There are three paths to satisfy the Major Project requirement for the Master of Music degree in Music Education: Music Education Portfolio (MUE 694), Thesis (MUE695), or Lecture Recital (MUE 696). Each of the options is divided into three separate courses. In the first course (MUE 693), the student prepares a proposal. In the second course (e.g., 694b, 695b, or 696b), the student prepares the literature review that will support the project. In the third course (e.g., 694c, 695c, or 695c), the student completes the project. The project proposal must be approved and passed before the student can register in the second course.
The Thesis option requires that the student write a scholarly research paper. This is recommended for those who anticipate pursuing doctoral studies. The Portfolio option requires the construction of lesson and units of study for use in the area of the student's field of teaching, video examples of the candidate teaching in a public school during their time in graduate study, and a series of reflection papers. The Lecture Recital option is afforded to those students who have received approval from the appropriate performance area faculty (at the time of audition or a subsequent jury). The Lecture Recital should be approximately one-hour in length, with no more than 30 minutes devoted to the actual musical performance.
Thesis/Portfolio Options
The final draft must be submitted to all three members of the Master's Committee no later than Monday of the penultimate week of classes. After any alterations of the final draft are made, three clear copies, each with an approval sheet signed by the committee members, must be submitted to the Music Librarian for binding by the first day of final examinations. The library must certify that the approved copies have been submitted for binding. This letter is then to be submitted by the student to the Advisor. The Advisor will then submit a grade so that degree requirements can be satisfied. Originals or photocopies are permissible, providing that twenty-four-pound bond paper is used.
Format and Preparation
The goal and spirit behind the guidelines that follow are to help the student submit a thesis or paper which has the appearance of a professionally typeset document in the field of Music Education in the student's area of expertise. The document is to be printed using 12-point Times New Roman font, double-spaced. The APA style manual is to be used to determine all format decisions with the exception of the format of front and back material. Complete specifications and examples for these sections can be found in Appendix I of this Handbook.