All incoming MM (not including Jazz Studies) and DMA (not including Jazz Studies) students are required to take the GWE or submit an acceptable GRE score. Incoming doctoral students who took and passed the GWE as a master's student at UNT do not need to take the GWE again. For the GWE, students will be given a short prompt and will write a response to it. The GWE follows the GRE model of the analytical writing assessment, which measures the student’s ability to demonstrate the following:
- Articulate ideas clearly and effectively
- Support ideas with relevant reasons and examples
- Sustain a well-focused, coherent discussion
- Control the elements of standard written English
The expected length of the submitted exam will be approximately two to three single-spaced handwritten pages. It must be written in English and will be graded on content and graduate level writing competence. No reference tools may be used. The exam will last for no more than two hours. The GWE is offered four times annually, namely during the orientation preceding the fall and spring semesters, and once toward the middle of each long semester. Students may enroll in graduate-level courses for only one semester without having satisfied this requirement.