Admission Requirements

To be considered for admission to the DMA, applicants must meet the following minimum requirements:

1. 1. Hold a Bachelor’s degree in music from an accredited institution.

   1. Exceptions are rare and require the applicant to seek an Exception to Graduate Admission Policy. Please email admissions@music.utah.edu for more information
2. 2. Have a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 in all previous collegiate work.

3. 3. International applicants must meet university English proficiency requirements. The School of Music requires higher scores on the TOEFL and IELTS exams.

   1. TOEFL: 85 composite score, with a minimum score of 20 in each category
   2. IELTS: 6.5 band score, with a minimum of 6.0 in each category.

Applying

Complete the following steps to apply to the MM:

1. 1. Submit the online Graduate Admissions application. As part of this application MM applicants need to upload:

   1. Transcripts of course work from all schools attended.
   2. Three letters of recommendation from professors, employers, and/or other professionals qualified to judge the applicants ability to successfully complete doctoral studies.
   3. Statement of Purpose, including future goals.
   4. Current CV or resume.
   5. Comprehensive Repertoire list of both works performed (listing date and venue) and works studied.
2. 2. A 60-minute solo program representing at least 3 different periods. The faculty will select 20 minutes from the prepared repertoire to have the student perform. Memorization is required. Students who have completed or are completing the MM degree at the University of Utah must audition with all other external candidates on the School of Music Audition dates for admission and scholarships. If a live audition is not possible, submit a YouTube link to a high-quality video. The YouTube link should be sent to admissions@music.utah.edu.
3. 3. Brief interview with audition panel will follow audition process.

Note: Applicants audition and application will be reviewed by a committee of faculty members within the piano area.

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Required Courses

Academic Courses

A total of 11 hours is required

Bibliography

Choose a total of 9 hours from Musicology and Music Theory courses: 

Musicology

Choose one or two courses from the following.

Area of Specialization

 

Recitals

1. Each student must perform two complete solo recital programs. The Supervisory Committee must approve the program repertoire prior to the recital.
2. Each student must also complete either a concerto performance with a large instrumental ensemble or a chamber music recital of 60 minutes of music.
3. Each student is required to perform a lecture recital based on the research of the student’s dissertation essay topic.

Students must fill out the proper recital forms and register for each recital prior to the semester of the scheduled recital. Recitals should be a minimum of one hour in length, with the exception of the major work. Degree recitals should be held in a School of Music performance venue; exceptions are rare and must be approved through an Exception to Policy. 

The Supervisory Committee comprises the Jury for the recitals. Students must be enrolled in private lessons during semesters in which recitals are given. All incomplete grades must be made up prior to the first day of the semester in which the lecture recital is scheduled. Recitals must be held before the last day of classes in the Fall and Spring semesters.

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Graduate Placement Exams

Placement examinations in Music History and Music Theory are taken after the student has been accepted by Graduate Admissions. Preparation materials are available on the School of Music website. Placement examinations must be taken prior to registering for Music History and Music Theory courses.

Results of graduate placement exams determine placement in graduate courses and identify areas in which remedial work may be necessary. Students are encouraged to study diligently for these examinations. Poor performance could result in the student being required to take a considerable number of remedial courses. Students recommended for remedial courses must earn a B- or better in recommended courses before advancing to a higher-level course.

Music History

The graduate Music History diagnostic examination covers the breadth of Western art music from the medieval period to the present through a variety of questions evaluating the students knowledge of important composers, works, terms, and concepts.

Music Theory

The graduate Music Theory placement examination assesses the students competence in harmony, voice leading, counterpoint, form, and instrumentation.

Appointment of Supervisory Committee

Members of the Supervisory Committee consult with the student in planning their degree program, research, and thesis; they also administer the thesis defense. It is the responsibility of the student to approach faculty to request that they serve on the Supervisory Committee. Students should submit the Request for Supervisory Committee form to the Academic Coordinator. The Graduate Studies Committee votes on and approves Supervisory Committees.

The thesis supervisor serves as the Chair of the Supervisory Committee. MM Supervisory Committees consist of three faculty members, the majority of whom must be tenure-line faculty in the School of Music. The Supervisor Committee must be chosen during the first year of study.

Qualifying Examinations

Written qualifying examinations are required of each DMA student. An examination, or parts of an examination, may be repeated only once and only at the discretion of the Supervisory Committee. The qualifying exam must be passed before a student can register for the Dissertation Essay.

Prior to taking the qualifying examination the student must have completed all course work in the subject area of the exam (including required recitals, with the exception of the lecture recital) and no incompletes may be outstanding. The student must be enrolled in at least one credit hour during the semester of the examination. Summer administration of the examinations is allowed if approved through an Exception to Policy. 

DMA qualifying examinations will be given in the major area and the Related Field. The major area examination is compiled by the Committee Chair with questions submitted from other members of the Supervisory Committee; the topics are taken from the student's course work and major-specific materials that a DMA candidate should know. Related Field questions are prepared by the Related Field faculty representative on the committee (other faculty in the Related Field may be consulted as well).

The piano area examination will consist of five or six keyboard pieces to be identified and analyzed. Pianists will be expected to convey detailed performance or teaching suggestions based on the analysis of one of the scores from the exam. Students should plan on three hours to complete this examination. In addition, pianists will be given a topic to research based on a genre from one of the pieces from his/her recital repertoire to be presented to the monitor at the time of the qualifying exam (minimum 8 pages carefully footnoted).

DMA Dissertation Essay

Each student must complete a scholarly paper of limited scope and length containing original research on a relevant topic (suggested length is 30-100 pages). The topic must be approved by the student’s Supervisory Committee prior to commencing the research. The paper should be of sufficient scope and length to merit submission to scholarly journals for publication or to state/regional or national associations for presentation. Registration for MUSC DMA 7975 Dissertation Essay is allowed only after qualifying exams have been passed.

The dissertation essay must conform to the standards set forth by the University Thesis Office; however, the Thesis Office will not edit DMA Dissertation Essays. Editing is primarily the responsibility of the Supervisory Chair with input from the rest of the committee.

Dissertation Essay Defense

Upon completion of the lecture recital and dissertation essay, each student must successfully complete a one-hour oral defense before the Supervisory Committee. A copy of the dissertation essay must be distributed to the Supervisory Committee at least three weeks prior to the defense; the dissertation advisor must approve the dissertation essay prior to distribution. Dissertation essay defenses must be held in a neutral location and are open to the public.

The format is to serve as a defense of the dissertation essay, and to provide clarification or answer lingering questions left over from the qualifying exams. The exam may also include questions on music history, music theory, and the history and literature of the student's area of specialization. 

All defenses must be held before the last day of classes in the Fall and Spring semesters. Defenses are not to be held during Final Exam or Reading Days or during Summer semester.