Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) Composition
The Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) degree in Composition requires 61 credit hours of graduate-level coursework distributed into the categories listed below. Selections must be approved by your doctoral committee.
Contacts:
- Area Coordinator: Alan Street, dastreet@ku.edu or 785-864-9748
- Graduate Student Academic Services: musicgrad@ku.edu or 785-864-1952
A list of all course offerings can be found on the Schedule of Classes. To track progress, please download the degree progress check sheet (.pdf).
Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA): Composition Program Guide
Prerequisites
Must be cleared in accordance with school and area policies
Music History
| Check | Course |
|---|---|
| Medieval : Exam / MUSC 474 | |
| Renaissance : Exam / MUSC 475 | |
| Baroque : Exam / MUSC 476 | |
| Classical : Exam / MUSC 477 | |
| Romantic : Exam / MUSC 478 | |
| 20th Century : Exam / MUSC 479 |
Music Theory
| Check | Course |
|---|---|
| Harmony : Exam / MTHC 400 | |
| Aural Skills : Exam / MTHC 402 | |
| Form : Exam / MTHC 404 | |
| 20th Century : Exam / MTHC 406 |
Music Core
Research Skills (3 hours)
Waiver or equivalent course accepted with approval
| Course | Hrs | Term | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| MUSC 801 | 3 |
Advanced Musicology (9 hours)
| Course | Hrs | Term | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| MUSC | 3 | ||
| MUSC | 3 | ||
| MUSC | 3 |
Major Area
Advanced Composition (16 hours)
| Course | Hrs | Term | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| MTHC 953 | |||
| MTHC 953 | |||
| MTHC 953 | |||
| MTHC 953 | |||
| MTHC 953 | |||
| MTHC 953 |
Advanced Music Theory & Composition (9 hours)
| Course | Hrs | Term | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| MTHC | 3 | ||
| MTHC | 3 | ||
| MTHC | 3 |
Pedagogy and Repertoire (6 hours)
| Course | Hrs | Term | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| MTHC 743 | |||
| MTHC 840 |
Dissertation (16 hours)
| Course | Hrs | Term | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| MTHC 999 | |||
| MTHC 999 | |||
| MTHC 999 | |||
| MTHC 999 | |||
| MTHC 999 | |||
| MTHC 999 |
Composition Recital (2 hours)
| Course | Hrs | Term | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| MTHC 965 | 2 |
Written Qualifying Exams
Must be completed prior to scheduling the Oral Comprehensive Exam
| Exam | Date | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Music History | ||
| Music Theory | ||
| Major Field |
University-Level Exams
Exam Authorization forms should be submitted at least 2 weeks in advance of the exam date
| Exam | Date | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Oral Comps Exam | ||
| Final Oral Exam |
Graduate Advisory Committee
Minimum of 5 faculty members for doctoral committees
| Name | Position |
|---|---|
| Chair (B&P) | |
| Brass & Perc. | |
| MUSC / MTHC | |
| Music | |
| Grad Studies Rep. | |
| Other (optional) |
Graduation Requirements
| Check | Requirement |
|---|---|
| 60 Total Graduate Credit Hours | |
| 3.0 Cumulative Graduate GPA | |
| Applied for Graduation in Enroll & Pay | |
| Complete Exam Authorization Form (.pdf) (at least two weeks prior to exam date) | |
| Submit thesis to ProQuest/KU Scholar Works for publication | |
| Complete the Doctoral Completion Survey and send the Certificate of Completion to musicgrad@ku.edu | |
| Submit ETD release form | |
| Send signed Title & Acceptance pages to musicgrad@ku.edu | |
| Verify all recital programs are on file at musicgrad@ku.edu |
Optional Cognate (12 hours)
Credits may count towards MUSC/MTHC or Elective requirements. Area:
| Course | Hrs | Term | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
Transfer or Master's Reduction Credit(s)
Up to 6 credits of MTHC/MUSC courses may be counted as a reduction in the credit hours required for the DMA. Additional transfer credits may count towards electives.
| Course | Hrs | Term | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|