Anton-von-Webern-Platz 1, 1030 Vienna, Tel.: +43-1-711 55 Exts. 6919 E-mail: [email protected]
www.mdw.ac.at
Information Sheet
Doctoral Studies (PhD)
At the University of Music and
Performing Arts Vienna
Purpose and objectives
In addition to providing pre-professional academic training, doctoral studies at the mdw are intended to further develop candidates’ capacity to conduct independent research, thereby cultivating and facilitating the development of new generations of scholars and scientists.
Admissions and duration of study
Applications for admission to the doctoral programme may be submitted at any time.
It is recommended, however, to submit applications for the winter semester by mid-September and for the summer semester by mid-February.
Admission to this full-time degree programme requires German language proficiency corresponding to at least the C1 level.
The following documents are accepted as proof: a C1 diploma from an ÖSD testing centre (ÖSD Zertifikat C1) or one from a Goethe Institute testing centre (Goethe-Zertifikat C1).
Admission requirements: completion of an academic or artistic diploma or Magister / MA programme or of a school teaching degree programme, insofar as the subject matter covered is sufficiently related to one of the academic disciplines available at the mdw.
Admission may be granted on the basis of the completion of a programme of study equivalent to those diploma or Magister / master’s degree programmes described above at a recognised Austrian or foreign post-secondary educational institution, as well as on the basis of an equivalent degree in a field that is related in substance to the intended topic of the dissertation. Equivalency and topical relevance are to be determined by the rector’s office. For this examination, the appropriate collegial decision-making body responsible for studies issues may be consulted.
Admission to the doctoral programme may also be granted to candidates who have completed a degree programme in a sufficiently related field at a postsecondary institution of applied science (Fachhochschule).
Further qualitative requirements for admission to the PhD / doctoral programme are a strong connection between one’s chosen dissertation topic and one’s previously completed studies, as well as prior scholarly or scholarly and artistic activities in connection with the field of the arts dealt with by one’s chosen dissertation topic. The candidate must identify the proposed topic (working title) as well as the field of study along with the representative of that field who has declared him or herself willing to act as an advisor, and must submit to the rector’s office an application that includes a general concept, a letter of motivation, and a list of literature on one’s chosen topic.
The topic of the dissertation project must fall within the field covered by the scholarly venia docendi of the advisor, who is to be chosen from the faculty at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (see list on pages 7 and 8).
The doctoral programme consists of two phases lasting 2 and 4 semesters, respectively.. The first is the “exposé phase”, which concludes with an examination on one’s exposé (i.e., the research proposal) and related content (subject-related examination – Fachprüfung); the subsequent “research phase” concludes with the public defence of one’s dissertation.
If admission was granted on the basis of a topically related degree from a postsecondary institution of applied science (Fachhochschule), additional coursework may be stipulated, with the exposé phase being extended by a maximum of 2 semesters.
Examinations passed by the doctoral student at a recognised domestic or foreign postsecondary institution will, following application by the degree student, be credited in accordance with § 78 of the Austrian Universities Act (UG) insofar as they are deemed equivalent to the examinations stipulated by the curriculum.
Exposé phase
The exposé phase lasts 2 semesters. This phase serves to deepen scholarly thought and work as well as to contextualise the dissertation topic in terms of the involved disciplines. The concrete outcome of this phase should be development of the exposé and preparation for the subject-related examination.
All subject-specific and practical questions relating to progress on one’s dissertation are to be discussed with one’s advisor (who may be joined by a co-advisor).
Obligatory coursework during the exposé phase (8 hours/week):
Seminar for Doctoral Candidates 01 (history and methods of one’s field of study), SE, 2 semester hours, 8 ECTS points,
Research Seminar 01 (independent of one’s dissertation topic), SE, 2 semester hours, 8 ECTS points, Overview Lecture (current developments in one’s field of study), VK, 2 semester hours, 8 ECTS points,
Lecture for Doctoral Candidates 01 (interdisciplinary, on scholarly theoretical issues), KO, block course, 2 semester hours, 4 ECTS points.
Some obligatory subjects (in the amount of 4 semester hours max.) may also be completed at other universities. These may not have been completed as part of a diploma or master’s degree programme. The candidate’s advisor may urgently recommend attendance of further courses in order to fill out gaps in knowledge and/or prior training.
The exposé (research proposal)
The exposé (30 ECTS points) explains the topic of the planned dissertation, provides a brief overview of the pertinent literature with characterisation of the relevant present-day discourse, and sketches out the projected research process and methods to be employed. As a rule, it must be written in German. The exposé may be written in English, however, if all advisors are in agreement. The length is to be agreed upon with one’s advisor(s). An abstract of at least 1 page in German and in English must be appended.
A co-advisor may be indicated with the consent of one’s primary advisor, at the latest when registering one’s exposé. The co-advisor should preferably be from a recognised foreign university or from another domestic or foreign university-level institution. The co-advisor(s) are to be selected among those instructors who hold a scholarly venia docendi.
Evaluation of the exposé, subject-related examination
The concluding examination is administered by a commission of examiners appointed by the rector’s office. This commission consists of the Vice Rector of Academic Affairs or an individual nominated by him/her (as chairperson), plus the candidate’s advisor and a member to be nominated by the collegial decision-making body responsible for doctoral studies. The candidate’s co-advisor may be appointed by the rector’s office as a consulting member of the commission. This examination encompasses the candidate’s defence of his/her exposé and a general part in which the candidate must prove his/her mastery of the content and methodical fundaments of the selected field of study via questions pertaining to three sub-areas, which are to be agreed on in advance.
The subject-related examination is, as a rule, held in German, but can also take place in English if all commission members approve.
As long as it does not threaten important legal or financial interests of the candidate, the candidate’s topic and abstract will be published on the website of the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna once the exposé phase has been successfully completed.
With the beginning of the research phase, the candidate’s advisor, co-adviser and dissertation topic are formally determined and considered final. The topic of the dissertation must correspond to the advisors’ respective scholarly veniae docendi.
The corresponding form can be picked up at the Department of Studies and Academic Services following completion of the exposé phase.
The research phase lasts 4 semesters. Its overall objective is development of the ability to move independently within one’s field and deepening one’s academic specialisation. Its concrete purpose is to support the authorship of a dissertation.
Obligatory coursework during the research phase (8 hours/week):
Seminar for Doctoral Candidates 02, SE, 2 semester hours, 8 ECTS points, Privatissimum, PV, 2 semester hours, 8 ECTS points,
Research Seminar 02 (independent of one’s dissertation topic), SE, 2 semester hours, 8 ECTS points, Lecture for Doctoral Candidates 02, block course, KO, 2 semester hours, 8 ECTS points.
The University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna strives to promote intensive collaboration with other domestic and foreign universities and research institutions. A special priority is encouraging and facilitating the authorship of interdisciplinary dissertations. Doctoral candidates should also be encouraged to participate in international research projects. And finally, through the development of research emphases (such as within the FWF’s “Doktoratskolleg – DK” programme), the departments of the respective advisors aim to train highly qualified academic employees.
Dissertation
In the dissertation, the doctoral candidate documents his or her ability to conduct independent academic research. The dissertation deals with a significant issue of the candidate’s field of study within the context of the international academic discourse in a way that exhibits solid methodology and scholarship.
As a rule, dissertations are written in German, but they can also be written in English if all advisors approve.
When submitting a dissertation for evaluation, the doctoral candidate must append an abstract (summarising the dissertation) in German and in English as well as a brief curriculum vitae.
Evaluation of the dissertation
The completed dissertation (90 ECTS points) is to be submitted to the rector’s office, which will assign two university instructors who hold scholarly veniae docendi to evaluate it. One of the evaluators must, in any case, be the advisor. And in the interest of involvement in the Austrian and international research landscapes, an effort should be made to have one of the evaluators be from another university.
Defence
Prerequisites for registering for one’s defence are having participated in and passed all research phase courses plus having received a passing mark on one’s dissertation.
In the defence, the candidate defends his/her dissertation before a commission of examiners. This commission consists of the Vice Rector of Academic Affairs or an individual nominated by him/her (as chairperson) plus two further examiners. These must be university instructors who hold scholarly veniae docendi and are nominated by the rector’s office to represent their respective fields of instruction. If the two further examiners are not identical with the evaluators, the rector’s office may add the latter to the commission of examiners.
Simultaneously with the timely invitation of the candidate and the commission members to the defence, the members of the collegial decision-making body responsible for doctoral studies are also
invited and the academic public at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna is informed (of the defence’s location and date) via appropriate measures. Members of the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna may attend the defence according to the availability of seating.
The dissertation must be made available for inspection by the members of the exam commission at least 14 days prior to its defence.
The defence has the character of an in-depth scholarly conversation and should show that the candidate knows how to speak about and explain his/her dissertation’s academic problems and how to portray its content-related and methodical fundaments, as well as how to pinpoint these within the issues native to his/her field of study and, furthermore, that he/she is aware of recent developments in his/her field of study.
The candidate opens the defence of his/her dissertation with a brief lecture on the problems dealt with in the dissertation. The sole participants in this defence are the candidate and the members of the commission of examiners.
As a rule, the defence is held in German, but it can also take place in English if all members of the commission of examiners approve.
Conclusion of doctoral studies
The doctoral programme’s final evaluation is derived from the marks on the dissertation and on the candidate’s defence.
Publication
The dissertation is to be published by the candidate. Depending on the available possibilities, the following forms of publication may be considered: printed publication of the dissertation (hardbound), publication by a publisher, publication in an academic journal or a series of writings, or via the media of microfilm/microfiche, CD-ROM, and/or the Internet.
The University Library and the responsible service departments according to the Organisational Plan for Public Relations Work will receive permission (taking into account § 86 Para 2 of the Austrian Universities Act [UG]) to also publish the dissertation’s abstract in their own media in order to lend additionally support to its dissemination.
Doctoral degree
Following the candidate’s successful defence, the Director of Studies of the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna must confer (in writing) the academic degree of “Doctor of Philosophy (Phd)” upon the candidate either immediately or, at the latest, ex officio within one month of all criteria having been met.
Objectives of coursework Lecture for Doctoral Candidates Objective:
Integration into an interdisciplinary research community, ability to present and participate in discourse, interdisciplinary thinking.
Seminar for Doctoral Candidates 01 and 02 Objective:
Mastery of the methodology required for one’s dissertation topic, presentation of significant current specialist literature, ability to stringently portray one’s dissertation topic in an exposé
Privatissimum Objective:
The ability to position one’s own dissertation project within one’s field of study both methodologically and in terms of its content, as well as to clearly portray both sources and methodology.
Overview Lecture Objective:
Widening of one's horizon, an understanding of the breadth of one’s field of study and of possible approaches. The doctoral candidates should be offered assistance in integrating their respective topics into their fields’ current discourse in terms of methodology and content.
Research Seminar 01, 02 Objective:
Gathering of experience in dealing with interdisciplinary approaches beyond one's own dissertation topic.
TUITION FEE
All degree students with Austrian citizenship or with legally equivalent status (citizens of EU and EEA member states, as well as of Switzerland) are only required to pay the tuition fee in the amount of € 363.36 per semester if they exceed the standard durations of study by more than the grace period of two semesters.
Students who are citizens of other countries and/or stateless, as well as students whose citizenship is unclear, are in without exception required to pay tuition in the amount of € 726.72 per semester.
Information on exemptions or grounds for tuition fee reimbursement is available from the Department of Studies and Academic Services.
Additionally, a student union fee of (currently) € 18.00 and a special fee in the amount of € 0.70 per semester must also be paid.
These two fees for the mdw chapter of the Austrian National Union of Students (hmdw) are the same for both Austrian citizens and foreigners.
The following instructors hold the appropriate teaching accreditation (venia docendi) at the University for Music and Performing Arts Vienna for academic subjects and are therefore permitted to advise doctoral candidates on their dissertations:
Tel. +43 1 711 55
Wissenschaftliches Fach Name
Dramaturgy Dr. Peter ROESSLER (DW 2812)
Ethno-Musicology Dr. Ursula HEMETEK (DW 4211)
Gender Studies Dr. Doris INGRISCH
History an Theory of Folk Music Dr. Ulrich MORGENSTERN (ext. 4200)
Gregorian Chant and Liturgy Dipl.theol. Cornelius POUDEROIJEN (DW 2610)
Harmonic Research N.N.
Historical Musicology Dr. Barbara BOISITS (51581-3714) Dr. Martin EYBL (DW 3525) Dr. Christian GLANZ (DW 3518) Dr. Markus GRASSL (DW 3519) Dr. Reinhard KAPP (DW 3523) Dr. Anita MAYER-HIRZBERGER (DW 3524) Dr. Manfred PERMOSER (DW 3526) Dr. Margareta SAARY (DW 3512) Dr. Cornelia SZABO-KNOTIK (DW 3500)
Musicology Dr. Gerold GRUBER (DW 3510)
Musicology (main focus: Analysis of Music) Dr. Marie-Agnes DITTRICH (DW 3516) Dr. Annegret HUBER (DW 3521) Dr. Simon OBERT (ext. 3505)
Musicology (main focus: Music Theory) Dr. Gesine SCHRÖDER (DW 2135)
Systematic Musikcology Dr. Matthias BERTSCH (DW 3929)
Music Education Dr. Noraldine BAILER (DW 3710)
Dr. Alfred LITSCHAUER (DW 3715) Dr. Franz NIERMANN (DW 3700) Dr. Peter RÖBKE (DW 3770)
Cultural Institutions Studies Dr. Werner HASITSCHKA (dzt. karenziert) Dr. Franz-Otto HOFECKER (DW 3400) Dr. Peter TSCHMUCK (DW 3415) Dr. Tasos ZEMBYLAS (DW 3617)
Film Studies Dr. Claudia WALKENSTEINER-PRESCHL (DW
Acoustics in Music Mag.art.Mag.phil. Dr. Werner GOEBL (DW 4311) Dr. Wilfried KAUSEL (DW 4311)
Mag. Gregor WIDHOLM (DW 4300) (Schwerpunkt besondere Berücksichtigung des Wiener Klangstils)
Musical Stylistics Dr. Hartmut KRONES (DW 2530)
Dr. Markus GRASSL (DW 3519)
Music Analysis Dr. Gottfried SCHOLZ (DW 3527)
Music Informatics Mag. Gianpaolo EVANGELISTA PhD (DW 2101)
Music Soziology Dr. Irmgard BONTINCK (DW 6040)
Dr. Michael HUBER (DW 3610) Dr. Alfred SMUDITS (DW 3614)
Music Theory Dr. Dieter TORKEWITZ (DW 3530)
Music Therapy Dr. Thomas STEGEMANN (DW 3913)
Theory and History of Popular Music Dr. Harald HUBER (DW 3810)
