The doctor of musical arts (D.M.A.) program in performance is designed for musicians who seek to refine their musical skills, expand their repertoire, extend their performing experience, and deepen their understanding of music history and theory. Musicians in this program have earned a master of music (M.M.) degree and are preparing for a professional, public concert career and/or a faculty position in higher education. Students admitted to doctoral study must have demonstrated a professional level of performance and are expected to achieve excellence as both musicians and scholars.
Required Course of Study
It is possible to complete all requirements for the D.M.A. degree within three years of full-time residence. In most cases, a student may not take more than five years to complete the program. With the approval of the graduate director and dean, the school might make an exception to this maximum time limit. A typical schedule for each of the six semesters includes lesson in a major performance study, at least one ensemble appropriate for doctoral credit, and one or two courses not involving performance. The specific requirements are as follows:
Performance Study
1. Private study: Six semesters (credit BA) in the candidate's major performance area are required. Collaborative pianists may add as many as two additional semesters in organ and/or harpsichord, if instruction is available.
2. Recitals: Two solo recitals, one chamber and one lecture-recital program are required. Conducting students do one aggregate, one full recital, and one lecture-recital. For collaborative pianists, the requirements are one vocal recital, one solo instrumental recital, one chamber recital (three or more musicians), one lecture-recital, and one recital of the candidate's choice. The level of performance, which should be professional at the outset, is expected to mature significantly during the period of study. With the permission of the major teacher, D.M.A. and artist diploma (A.Dpl.) students may petition the School 08 (MGSA) Committee to substitute one appearance on a concerto program or opera performance at Rutgers for one of the required solo recitals. At least one recital must be performed during each year of study.
3. Independent research: Undertaken in connection with the required lecture-recitals, this is accomplished by enrolling in 08:702:603, 604 Lecture Recital Advisement with an assigned faculty member. The research project culminates in a formal paper that is submitted for approval to the student's recital evaluation committee. With the approval of the graduate director, a D.M.A. student may present two lecture-recitals. The written documents for the two respective lecture-recitals may be shorter in length than that of a single lecture-recital.
4. Special requirements: All voice students must perform a major role from an opera or oratorio. With the approval of the School 08 Committee, this performance may substitute in some cases for one of the solo or chamber recitals.
5. Repertoire requirement: At the time of admission, students submit a list of repertoire that they have studied. The faculty may require a student to demonstrate how well he or she has mastered the repertoire cited. Working with the major teacher, each student should develop a comprehensive list of repertoire that he or she plans to study for the duration of the program. This list will supplement the student's background and serve as preparation for the comprehensive examinations.
Ensemble
Ensemble participation is required in each semester of residency (six semesters total). One credit is earned each semester. Choice of ensemble must be approved by the graduate director in consultation with the department chair. There are two distinctions in ensemble: large and chamber. All orchestral instrumentalists and vocalists must be enrolled in six semesters of large ensemble (orchestra, wind ensemble, opera workshop).
In addition to the major ensemble requirement, D.M.A. instrumentalists are required to take at least two semesters of chamber ensemble (total of 2 credits). This can be fulfilled by chamber ensemble, brass ensemble, percussion ensemble, or Helix.
Pianists: All D.M.A. and A.Dpl pianists (solo and collaborative specialization) must enroll in six semesters of chamber ensemble/studio accompanying. General distribution is: two semesters of chamber music and four of studio accompanying. Substitution of one semester of studio accompanying for chamber music is possible. Participation in a large instrumental ensemble, opera, and choral ensemble may be substituted for studio accompanying with the permission of the director of chamber music. The department reserves the right to place students in a particular ensemble.
Graduate Courses in Music History, Theory, and Related Areas: 22 Credits
A minimum of 22 credits in advanced graduate coursework outside the candidate's applied study is required. The requirements include 16:700:501 Introduction to Music Research (3); 16:700:517 The History of Musical Style; 16:700:519 or 520 Proseminar in Music History (3,3); 16:700:525 or 526 Studies in Music Analysis (3,3); and 16:700:567 or 568 Proseminar in Performance Practice (3,3). Other requirements include a course in the candidate's repertory, a course in pedagogy, and an elective course in theory and history (3,3) approved by the graduate director. A comprehensive list of graduate courses offered by the Graduate School-New Brunswick (16:700) and by the Mason Gross School of the Arts (08:702 and 703) is provided later in this chapter.
Collaborative Piano Specialization
One semester of 08:702:643 Special Topics in Collaboration (BA), two semesters of 08:702:645,646 Special Studies in Advanced Solo Instrumental Repertoire (6 credits), and two semesters of 08:702:647,648 Special Studies in Advanced Vocal Repertoire (6 credits) also are required.
Dissertation Defense - Conducting
Conducting students must complete a doctoral thesis whose topic is determined in consultation with the major teacher and graduate director, and which is developed and written under the supervision of the major teacher. An oral defense is scheduled only after completion of all other degree requirements. The dissertation committee will consist of four faculty members, including at least one representative from the conducting faculty, two others from the music faculty, and one who is approved as an outside member. The outside member is appointed by the graduate director in consultation with the student's adviser. This person is expected to be a recognized authority on the subject of the dissertation.
Pedagogical Component
The pedagogical element of the program is particularly important in today's musical culture, as nearly all performing artists are engaged in some form of teaching.
This component is directed by the major teacher in consultation with the graduate director. It may involve assisting the major teacher or taking an approved internship. In other cases, the student may take on a teaching role outside the department or obtain a teaching assistantship in which the candidate, under supervision, instructs his or her own students.
Working under supervision and in consultation with their accompaniment advisers, collaborative pianists may coach undergraduates and/or teach the Art of Accompanying course.
Foreign Language
The program requires a reading knowledge of French, German, or Italian. Voice students must also show diction/International Phonetic Alphabet (I.P.A.) proficiency. Collaborative pianists must demonstrate reading knowledge in two foreign languages (French, German, or Italian) and diction/I.P.A. proficiency in English, French, German, and Italian. The student must take the language proficiency test before he or she begins the third year of residency and must pass this test before beginning comprehensive examinations.
Comprehensive Examinations
Candidates must pass written and oral comprehensive examinations in the literature for their instrument and related issues in history, theory, and performance practice.
D.M.A. Examination Procedures
The committee evaluating written examinations for D.M.A. students consists of three members: the student's teacher, and two music faculty members (one is normally a member of the School 16 Graduate School-New Brunswick faculty.) The Oral Examination Committee is comprised of the major teacher, another performance faculty member, two members of the academic faculty (theory, composition, musicology) and the graduate director. Each performance area reserves the right to request the appointment of additional members to the committee. Students should contact their area chair to determine the exact make-up of the committee. The decision of the committee shall be by a simple majority vote.
Normally, the examining committee will inform the student of the examination results within 15 working days. A student who has failed is provided with an explanation in writing as part of the notification. The committee will provide the candidate with guidelines to the areas in which it found the candidate's performance to be unsatisfactory. Reexamination may be scheduled at a time mutually acceptable to the student and examining committee. Unless the student can show a procedural fault occurred in the examination process, he or she may take only two reexaminations. If a student believes that a flaw in the process led to a negative decision, he or she must file a written appeal to the director of the music department, who brings the issue to the School 08 Committee. That committee resolves the dispute by a majority vote.
