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Doctoral Programs

General Policies

The Doctor of Musical Arts (D.M.A.) degree is offered to a select number of qualified students as a recognition of high professional attainment in composition, pedagogy, or performance. Applicants who qualify for entrance to this program will major in one of the following areas: composition, pedagogy (piano or voice), performance (chamber music, orchestral instruments*, piano, vocal accompanying, voice), or orchestral conducting.

*The Doctor of Musical Arts degree is not offered in the area of guitar, euphonium, or saxophone.

The objective of the Doctor of Musical Arts degree is to provide an opportunity for advanced study at the highest artistic and pedagogical level. For this reason, admission to candidacy is highly selective.

Admission Process:

The required D.M.A. admission documents listed below must be submitted electronically, directly to the Office of Graduate Admissions. Each of these documents must be checked off as received by the Office of Graduate Admissions.

The admission process to the doctoral programs consists of two separate steps:

  1. University admission to graduate music study includes:
    • application and fee.
    • statement of purpose.*
    • final and official transcripts of all previous degrees and course work (documents must show degree conferral date and the name of the university).
    • two letters of recommendation.
    • audition: a demonstration of performance proficiency with classical repertoire in contrasting styles in the applicant's major medium (15-minute audition for piano [performance, pedagogy, chamber music, vocal accompanying] and orchestral instruments; 10-minute audition for voice [performance and pedagogy]) by in-person audition (preferred) or DVD and/or interview (when entrance recital is not required) or, for composers, submission of a portfolio of scores and interview (interviews are conducted on audition days either in-person or via video chat).

    Students whose first language is not English must submit TOEFL, results of 80 or higher (iBT test), (for paper-based test: 550 or higher; for computer-based test: 213 or higher), or the Duolingo examination, results of 105 or higher, to be considered for admission. For the iBT test, at least 20 out of 30 in each of the subcategories is required.

    *The statement of purpose is a 500-700 word essay stating the purpose for undertaking graduate study in music, an academic objective, research interests and career plans, as well as related qualifications, such as collegiate, professional, and community activities, and any other substantial accomplishment not already mentioned on the application form.

  2. Admission to degree study in music includes, for each major area:

    Composition. (i) prerequisites; (ii) two letters of recommendation (see above 1c); (iii) original compositions; (iv) an interview with the composition faculty conducted in-person or via video chat on audition days; (v) placement examinations in music history and music theory.

    Orchestral Conducting. (i) prerequisites; (ii) repertoire list, description of conducting and related professional experience; (iii) programs and critical reviews, if available; (iv) two letters of recommendation; (v) placement examinations in music history and music theory; and (vi) additional requirements listed in the section Doctor of Musical Arts in Orchestral Conducting.

    Pedagogy. (i) prerequisites; (ii) repertoire and professional experience record; (iii) programs and critical reviews, if available; (iv) two letters of recommendation; (v) placement examinations in music history and music theory; and (vi) interview.

    Performance. (i) prerequisites; (ii) repertoire and professional experience record; (iii) programs and critical reviews, if available; (iv) two letters of recommendation; (v) entrance recital (only for vocal performance); (vi) placement examinations in music history and music theory; and (vii) interview.

    Advisement: Students will be guided in their studies by an advisory committee of faculty members appointed by the dean. This committee shall:

    • administer the entrance, comprehensive, and final examinations;
    • submit in writing to the dean the student's program of study;
    • where appropriate, recommend to the faculty, supervise the writing of and give final approval to the student's research paper (pedagogy);
    • certify to the dean the completion of curriculum, examinations, and graduation requirements.

Applicants must satisfy their advisory committee that their knowledge of the field in which they propose to study is equivalent to a master's degree in that field. Areas of weakness must be strengthened by taking and passing courses of formal study assigned by the advisory committee.

Through personal interviews and evaluation of completed work, the advisory committee will assist the student in planning a program of study that will prove most advantageous to his/her particular needs, resulting in a certain amount of individual variance.

Comprehensive Examinations: In keeping with university policy, a student may retake comprehensive examinations only once. If a student fails the comprehensive examinations a second time, the student may not be considered for admission to candidacy and is no longer considered eligible to receive the Doctor of Philosophy degree or Doctor of Musical Arts degree.

Degree Candidacy in D.M.A. Programs: In the areas of composition, pedagogy, and performance, the student will be regarded as a degree candidate after passing the entrance examinations and/or entrance recital as required.

Degree Progress: At any point in the program of study, the advisory committee may, if convinced that the general level of the candidate's work has proven unsatisfactory, recommend to the dean that the student no longer be regarded as a degree candidate. A graduate student who has received a grade of C or F in a graduate course is permitted to repeat the course one time. The calculation of the grade point average will include only the grade earned in the repeated course. For students in graduate programs, an average of B (cumulative GPA of 3.0) or better is required for graduation. In keeping with University policy that a graduate student who earns two failing grades is subject to dismissal, a doctoral student who fails two required recitals or the same required recital a second time is no longer considered eligible to receive the Doctor of Musical Arts degree. A student in the Doctor of Philosophy degree program pursuing a minor in performance who fails the required recital a second time is no longer eligible to pursue that minor.

D.M.A. Entrance Recital: In programs that require an entrance recital, the applicant is expected to perform the entrance recital at the beginning of the semester in which he/she has been admitted. For serious reasons, permission may be granted by the relevant department chair to postpone to the second semester of residency, but normally not beyond. An applicant who fails the entrance recital may, with permission of the dean, be allowed a second recital, but a third recital will not be permitted.

Full-Time Study, in addition to general university policies: The doctoral degrees in music are subject to university policies regarding full-time study, as outlined under the heading "Enrollment" in the General Information section of the Graduate Announcements, with the following addition: enrollment for doctoral recitals or doctoral compositions.

General university policies and exceptions regarding program of study and transfer of credits: The Doctor of Musical Arts degree is subject to the policies stated under the heading "The Doctoral Degree" in the General Information section of the Graduate Announcements, with the following exceptions:

The program of study in the advisory degree includes no fewer than 54 semester hours beyond the master's degree.

The provisions regarding the transfer of credits stated under the heading "The Doctoral Degree" in the General Information section of the Graduate Announcements do not usually apply to the D.M.A. degree. A limited number of post-master's degree credits earned at another institution at a grade level of B or better prior to the student's first enrollment at Catholic University may be accepted with the approval of the faculty and dean of the school. Likewise, a limited number of previous master’s or previous doctoral degree credits earned at another institution at a grade level of B or better prior to the student’s first enrollment at Catholic University may be accepted with the approval of the faculty and dean of the school. In either case, before credit transfer can be considered, (a) a course description and/or syllabus must be submitted and (b) depending on the circumstances, written confirmation from an administrator of the other institution, e.g. dean of the school or university registrar, may have to be submitted in order to verify that the credits were not required for a previous, completed degree. The student is asked to consult the dean’s office for details.

For the D.M.A. degree, at least four semesters of full-time graduate work beyond the master's degree must be spent in residence at The Catholic University of America. Each semester of residence is equated with 12 semester hours of accumulated part-time study.

Graduate Review Courses: As explained above, incoming graduate students must take the Music History Placement Examination and Theory Placement Examination (which has two parts, a harmony and an aural skills section). If the results of the Theory Placement Exam warrant placement into the Graduate Harmony Review course (MUS 491) or the results of the Music History Placement Exam warrant placement into the Graduate Music History Review course (MUS 490), the student must fulfill these courses within a year of having taken the exams.

Handbook for Students: Students should consult the online Handbook for forms and procedures not detailed in these Announcements.

Incompletes and Extensions of Incomplete: The departments of music follow university policy with regards to Incompletes and Extensions of Incomplete with this clarification: only one Extension of Incomplete will be granted for a given course, requiring dean's permission and documentation supporting the reason for the request. Further extensions will be considered only in extreme cases and with the approval of the instructor, the relevant department chair, and the dean.

Independent Study: Other than students in the Professional Studies track or in cases approved by the dean, graduate students should take no more than one-sixth of the total credit hours in their program of graduate studies as Independent Study. (This refers to graduate level courses, not undergraduate prerequisites that may have to be fulfilled.)

Overelection: The normal maximum course load for a full-time graduate student in music is 15 credit hours per semester. Overelection is not allowed except in extraordinary circumstances and only with permission of the dean. Unless approved by the dean, teaching or research assistants may not enroll for more than nine semester hours per semester, depending upon the number of hours of teaching or research per week required by their appointments.

Placement Examinations: A Placement Examination in Music History and Music Theory will be given to each applicant. These placement exams are administered by faculty in the Department of Music Theory, History, and Composition and are always offered in-person on the Saturday before a given term begins. The Placement Examinations in Music History and Music Theory are taken only once. If the results indicate areas of deficiency, the student must address these deficiencies by taking specified graduate review courses or undergraduate courses, as specified below. These courses do not count toward degree requirements. Placement examinations are given during the fall and spring semester registration periods. The applicant is expected to take the placement examinations at the beginning of the semester in which he/she has been admitted. For serious reasons, the advisor may grant permission to postpone to the second semester of residency, but normally not beyond. Note: Incoming doctoral students who are admitted after one semester of having received their master's degree from Catholic University do not have to retake the placement examinations.

Program-Specific Entrance Examinations: Some degree programs also require program-specific entrance examinations pertaining to the applicant's intended degree program. Please see the individual program for details. Program-specific entrance examinations are given during the fall and spring semester registration periods. The applicant is expected to take any required program-specific entrance examinations at the beginning of the semester in which he/she has been admitted. For serious reasons, the relevant department chair may grant permission to postpone to the second semester of residency, but normally not beyond. An applicant who fails the program-specific entrance examinations may, with permission of the dean, be given a re-examination, but a third examination will not be permitted.

Time Limit for Completion of the D.M.A.: Final degree requirements for all Doctor of Musical Arts degree programs must be completed within five years after the completion of all coursework and successful completion of comprehensive examinations, where applicable.