Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) Degree in the field of Piano Performance
Program Learning Outcomes for the DMA Degree
Upon completing the DMA degree, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate technical and musical competence in performance or composition at a professional level.
- Develop highly developed analytical skills in advanced music theory and a profound understanding of how those skills inform music performance.
- Demonstrate a thorough understanding of the relationship between music history and music performance with greater familiarity of a wide variety of historical and contemporary performance practices.
- Develop career development skills that complement their professional-level performance skills.
- Develop working knowledge of and have experience with both classroom teaching and studio teaching methods at the conservatory and university levels.
Requirements for the DMA Degree
For general university requirements, see Doctoral Degrees. For additional requirements, regulations, and procedures for all graduate programs, please see All Graduate Students. Students pursuing the DMA degree in all fields of study must complete:
- A minimum of 90 credit hours to satisfy degree requirements.
- Students must register for a minimum of 9 credit hours per semester of enrollment. Upon achieving candidacy, students are expected to make progress towards the completion of their degree each semester.
Requirements for the DMA Degree in the field of Piano Performance
The requirements listed in the General Announcements (GA) satisfy the minimum requirements for this degree program. In certain instances, courses (or requirements) not officially listed here may be substituted upon approval of the program's academic advisor or, where applicable, the department or program's Director of Graduate Studies. Course substitutions or any exceptions to the stated official curricular requirements must be approved by the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. Students and their academic advisors should identify and clearly document the courses to be taken.
Summary
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Total Credit Hours Required for the DMA Degree in the field of Piano Performance | 90 | |
Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Performance Requirements | ||
| MUSI 681 | PIANO FOR MAJORS-ADVANCED (minimum of 6 semesters) | 3 |
| MUSI 736 | SOLO REPERTORY FOR DOCTORAL STUDENTS (minimum of 2 semesters) 1 | 3 |
| Doctoral Recitals | ||
| MUSI 751 | DOCTORAL SOLO RECITAL (2 solo recitals required, 1st recital) 2 | 0 |
| MUSI 751 | DOCTORAL SOLO RECITAL (2 solo recitals required, 2nd recital) 2 | 0 |
| MUSI 752 | DOCTORAL CHAMBER MUSIC RECITAL 2 | 0 |
| MUSI 753 | DOCTORAL CONCERTO RECITAL 2 | 0 |
| MUSI 754 | DOCTORAL LECTURE-RECITAL 2 | 0 |
| DMA Core Requirements | ||
| MUSI 611 | CLASSROOM PEDAGOGY | 3 |
| MUSI 711 | ANALYTICAL APPROACHES | 3 |
| MUSI 733 | DOCTORAL SEMINAR I: CAREER SKILLS | 3 |
| MUSI 735 | DOCTORAL SEMINAR II: REPERTORY | 3 |
| MUSI 736 | SOLO REPERTORY FOR DOCTORAL STUDENTS 1 | 3 |
| MUSI 737 | DOCTORAL SEMINAR IN MUSICOLOGY | 3 |
| MUSI 738 | DOCTORAL INDIVIDUAL PROJECT | 3 |
| MUSI 739 | PEDAGOGY FOR DOCTORAL STUDENTS | 3 |
| Academic Coursework 3 | ||
| Select 3 courses from the Music History course offerings (see course list below) | 9 | |
| Select 2 courses from the Music Theory course offerings (see course list below) | 6 | |
| Elective Requirements | ||
| Select 15 credit hours at the 300-level or above 4 | 15 | |
| Classroom Teaching | ||
| Students must complete the Classroom Teaching requirement | ||
| Examinations 5 | ||
Aural skills proficiency | ||
Written and oral qualifying examinations 5 | ||
| Doctoral Document | ||
| MUSI 700 | GRADUATE RESEARCH (variable credit hours and repeatable for credit) 6 | 1-9 |
| MUSI 750 | DOCTORAL DOCUMENT (minimum of 2 semesters) 6 | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours | 90 | |
Footnotes and Additional Information
| 1 | MUSI 736 Solo Repertory for Doctoral Students is required for a total of 3 semesters (2 semesters for Performance Requirements and 1 semester for DMA Core Requirements). |
| 2 | Five (5) doctoral recitals performed while in residence as a DMA student as follows:
|
| 3 | 3 courses (3 credit hours each) comprise the 9 credit hours required of Music History coursework. 1 Music History course (3 credit hours) must be taken during the first semester of enrollment. 2 courses (3 credit hours each) comprise the 6 credit hours required of Music Theory coursework. |
| 4 | Electives may be selected from any university course at the 300-level or above. A maximum of three (3) credit hours of MUSI 649 Graduate Independent Study can count towards degree requirements. Additional hours of required performance coursework may not count toward the elective requirement. |
| 5 | At the end of their sixth semester of coursework, each doctoral student will receive six questions, three each from the Musicology Department and the Theory Department, and will be assigned a faculty mentor from each Department. The students will have all summer to research and write draft answers. There will be two check-ins during the fall semester with the mentor before the essays are submitted, one during the first week of class and another 2-3 weeks later. The students will submit their completed essays by October 31st. These will be evaluated by faculty from each department, and students will receive written feedback on each of their essays once the entire exam process is completed. One question from each department will be chosen by the mentor for the student to develop into a presentation as if teaching a class of approximately 20 minutes, followed by a question-and-answer discussion based on, but not limited to, the student’s presentation. The exam will be scheduled for two and one half hours, and will include the studio teacher and a faculty member from each of the Musicology and Composition/Theory Departments. For performance majors, the subject exam will be a four-hour written, created and graded by the studio teacher. In each discipline (musicology and theory), students will be graded pass/fail separately on each of the three essays and the oral exam. Failing one essay requires a revision of that essay; failing two essays requires successfully answering a new essay question, and failing three essays requires a revision of one essay and answering a new question. Failing the oral exam requires creating a new presentation, either on an existing successful essay or, if the student has also failed all three essays, on the topic of the new essay question. |
| 6 | The doctoral document must be publicly defended. MUSI 700 and MUSI 750 may be repeated until the document is defended. |
Academic Coursework
Academic Coursework is comprised of a minimum of 3 courses (9 credit hours) from Music History course offerings and a minimum of 2 courses (6 credit hours) from Music Theory course offerings.
Music History Courses
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| MUSI 524 | AMERICAN MUSIC | 3 |
| MUSI 525 | PERFORMANCE PRACTICES SEMINAR | 3 |
| MUSI 527 | TOPICS IN EARLY MUSIC | 3 |
| MUSI 528 | TOPICS IN THE 17TH AND 18TH CENTURIES | 3 |
| MUSI 529 | TOPICS IN 19TH AND 20TH CENTURIES | 3 |
| MUSI 530 | MUSIC, MAGIC, AND SCIENCE IN THE MODERN WORLD | 3 |
| MUSI 534 | PROGRAM MUSIC IN THE 19TH CENTURY | 3 |
| MUSI 543 | MUSIC AND MODERNISM IN FRANCE | 3 |
| MUSI 621 | SELECTED STUDIES IN MUSIC HISTORY | 3 |
| MUSI 623 | J.S. BACH: CAREER, WORKS, AND CRITICAL RECEPTION | 3 |
| MUSI 624 | SEMINAR ON A SELECTED COMPOSER | 3 |
| MUSI 625 | MOZART OPERAS | 3 |
| MUSI 626 | THE CLASSICAL STYLE | 3 |
| MUSI 627 | ROMANTIC SONGS AND PIANO PIECES | 3 |
| MUSI 716 | MUSIC OF THE MIDDLE AGES | 3 |
| MUSI 717 | RENAISSANCE MUSIC | 3 |
Music Theory Courses
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| MUSI 512 | ANALYTICAL SYSTEMS | 3 |
| MUSI 513 | MODAL COUNTERPOINT | 3 |
| MUSI 514 | SCORE READING AND THEORY AT THE KEYBOARD | 3 |
| MUSI 516 | ADVANCED ORCHESTRATION | 3 |
| MUSI 517 | EARLY MODERN MASTERS | 3 |
| MUSI 605 | ADVANCED ELECTRONIC AND COMPUTER MUSIC SYSTEMS | 3 |
| MUSI 606 | ADVANCED COMPUTER SOUND SYNTHESIS | 3 |
| MUSI 610 | MUSIC THEORIES OF THE WORLD: CROSS-CULTURAL APPROACHES TO PITCH, MELODY, AND RHYTHM | 3 |
| MUSI 611 | CLASSROOM PEDAGOGY | 3 |
| MUSI 613 | TONAL COUNTERPOINT | 3 |
| MUSI 614 | SPECIAL TOPICS IN MUSIC THEORY AND MUSIC THEORY COMPOSITION | 3 |
| MUSI 615 | MUSIC OF RAVEL: MUSIC THEORY AND COMPOSITION | 3 |
| MUSI 617 | MUSIC SINCE 1950 | 3 |
| MUSI 711 | ANALYTICAL APPROACHES | 3 |
| MUSI 712 | SEMINAR IN ADVANCED ANALYSIS | 3 |
| MUSI 713 | SPECIAL TOPICS IN ADVANCED ANALYSIS | 3 |
| MUSI 723 | AESTHETICS OF MUSIC | 3 |
Policies for the DMA Degree
Shepherd School of Music Graduate Program Handbook
The General Announcements (GA) is the official Rice curriculum. As an additional resource for students, the Shepherd School of Music publishes a graduate program handbook, which can be found here: https://gradhandbooks.rice.edu/2024_25/Shepherd_School_of_Music_Graduate_Handbook.pdf.
Admission
A live audition is required for Instrumental Performance and Vocal Performance applicants. Composition applicants must submit a portfolio of representative works and interview with faculty. All doctoral applicants must complete exams in Music History and Music Theory and provide a recent research or analytic paper.
Academic Standards
Curriculum and Degree Requirements
Further information on curricular requirements for all majors and degree programs is available from the Shepherd School of Music.
Grading Policy
For DMA students, a grade of C+ (2.33 grade points) or lower in any course is unsatisfactory and will not fulfill degree program requirements. A minimum grade of B- (2.67 grade points) per course is expected of all music students in their major applied area. A grade of C+ (2.33 grade points) or lower in a course in the student's major applied area is considered unsatisfactory and will be evaluated in the following manner:
- A music major who receives a grade of C+ (2.33 grade points) or lower in a course in their major applied area will be placed on music probation. Music probation signifies that the student’s work has been sufficiently unsatisfactory to preclude graduation unless marked improvement is achieved promptly. A student on music probation may be absent from class only for extraordinary reasons and may not represent the school in any public function not directly a part of a degree program.
- If a student receives a second semester of C+ (2.33 grade points) or lower in a course in their major applied area, whether for consecutive semesters or not, the student will be discontinued as a music performance major and merit scholarship from the Shepherd School will be discontinued.
Graduate degree requirement: a minimum overall grade point average of 2.67 is necessary for graduation.
Leaves of Absence and Voluntary Withdrawal
Music majors must obtain permission in writing from the dean of the Shepherd School before requesting a leave of absence from the university. Requests must be in the dean’s office before the first day of classes in the semester for which leave is requested.
Music majors taking voluntary withdrawal from the university are not guaranteed readmission into the Shepherd School and may be asked to reapply/reaudition. Students should explain the reasons for their withdrawal to the dean before leaving campus.
Transfer Credit
For Rice University’s policy regarding transfer credit, see Transfer Credit. Some departments and programs have additional restrictions on transfer credit. Requests for transfer credit must be approved for Rice equivalency by the appropriate academic department offering the Rice equivalent course (corresponding to the subject code of the course content) and by the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (GPS). Students are encouraged to meet with their academic program’s advisor when considering transfer credit possibilities.
Program Transfer Credit Guidelines
Students pursuing the DMA degree should be aware of the following program-specific transfer credit guideline:
- Transfer credit coursework cannot be applied or used to meet any of the degree program's course requirements.
Additional Information
For additional information, please see the Shepherd School of Music website: https://music.rice.edu/.
Opportunities for the DMA Degree
Other Musical Opportunities
Lectures and Performances
A visiting lecturer series, a professional concert series, and numerous distinguished visiting musicians contribute to the Shepherd School environment. The Houston Symphony Orchestra, Symphony Chorus, Houston Grand Opera, Houston Ballet, Houston Masterworks Chorus, Da Camera, Context, and Chamber Music Houston, as well as the activities of other institutions of higher learning in the area, also provide exceptional opportunities for students to enjoy a wide spectrum of music.
Additional Information
For additional information, please see the Shepherd School of Music website: https://music.rice.edu/.