If you have any questions regarding these admissions procedures, please contact an Associate Director in the Office of Admissions, at (212) 678-3710.
Students seeking admission to the Program in Music and Music Education must complete application forms supplied by the Admissions office. The Teachers College general application form, transcripts, personal statement, and letters of reference, must be submitted to the Teachers College Admissions Office for preliminary review. Following this procedure, all general application materials are forwarded from the Admissions Office to the Program and reviewed by the Music and Music Education Review Committee. Results of the review procedure at the Program level are sent in writing to the Admissions Office, which then informs candidates directly, by mail. Applicants are encouraged to arrange interviews, in person or by phone, with one or more of the Program¹s faculty.
All applicants for admission to the Program in Music and Music Education receive consideration without regard to race, color, sexual orientation, creed or religion, gender, national origin, age or handicap. Once they have familiarized themselves with all necessary procedures, it is the responsibility of all candidates to insure that their application package is complete. No action can be taken by the college or the program until the application is complete.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to make an appointment for a personal interview with one of the faculty. A telephone interview may be substituted in special circumstances. The doctoral program is very selective with only a few students being admitted each year.
Special Application Requirements
Applicants personal statements’ should thoughtfully consider the following questions below and write a 750-1000 word response.
1. What are your professional career goals? How do you envision your future? Where do you expect to be in five or ten years? What do you expect to be doing?
2. What are your plans for the completion of the degree? How do you anticipate your enrollment status? How long do you expect it will take? How many credits do anticipate taking each semester?
3. What are your scholarly interests?
Applications are reviewed once each year, in the spring. The priority application deadline is January 2. The final deadline is March 1. To be considered for a scholarship, applications must be received by the priority deadline. An applicant to the Program in Music and Music Education who has been previously enrolled as a degree candidate in another Teachers College Program, must submit a Change of Status form to the Office of Admissions with the appropriate change of status fee. Before admitting a candidate who has studied in another department or program in Teachers College, the Office of Admissions will obtain an evaluation of their past performance and qualifications for advanced study. Concurrent degree candidacy in two Teachers College departments or in Teachers College and another University is not permitted.
To assist in the preparation of application materials, in the ongoing documentation of progress and in meeting requirements for the degree, students are reminded that they should obtain and follow very carefully the specifications of the:
• Admissions Requirements as set forth by the Admissions Office • Teachers College Catalog • Music and Music Education Program Materials
All materials contain detailed information about requirements, dates and deadlines; this information is revised annually and often includes changes, revisions or new program announcements. Further information and assistance will be provided by students' major advisors or the Program Coordinator.
Admission of International Students
The Program welcomes students from other countries. We have a long history of participation in international education, from which we have developed an understanding of the differing needs of students from abroad. We can help you to plan a program of study which will be rewarding while you are in the United States and useful to you when you return to your own country. Because considerable time is required for sending credentials, making admission decisions, and arranging for passports and visas, you should write to the Admission Office well in advance of your planned attendance at the College.
English language proficiency - The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required of all applicants whose native language is not English. Students in New York City area may substitute the English Placement Test (EPT) administered by the Columbia University American Language Program. Call (212) 854-3584 for an appointment. The scores must be 600 on TOEFL (or computer-based equivalent) or level 10 on Columbia's EPT. If you cannot obtain a TOEFL Bulletin in your country, you should write, as soon as possible, to: TOEFL, Box 899, Princeton, NJ 08540.
Documents - Be certain that any official form not issued in English is accompanied by a notarized English translation. In addition, be sure that copies of original documents are certified true copies. Your international bachelor's, diploma, license, etc. must be equivalent, minimally, to a U.S. bachelor's degree and must be accompanied by as complete a record as possible of the subjects you studied, the examinations you took, and the results you attained. Immunization requirements - New York State law requires college students to be immunized against measles, rubella, and mumps. The law applies to all students born on or after January 1, 1957. Beginning in the autumn term of 1991, graduate students will have to show proof of immunity. Proof of immunity consists of:
For measles -- two doses of live measles vaccine administered after 12 months of age, physician documentation of measles disease, or a blood test showing immunity;
For rubella (German measles) -- one dose of live rubella vaccine administered after 12 months of age or a blood test showing immunity;
For mumps -- one dose of live mumps vaccine administered after 12 months of age, physician documentation of mumps disease, or a blood test showing immunity.
Check your immunization record with your health care provider to be certain you meet these requirements. For further information, contact your local health department or the Director of Student Life, Box 308, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, N.Y. 10027; telephone (212) 678-3482.
Degree Requirements
The minimum requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education are: satisfactory completion of a planned program of 90 points of course work beyond the Bachelors degree, of which at least 54 points must be taken through Teachers College registration; satisfactory completion of the Program certification examination and the preparation and defense of a dissertation.
While a maximum of 36 points of prior graduate level credit may be transferred towards the doctoral degree, students are cautioned that not all prior graduate level credit may meet Program degree requirements. Decisions about awarding credit for prior work are made conjointly between the Admissions Office and the Program Review Committee (See ASR, included with forms in appendix). On some occasions, applicants for the doctoral degrees may be asked to complete pre-requisite courses before they are admitted to the Program.
Doctoral students must complete a minimum of 15 points of coursework in areas other than those in the Music Program. Initially the student is admitted to a program of study leading toward becoming a certified doctoral candidate when the following has been achieved: 1) successful completion of at least 15 points of course work at the college and 2) passing the departmental certification examination.
The preparation and the defense of a dissertation is required for the doctoral degree. When writing the dissertation, each candidate has a sponsor and an additional committee member. Most often the sponsor is a faculty member of the Program in Music and Music Education. Committee members may be chosen from among the music faculty or from faculty in other departments at Teachers College or Columbia University. Topics are selected and approved on the basis of personal relevance and on the original nature of their contributions to the field of music education. For more details, consult the dissertation proposal bulletins and the Program Policies section of this handbook.
Once accepted to the Program, high standards of scholarly and artistic work are expected of all students both within their chosen specializations and outside; all students must maintain a grade point average of B or better.
Students must satisfactorily complete all course and certification examination requirements and the dissertation proposal. Starting with the term following the awarding of certification, students are required to be in continuous enrollment for a minimum of three points of Teachers College course credit, or of advisement, until all degree requirements are met.
For detailed information about degree requirements, documentation and deadlines, students should consult the current Teachers College Catalogue, and Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education (from the Office of Doctoral Studies), and Section 3, Programs Profiles and Policies, in this handbook.
Financial Aid and Assistantships
Teachers College makes available financial help to students in need and who meet the various criteria established for the awarding of aid. Students wishing to apply for loans, scholarships, incentive awards, work study, etc., should make contact directly, and as early as possible in the academic year, with the Student Aid Office which administers all New York City, Federal Government and Teachers College aid programs. Telephone: (212) 678-3714.
At the Program level, students may be eligible for several different kinds of support. A certain number of scholarship points are made available each year and are awarded on the basis of academic and artistic excellence. Scholarship requests from incoming international students are reviewed at the Program level; the final decision is made by the International Student Aid Committee.
The Program also makes available a number of assistantships in program administration, applied studio teaching and research to suitably qualified students. Many assistantships carry with them a salary, and Teachers College course points. Assistantships are awarded on the basis of merit and expertise, and all applications are considered by the Music and Music Education Review Committee.
It is the expressed goal of the Student Aid Office and, within their allocated means, the Program in Music and Music Education, to ensure that no student is denied the opportunity to attend Teachers College due to financial hardship. Thus, students are urged to apply for aid, scholarships and assistantships as early in the academic year as possible. Most types of aid require application to the Student Aid Office and GAPSFAS by February 1 preceding the semester of enrollment. Students requesting aid are urged to make note of deadline dates since they are strictly enforced. The Office of Music and Music Education and major advisors will give help as needed in the completion of the appropriate forms.
Instructional Resources
The Gottesman Libraries at Teachers College contain the world's largest and richest collection of materials on the educating professions. The contemporary collections are continuously enhanced by an active acquisition program jointly planned by departmental librarians, faculty, and students. Traditional print and non-print publications are supplemented by a rapidly growing number of visual and electronic formats. Many of the historical and archival collections are unavailable elsewhere and represent in balance, breadth, and depth an archive of American intellectual and social history. Elements of these collections are being made more accessible through ongoing digitization projects. There are currently 430,432 printed volumes and 237,935 items in the substantial non-print collections.
Coordinated Collection Development
The library of Teachers College has long served as the education library for the entire Columbia University community. Today, the Gottesman Libraries cooperate with Columbia University Libraries in developing and providing reciprocal access to research resources. Faculty, students, and staff at Teachers College may use or borrow materials held in Columbia University Libraries, while patrons from Columbia may use or borrow materials held in Gottesman. Cooperation includes joint access to printed and audiovisual materials, as well as to a vast array of electronic information sources, including all bibliographic databases, full text journals, document delivery options, and other resources available through Columbia Library Web. Such reciprocal arrangements allow the Gottesman Libraries to concentrate collecting efforts in subjects represented in the educational programs of Teachers College and to avoid the duplication of collections in other areas.
The Gottesman Libraries participate in an annual coordinated collection development program with the New York Metropolitan Reference and Research Library Agency. This program allows the Libraries to build selectively upon collecting strengths in education, psychology, and the health sciences and to share resources through interlibrary loan and/or on site reading privileges with participating members of METRO and the larger community of researchers and scholars, including member institutions of the Research Libraries Group. The Gottesman Libraries also participate in online offerings of New York State, providing access to relevant research tools.
Electronic Resources
The Gottesman Libraries provide an institutional digital repository, named PocketKnowledge, that support the needs of academic offerings at the College. They comprise exemplary, and/or frequently consulted materials, including: publications by or about Teachers College faculty and students (book chapters, dissertations, journal articles, syllabi, and un-published papers); selective scholarly books; and web resources, including key journals, organizations, professional resources, research databases, and Teachers College collections and projects.
In close coordination with Columbia University Libraries, the Gottesman Libraries continue to develop collections of electronic resources in support of research and curriculum needs of Teachers College faculty, students, and staff. Full access to the most germane research resources in education, psychology, and the health sciences is available directly from the Library’s home page, as well as through the library catalog, EDUCAT. These resources include databases and a substantial number of full text journals.
Collaborative arrangements with Columbia embrace access to over 600 online subscription databases in almost every academic area, including catalogs, journal indices, books, full-text sources, statistical and data sites, and image files. Users can access most of these resources from both on and off campus with a valid university network identification number and password, making research more effective then ever.
The sharing of electronic resources reflects a history of reciprocal service. Many librarians at Teachers College serve as Electronic Resource Coordinators for titles available through Columbia's Library Web.
Curriculum Materials Collection
The Gottesman Libraries maintain substantial collections representing the use of elementary and secondary school textbooks and other teaching materials in the development of education. Notable collections include American textbooks published before 1900; a collection of international education textbooks and documents, often proven unobtainable in their country of origin; the complete set of textbooks published by Ginn; and the David E. Smith Collection of writings on mathematics education. Textbooks from the 20th century represent a selective variety of publishing houses and a wide variety of subjects. Printed curriculum courses of study date primarily from the 20th century and reflect teaching practice in all disciplines across the country, with newer materials available online and older materials on microfilm. Non-print curriculum collections include audiovisual materials, three dimensional objects, printed games, children’s artwork, exemplary software and multimedia, and numerous other resources used in teaching and learning.
Columbia and New York City
Students at Teachers College also have access to the 25 libraries of Columbia University and it’s affiliates, including the Gabe M. Wiener Music & Arts Library. Additionally, students may make use of The New York Public Library of Performing Arts, located at Lincoln Center.
Computing and Information Services (CIS)
CIS provides a newly renovated Student Computing Support Center in 242 Horace Mann with 70 PCs and Macs, scanners and printers, three micro-computer-equipped classrooms (234 Horace Mann Laptop lab, 345 Macy Mac lab and 345 Macy PC lab), and the Instructional Media Lab (IML), located in 265 Macy, with video and sound recording and editing, DVD burning and other multimedia development resources. The CIS staff is available to assist you with routine tasks and problems; problems requiring special attention are addressed by appointment. You can find more information about these facilities by going to the TC homepage, rolling over “Computing and Technology” on the left side of the page.
Workshops
CIS holds a series of technology training workshops each semester. Information regarding schedules, fees and orientation materials is available by going to the TC homepage and selecting the “Support and Training” option from the “Computing and Technology” section. You can also obtain this information in 234 Horace Mann or the Student Computing Support Center in 242 Horace Mann.
Internet Access Access to the Internet is available from ubiquitous wireless network coverage as well as public workstations, in labs, classrooms, the library, Everett Lounge, and kiosks around the College. Columbia University provides dial-up access from home (the modem access number is 212-854-3100), but we strongly recommend broadband (DSL or cable-modem) because students have reported dissatisfaction with slower access when using resources such as TC ClassWeb. Network software for home dial-up can be downloaded from MyTC Portal (see below). Click on the “Software and Tools” tab. On this page, you will also find other site-licensed software available to you without charge such as McAfee virus protection and the Endnote bibliographic database program. Users of the campus wireless network are asked to register their computers by filling out a web form found by navigating from the TC homepage to “Computing and Technology”, selecting “Email and Network access” and then “Wireless Networking” and “Register for Wireless Access”. Fall registrations are due by September 17th; the spring deadline is February 4th. (Please see the “Computing and Technology” website.)
Email Accounts and Web Pages All students need to activate the free Columbia University Network ID (UNI) and email account to receive official College notices, and for access to your courses via MyTCPortal and ClassWeb as well as access to library resources such as bibliographic searching and other University assets. Columbia email accounts with space for publishing web pages are free of charge. They are referred to as CUNIX accounts.
Several days after you have paid your tuition deposit, you will be able to activate your UNI. To find out what your UNI is and to start using your email account you need to ACTIVATE your new account and choose a password between 6 and 8 characters. Select MyTC & Email from the TC homepage then “MyTC & ClassWeb” from the dropdown list. On the login screen, click on the “help” link, then click on “Need a UNI or a Password to Login?” Click on “Activate new account,” accept the policies, and type the information requested in the field boxes, leaving the PIN field BLANK. Students may elect to redirect (auto-forward) email sent to their University email address to some other (e.g. hotmail or yahoo) email address. This can be done from the Columbia University homepage by selecting “E-mail and Computing” then “Manage UNI/Email ID” and choosing “Mail Forwarding”.
CUNIX email can be accessed through the web client CubMAIL or by using supported programs such as Netscape Messenger, Outlook Express, or Mulberry. Information on configuring these programs is available from the Columbia homepage by selecting “E-mail and Computing” then “E-mail Info”, and at the top of the resulting page, select “PC Mail”.
Workshops on HTML, Web design and using email are available (see above under Workshops).
MyTC Portal acts as the “door” to a set of resources that will be important for you at Teachers College. The portal comes with a variety of “information channels” such as links to courses, research groups, college and course announcements, news, personal profile and downloadable site licensed software. To access MyTC Portal, select “MyTC & Email” from the TC homepage, then “MyTC &ClassWeb” from the dropdown list. MyTC Portal requires a University Network ID or UNI and a password. This password can only be obtained by activating your CUNIX account (see Email Accounts above.)
TC ClassWeb is a course management system where you can find information about your courses including syllabi, announcements, and course material. You may also use ClassWeb to participate in on-line discussions and chat sessions. To help you determine which courses are of interest, many faculty members post their syllabi online. To access these, click on “Students” from the top menubar on the TC homepage, then click on “Class Schedule.” After choosing a semester and other search criteria, you will see a listing of courses with a highlighted Course Number, or CRN, to the left of each listing. Click on the CRN to open the syllabus page. Once registered for a course, you will find a link directly to its ClassWeb pages from your MyTC Portal page.
The Music and Music Education Program Web Site
Information about the Music and Music Education Program can be accessed on line at our Web site: http://www.tc.edu/a%26h/MusicEd/.
Research Activities
Teachers College is home to numerous research and service activities, which are available to student participation from the Program in Music and Music Education. Doctoral students are encouraged to become involved with the research activities of the faculty. Often students identify dissertation topics through work with the various research activities at the College.
Current activities span a spectrum of projects, centers and institutes such as the Centers for Arts Education Research; Creative Arts Laboratory; Life Skills and Human Resource Development; Study and Education of the Gifted; The Council on Scholarship on Women and Gender; and Institutes for: Learning and Technology; Urban and Minority Education; and International Studies. Full details of research activities are updated each year in the Teachers College Catalog.
The Center for Arts Education Research at Teachers College is an interdisciplinary arts group founded to stimulate and support basic and applied research in the arts in human development, music education and the arts in education. Founded in 1993 by Professors Hal Abeles from the Program in Music and Judith M. Burton from the Program in Visual Arts, the Center calls upon expertise from professionals in the arts: visual, music, dance, theater and media, and also from philosophy, cognitive and developmental psychology, curriculum, education and technology. A variety of emphases characterize the Center's work to date. Some studies explore the role and potential of the arts in diverse educational settings from the vantage points of school reform, curriculum development, arts integration and assessment. Of particular interest is the role of the arts as they interweave in urban culture and education. Other studies deal directly with aspects of artistic-aesthetic thinking, perception and action both within and across multiple domains of the arts; data from these studies have already offered critical theoretical insights for educational practice. The Center takes for its mission the study of those aspects of human functioning that are central to an interweaving of both applied (practical) or basic (theoretical) issues: we seek to know more about human development in and across the arts as this occurs within schooling and the culture.
The Creative Arts Laboratory (CAL) was established at Teachers College in 1994 by Professor Lenore Pogonowski as a result of a three-year grant from the U.S. Department of Education: Fund for Innovative Education. As a professional development model, CAL is based on the premise that integrating the arts in to the school curriculum facilitates teachers capacities to help students make connections across subject matter areas. CAL believes that critical thinking skills and positive attitudes about learning enhance students repertoires of problem-solving abilities. These problem-solving abilities provide the impetus for students to formulate their own ideas and to engage in meaning-making activities from the perspective of the arts (dance, drama, music, visual arts), in conjunction with core academic disciplines (e.g., math, science, language arts, social studies). A number of doctoral dissertations have grown out of students work with CAL.
Students interested in early childhood music are encouraged to participate in ongoing research with young children ages six months to five years at the Rita Gold Early Childhood Center, Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Very Young People’s Concerts with the New York Philharmonic, and Columbia Early Head Start. Investigations under the leadership of Prof. Custodero address flow experience in music making contexts, and responsive and reciprocal pedagogical models. Current projects include case studies of individual children and their families, as well as inquiry concerning the effects of specific activities on the musical, cognitive, and social behaviors of young children and the adults with whom they interact.
