Lisansüstü eğitime giriş sınavı kriterlerine yönelik öğretim üyesi görüşlerinin değerlendirilmesi: Müzik eğitimi bilim dalı başkanları örneği

It is widely acknowledged that the quality of students pursuing master’s or doctoral education significantly impacts the quality of graduate education itself. Consequently, the criteria used in the selection of candidates for graduate programs are of great importance. Therefore, examining and comparing these criteria, as well as understanding the perspectives of faculty members involved in the graduate admission process regarding these criteria, is crucial both for students aspiring to pursue graduate education and for the faculty members participating in the evaluation process. In light of this information, the aim of this study is to examine the views of department heads in music education regarding the criteria used in graduate admission exams.This research is a qualitative study that gathers the opinions of department heads in music education. In the study, content analysis and descriptive analysis methods were used to analyze the views of the department heads. The study group consisted of department heads from 16 universities in Turkey that offer graduate programs in music education. The opinions of the department heads regarding the admission criteria were collected using a semi-structured interview form prepared by the researcher.The findings of this study reveal that universities generally emphasize topics such as harmonic analysis, musical forms, teaching and learning approaches, and music education in their master’s and doctoral entrance exams, and the department heads support this approach. However, areas such as dictation, Turkish Folk Music, Turkish Art Music, music history, and music culture are less frequently included in the exams. At the doctoral level, scientific research methods and related literature are emphasized, while candidates are expected to demonstrate instrumental/vocal performance skills in all universities. Portfolio assessments and oral evaluations, on the other hand, are less commonly implemented. The department heads emphasize the importance of measuring candidates’ music culture and research competencies.