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 beyond the bachelor's degree to satisfy degree requirements.
Requirements for the DMA Degree in the field of Piano Performance
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 8 semesters) 1 | 3 |
| MUSI 736 | SOLO REPERTORY FOR DOCTORAL STUDENTS (minimum of 2 semesters) 2 | 3 |
| MUSI 751 | DOCTORAL SOLO RECITAL 3 | 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 2 | 3 |
| MUSI 738 | DOCTORAL INDIVIDUAL PROJECT | 3 |
| MUSI 739 | PEDAGOGY FOR DOCTORAL STUDENTS | 3 |
| Academic Coursework 4 | ||
| Select 4 courses from the Music History course offerings (see course list below) | 12 | |
| 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 5 | 15 | |
| Classroom Teaching | ||
| Students must complete the Classroom Teaching requirement | ||
| Examinations 6 | ||
| Students must demonstrate the following proficiencies: | ||
Aural skills proficiency | ||
Written and oral qualifying examinations | ||
| Doctoral Document | ||
| MUSI 750 | DOCTORAL DOCUMENT (minimum of 2 semesters) 7 | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours | 90 | |
Footnotes and Additional Information
| 1 | At least six of the required eight semesters of MUSI 681 Piano for Majors-Advanced must be taken during residency as a DMA student. |
| 2 | 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). |
| 3 | Five (5) doctoral recitals performed while in residence as a DMA student as follows:
|
| 4 | 4 courses (3 credit hours each) comprise the 12 credit hours required of Music History coursework. 2 courses (3 credit hours each) comprise the 6 credit hours required of Music Theory coursework. |
| 5 | Graduate academic coursework taken elsewhere may be transferred with the approval of the relevant Department Chair. Additional hours of required performance coursework may not count toward the elective requirement. A maximum of three (3) credit hours of MUSI 649 Graduate Independent Study can count towards degree requirements. |
| 6 | Diagnostic examinations in music history and music theory are given prior to admission to The Shepherd School, and play an important role in the admissions decision. Weaknesses in these areas will be addressed by courses designated by the chairs of the respective departments. These will count within either the Academic Coursework or Elective category. Doctoral students must also pass proficiency exams in aural skills and piano. These exams are scheduled at the beginning of each academic year. If required, MUSI 432 Graduate Aural Skills Review and/or MUSI 281 Secondary Piano must be taken, but neither will count towards the total number of hours required for the degree. DMA students in the field of Piano Performance do not have to demonstrate piano proficiency. |
| 7 | The doctoral document must be publicly defended. |
Academic Coursework
Academic Coursework is comprised of a minimum of 4 courses (12 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 523 | BIBLIOGRAPHY AND RESEARCH METHODS | 3 |
| 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 537 | SATIE, COCTEAU, & LES SIX: PARIS IN THE 1920s AND BEYOND | 3 |
| MUSI 543 | MUSIC AND MODERNISM IN FRANCE | 3 |
| MUSI 551 | MUSIC OF RICHARD STRAUSS | 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 |
| MUSI 721 | MUSIC OF SCHOENBERG | 3 |
| MUSI 722 | MUSIC OF STRAVINSKY | 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 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 COMPOSTION | 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/2021_22/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
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.
Note: For music history and musicology majors a grade of C+ (2.33 grade points) or lower in any music history course is considered unsatisfactory and will be evaluated as above.
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. 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 guidelines:
- Requests for transfer credit will be considered by the program director on an individual case-by-case basis.
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