Qualifying Exam Preparation (Musicology and Ethnomusicology)

This workshop-style course is designed for students preparing their third-year qualifying exams for the Ph.D. program in Musicology and Ethnomusicology. It provides a structured space for students to study and apply the reading, writing, and oral strategies that are necessary in preparing the kinds of review essays and course materials that the exams demand. It also provides a weekly forum for students to discuss and evaluate their progress on lists and essays, modeling the summary discussions that make up much of the exam essays, learning how to navigate questions about a field orally, and learning from one anothers’ challenges and solutions. Peer feedback on draft materials is essential to the pedagogy of the course.