Doctor of Musical Arts in Performance: Sacred Music

Application deadlines are specific to degree programs. See our Graduate Admissions page for a list of all deadlines.

Designed for students seeking the highest degree in the field, the DMA is a rigorous three-year course of study culminating in three recitals and a scholarly essay in lieu of a dissertation.

Curriculum

The doctoral degree is awarded on the basis of demonstrated competence, not on the basis of a specified number of credit hours. Completion of the program normally requires six terms of full-time study beyond the master’s degree. Students are expected to attain candidacy effective at the beginning of the sixth term. Courses to include performance, music theory, musicology, sacred music, organ literature, and early music.

program requirements details

Final Project:

Three recitals and a scholarly essay in lieu of a dissertation.

Silent Advisor

Degree requirements and term-by-term layout for current students.

Go to Silent Advisor

Funding

Nearly all DMA students receive full-tuition fellowships. Most also receive health benefits and a stipend attached to a Graduate Student Assistantship, which can vary in proportion to the appointment fraction and the duties associated with it. In addition to the funding packages offered by the SMTD, Rackham students are also eligible to apply for a wide range of fellowships to fund research, travel, and performance.