Music Performance, Pedagogy and Literature, D.M.A.
Program Description
The Doctor of Musical Arts (D.M.A.) degree program is the most advanced course of study offered in the School of Music at James Madison University. The program has been designed to make graduates more marketable in higher education by emphasizing pedagogy and literature along with advanced performance or conducting skills. The program seeks candidates who have the potential to pursue the highest level of achievement in conducting/performance and teaching.
This program is designed to be completed in 3 years. Summer courses are not required.
Objectives
Students graduating from the D.M.A. in Music Performance, Pedagogy and Literature with concentrations in either conducting or performance will be able to:
Performance:
demonstrate application of musical and technical mastery through the performance of advanced repertoire in the student's area of specialization (instrumental or vocal).
create and deliver effective pedagogical instruction.
analyze the standard solo, chamber and ensemble repertoire in the student's area of specialization (instrumental or voice).
Conducting:
demonstrate application of musical and physical conducting skills through the performance of advanced repertoire in the student's area of specialization (instrumental or vocal).
demonstrate effective rehearsal techniques through the preparation of representative repertoire in the student's area of specialization (instrumental or vocal).
create and deliver effective pedagogical instruction.
formulate advanced insights into the artistic and formal structure of music through score study in the student's area of specialization.
communicate effectively about music through writing and speaking.
Official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate course work. Applicants must have earned a Master of Music degree or its equivalent before the semester of intended enrollment in the D.M.A. program.
Written statement of future goals (professional and educational).
Curriculum vitae (C.V.).
Three current letters of recommendation from professors, employers and other professionals qualified to judge the applicant's ability to complete doctoral studies.
A live audition or a high-quality audio/video recording for conditional admission.
TOEFL of at least 550 (written test) for international students.
A financial statement prior to application for international students.
Additional Requirements for International Applicants
See the Office of International Programs website for other requirements and information for international students.
Assistantships
Financial Aid is administered by the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships in the Student Success Center. The chief source of aid for graduate study is through assistantships awarded by the school. Teaching assistantships are awarded each year on a competitive basis. In keeping with the pedagogical nature of the D.M.A. degree at James Madison University, doctoral assistantships will include a variety of supervised teaching experiences: assisting professors in classes and/or being responsible for teaching a class, teaching applied lessons (for performers) and conducting ensembles (for conductors). In addition to a stipend, assistantships include a tuition award.
Class Fees
There is a once per semester fee for enrollment in MUAP 600 and MUAP 700, applied lessons. See MyMadison for details.
Degree Requirements
The three-year degree requires completion of 60-72 credit hours, including core and concentration requirements. There is a two-year residency requirement. In the third year of the degree, D.M.A. students must pass comprehensive written and oral examinations.
Students must complete a minimum of 60 total credits to earn the D.M.A.
If fewer courses are taken in the concentration, more credits must be taken from the core requirements to reach a minimum of 60 credits.
Students will be required to show competency in three languages in addition to English: French, Italian and German. Transcripts of previous college study must show a minimum of four semesters of two of the languages and two semesters of the third language, or credit through the intermediate level in two of the languages and through the beginning level of the third language. In some cases where languages have been learned through means other than traditional college classes, competency equivalents can be shown by taking the JMU Foreign Language Placement tests for French, German and Italian and placing at the 300-level for two of the languages and at the 231-level for the third. If neither option applies, the languages must be taken at JMU as a remedial requirement.
Optional Singing Health Emphasis
(in addition to the Performance Requirements for Vocal)
Each student in the Singing Health Emphasis must successfully pass a written and oral practical examination administered by the Singing Health Specialist Coordinating Committee. This final examination is in addition to the comprehensive examination for the D.M.A. in Vocal Performance.
Woodwind Area: Performance on a Solo Instrument Track
Residency Qualifying Recital: At the end of the first year, the student will play in a thirty-minute recital for the woodwind faculty.
0
Total Credits
20
1
This track requires 16 credits of the applied instruction in the core requirements to be on a primary instrument and 8 credits on a secondary instrument. Eight additional credits will be used in the 20 credit hours for a third instrument. It also requires two of the required recitals in the core to be on the primary instrument and the third recital to be divided between the second and third instruments (50% each).
