Doctor of Musical Arts

Each DMA student must present a major Portfolio Review at the start of their third year, no later than the end of week nine of Autumn Quarter. The review takes place during the Graduate Composition Forum (Music 324) and consists of a public critique session with the student's doctoral committee and available composition faculty. Students should coordinate the schedule with their committee members and the Forum instructor at least one quarter in advance. A portfolio of completed scores and recordings must be made available online to the doctoral committee and the composition program community, with access provided and invitations sent to all graduate and faculty composers at least one month before the review. Whenever possible, submitted works should be presented in public performance prepared by the composer.

Students whose portfolios are deemed qualitatively or quantitatively insufficient will be given recommendations for remediation in order to maintain good standing in the DMA program. For complete details on portfolio requirements and review procedures, please refer to the Graduate Student Handbook.

During Winter Quarter of their second year, students must define the topic of their Special-Area Exam, form a committee, and by Spring Quarter convene a meeting to discuss a research plan leading to the exam in Winter Quarter of the fourth year. The exam is a seven-day, open-book assessment consisting of essays on the topic (Part 1), a detailed upper-level undergraduate course syllabus (Part 2), and a Final Project Proposal (Part 3). Parts 2 and 3 may be prepared in advance, and all sources must be cited thoroughly. Following the written exam, students must complete a one-hour oral discussion with their committee, scheduled by the student to occur at least one week after the written portion but no later than week nine of Winter Quarter. Lastly, Bbefore the end of the quarter, students must also present a 60-minute Public Lecture on their topic during the Graduate Composition Forum, followed by 30 minutes of Q&A.

The Final Project Proposal should be a statement of approximately 500-700 words (1–2 pages) that describes the nature of the proposed composition. Students should address the medium (instrumental, vocal, electronic, etc.), approximate scope (length, dimensions, proportions), and elements of language, style, idiom, and aesthetic approach. If applicable, the proposal should discuss the nature of any texts or textual materials and outline anticipated structural ideas and principles. Students should reflect on how the composition compares to their previous and most recent work, and explain how it serves as an appropriate summation or culmination of their graduate studies in composition.

Students who do not successfully pass their Special-Area Exam may be dismissed from the DMA program. For complete details, please refer to the Graduate Student Handbook.

The faculty expect doctoral students to engage deeply with the on-campus composition community above and beyond supervised teaching experiences. This includes engagement with new music by faculty and fellow students and participation in critical discourse. In addition to the nine required quarters of MUSIC 323, participation in peers’ milestone events such as Portfolio Reviews, Area Exams, and Final Project Presentations is strongly encouraged. Attending others’ milestone events increases students’ preparedness for their own. Attendance at Final Project Presentations is particularly important: Students are expected to communicate with their advisor when they must miss a Final Project Presentation. Students are also encouraged to attend presentations by invited composers beyond the nine-quarter requirement.

Teaching is core to the academic and professional training of doctoral students in our program. All DMA students are required to complete six quarters of supervised teaching experiences, regardless of their financial support. Typically, students complete more than the required number of teaching quarters as part of their professional training and financial support.

Admission to candidacy is a prospective judgement by the faculty of a student’s potential to successfully complete the requirements of the degree program. Qualifying procedures in the Department of Music include required coursework and Qualifying Exams.

The Qualifying Exam is administered by a three-person committee consisting of the student’s graduate advisor, a committee chair from the program (who is not the advisor), and a third faculty member. It is the student’s responsibility to form this committee in consultation with their advisor and to finalize its membership with the graduate administrator before the end of Spring quarter of their first year.

The exam consists of two written sections followed by an oral discussion. The written components, taken just before the second year begins, include a 24-hour analysis of a single 20th/21st-century work (Section A) and a 48-hour exam covering a broad historical repertoire of approximately 115 works (Section B). Following this, the student must schedule a one-hour oral exam (Section C) with their committee to discuss the written sections. This oral exam must take place at least one week after the written portion but no later than Week 9 of Autumn quarter.

Additional details on qualifying procedures can be found in the Graduate Handbook opens in a new tab.

The DMA candidate's work culminates in a Final Project and Public Presentation. The final project must be a substantial composition, the scope of which is agreed upon by the Reading Committee. Work typically spans several quarters, during which students may also compose smaller works for specific performances.

Students must submit the Notice of Appointment of a DMA Final Project Reading Committee to the department with the Terminal Graduate Registration (TGR) Petition during Year 4. The committee consists of the principal advisor and at least two additional members. Students, with their advisor's guidance, are responsible for securing faculty consent to serve on the committee.

The Final Project Defense/Public Presentation occurs during Year 5, no later than Week 9 of Spring quarter, in the Graduate Composition Forum (Music 324). Students must coordinate scheduling with the Reading Committee and Forum instructor by the beginning of Year 4. The presentation lasts 50–70 minutes, including performance or playback of the project, followed by public Q&A. The committee may then deliberate privately and/or discuss the project with the candidate in private.

Depending on the language and the resources available, students may demonstrate competency in languages with coursework at Stanford or elsewhere, or with an examination administered at Stanford or by a qualified outside assessor. When a test of proficiency is not available through Stanford Language Center, the student and advisor should propose a means of assessment for approval by the Graduate Studies Committee, and document the approved plan and the outcome.