Department of Music

College of Arts, Languages & Letters
Music Department
2411 Dole Street
Honolulu, HI 96822
Tel: (808) 956-7756
Email: uhmmusic@hawaii.edu
Web: manoa.hawaii.edu/music/

Faculty

*D. Womack, DMA (Chair)—composition/theory
*K. Barclift, PhD—music education
*J. Boeckman, DMA—Director of Bands, symphonic wind ensemble
*D. Ferguson, PhD—Associate Director of Bands, Marching Band
*E. Hamilton, PhD—musicology
*T. Itoh, DMA—composition/theory
*J. Korth, DMA—piano performance
*I. B. Lin, DM—strings performance
*C. Loong, PhD—music education
*K. McQuiston, PhD—musicology
*T. Osborne, DMA—composition/theory
*A. Schumacker, PhD—Choral Director
*J. Stepec, MM—orchestra, conducting and strings
*R. A. Sutton, PhD—ethnomusicology
*M. Sypert, DM—voice performance
*T. Yee, DMA—piano performance

* Graduate Faculty

The Academic Program

The music (MUS) department offers the bachelor of arts in music, bachelor of music, master of arts in music, master of music, and doctor of philosophy in music. In conjunction with the College of Education, the department offers the bachelor of education in Choral/General (music) and in Instrumental (music). Information about each of these programs may be found on the Music Department website: manoa.hawaii.edu/music/.

The department is housed in a complex of buildings, including studios, practice and rehearsal facilities, and the Mae Zenke Orvis Auditorium, noted for its fine acoustics. In addition to Western classical, vocal, and instrumental music, the department has many offerings in non-Western music, especially the musics of Asia and the Pacific.

Accreditation

The bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD programs are fully accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM).

Advising

Students interested in majoring in music, minoring in music, or participating in various ensembles may obtain information at the department office and arrange to see a music advisor. Advising is mandatory for music majors and minors.

New Students

An orientation session for new students is held each semester during the week before classes begin. At that time, incoming students take theory, history, and piano placement tests and receive advising and approval for music courses.

Undergraduate Study

Bachelor degree concentrations include performance, composition, music education, and general music studies.

Specific course requirements are available on the Music Department website: manoa.hawaii.edu/music/. New and transfer students must attend orientation and consult the undergraduate chair when entering UH Mānoa.

Admission Requirements

In addition to the UH System Application form, prospective music majors must submit a Music Department Undergraduate Admission Application, recommendation form, and perform an audition. Forms and instructions are available from the department office and the department website at manoa.hawaii.edu/music/apply/ugrad.

BA, BMus Degrees and Minor

Please see “Programs” section below for more information about these undergraduate programs.

BEd Degree

Prospective music education majors should see the chair of the music education committee in the Department of Music for information and requirements. This K-12 degree program is offered in conjunction with the College of Education.

For information on the BEd degree, go to manoa.hawaii.edu/music/about-us/degrees-programs/bed/.

Graduate Study

Entrance exams for incoming students consist of the Diagnostic Exam to test for any deficiencies and insure that students remedy them as soon as possible in their degree programs. The General Exam (master’s level)/Qualifying Exam (doctoral level) is completed before candidacy for a degree.

Diagnostic Exam

Prior to enrolling for the first semester of study, each classified graduate student will take a diagnostic examination in music history (part I) and music theory (part II) to determine whether or not the general exams or qualifying exams in those areas (or specified courses in lieu of the general exams) are needed to clear pre-program deficiencies. Students are also tested in their area of concentration (part III). The purpose of this examination is twofold: (a) to assess the student’s background and determine if there are deficiencies that should be remedied, and (b) to assist the advisor and the student in planning a program of study. Detailed information about the examination is available on request. Successful performance on specific parts of the diagnostic examination exempts the student from the equivalent parts I and II of the general examination or qualifying examination. Entering doctoral students who are continuing directly from a master’s degree in UH Mānoa Music are exempt from taking parts I and II of the diagnostic/general exams, since the student has fulfilled this requirement. In Ethnomusicology and Composition, the student will also be exempt from part III. Musicology and Music Education doctoral students must take part III, the qualifying exam, upon entering the doctoral program.

The diagnostic/general/qualifying examination is offered in August (before the beginning of the fall semester), in January (before the beginning of the spring semester) and in the third week of April.

Students who enter in the fall semester will take the diagnostic examination in August. If the student does not pass any portion of the diagnostic examination, he or she may re-take the examination in January and April or take the recommended course(s) between August and May and clear deficiencies in the first academic year of study by earning a grade of B or higher.
Students who enter in the spring semester will take the diagnostic examination in January. If the student does not pass any portion of the diagnostic examination, he or she may re-take the examination in August and the following January or take the recommended course(s) between January and December and clear deficiencies in the first year of study by earning a grade of B or higher.

N.B. Students who enter in the spring semester will be exempt from taking the April examination and will not need to submit a petition for approval to the graduate faculty.

Dismissal from the graduate program will occur if the student does not pass any part of the diagnostic examination and then: (1) does not pass any part of the general examination or qualifying examination in two attempts; or (2) does not take the prescribed course(s) to clear deficiencies in their first year of study; or (3) does not earn a B or better in the prescribed course(s).

Students with deficiencies are strongly advised to take the recommended course(s). Students may also wish to study on their own and re-take the examination. Keep in mind that many classes recommended to rectify deficiencies are offered only once per year. The student should consult with his or her advisor to discuss the most suitable course of action.

General or Qualifying Exams

Before being admitted to candidacy for a degree, each graduate student must pass the department’s general examination/ qualifying examination, which consists of three parts: music history, music theory, and the student’s area of concentration. All parts of the general examination must be passed before the student earns 18 credit hours toward the degree; course work taken in excess of this limit will not be counted if the credits are earned before all three parts of the general examination are passed.

When a student does not pass any part of the diagnostic/general/qualifying examination, there are two options:

Exam Option. The student may repeat the unsuccessful portion of the exam the next time the examination is offered. If a student chooses this option but does not take the next examination, a failure is recorded. Any student who does not pass the diagnostic examination and does not pass the general examination/qualifying examination twice will be dropped from the program.
Course Option. The student may take courses to remove the deficiency and must submit the required course option form. Courses to clear pre-program deficiencies or in lieu of general or qualifying examination must be taken for grade during the first two semesters of study and passed with a grade of B (not B-) or better. These courses do not count toward graduate degrees. All deficiencies must be cleared by the end of the first year of study. Students who do not remove their deficiencies by the end of the first year of study will be dropped from the graduate program.

Any exceptions to these procedures must receive prior approval by petition to the graduate faculty. The student petitions the graduate faculty by memo, signed and dated, explaining the reason for the deferral request, no less than five weeks before the exam retest date.

Master’s Degree

The department offers programs leading to the MA in music with concentrations in ethnomusicology, music education, and musicology, and to the MMus with concentrations in composition and performance (voice, piano, conducting and selected instruments).

Doctoral Program

The department offers programs leading to the PhD in music with concentrations in composition, ethnomusicology, music education, and musicology.

Programs

Bachelor’s

Master’s

Doctorate

Music, PhD

Undergraduate Certificate

Music, Undergraduate Certificate [requirements forthcoming]

Minor

Music, Minor