In this section: Thesis criteria and deadlines. For writing tips, visit Student Resources.
Thesis Criteria
The MMus Composition thesis consists of:
- An original composition of approximately 10 minutes in length, and
- an analytical essay on the composition of approximately 20-30 pages, written in good literate style.
Length: The total number of pages, composition and analytical essay combined, including reference materials, appendices, and preliminary materials (title page, abstracts, table of contents, preface, acknowledgements) is normally less than 100 pages; 150 pages is the absolute limit.
Thesis Evaluation Criteria
- Originality and creativity of aesthetic viewpoint/composition
- Awareness of and alertness to significance of past compositional achievements and related research/aesthetic viewpoints
- Diligence, care, technical mastery in the realization of the composition
- Potential of composition to assume a place in repertoire; usefulness of analytical text to other musicians
- Analytical thinking skills and powers of discrimination in supporting written text; connection between composition and analysis
- Quality of presentation in composition and written text (coherence, lucidity, grammar, style, freedom from typographical-notational errors)
Thesis Proposal Submission Deadline
- The proposal is first approved by the Supervisor, then submitted to the Composition Area Committee for further feedback and/or final approval (the Area Chair will distribute the proposal to all faculty members of the Composition Area).
- The proposal must be submitted to the Composition Area Chair by:
- October 1 for evaluation during the Fall Term
- April 1 for evaluation during the Winter Term
Thesis Proposal Format
A complete M.Mus. Composition thesis proposal consists of:
- a completed thesis proposal form (
M.A./M.Mus. Thesis Proposal Form) - a short project description (two to three pages, twelve-point font, single-spaced)
- a bibliography (one page, twelve-point font, single-spaced)
The project description must include:
1. The title of the composition
2. The composition’s duration
3. The composition’s instrumentation
4. An overview of the composition’s related musical/extra-musical concepts
5. Discussion of the planned treatment of pitch, rhythm, orchestration, text (if applicable), electronics (if applicable), and form
6. Diagrams and musical examples (wherever helpful)
Evaluation of the Proposal
The members of the Composition Area Committee will vote on one of the following three outcomes, to be determined by a simple majority:
- Pass (with no revisions): indicates that the Area Chair may sign and forward the thesis proposal and the thesis proposal form to Graduate Studies Office.
- Provisional Pass (with minor revisions): (minor revision required): indicates that the candidate must revise the proposal based on feedback provided by the Composition Area Committee.
- The revised proposal will be approved by both the Area Chair and the candidate’s Supervisor.
Once they are satisfied with the revision, the Area Chair will sign and forward the thesis proposal and the thesis proposal form to Graduate Studies Office.
- The revised proposal will be approved by both the Area Chair and the candidate’s Supervisor.
- Fail (major revisions required): indicates that major revisions are needed and that a new proposal must be submitted to the Composition Area Chair within one month.
Thesis Submission Timeline
| Graduation date | Initial submission | Thesis evaluation semester | Final submission deadline |
| May/June | December 15 | Winter | April 15 |
| Fall (October, November) | April 15 | Summer | August 15 |
| Winter (no convocation) | August 15 | Fall | December 15 |
Initial Submission Steps
Your supervisor may find some useful tips for selecting examiners on the Graduate Supervision website.
- At least two months before initial submission:
Students must submit their “Intent to Submit Thesis” through myThesis.
You will be asked to provide your thesis title, abstract, length of thesis and date of submission.
You will also be asked to nominate examiners (please discuss the examiners with your supervisor(s) prior to submitting the names). Once this is submitted, the request will be sent to your supervisor(s) and Associate Dean of Graduate Studies in Music for approval. Then an invitation to the examiner will be sent through myThesis for the examiner to accept or decline. This whole approval process must be completed prior to your submission date.
Master’s students can access myThesis through the GPS website. Detailed guidelines and an instructional video are available on this page.
Verify MyProgress to ensure that all components of the program are complete or components of the program are marked as “Complete” or “In Progress”.
- Day of submission:
Submit your thesis through the submission page on myThesis on the date submitted in your “Intent to Submit Thesis” form. Your supervisor(s) and Associate Dean of Graduate Studies in Music will be advised of your submission and they will be asked to approve it.
Final Submission Steps
- Review the examiner's comments with your supervisor and make revisions if required. Consult the Associate Dean (Graduate Studies in Music) and the GPS website if the thesis has not been passed.
- Complete all required revisions and proof-reading.
- Submit online as per instructions by the date in the above table.
- Notify your supervisor that this has been completed. Your supervisor will review and issue the final confirmation.
- Check out the convocation website for further details, and prepare to celebrate!
Colleagues' Tips for Surviving the Thesis Journey
- Begin talking about your composition ideas as early as the first semester and develop a schedule for developing the idea and completing the research with your supervisor. For helpful hints on how to develop the schedule as you define your topic, visit the Graduate Supervision website.
- Begin using a bibliography software tool such as endnotes or Zotero at the beginning of your research process.
- Take time for fun, nourishment and living life—each day, each week, each month!
- Assemble all software packages that your work will require at the outset (statistical or other analytical tools, notational, word processing, bibliography, illustration tools, etc.). Write a short “test” document and apply the McGill software package formatting to understand style implications and any potential challenges for your work (margins, fonts, headings, etc.). Visit the Graduate Studies website for troubleshooting tips.
- Review the Schulich School of Music Style Guide pertaining to style manuals and music. Keep a file tracking the style choices you make from the very beginning.
- Attend a concert, a movie, or some other live cultural event at least once a week.
- Collect written permission to use materials as soon as possible and track the progress of this process by assembling musical examples, illustrations, photographs, etc. in a separate folder.
- Use the talents of others to format musical examples as a major time-saver and to facilitate proof-reading.
- Attend the thesis defenses and lecture-recitals of your colleagues – enjoy in particular the wine!
- Share the results of your work in a variety of formal and informal settings. The more people you share with, academic and non-academic, musical, non-musical, the clearer the expression becomes! You can find tips on the Graduate Supervision website.
- Draw on the resources of the whole Schulich School of Music Team, Library, and beyond.
- For other helpful hints, go to the Graduate Supervision website. Know that usually you are not the most effective proof-reader, that it takes much longer than you ever imagined and that, at least once, the computer, the electricity, the plumbing or some other critical disaster will occur at the most inopportune moment.
Other Resources
Tools for writing and research (including the Schulich School of Music style sheet)
