The doctor of musical arts (DMA) is a professional degree for creative and performing students who possess the talent as well as the breadth of knowledge, background, outlook, and scholarly capacity requisite to a doctoral program. Fields of study are composition, instrumental conducting and literature, literature and performance of choral music, performance, and performance/pedagogy. Performance and/or performance/pedagogy concentration areas are brass instruments, guitar, harpsichord, organ, percussion, piano, string instruments, voice, and woodwind instruments. Outlines of specific programs may be obtained online at music.colorado.edu/students/graduate/degrees and from the office of the associate dean for graduate studies.
Prerequisites. Entrance requirements include a master’s degree in music or demonstrated background comparable to that of the master of music degree at this university. All graduate applicants must complete an audition, interview, or some other demonstration of their ability in the major field. If at all possible, a visit to the campus is strongly encouraged. As part of the application, composition majors should submit representative scores and recordings (CD format), and a list of completed compositions. Performance majors should submit a repertoire list and arrange for a personal audition and interview, if at all possible. (Some areas require applicants to send a pre-audition screening recording of their performance.) Conducting majors must submit a DVD of their performance. All DMA applicants must also submit a scholarly writing sample that demonstrates ability in critical thinking, appropriate research techniques, and skill in the cogent use of English. Full details concerning audition and application requirements may be found online at music.colorado.edu/apply/graduate.
Program Requirements. The following program description supplements the requirements applying to all graduate students found in the Graduate School section and in the introductory section on Graduate Degree Programs in this College of Music section. Information on quality of work, credit by transfer, application for admission to candidacy, comprehensive examination, and final examination found under the PhD description is applicable to the DMA degree. DMA degree work must be completed within six years of first registration.
The doctor of philosophy (PhD) in music degree is offered through the Graduate School for students who seek a terminal degree with an emphasis on research. The two principal areas of study are music education and musicology (including ethnomusicology).
Prerequisites. Students applying to the PhD program should have a bachelor’s degree or equivalent in a music field related to their intended area of study. Applicants for the PhD with an emphasis in music education should hold an MME degree. Letters of recommendation, representative research papers, and satisfactory scores on the GRE (the general test) are required elements of the student’s application for the degree. Upon entrance to the degree program, students must pass the preliminary examinations and begin working toward basic requirements.
Music Transfer Credit. Graduate credit of high quality taken at another institution may be accepted for transfer once a student has established a satisfactory record of residence at CU. Transfer credit is limited to 21 semester hours where a grade of B- or higher was received. All requests for credit transfer must be approved by the chair of the respective faculty unit, the associate dean for graduate studies in music, and other university officers as specified on the transfer credit application form. Transfer credit will not affect the residency or dissertation credit-hour requirement.
Residence Requirement. The minimum residence requirement for the PhD is 6 semesters of full-time study beyond the attainment of an acceptable bachelor’s degree. Two semesters of residence credit may be allowed for a master’s degree from another institution of approved standing. At least 4 semesters of residence credit, two of which must be consecutive in one academic year, must be earned for work taken at CU-Boulder.
For the musicology student, the doctor of philosophy in music degree is intended to emphasize research in music history, music theory, ethnomusicology, or some other aspect of music in culture. The musicology faculty encourages students entering the graduate program, whether from the bachelor’s or master’s level, to pursue the PhD, the benchmark of professional education within the field. A minimum of 30 semester hours in courses numbered at 5000 or above is required (although the minimum number is almost always exceeded). At least 4 doctoral seminars (7000 level) in musicology and music theory (3 plus 1, 1 plus 3, or 2 plus 2) must be taken at the University of Colorado Boulder as part of this course work. Up to 21 semester hours of graduate work taken at another institution may be considered for transfer. The College of Music requires proficiency in two foreign languages appropriate to the student’s program of study. Normally the language requirement is met by a translation examination scheduled twice a semester through the graduate music office.
Dissertation Requirements. A student must complete a total of at least 30 credit hours of dissertation credit (beyond course work), with not more than 10 of these hours in any one semester. Furthermore, not more than 10 hours of dissertation credit earned prior to a student’s advancement to candidacy may be applied toward the required 30 credit hours. The dissertation itself should be an original and worthwhile contribution to knowledge in the field of musicology. It is expected that the student work closely with a major professor who will serve as the first reader and critic before it is submitted to the other dissertation committee members.
The doctor of philosophy degree in music, with music education as a field of specialization, is offered through the Graduate School for students who demonstrate both superior commitment to the music education profession as well as scholarly potential. This degree program requires that individuals think abstractly, generalize knowledge, apply research results to areas of specialization, and communicate effectively in both oral and written forms. Course work emphasizes the study of historical, philosophical, psychological, and sociological foundations of music education; the theoretical and pedagogical principles of music teaching and learning; curriculum development; testing and assessment; and research techniques. Graduates typically pursue careers in music education at the college level or supervisory positions in elementary and secondary schools.
Course Work. A minimum of 45 semester hours of courses numbered 5000-level or above (15 of which may be transferred from the master’s degree) and a minimum of 30 hours of doctoral dissertation credit are required for the PhD degree.
Dissertation Requirements. A dissertation based on original investigation, demonstrating mature scholarship, must be completed by each candidate. Following the successful completion of the comprehensive examination, the student designates a dissertation committee, develops a dissertation prospectus, and presents it to the committee for approval. After the dissertation has been accepted, a final oral examination on the dissertation and related topics is conducted by the student’s dissertation committee.