Doctor of Musical Arts in Composition
Application deadlines are specific to degree programs. See our Graduate Admissions page for a list of all deadlines.
Designed for students seeking to develop into a highly-qualified professional composer, through intensive study with major artist-teachers, this program is a rigorous three-year course of study that offers an exceptional musical education (technique, score study, diversity of programming, rigor in the depth and breadth of repertoire), encourages collaborations, and emphasizes personal and musical growth. Composition students will create many opportunities to work with performers, conductors and ensembles of varying size and repertoire focus, and develop new uses of music technology. The DMA culminates with the composition of an original large-scale dissertation.
Curriculum
The awarding of the doctoral degree is based upon demonstrable skill and proficiency in the major and cognate fields, not upon completion of a specified number of credit hours. Many variations on the usual pattern of elections will be acceptable, especially in those cases in which the student pursues independent study or works on special projects or research. After consultation with the advisor, the student should undertake various course elections that will help them to prepare for the general preliminary examinations.
Final Project:
The dissertation in Composition will consist of a score of major proportions in which the candidate finds ample opportunity to demonstrate strength of imagination and maturity of craft and musical language. The composition may be for an ensemble other than symphony orchestra, provided that the candidate has previously submitted scores that convince the Composition Department of their secure command of the orchestral medium. The writing of the student’s dissertation composition will be supervised by their dissertation committee.
Courses
SMTD offers a wide variety of courses across all disciplines.
Silent Advisor
Degree requirements and term-by-term layout for current students.
Faculty
Evan Chambers
Michael Daugherty
Roshanne Etezady
Kristin Kuster
Erik Santos
Bright Sheng
Performance Opportunities
From large ensembles in celebrated concert halls to chamber groups in intimate recital spaces, performance opportunities across all disciplines abound, with nearly 900 student performances each academic year. Whether your focus is on early, classical, or contemporary music, whether your passion is for jazz, electronic, or world music, there is an ensemble—or in many cases, multiple ensembles—to suit your interests, including specific opportunities for percussion, piano, and organ & carillon. For students in theatre & drama, musical theatre, dance, and opera, opportunities abound in both professionally produced and student-run presentations.
Organ Performance
Students perform and study with their peers in studio classes and perform for the public in solo student recitals and studio recitals. In addition, the Organ Department organizes several recitals each term in local churches in the communities surrounding Ann Arbor and Detroit.
Carillon Performance
The University of Michigan has two world-class carillons. Half-hour recitals are given on weekdays throughout the academic year and are open to the public to view. Intermediate and advanced carillon students may perform for the campus regularly on these recitals.
Early Music Ensembles
Students interested in historically oriented performance have opportunities to explore music from across the centuries, performed on authentic period instruments and high-quality replicas.
Ensembles
Organ students have opportunities to perform with the University of Michigan orchestras, bands, and choral ensembles, and can gain extensive experience in continuo playing on organ and harpsichord with the Baroque Chamber Orchestra.