided by laser printer on archival quality paper of approximately 60-70# weight.