Music, DMA

Admission Requirements

The Master of Music (MM) degree is required from The University of Alabama or the equivalent from another accredited institution. The MM equivalent must include recitals and/or major creative work, as appropriate.

In the performance areas, an audition at the MM level that includes at least 20 - 25 minutes of performance time is required. It must include representative works drawn from a variety of historical periods. In composition, scores and recordings of original works, together with evidence of public performances, must be submitted.

Diagnostic entrance examinations are required in musicianship, music theory and writing skills. Any required course or other work specified as a result of deficiencies revealed in these examinations must be removed by the end of the first fall semester after matriculation. A schedule of remediation will be determined by appropriate faculty and the director of graduate studies (DGS) in music and may include enrollment in MUS 595 Graduate Theory Review, MUS 591 Readings in Music History, or MUS 510 Advanced Arranging.  Students may not earn graduate credit in theory or history until all deficiencies in the respective areas have been removed.

In addition to the regular Graduate School application requirements, the following are required as part of the application process:

• Portfolio          Submission of a portfolio is necessary in composition.
• Interview         An on-campus interview is encouraged by not required.
• Audition          An audition is required for performance and conducting majors (sometimes replaced by an audition recording).
• Departmental Exam    An examination in musicianship and music theory is needed at the time of audition. Also, diagnostic examinations in music theory and music history are required at the beginning of the first semester of study.

See the Admission Criteria section of this catalog for more information.

Curricular Requirements

For the DMA Degree

Course distribution (hours required beyond the MM degree).
Major area: 20–25 hours, including document (see below for description)
Theory/music history: 18 hours (minimum of 9 in each area)
Pedagogy: 3–6 hours
Electives: 5-7 hours

Recital requirements

In performance, a minimum of three recitals are required. In conducting there is a requirement for a minimum of three concerts, one of which must be a lecture-recital. In composition, the requirement includes a full recital, or equivalent in length, of music written at the DMA level, exclusive of work done on the document.

Advisory Committee

A committee shall be appointed to supervise the student's program and progress toward the degree. The constitution of the committee is described in the Graduate Handbook of the School of Music.

Written comprehensive examinations

All students must pass written comprehensive examinations in the major area. No student may attempt the written comprehensive examination sooner than the first Fall or Spring semester after successful completion of all required MUS courses. A description of the written comprehensive examinations is included in the Graduate Handbook of the School of Music.

Document

In performance, choral conducting, and wind conducting, a final project that includes a research and writing component is required. The subject, content, and length of the project must be approved by the student’s advisory committee. The School of Music offers options for the format of the final project; these are described in detail in the School of Music's Graduate Handbook (available on the School of Music’s website) under "DMA Curriculum Outlines." In composition, there must be a large original work in an unspecified medium, in addition to and distinct from any work done for degree credit in the DMA program. Every project is subject to approval by the student's advisory committee. Work is supervised by the major teacher and the student’s advisory committee.

Public lecture

In performance and composition, there is a required 50-minute lecture demonstrating the candidate's ability to communicate about the area of specialization.

Language requirement

There is no specific language requirement for the DMA.  Depending on the student's academic program, the advisory committee may require proficiency in a foreign language.

Residency requirement

A minimum of two consecutive, full-time academic semesters must be spent in residence at the University; one may consist of a full summer, if approved by the advisory committee. A minimum of 18 semester hours must be earned in residence. Only degree credit may be counted toward the 18 hours.

Transfer Credit

Courses of full graduate-level credit earned in a regionally accredited institution where a student was enrolled in the graduate school may be submitted for review for inclusion in a doctoral degree program. Evaluation of credit for transfer will not be made until after the student has enrolled in the Graduate School of The University of Alabama. Acceptance of credit requires the approval of the student’s advisory committee and the dean of the Graduate School. Only courses in which a student earned a ”B” grade or better may be transferred. Document Research (699) may not be transferred in from an outside institution.

In some cases, foreign educational credentials may not meet the Graduate School’s criteria for transfer of credit. It may be necessary for students in this situation to secure an evaluation of their credentials from World Education Services Inc. (WES), an external foreign credential evaluation service. Additional information on their services can be found at their website.

A student initiates at the Graduate School’s website a Request for Transfer of Graduate Credit earned at another institution. It is also the student’s responsibility to assure that the Graduate School receives an official transcript from the other institution where the transfer credit has been requested, well in advance of the final semester.

With the approval of the student’s department and the dean of the Graduate School, the greater of 12 hours or 25 percent of the required coursework for a doctoral degree may be transferred from another institution. The approved transferred coursework must be earned during the six-year period (18 fall, spring and summer semesters) preceding the semester of admission to the UA doctoral program. Departments may have more restrictive timelines. Revalidation or recertification of graduate credits that will be more than 18 semesters old at the time of UA doctoral program completion is not an option.

Doctoral Plan of Study Requirement

The student’s plan of study for the DMA degree must be approved by the School of Music and the Graduate School by the time the student completes 30 graduate semester hours of UA and/or transfer course work.

Comprehensive Exams

All students must pass written comprehensive examinations in the major area. No student may attempt the written comprehensive examination sooner than the first Fall or Spring semester after successful completion of all required MUS courses. A description of the written comprehensive examinations is included in the SOM Graduate Handbook.

Admission to Candidacy Requirements

DMA students may be admitted to degree candidacy after passing the written comprehensive examination and obtaining advisory committee approval of a final project prospectus. The advisory committee will sign the Admission to Candidacy form when both conditions have been met.

From this point, the Graduate Catalog requires continuous enrollment in MUS 699 in all fall and spring semesters until graduation.

Continuous Enrollment Policy

Graduate School information on Continuous Enrollment Policy.

DMA Final Project Requirements and Procedures

The Advisory Committee

The Director of the School of Music (SOM)with advice from the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) appoints the SOM advisory committees for all DMA students in the first semester of enrollment.  The student is provided, via email, a copy of the Committee Appointment Memo signed by the Director of the School of Music.The student should “invite” the faculty to serve on their committee via the committee formation interface.

The external member of the DMA committee will be appointed after preliminary approval of the thesis or final project prospectus.

The advisory committee for all DMA students will consist of at least six members, five drawn from the graduate faculty of the SOM and an external member who must hold appropriate graduate faculty status in another discipline. The membership must include

1. the student's major professor (usually serving as chairperson)

2. one other faculty member from the student's major area or, when appropriate, from a related area;

3. a member of the theory/composition faculty;

4. a member of the music history faculty;

5. a member of the graduate faculty of the SOM drawn from outside the student’s major area;

6. an external member who holds UA graduate faculty status in an area other than SOM.

School of Music committee members grade all recitals, the lecture or lecture-recital, and comprehensive exam. All members, including the external member, evaluate the DMA final project prospectus and first draft, and grade the final project defense. All grading is pass/fail. Grades for oral exams and thesis defenses will be agreed upon at the meeting; those for comprehensive examinations and recitals, lectures, etc., will be submitted by committee members through current official procedures. Recordings of recitals and lectures will be available for committee members who cannot attend performances.

Final Project Prospectus:

1.  Prospectus Preparation

Through research and consultation with the major professor, other committee members, and other appropriate persons, the student selects a final project and writes a formal prospectus. The prospectus details the scope of the project and its significance, the components required, working methods, and other supporting information. A brief narrative, an outline, and a working bibliography are required. 

2.  Prospectus Submission

The prospectus may be submitted after the student earns 12 DMA credit hours (excluding remediation).

With the major professor’s approval, the student submits the prospectus to the DGS, who reviews the format and submits the prospectus to the advisory committee.

3.  Prospectus Approval

The DGS polls the committee and, if all agree, schedules a prospectus defense. 

Approval by the advisory committee is required for work to proceed.  See 4.6 Admission to Candidacy.

4.  Document Advisor

At the prospectus defense, the DGS appoints a document advisor from among the committee members. 

Students planning to conduct interviews as part of their research must provide evidence of contact with each intended interviewee, as well as a list of sample questions. Before you start your research with human participants, you must submit an application with the University of Alabama’s Institutional Review Board (IRB).

DMA Final Project First Draft

1.  First Draft Preparation

After successful defense of the prospectus, the student completes a draft of the written component and a progress report on other parts of the project (recording, recitals), with supporting evidence.

The written component must conform to Graduate School regulations for electronic theses and dissertations and to a style guide approved by the Graduate School.  The Graduate School website gives full information under the heading “Current Students” and then “Preparing Theses and Dissertations.”  The SOM's default style guide is The Chicago Manual of Style, notes and bibliography format; individual committees may approve a different style guide if it is accepted by the UA Graduate School.  The Chicago Manual of Style is available online through UA Libraries.

Note:  Students should include the dedication and acknowledgments pages with headings and page numbers only; texts of those sections should not be added until after the defense. 

2.  First Draft Submission

With the approval of the document advisor, the student sends the first draft to the DGS, who reviews the format and submits the draft to the advisory committee.

3.  First Draft Approval

The DGS polls the committee and, if all agree, schedules a first-draft meeting.  The first draft components are evaluated.  Corrections and suggestions must be incorporated into the final version of the project.

DMA Final Project Final Draft

1.  Final Project:  Submission

After completion of all components, and with the major professor's approval, the student sends all components of the project to the DGS, who reviews the format and submits to the advisory committee.

Option I:  60 – 70-page document.

Option II:  professional-quality recording, track listings, cover art with program notes, and the 25–30-page manuscript.

Option III: non-professional recordings of the two recitals with the 25–30-page manuscript.

2.  Final Project Defense

With the advisory committee’s approval, and if all other requirements for the degree have been completed successfully, the DGS convenes the committee for the project defense. 

3.  Grading

The advisory committee grades the defense pass or fail.

4.  Minor Changes after the Successful Defense

The advisory committee may require minor changes to components of the project; the major professor is responsible for monitoring the changes before the student submits the project to the Graduate School.

5.  Substantial Changes after the Defense

If substantial changes are recommended during the defense, the project will not be submitted, and forms will not be signed until a complete revision has been presented to the advisory committee.

6.  Graduate School Submission

After a successful defense, the student submits the document or manuscript to the Graduate School, following procedures given on the Graduate School website.

The DMA Final Project

All DMA students must complete a final project that includes a scholarly written component. More specific information about the written component may be found in the School of Music (SOM) Graduate Handbook. Three options are available; they are described in detail with requirements and procedures in in the SOM Graduate Handbook.

Option I: Any DMA student may choose to write a document of approximately 60

– 70 pages.

For Performance and Conducting Students

The DMA document is of narrower scope than a dissertation but involves the same high level of research and rigorous documentation. It demonstrates the candidate's ability to communicate general and specific information about the area of specialization and results in an original contribution to knowledge. Topics might include an analysis of a work or set of works, a critical edition of a work for which none exists, a catalog of a composer's works or a substantial update if none exists, a descriptive inventory of an archival collection, a description of a musical document (collection of antebellum sheet music, etc.), a study of a performance practice, a biography or original contribution to the biography of a significant musical figure, a history of a musical organization. More specific information about the DMA Document may be found in Section 11 of the SOM Graduate Handbook.

For Composition Students

The student must compose a large original work (medium unspecified) in addition to and distinct from any work done for other degree credit in the DMA program. Work on the document will be supervised by the major professor and the advisory committee. The project does not require a recording of the composition.

Option II: Performance and Conducting students may produce a professional-quality recording featuring the student as primary soloist, primary ensemble performer, or conductor, accompanied by a 25 – 30-page contextualizing manuscript, liner notes, and cover art.

The student is responsible for execution of all aspects of the recording and must assume a leadership role in all aspects of the project, including planning, production, and editing of the recording.  

The recording must be a professional-quality, produced, studio recording; it cannot be simply a recording of a live concert.

Approximately 50% of the recording may be taken from material on the recitals required for the DMA degree.

The content of the recording must constitute a cohesive program (see Cohesive Program below). 

The student must be registered for applied lessons with the major professor in the semester the recording is completed.

The student must submit a 25–30-page manuscript that provides a context for the recital, the rationale behind the choice of program, historical and/or analytical information where pertinent, biographical notes about the performers, etc. 

The student must submit cover art and liner notes condensed from the manuscript.

Option III:  Performance students may add two recitals (in addition to the three required for the degree); the fifth recital must be accompanied by a contextualizing manuscript of 25 – 30 pages.

The content of the fifth recital must constitute a cohesive program (see Cohesive Program below). 

The student must submit a 25 – 30-page manuscript that provides a context for the recital, the rationale behind the choice of program, historical and/or analytical information where pertinent, etc.

Duplication of material from any previous recital for which credit for a degree has been earned is not allowed.

Cohesive Program:  Options II and III

Possibilities for the cohesive program required for the recording in Option II and the fifth recital in Option III might include performances of a composer’s complete works in a particular genre or for a particular instrument; tracing a genre, such as the sonata, through several centuries; featuring representative works in a national tradition; or exploring meaningful connections between seemingly unrelated composers or works (e.g., innovative works for the instrument). For conductors in particular, a single large work may suffice.  A program of unrelated works is unacceptable.

Time Limits for Degree Completion Requirements

All requirements for the doctoral degree must be completed within nine years (27 fall, spring, and summer semesters) following admission to the doctoral program.

Previous graduate credit may be applied to the doctoral degree if the credit was earned during the six-year period prior to admission to the doctoral program or accepted by the Graduate School as part of Option 2. Such credit must be identified clearly on the Plan of Study and requires Graduate School approval. Only those students graduating within the time limit for their doctoral program may apply previously approved graduate credit to the doctoral degree. Revalidation (recertification) of any expired course credit is not an option.

Graduate School information on Time Limits for Degree Completion.  

Student Progress Requirement

A student may be dismissed from any SOM graduate program for failure to make satisfactory progress toward degree completion. Lack of progress includes failure to follow the most recent SOM Plan of Study on file and failure to attend SOM advising sessions each semester. Following notification from the SOM Director of Graduate Studies, the appropriate MM or DMA Advisory Committee may move for dismissal.

Additional Academic Requirements

In addition to the required applied lesson credits, DMA candidates must register for applied lessons in their specific discipline during each semester in which a recital or lecture is given.

Academic Misconduct Information

Graduate School information on Academic Misconduct. 

Withdrawals and Leaves of Absence Information

Graduate School information on Withdrawals and Leaves of Absence. 

Academic Grievances Information

Graduate School information on Academic Grievances. 

Grades and Academic Standing

Graduate School information on Grades and Academic Standing.

Graduate School Deadlines Information

Information on Graduate School Deadlines. 

Application for Graduation Information

Graduate School information on Graduation.