College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences

Doctor of Musical Arts

Admission Requirements

1. A Master of Music degree with a major in performance, conducting, composition, or music education or an equivalent degree from an accredited university with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.00 (A=4.00) for all graduate work attempted.
2. Satisfactory scores on the Graduate Record Examination General Test. [Minimum - 400 verbal]
3. An audition before members of the graduate faculty consisting of repertory for a standard graduate recital (performance and conducting majors); submission of scores and tapes of original compositions for varying media for evaluation by the composition faculty (composition majors). Applicants who do not display beginning doctoral-level performance or composition skills will not be admitted. For applicants in music education, evidence of successful professional experience in a field of music teaching.
4. Satisfactory results on placement examinations in music literature and music theory; deficiencies in either of these areas (a maximum of six semester hours in each area) must be made up in the first year of doctoral studies; remedial courses do not count toward the degree requirements.
5. Admission standards will be highly selective. A 3.00 GPA and satisfactory GRE scores will not be sufficient. Each applicant also must submit a writing sample showing evidence of musical scholarship and demonstrate considerable talent and accomplishments in his major area in addition to the other requirements above.

Language Requirements

Reading knowledge of French or German or an approved substitute as demonstrated by either:

1. Completion of two semesters of graduate reading courses in the language with a grade of B- (2.67) or higher.
2. Completion of four semesters of undergraduate language courses.
3. Demonstration of competency in the language to the satisfaction of the major professor and the Director of Graduate Studies. In this case, the student would be assigned articles or chapters from a book in the foreign language, and after an adequate time for preparation, be expected to translate portions from this material. An evaluation would be made by an expert in the particular language.

The language requirements should be completed by the end of the residency year and are expected to be completed by the end of the second year of study. Students majoring in voice, organ, or choral conducting should consult with the department for specific language guidelines.

Residency Requirement

One year (consecutive fall and spring semesters) of full-time study (9 hours per semester); the year of residency should preferably be the first year of doctoral studies.