MUSDMA - Music
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DOCTORAL DEGREE PROGRAMS
Doctoral degrees are awarded to candidates who display deep understanding of the subject matter of their disciplines as well as the ability to make original contributions to knowledge in their fields. The University of Arizona FFSoM offers the Doctor of Musical Arts degree with concentrations in the fields of Composition, Conducting, and Performance, and the Doctor of Philosophy degree with concentrations in Music Education, Music Theory, and Musicology. The university does not permit double use of courses in a major and a minor or in a second minor.
This Handbook is meant to be used in conjunction with the information on graduate study provided by the UA Graduate College at https://grad.arizona.edu. Students must follow the degree requirements as outlined in the FFSoM Graduate Handbook current during their semester of admission. Degree students whose registration has been inactive for two or more consecutive semesters who return to graduate study must follow the FFSoM Graduate Handbook degree requirements in effect during the semester of their readmission rather than the Handbook in effect at the time of their earlier admission.
Core Academic Courses for DMA Degrees
Composition, Conducting, and students in Voice, Piano/Keyboard, and Instrumental Performance must select fifteen units of course work from the following three categories of core courses:
Category A--Music Education (min. 3 units): 550, 551, 650, 654, 672, 696a
Category B--Music Theory (min. 3 units): 520a, 520b, 521a, 521b, 521c, 534, 541 or 542, 622, 623, 624a, 624b, 625a, 625b, 696c
Category C--Historical Musicology and Ethnomusicology (min. 3 units): 530, 531, 532, 533, 535, 536, 568, 595b, 596b, 696b, 696f
Ensemble Policy for DMA Degrees
Doctoral degrees may require large conducted ensemble participation as delineated in each degree grid. The appropriate large conducted ensemble varies by degree plan. The required large conducted ensemble, designed to support applied and academic study in each degree plan, must be chosen from the following list:
Bowed Strings: MUS 500, based on placement audition, with bowed string faculty and large conducted ensemble faculty approval
Voice: MUS 500L Arizona Choir
Wind/Percussion: MUS 500D, E, O, or R
Piano/Keyboard, Harp, Guitar: MUS 500 or 501 or 502
An audition process designed and administered by the ensemble directors in consultation with the applied faculty and approved by the Director of the FFSoM will determine participation in the appropriate large conducted ensemble. Students whose degree grids specify a large conducted ensemble requirement of two or more credits must participate in a large conducted ensemble in a two-semester sequence.
Students are expected to enroll in at least one core class per semester until all core courses are completed. A 3.0 semester and cumulative GPA must be maintained. If the GPA falls below 3.0 in any semester, the consequence may be loss of financial aid and/or dismissal. Appeals may be made directly to the Director of Graduate Studies.
GRADUATE MUSIC (MUS) COURSES (not including Ensembles)
510A/B Pedagogy (2-2)
511A/B Diction for Singers (2-2)
520A/B Counterpoint (3-3)
521A Analysis of Tonal Music I: Form (3)
521B Analysis of Tonal Music II: Chromaticism (3)
521C Analysis of Contemporary Music (3)
522A/B Art Song Repertory (2-2)
523A/B History of the Opera (3-3)
525 History and Literature of the Wind Band (3)
526A/B Piano Literature (3-3)
527A/B Careers in Music (2-2)
528 Entrepreneurship in the Arts (3)
530 Music in the Renaissance (3)
531 Music in the Baroque (3)
532 Music in the Classical Period (3)
533 Music of the 20th Century (3)
534 Music Since 1950 (3)
535 Music in the Middle Ages (3)
536 Music in the Romantic Period
541 Electro-Acoustic Music (3)
542 Electro-Acoustic Studio Resources (3)
550 Advanced Studies in Music Teaching (3)
551 Behavioral Research in the Arts (3)
555 Music and German Literature (3)
568 Studies in Latin American Music (3)
588 European Literary-Pol. Cabaret (3)
595B Art Music in the United States (3)
596B Musicology Seminar (3) Rpt/3
596E Seminar in Music and Dance Collab. (2)
599 Independent Study (credit varies)
600 Introduction to Graduate Studies in Music (3)
603 Qualitative Research in Music (3)
604 Historical Research in Music (3)
620A/B History of Speculative Theory (3-3)
622 Theory Pedagogy (3)
623 Post Tonal Analysis (3)
624A Introduction to Schenkerian Theory (3)
624B Seminar in Schenkerian Theory (3)
625A/B Specialized Readings in Music Theory (3-3)
635 Choral Literature and Technique (3) Rpt/5
640 Advanced Composition (3) Rpt/5
650 Foundations and Principles of Music Ed. (3)
654 Psychology of Music (3)
655 Quantitative Analysis in Music Education
672 Teaching Music in Higher Education (3)
693 Internship (1-6)
694 Practicum (1-6)
695B Special Topics in Music (3)
696A Seminar in Music Education (3) Rpt/3
696B Seminar in Musicology (3) Rpt/3
696C Seminar in Music Theory (3) Rpt/3
696D Seminar in Composition (3) Rpt/4
696E Seminar in Keyboard Studies (3)
696F Seminar in Ethnomusicology (3)
699 Independent Study (credit varies)
Diagnostic and Qualifying Examinations
All entering graduate students are required to take diagnostic examinations in music history and music theory, and voice students also take a diagnostic exam in diction. These 2-3 hour examinations are administered prior to the beginning of classes in the fall and spring semesters. The music history diagnostic exam also is offered online prior to summer session classes. Students who show deficiencies on the history and theory exams may be recommended to take designated course work, which should be completed prior to enrollment in graduate musicology and theory courses. All graduate-level courses in music history and music theory taken to fulfill diagnostic exam recommendations and completed with a grade of “C” or higher may be used to fulfill doctoral degree requirements.
Graduate diagnostic examinations in music history and music theory may be taken only once. Students who proceed directly from master’s degrees into doctoral degrees at The University of Arizona are exempt from additional diagnostic examinations.
In addition to the diagnostic examinations, all doctoral students take qualifying examinations in the major and minor fields of study, unless the major or minor exam is waived by the faculty responsible for setting the exam. The qualifying examinations test a student’s overall readiness to enter into doctoral work, and are not purely diagnostic. If faculty evaluate an examination as failing, students may be required to retake the exam during the next exam cycle. Qualifying exams may be taken a maximum of two times. Normally students take both major and minor examinations during the fifth week of the first semester in residence, although they may be taken as late as the second semester. Students may elect to take the major exam in the first semester and the minor exam
in the second semester. DMA and Ph.D. qualifying exams are administered in October and February of each year. Faculty may use these results to guide the student’s direction of study in the major and minor fields by recommending additional coursework beyond that specified by a student’s degree grid.
The qualifying examination in the major field of study may be waived only when a candidate has completed a master's degree in the same field at The University of Arizona, and only upon the recommendation of the major area. The qualifying examination in the minor field may be waived at the option of the minor area.
Doctoral Recitals: Repertory
Doctoral candidates in conducting and performance present a series of recitals (including a lecture recital and accompanying document) in lieu of the dissertation required of Ph.D. candidates. Although it is expected that most of the repertory on the Doctoral Qualifying Recital will be newly-learned, some repetition of pieces from prior study is permissible on this recital at the discretion of the major professor. Previously performed music may only be used for the Doctoral Qualifying Recital. For the other three doctoral degree recitals, music may not be selected from repertoire used to satisfy previous degree recitals.
Candidates in Performance present a series of four recitals--the Qualifying, Ensemble, Solo, and Lecture Recitals. Students who wish to perform more than one degree recital in a semester must first receive approval from the FFSoM Graduate Committee. The order of recitals after the qualifying recital is interchangeable. The Final Oral Examination cannot be scheduled until all four recitals have been completed. Each recital should be from 50-90 minutes in length. Doctoral voice students who receive approval per unanimous decision by the voice and opera faculty may substitute a major operatic role or two secondary opera roles in lieu of one of the solo degree recitals.
The Doctoral Comprehensive Written Examination (except Music Education)
Before admission to candidacy, doctoral students must pass examinations in the chosen fields of study. These examinations are intended to test the student’s comprehensive knowledge of the major and minor areas. This is the occasion when committee members have both the opportunity and obligation to require the student to display a broad knowledge of the chosen field of study (i.e. music) and sufficient depth of understanding in the areas of specialization (major area and minor area). The exam is comprehensive and integrative in relation to the field and specialization.
The written comprehensive examination is held when essentially all course work is completed, and no later than three months prior to the date of the final oral examination. The written comprehensive examinations are administered in October and February of each year. Piano, strings, music theory and voice majors must have satisfied their foreign language requirements before scheduling these examinations.
The Written Comprehensive Examinations are not “take home”. The five members of the student's Advisory Committee must each prepare a two-hour written examination that will be given on campus (a six-hour test in the major area and a four-hour test in the minor area). Two negative votes constitute a failure of the written comprehensive examinations. At the discretion of the committee and with the approval of the Director of Graduate Studies the student may re-take the written test one time.
After successful completion of the written examinations, an oral examination shall be conducted before a committee of the faculty approved by the Director of Graduate Studies and the Dean of the Graduate College.
Doctoral Comprehensive Oral Examination
The Oral Comprehensive Examination will last at least one hour but not more than three. In this examination the faculty have both the opportunity and the obligation to require a student to display a broad knowledge of the chosen field of study (music), and sufficient depth of understanding in areas of specialization (major and minor fields). As a test of a successful performance, the student should demonstrate a professional level of knowledge expected of a junior faculty member.
Formal Proposals for Dissertations or Doctoral Documents
All doctoral students in music culminate their academic studies with a capstone project. The capstone project for doctoral students in music education, music theory, and musicology is a Dissertation that
presents original research and substantiates a thesis or hypothesis. These students will continue to use the guidelines for doctoral proposals given in the current edition of the Graduate Handbook and earlier editions. For doctoral composition students the capstone project is a substantial original composition accompanied by a detailed explanation of the compositional and aesthetic decisions that informed the work's structure and content. These students will continue to use the guidelines for doctoral composition proposals given in the current edition of the Graduate Handbook.
Final Doctoral Oral Examinations
This final examination is an oral defense of the entire “dissertation” (in the DMA degree all recitals and the lecture- recital document are offered in lieu of dissertation) and the student is expected to be able to defend all elements of the "dissertation." The examination may include any further general questioning related to the field(s) of study encompassed within the scope of the dissertation. Committee members should have the penultimate copy of the document at least 30 days before the examination (all committee members have reviewed the document and all requested changes have been made).
Doctoral Minor: A Secondary Concentration
To allow for greater flexibility and to develop a second area of concentration, each doctoral student selects at least one minor area of study. The minor must be approved by the minor advisor designated on the student study plan.
Minor areas of concentration in music may be chosen from complementary disciplines (e.g., Composition, Conducting, Music Education, etc.). Minors outside the FFSoM may be chosen with the approval of the Graduate Committee and the approval of the faculty in the chosen discipline. Conducting majors (choral, orchestral, wind) may elect conducting in a complementary area as a minor (e.g., choral major with an orchestral minor) upon permission of the conducting faculty after an audition in the complementary area. Otherwise, the minor may not be in the same music emphasis area as that selected for the major. For example, violin performance students may not minor in piano performance.
Discuss your proposed minor with the Director of Graduate Studies before contacting the area in which you hope to minor.
Please refer to the Graduate Student Handbook for students who are pursuing this program of study.
Minimum Credit Units
98
Core Coursework Requirements
Doctoral degrees are awarded to candidates who display deep understanding of the subject matter of their disciplines as well as the ability to make original contributions to knowledge in their fields. The University of Arizona FFSoM offers the Doctor of Musical Arts degree with concentrations in the fields of Composition, Conducting, and Performance, and the Doctor of Philosophy degree with concentrations in Music Education, Music Theory, and Musicology. The university does not permit double use of courses in a major and a minor or in a second minor.
The Handbook is meant to be used in conjunction with the information on graduate study provided by the UA Graduate College at https://grad.arizona.edu. Students must follow the degree requirements as outlined in the FFSoM Graduate Handbook current during their semester of admission. Degree students whose registration has been inactive for two or more consecutive semesters who return to graduate study must follow the FFSoM Graduate Handbook degree requirements in effect during the semester of their readmission rather than the Handbook in effect at the time of their earlier admission.
DMA Composition
Master's Degree: 30 Units
MUS 640 Composition Lessons: 12 Units
MUS 696D Composition Seminar: 8 Units
MUS 600 Introduction to Graduate Study*: 3 Units
Core Courses: 15 Units
Minor: 12 Units
Dissertation**: 18 Units
Total: 98 Units
Composition majors are required to present a recital of their compositions.
*Students who already have taken MUS 600 or its equivalent as a part of their master’s degree must substitute 3 units of MUS core courses.
**The primary document comprising a Composition Dissertation is an extended work of approximately 15-30 minutes in duration.
Core Academic Courses for DMA Degrees
Composition, Conducting, and students in Voice, Piano/Keyboard, and Instrumental Performance must select fifteen units of course work from the following three categories of core courses:
Category A--Music Education (min. 3 units): 550, 551, 650, 654, 672, 696a
Category B--Music Theory (min. 3 units): 520a, 520b, 521a, 521b, 521c, 534, 541 or 542, 622, 623, 624a, 624b, 625a, 625b, 696c
Category C--Historical Musicology and Ethnomusicology (min. 3 units): 530, 531, 532, 533, 535, 536, 568, 595b, 596b, 696b, 696f
Students are expected to enroll in at least one core class per semester until all core courses are completed. A 3.0 semester and cumulative GPA must be maintained. If the GPA falls below 3.0 in any semester, the consequence may be loss of financial aid and/or dismissal. Appeals may be made directly to the Director of Graduate Studies.
Elective Coursework
GRADUATE MUSIC (MUS) COURSES (not including Ensembles)
510A/B Pedagogy (2-2)
511A/B Diction for Singers (2-2)
520A/B Counterpoint (3-3)
521A Analysis of Tonal Music I: Form (3)
521B Analysis of Tonal Music II: Chromaticism (3)
521C Analysis of Contemporary Music (3)
522A/B Art Song Repertory (2-2)
523A/B History of the Opera (3-3)
525 History and Literature of the Wind Band (3)
526A/B Piano Literature (3-3)
527A/B Careers in Music (2-2)
528 Entrepreneurship in the Arts (3)
530 Music in the Renaissance (3)
531 Music in the Baroque (3)
532 Music in the Classical Period (3)
533 Music of the 20th Century (3)
534 Music Since 1950 (3)
535 Music in the Middle Ages (3)
536 Music in the Romantic Period
541 Electro-Acoustic Music (3)
542 Electro-Acoustic Studio Resources (3)
550 Advanced Studies in Music Teaching (3)
551 Behavioral Research in the Arts (3)
555 Music and German Literature (3)
568 Studies in Latin American Music (3)
588 European Literary-Pol. Cabaret (3)
595B Art Music in the United States (3)
596B Musicology Seminar (3) Rpt/3
596E Seminar in Music and Dance Collab. (2)
599 Independent Study (credit varies)
600 Introduction to Graduate Studies in Music (3)
603 Qualitative Research in Music (3)
604 Historical Research in Music (3)
620A/B History of Speculative Theory (3-3)
622 Theory Pedagogy (3)
623 Post Tonal Analysis (3)
624A Introduction to Schenkerian Theory (3)
624B Seminar in Schenkerian Theory (3)
625A/B Specialized Readings in Music Theory (3-3)
635 Choral Literature and Technique (3) Rpt/5
640 Advanced Composition (3) Rpt/5
650 Foundations and Principles of Music Ed. (3)
654 Psychology of Music (3)
655 Quantitative Analysis in Music Education
672 Teaching Music in Higher Education (3)
693 Internship (1-6)
694 Practicum (1-6)
695B Special Topics in Music (3)
696A Seminar in Music Education (3) Rpt/3
696B Seminar in Musicology (3) Rpt/3
696C Seminar in Music Theory (3) Rpt/3
696D Seminar in Composition (3) Rpt/4
696E Seminar in Keyboard Studies (3)
696F Seminar in Ethnomusicology (3)
699 Independent Study (credit varies)
Additional Requirements
Diagnostic and Qualifying Examinations
All entering graduate students are required to take diagnostic examinations in music history and music theory, and voice students also take a diagnostic exam in diction. These 2-3 hour examinations are administered prior to the beginning of classes in the fall and spring semesters. The music history diagnostic exam also is offered online prior to summer session classes. Students who show deficiencies on the history and theory exams may be recommended to take designated course work, which should be completed prior to enrollment in graduate musicology and theory courses. All graduate-level courses in music history and music theory taken to fulfill diagnostic exam recommendations and completed with a grade of “C” or higher may be used to fulfill doctoral degree requirements.
Graduate diagnostic examinations in music history and music theory may be taken only once. Students who proceed directly from master’s degrees into doctoral degrees at The University of Arizona are exempt from additional diagnostic examinations.
In addition to the diagnostic examinations, all doctoral students take qualifying examinations in the major and minor fields of study, unless the major or minor exam is waived by the faculty responsible for setting the exam. The qualifying examinations test a student’s overall readiness to enter into doctoral work, and are not purely diagnostic. If faculty evaluate an examination as failing, students may be required to retake the exam during the next exam cycle. Qualifying exams may be taken a maximum of two times. Normally students take both major and minor examinations during the fifth week of the first semester in residence, although they may be taken as late as the second semester. Students may elect to take the major exam in the first semester and the minor exam
in the second semester. DMA and Ph.D. qualifying exams are administered in October and February of each year. Faculty may use these results to guide the student’s direction of study in the major and minor fields by recommending additional coursework beyond that specified by a student’s degree grid.
The qualifying examination in the major field of study may be waived only when a candidate has completed a master's degree in the same field at The University of Arizona, and only upon the recommendation of the major area. The qualifying examination in the minor field may be waived at the option of the minor area.
Doctoral Recitals: Repertory
Doctoral candidates in conducting and performance present a series of recitals (including a lecture recital and accompanying document) in lieu of the dissertation required of Ph.D. candidates. Although it is expected that most of the repertory on the Doctoral Qualifying Recital will be newly-learned, some repetition of pieces from prior study is permissible on this recital at the discretion of the major professor. Previously performed music may only be used for the Doctoral Qualifying Recital. For the other three doctoral degree recitals, music may not be selected from repertoire used to satisfy previous degree recitals.
Candidates in Performance present a series of four recitals--the Qualifying, Ensemble, Solo, and Lecture Recitals. Students who wish to perform more than one degree recital in a semester must first receive approval from the FFSoM Graduate Committee. The order of recitals after the qualifying recital is interchangeable. The Final Oral Examination cannot be scheduled until all four recitals have been completed. Each recital should be from 50-90 minutes in length. Doctoral voice students who receive approval per unanimous decision by the voice and opera faculty may substitute a major operatic role or two secondary opera roles in lieu of one of the solo degree recitals.
The Doctoral Comprehensive Written Examination (except Music Education)
Before admission to candidacy, doctoral students must pass examinations in the chosen fields of study. These examinations are intended to test the student’s comprehensive knowledge of the major and minor areas. This is the occasion when committee members have both the opportunity and obligation to require the student to display a broad knowledge of the chosen field of study (i.e. music) and sufficient depth of understanding in the areas of specialization (major area and minor area). The exam is comprehensive and integrative in relation to the field and specialization.
The written comprehensive examination is held when essentially all course work is completed, and no later than three months prior to the date of the final oral examination. The written comprehensive examinations are administered in October and February of each year. Piano, strings, music theory and voice majors must have satisfied their foreign language requirements before scheduling these examinations.
The Written Comprehensive Examinations are not “take home”. The five members of the student's Advisory Committee must each prepare a two-hour written examination that will be given on campus (a six-hour test in the major area and a four-hour test in the minor area). Two negative votes constitute a failure of the written comprehensive examinations. At the discretion of the committee and with the approval of the Director of Graduate Studies the student may re-take the written test one time.
After successful completion of the written examinations, an oral examination shall be conducted before a committee of the faculty approved by the Director of Graduate Studies and the Dean of the Graduate College.
Doctoral Comprehensive Oral Examination
The Oral Comprehensive Examination will last at least one hour but not more than three. In this examination the faculty have both the opportunity and the obligation to require a student to display a broad knowledge of the chosen field of study (music), and sufficient depth of understanding in areas of specialization (major and minor fields). As a test of a successful performance, the student should demonstrate a professional level of knowledge expected of a junior faculty member.
Formal Proposals for Dissertations or Doctoral Documents
All doctoral students in music culminate their academic studies with a capstone project. The capstone project for doctoral students in music education, music theory, and musicology is a Dissertation that
presents original research and substantiates a thesis or hypothesis. These students will continue to use the guidelines for doctoral proposals given in the current edition of the Graduate Handbook and earlier editions. For doctoral composition students the capstone project is a substantial original composition accompanied by a detailed explanation of the compositional and aesthetic decisions that informed the work's structure and content. These students will continue to use the guidelines for doctoral composition proposals given in the current edition of the Graduate Handbook.
Final Doctoral Oral Examinations
This final examination is an oral defense of the entire “dissertation” (in the DMA degree all recitals and the lecture- recital document are offered in lieu of dissertation) and the student is expected to be able to defend all elements of the "dissertation." The examination may include any further general questioning related to the field(s) of study encompassed within the scope of the dissertation. Committee members should have the penultimate copy of the document at least 30 days before the examination (all committee members have reviewed the document and all requested changes have been made).
Minor Requirements for Doctoral Students in this Program
Doctoral Minor: A Secondary Concentration
To allow for greater flexibility and to develop a second area of concentration, each doctoral student selects at least one minor area of study. The minor must be approved by the minor advisor designated on the student study plan.
Minor areas of concentration in music may be chosen from complementary disciplines (e.g., Composition, Conducting, Music Education, etc.). Minors outside the FFSoM may be chosen with the approval of the Graduate Committee and the approval of the faculty in the chosen discipline. Conducting majors (choral, orchestral, wind) may elect conducting in a complementary area as a minor (e.g., choral major with an orchestral minor) upon permission of the conducting faculty after an audition in the complementary area. Otherwise, the minor may not be in the same music emphasis area as that selected for the major. For example, violin performance students may not minor in piano performance.
Discuss your proposed minor with the Director of Graduate Studies before contacting the area in which you hope to minor.
Student Handbook
Please refer to the Graduate Student Handbook for students who are pursuing this program of study.
Minimum Credit Units
100
Core Coursework Requirements
DOCTORAL DEGREE PROGRAMS
Doctoral degrees are awarded to candidates who display deep understanding of the subject matter of their disciplines as well as the ability to make original contributions to knowledge in their fields. The University of Arizona FFSoM offers the Doctor of Musical Arts degree with concentrations in the fields of Composition, Conducting, and Performance, and the Doctor of Philosophy degree with concentrations in Music Education, Music Theory, and Musicology. The university does not permit double use of courses in a major and a minor or in a second minor.
This Handbook is meant to be used in conjunction with the information on graduate study provided by the UA Graduate College at https://grad.arizona.edu. Students must follow the degree requirements as outlined in the FFSoM Graduate Handbook current during their semester of admission. Degree students whose registration has been inactive for two or more consecutive semesters who return to graduate study must follow the FFSoM Graduate Handbook degree requirements in effect during the semester of their readmission rather than the Handbook in effect at the time of their earlier admission.
DMA Conducting
Master's Degree: 30 Units
MUSI 785 Conducting*: 16-21 Units
MUS 600 Introduction to Graduate Studies**: 3 Units
MUS 500 Large Conducted Ensemble: 4 Units
Core Courses: 15 Units
Minor: 12 Units
Doctoral Recitals: 20 Units
Total: 100-105 Units
The recital requirement is fulfilled by conducting performances of major university ensembles. The number of conducting performances is determined by the major professor. The final recital is a lecture recital with accompanying document.
*All Instrumental Conducting Majors with a Wind Band emphasis must take MUS 525, History and Repertoire of the Wind Band (3 units). Choral Conducting majors must take MUS 635 for 9 units, MUSI 785 for 8 units and MUS 500L for 4 units; once the Graduate Committee has approved the lecture- recital proposal, students may elect to take additional semesters of MUSI 785 in preparation for presentation of the lecture recital and document.
**Students who already have taken MUS 600 or its equivalent as a part of their master’s degree must substitute 3 units of MUS core courses.
Core Academic Courses for DMA Degrees
Composition, Conducting, and students in Voice, Piano/Keyboard, and Instrumental Performance must select fifteen units of course work from the following three categories of core courses:
Category A--Music Education (min. 3 units): 550, 551, 650, 654, 672, 696a
Category B--Music Theory (min. 3 units): 520a, 520b, 521a, 521b, 521c, 534, 541 or 542, 622, 623, 624a, 624b, 625a, 625b, 696c
Category C--Historical Musicology and Ethnomusicology (min. 3 units): 530, 531, 532, 533, 535, 536, 568, 595b, 596b, 696b, 696f
Students are expected to enroll in at least one core class per semester until all core courses are completed. A 3.0 semester and cumulative GPA must be maintained. If the GPA falls below 3.0 in any semester, the consequence may be loss of financial aid and/or dismissal. Appeals may be made directly to the Director of Graduate Studies.
Elective Coursework
GRADUATE MUSIC (MUS) COURSES (not including Ensembles)
510A/B Pedagogy (2-2)
511A/B Diction for Singers (2-2)
520A/B Counterpoint (3-3)
521A Analysis of Tonal Music I: Form (3)
521B Analysis of Tonal Music II: Chromaticism (3)
521C Analysis of Contemporary Music (3)
522A/B Art Song Repertory (2-2)
523A/B History of the Opera (3-3)
525 History and Literature of the Wind Band (3)
526A/B Piano Literature (3-3)
527A/B Careers in Music (2-2)
528 Entrepreneurship in the Arts (3)
530 Music in the Renaissance (3)
531 Music in the Baroque (3)
532 Music in the Classical Period (3)
533 Music of the 20th Century (3)
534 Music Since 1950 (3)
535 Music in the Middle Ages (3)
536 Music in the Romantic Period
541 Electro-Acoustic Music (3)
542 Electro-Acoustic Studio Resources (3)
550 Advanced Studies in Music Teaching (3)
551 Behavioral Research in the Arts (3)
555 Music and German Literature (3)
568 Studies in Latin American Music (3)
588 European Literary-Pol. Cabaret (3)
595B Art Music in the United States (3)
596B Musicology Seminar (3) Rpt/3
596E Seminar in Music and Dance Collab. (2)
599 Independent Study (credit varies)
600 Introduction to Graduate Studies in Music (3)
603 Qualitative Research in Music (3)
604 Historical Research in Music (3)
620A/B History of Speculative Theory (3-3)
622 Theory Pedagogy (3)
623 Post Tonal Analysis (3)
624A Introduction to Schenkerian Theory (3)
624B Seminar in Schenkerian Theory (3)
625A/B Specialized Readings in Music Theory (3-3)
635 Choral Literature and Technique (3) Rpt/5
640 Advanced Composition (3) Rpt/5
650 Foundations and Principles of Music Ed. (3)
654 Psychology of Music (3)
655 Quantitative Analysis in Music Education
672 Teaching Music in Higher Education (3)
693 Internship (1-6)
694 Practicum (1-6)
695B Special Topics in Music (3)
696A Seminar in Music Education (3) Rpt/3
696B Seminar in Musicology (3) Rpt/3
696C Seminar in Music Theory (3) Rpt/3
696D Seminar in Composition (3) Rpt/4
696E Seminar in Keyboard Studies (3)
696F Seminar in Ethnomusicology (3)
699 Independent Study (credit varies)
Additional Requirements
Diagnostic and Qualifying Examinations
All entering graduate students are required to take diagnostic examinations in music history and music theory, and voice students also take a diagnostic exam in diction. These 2-3 hour examinations are administered prior to the beginning of classes in the fall and spring semesters. The music history diagnostic exam also is offered online prior to summer session classes. Students who show deficiencies on the history and theory exams may be recommended to take designated course work, which should be completed prior to enrollment in graduate musicology and theory courses. All graduate-level courses in music history and music theory taken to fulfill diagnostic exam recommendations and completed with a grade of “C” or higher may be used to fulfill doctoral degree requirements.
Graduate diagnostic examinations in music history and music theory may be taken only once. Students who proceed directly from master’s degrees into doctoral degrees at The University of Arizona are exempt from additional diagnostic examinations.
In addition to the diagnostic examinations, all doctoral students take qualifying examinations in the major and minor fields of study, unless the major or minor exam is waived by the faculty responsible for setting the exam. The qualifying examinations test a student’s overall readiness to enter into doctoral work, and are not purely diagnostic. If faculty evaluate an examination as failing, students may be required to retake the exam during the next exam cycle. Qualifying exams may be taken a maximum of two times. Normally students take both major and minor examinations during the fifth week of the first semester in residence, although they may be taken as late as the second semester. Students may elect to take the major exam in the first semester and the minor exam
in the second semester. DMA and Ph.D. qualifying exams are administered in October and February of each year. Faculty may use these results to guide the student’s direction of study in the major and minor fields by recommending additional coursework beyond that specified by a student’s degree grid.
The qualifying examination in the major field of study may be waived only when a candidate has completed a master's degree in the same field at The University of Arizona, and only upon the recommendation of the major area. The qualifying examination in the minor field may be waived at the option of the minor area.
Doctoral Recitals: Repertory
Candidates in conducting present a series of partial recitals as follows:
Choral Conducting
Chronology—Three unique works written: one before 1750, one written 1750–1910, and one written 1910–1990
Inclusivity—Three unique works: one from outside the Western canon, one by a female or nonbinary composer, and one by a person of color
Language—Two unique works: one setting a language other than English or Latin, and one setting a language other than English, Latin, German, Italian, French, or Spanish
Genre & Accompaniment—Three unique works: one with instrumental accompaniment (excluding keyboard), one that is a movement from a mass, and one that is a motet
Orchestral Conducting
Two symphonies by different composers
A concert piece for orchestra
An overture, concert-opener or suitable substitution
Three concerto movements, song/arias, or operatic selections
Wind Conducting
A work from the standard repertory (1940-1970)
A chamber work for winds
A wind accompaniment with soloist
A modern wind band work (composed within five years of performance)
The Doctoral Comprehensive Written Examination (except Music Education)
Before admission to candidacy, doctoral students must pass examinations in the chosen fields of study. These examinations are intended to test the student’s comprehensive knowledge of the major and minor areas. This is the occasion when committee members have both the opportunity and obligation to require the student to display a broad knowledge of the chosen field of study (i.e. music) and sufficient depth of understanding in the areas of specialization (major area and minor area). The exam is comprehensive and integrative in relation to the field and specialization.
The written comprehensive examination is held when essentially all course work is completed, and no later than three months prior to the date of the final oral examination. The written comprehensive examinations are administered in October and February of each year. Piano, strings, music theory and voice majors must have satisfied their foreign language requirements before scheduling these examinations.
The Written Comprehensive Examinations are not “take home”. The five members of the student's Advisory Committee must each prepare a two-hour written examination that will be given on campus (a six-hour test in the major area and a four-hour test in the minor area). Two negative votes constitute a failure of the written comprehensive examinations. At the discretion of the committee and with the approval of the Director of Graduate Studies the student may re-take the written test one time.
After successful completion of the written examinations, an oral examination shall be conducted before a committee of the faculty approved by the Director of Graduate Studies and the Dean of the Graduate College.
Doctoral Comprehensive Oral Examination
The Oral Comprehensive Examination will last at least one hour but not more than three. In this examination the faculty have both the opportunity and the obligation to require a student to display a broad knowledge of the chosen field of study (music), and sufficient depth of understanding in areas of specialization (major and minor fields). As a test of a successful performance, the student should demonstrate a professional level of knowledge expected of a junior faculty member.
Formal Proposals for Dissertations or Doctoral Documents
All doctoral students in music culminate their academic studies with a capstone project. The capstone project for doctoral students in music education, music theory, and musicology is a Dissertation that
presents original research and substantiates a thesis or hypothesis. These students will continue to use the guidelines for doctoral proposals given in the current edition of the Graduate Handbook and earlier editions. For doctoral composition students the capstone project is a substantial original composition accompanied by a detailed explanation of the compositional and aesthetic decisions that informed the work's structure and content. These students will continue to use the guidelines for doctoral composition proposals given in the current edition of the Graduate Handbook.
Final Doctoral Oral Examinations
This final examination is an oral defense of the entire “dissertation” (in the DMA degree all recitals and the lecture- recital document are offered in lieu of dissertation) and the student is expected to be able to defend all elements of the "dissertation." The examination may include any further general questioning related to the field(s) of study encompassed within the scope of the dissertation. Committee members should have the penultimate copy of the document at least 30 days before the examination (all committee members have reviewed the document and all requested changes have been made).
Minor Requirements for Doctoral Students in this Program
Doctoral Minor: A Secondary Concentration
To allow for greater flexibility and to develop a second area of concentration, each doctoral student selects at least one minor area of study. The minor must be approved by the minor advisor designated on the student study plan.
Minor areas of concentration in music may be chosen from complementary disciplines (e.g., Composition, Conducting, Music Education, etc.). Minors outside the FFSoM may be chosen with the approval of the Graduate Committee and the approval of the faculty in the chosen discipline. Conducting majors (choral, orchestral, wind) may elect conducting in a complementary area as a minor (e.g., choral major with an orchestral minor) upon permission of the conducting faculty after an audition in the complementary area. Otherwise, the minor may not be in the same music emphasis area as that selected for the major. For example, violin performance students may not minor in piano performance.
Discuss your proposed minor with the Director of Graduate Studies before contacting the area in which you hope to minor.
Student Handbook
Please refer to the Graduate Student Handbook for students who are pursuing this program of study.
Minimum Credit Units
100
Core Coursework Requirements
DOCTORAL DEGREE PROGRAMS
Doctoral degrees are awarded to candidates who display deep understanding of the subject matter of their disciplines as well as the ability to make original contributions to knowledge in their fields. The University of Arizona FFSoM offers the Doctor of Musical Arts degree with concentrations in the fields of Composition, Conducting, and Performance, and the Doctor of Philosophy degree with concentrations in Music Education, Music Theory, and Musicology. The university does not permit double use of courses in a major and a minor or in a second minor.
This Handbook is meant to be used in conjunction with the information on graduate study provided by the UA Graduate College at https://grad.arizona.edu. Students must follow the degree requirements as outlined in the FFSoM Graduate Handbook current during their semester of admission. Degree students whose registration has been inactive for two or more consecutive semesters who return to graduate study must follow the FFSoM Graduate Handbook degree requirements in effect during the semester of their readmission rather than the Handbook in effect at the time of their earlier admission.
DMA Performance (Vocal)
Master's Degree: 30 Units
MUSI 685/785 Applied Lessons: 16 Units
MUS 500 Large Conducted Ensemble: 4 Units
MUS 600 Introduction to Graduate Studies*: 3 Units
Core Courses: 15 Units
Minor: 12 Units
MUS 925 Doctoral Recitals: 20 Units
Total: 100 Units
Graduate vocal students must show practical proficiency in Italian, French, and German as determined by examination. Prior to the first semester of graduate study, students will take a diction diagnostic exam. This exam determines deficiencies and may require remedial coursework. In addition, singers must pass a more comprehensive language proficiency exam for each of the above-mentioned languages. The language proficiency examinations must be taken during the first semester of study. If a student does not pass a language proficiency exam the first time, they may retake
it in full or in part when offered by the area. Master’s and doctoral oral examinations may not be scheduled until all sections of the language proficiency exam have been passed and any deficiencies identified by the diction diagnostic exam have been remedied. *Students who already have taken MUS 600 or its equivalent as part of their master’s degree must substitute 3 units of MUS core courses.
DMA Performance (Instrumental)
Master's Degree: 30 Units
MUSI 785 Applied Lessons: 16 Units
MUS 500 (or 501 or 502, guitar & harp only) Large Conducted Ensemble (or Coached Ensemble or Small Conducted Ensemble, guitar and harp only): 4 Units
MUS 600 Introduction to Graduate Studies*: 3 Units
Core Courses: 15 Units
Minor: 12 Units
MUS 925 Doctoral Recitals: 20 Units
Total: 100 Units
*Students who already have taken MUS 600 or its equivalent as a part of their master’s degree must substitute 3 units of MUS core courses.
DMA Performance (Piano)
Master's Degree: 30 Units
MUSI 785 Applied Lessons: 16 Units
MUS 600 Introduction to Graduate Studies*: 3 Units
MUS 500, 501, or 502 Large Conducted Ensemble, Coached Ensemble, or Small Conducted Ensemble: 4 Units
Core Courses: 15 Units
Minor: 12 Units
MUS 925 Doctoral Recitals: 20 Units
Total: 100 Units
A reading knowledge of French or German is required for keyboard majors. Competency will be measured by a written examination to be completed prior to scheduling Written Comprehensive Examinations.
Piano majors may elect an ensemble emphasis in which the series of recitals is as follows: qualifying recital (4 units), ensemble/vocal recital (5 units), ensemble/instrumental recital (5 units), and the lecture recital (6 units).
*Students who already have taken MUS 600 or its equivalent as a part of their master’s degree must substitute 3 units of MUS core courses.
DMA Performance (Organ/Harpsichord)
Master's Degree: 30 Units
MUSI 785 Applied Lessons: 16 Units
MUS 500, 501, or 502 Large Conducted Ensemble, Small Coached Ensemble, Small Conducted Ensemble: 4 Units
MUS 600 Introduction to Graduate Studies*: 3 Units
Core Courses: 15 Units
Minor: 12 Units
MUS 925 Doctoral Recitals: 20 Units
Total: 100 Units
A reading knowledge of French or German is required for keyboard majors. Competency will be measured by a written examination to be completed prior to scheduling Written Comprehensive Examinations.
Organ/Harpsichord majors may elect an ensemble emphasis in which the series of recitals is as follows: qualifying recital (4 units), ensemble/vocal recital (5 units), ensemble/instrumental recital (5 units), and the lecture recital (6 units).
*Students who already have taken MUS 600 or its equivalent as a part of their master’s degree must substitute 3 units of MUS core courses.
Core Academic Courses for DMA Degrees
Composition, Conducting, and students in Voice, Piano/Keyboard, and Instrumental Performance must select fifteen units of course work from the following three categories of core courses:
Category A--Music Education (min. 3 units): 550, 551, 650, 654, 672, 696a
Category B--Music Theory (min. 3 units): 520a, 520b, 521a, 521b, 521c, 534, 541 or 542, 622, 623, 624a, 624b, 625a, 625b, 696c
Category C--Historical Musicology and Ethnomusicology (min. 3 units): 530, 531, 532, 533, 535, 536, 568, 595b, 596b, 696b, 696f
Students are expected to enroll in at least one core class per semester until all core courses are completed. A 3.0 semester and cumulative GPA must be maintained. If the GPA falls below 3.0 in any semester, the consequence may be loss of financial aid and/or dismissal. Appeals may be made directly to the Director of Graduate Studies.
Elective Coursework
GRADUATE MUSIC (MUS) COURSES (not including Ensembles)
510A/B Pedagogy (2-2)
511A/B Diction for Singers (2-2)
520A/B Counterpoint (3-3)
521A Analysis of Tonal Music I: Form (3)
521B Analysis of Tonal Music II: Chromaticism (3)
521C Analysis of Contemporary Music (3)
522A/B Art Song Repertory (2-2)
523A/B History of the Opera (3-3)
525 History and Literature of the Wind Band (3)
526A/B Piano Literature (3-3)
527A/B Careers in Music (2-2)
528 Entrepreneurship in the Arts (3)
530 Music in the Renaissance (3)
531 Music in the Baroque (3)
532 Music in the Classical Period (3)
533 Music of the 20th Century (3)
534 Music Since 1950 (3)
535 Music in the Middle Ages (3)
536 Music in the Romantic Period
541 Electro-Acoustic Music (3)
542 Electro-Acoustic Studio Resources (3)
550 Advanced Studies in Music Teaching (3)
551 Behavioral Research in the Arts (3)
555 Music and German Literature (3)
568 Studies in Latin American Music (3)
588 European Literary-Pol. Cabaret (3)
595B Art Music in the United States (3)
596B Musicology Seminar (3) Rpt/3
596E Seminar in Music and Dance Collab. (2)
599 Independent Study (credit varies)
600 Introduction to Graduate Studies in Music (3)
603 Qualitative Research in Music (3)
604 Historical Research in Music (3)
620A/B History of Speculative Theory (3-3)
622 Theory Pedagogy (3)
623 Post Tonal Analysis (3)
624A Introduction to Schenkerian Theory (3)
624B Seminar in Schenkerian Theory (3)
625A/B Specialized Readings in Music Theory (3-3)
635 Choral Literature and Technique (3) Rpt/5
640 Advanced Composition (3) Rpt/5
650 Foundations and Principles of Music Ed. (3)
654 Psychology of Music (3)
655 Quantitative Analysis in Music Education
672 Teaching Music in Higher Education (3)
693 Internship (1-6)
694 Practicum (1-6)
695B Special Topics in Music (3)
696A Seminar in Music Education (3) Rpt/3
696B Seminar in Musicology (3) Rpt/3
696C Seminar in Music Theory (3) Rpt/3
696D Seminar in Composition (3) Rpt/4
696E Seminar in Keyboard Studies (3)
696F Seminar in Ethnomusicology (3)
699 Independent Study (credit varies)
Additional Requirements
Diagnostic and Qualifying Examinations
All entering graduate students are required to take diagnostic examinations in music history and music theory, and voice students also take a diagnostic exam in diction. These 2-3 hour examinations are administered prior to the beginning of classes in the fall and spring semesters. The music history diagnostic exam also is offered online prior to summer session classes. Students who show deficiencies on the history and theory exams may be recommended to take designated course work, which should be completed prior to enrollment in graduate musicology and theory courses. All graduate-level courses in music history and music theory taken to fulfill diagnostic exam recommendations and completed with a grade of “C” or higher may be used to fulfill doctoral degree requirements.
Graduate diagnostic examinations in music history and music theory may be taken only once. Students who proceed directly from master’s degrees into doctoral degrees at The University of Arizona are exempt from additional diagnostic examinations.
In addition to the diagnostic examinations, all doctoral students take qualifying examinations in the major and minor fields of study, unless the major or minor exam is waived by the faculty responsible for setting the exam. The qualifying examinations test a student’s overall readiness to enter into doctoral work, and are not purely diagnostic. If faculty evaluate an examination as failing, students may be required to retake the exam during the next exam cycle. Qualifying exams may be taken a maximum of two times. Normally students take both major and minor examinations during the fifth week of the first semester in residence, although they may be taken as late as the second semester. Students may elect to take the major exam in the first semester and the minor exam
in the second semester. DMA and Ph.D. qualifying exams are administered in October and February of each year. Faculty may use these results to guide the student’s direction of study in the major and minor fields by recommending additional coursework beyond that specified by a student’s degree grid.
The qualifying examination in the major field of study may be waived only when a candidate has completed a master's degree in the same field at The University of Arizona, and only upon the recommendation of the major area. The qualifying examination in the minor field may be waived at the option of the minor area.
Doctoral Recitals: Repertory
Doctoral candidates in conducting and performance present a series of recitals (including a lecture recital and accompanying document) in lieu of the dissertation required of Ph.D. candidates. Although it is expected that most of the repertory on the Doctoral Qualifying Recital will be newly-learned, some repetition of pieces from prior study is permissible on this recital at the discretion of the major professor. Previously performed music may only be used for the Doctoral Qualifying Recital. For the other three doctoral degree recitals, music may not be selected from repertoire used to satisfy previous degree recitals.
Candidates in Performance present a series of four recitals--the Qualifying, Ensemble, Solo, and Lecture Recitals. Students who wish to perform more than one degree recital in a semester must first receive approval from the FFSoM Graduate Committee. The order of recitals after the qualifying recital is interchangeable. The Final Oral Examination cannot be scheduled until all four recitals have been completed. Each recital should be from 50-90 minutes in length. Doctoral voice students who receive approval per unanimous decision by the voice and opera faculty may substitute a major operatic role or two secondary opera roles in lieu of one of the solo degree recitals.
The Doctoral Comprehensive Written Examination (except Music Education)
Before admission to candidacy, doctoral students must pass examinations in the chosen fields of study. These examinations are intended to test the student’s comprehensive knowledge of the major and minor areas. This is the occasion when committee members have both the opportunity and obligation to require the student to display a broad knowledge of the chosen field of study (i.e. music) and sufficient depth of understanding in the areas of specialization (major area and minor area). The exam is comprehensive and integrative in relation to the field and specialization.
The written comprehensive examination is held when essentially all course work is completed, and no later than three months prior to the date of the final oral examination. The written comprehensive examinations are administered in October and February of each year. Piano, strings, music theory and voice majors must have satisfied their foreign language requirements before scheduling these examinations.
The Written Comprehensive Examinations are not “take home”. The five members of the student's Advisory Committee must each prepare a two-hour written examination that will be given on campus (a six-hour test in the major area and a four-hour test in the minor area). Two negative votes constitute a failure of the written comprehensive examinations. At the discretion of the committee and with the approval of the Director of Graduate Studies the student may re-take the written test one time.
After successful completion of the written examinations, an oral examination shall be conducted before a committee of the faculty approved by the Director of Graduate Studies and the Dean of the Graduate College.
Doctoral Comprehensive Oral Examination
The Oral Comprehensive Examination will last at least one hour but not more than three. In this examination the faculty have both the opportunity and the obligation to require a student to display a broad knowledge of the chosen field of study (music), and sufficient depth of understanding in areas of specialization (major and minor fields). As a test of a successful performance, the student should demonstrate a professional level of knowledge expected of a junior faculty member.
Formal Proposals for Dissertations or Doctoral Documents
All doctoral students in music culminate their academic studies with a capstone project. The capstone project for doctoral students in music education, music theory, and musicology is a Dissertation that
presents original research and substantiates a thesis or hypothesis. These students will continue to use the guidelines for doctoral proposals given in the current edition of the Graduate Handbook and earlier editions. For doctoral composition students the capstone project is a substantial original composition accompanied by a detailed explanation of the compositional and aesthetic decisions that informed the work's structure and content. These students will continue to use the guidelines for doctoral composition proposals given in the current edition of the Graduate Handbook.
Final Doctoral Oral Examinations
This final examination is an oral defense of the entire “dissertation” (in the DMA degree all recitals and the lecture- recital document are offered in lieu of dissertation) and the student is expected to be able to defend all elements of the "dissertation." The examination may include any further general questioning related to the field(s) of study encompassed within the scope of the dissertation. Committee members should have the penultimate copy of the document at least 30 days before the examination (all committee members have reviewed the document and all requested changes have been made).
Minor Requirements for Doctoral Students in this Program
Doctoral Minor: A Secondary Concentration
To allow for greater flexibility and to develop a second area of concentration, each doctoral student selects at least one minor area of study. The minor must be approved by the minor advisor designated on the student study plan.
Minor areas of concentration in music may be chosen from complementary disciplines (e.g., Composition, Conducting, Music Education, etc.). Minors outside the FFSoM may be chosen with the approval of the Graduate Committee and the approval of the faculty in the chosen discipline. Conducting majors (choral, orchestral, wind) may elect conducting in a complementary area as a minor (e.g., choral major with an orchestral minor) upon permission of the conducting faculty after an audition in the complementary area. Otherwise, the minor may not be in the same music emphasis area as that selected for the major. For example, violin performance students may not minor in piano performance.
Discuss your proposed minor with the Director of Graduate Studies before contacting the area in which you hope to minor.
Student Handbook
Please refer to the Graduate Student Handbook for students who are pursuing this program of study.