Mar 28, 2024  
2009-2011 Graduate Catalog 
    
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Musical Arts D.M.A.


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Admission Requirements

Students applying for admission to the Doctor of Musical Arts degree program must make application through the Graduate College. There are different deadlines for international students, and for students who wish to apply for assistantships, which are also found on the Graduate College website. In addition to submitting an application and transcripts of all college-level work to the Graduate College, prospective students must have a Master’s degree in music from a NASM accredited institution.

Degree Requirements


At least 60 semester credits of approved course work beyond the master’s level and completed as follows:

Applied Music Performance

   
Brass, Piano, String, and Woodwind Areas 60
  3
History/Literature (Piano must include  E)     9
Music Theory (must include   6
                                       1
Pedagogy:   or             3
Applied Lessons                           16
Ensembles (2 large, 1 chamber)   3
Recitals (3)                                 9
Lecture-recital                             3
Document                                  2
Electives                                      5
   
Conducting (Wind Band) Area 60
  3
History/Literature (must include  G)     9
Music Theory (must include  ,   6
                                       1
Pedagogy:  B,  B    6
Applied Lessons                           16
Ensembles 2
Recitals (3)                                 9
Lecture-recital                             3
Document                                  2
Electives                                      3
   
Conducting (Orchestra) Area 60
  3
History/Literature (must include  H)     9
Music Theory:  ,       6
                                       1
Pedagogy:   6
Applied Lessons                           16
Ensembles 2
Recitals (3)                                 9
Lecture-recital                             3
Document                                  2
Electives                                      3
   
Percussion Area 60
  3
History/Literature    9
Music Theory: (must include  )    6
                                       1
Pedagogy:  D,  D,  D 9
Applied Lessons                           16
  0
Ensembles 2
Recitals (3)                                 9
Lecture-recital                             3
Document                                  2
   
Voice Area 60
  3
History/Literature    9
Music Theory: (must include  )    6
                                       1
Pedagogy:   6
Applied Lessons                           16
Ensembles 2
Recitals (3)                                 9
Lecture-recital                             3
Document                                  2
Electives                                      3

 

D.M.A. Foreign Language Requirement


Reading knowledge of one of these three foreign language is required for the DMA: French, German, or Italian. With permission of the Department of Music Graduate Committee, another language may be substituted.  This requirement must be fulfilled before the student schedules their qualifying exams.  Students whose native language is not English may not use English or their native language to fulfill this requirement.

Students may fulfill the language requirement by doing one of the following:

  1. Pass the Foreign Language Proficiency Exam in one of the approved languages within the first year of doctoral study. If the student does not succeed in passing the Foreign Language Proficiency Exam within the first year of doctoral study, they must fulfill the foreign language requirement by completing option
  2. Complete two successive semesters of regular undergraduate foreign language courses while in residence for the DMA at UNLV in French, German, or Italian with a grade of B (3.0) or better in each course.  Students may choose as a starting point the course that best suits their current level of competency.

Grade Point Average Requirements


Throughout work for the degree, the student must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.00 with no course work receiving a grade of B- or below.  If a student receives a grade of B- or below, the course must be retaken.  If the student’s cumulative GPA falls below 3.00, the student may be separated from the program.

The Department of Music reviews the academic performance of graduate students at the end of academic year and reviews the academic performance of graduate students on assistantships at the end of each semester. If the Department of Music determines that a student is not making satisfactory progress toward the degree, it will request that the Graduate Dean separate the student from the department or place the student on probation. The department will provide the student with the specific requirements, including deadlines, which must be completed for the student to be removed from probation.
 

M.M and D.M.A. Requirements


Placement Exams

Prior to registration, all Department of Music graduate students must take placement examinations in music history, theory, and aural skills/sight- singing, regardless of their area of concentration. Passing scores on these exams, or passing grades in the appropriate history or theory review courses (B or above) are required before students may enroll in graduate level history and theory courses.  Credit for review courses will not be applied towards the degree.

Successful completion of

 , with a minimum grade of B, is a pre-requisite for all graduate-level music history classes.

Music History Placement Examination

The examination is an assessment of accumulated knowledge.  Students may wish to prepare, however, by reviewing the facts and concepts in J. Peter Burkholder, Donald J. Grout, and Claude V. Palisca, A History of Western Music, 7th edition (New York: W.W. Norton, 2006), the volumes of the Prentice Hall History of Music series, or similar texts.  Students who show deficiencies in music history will be required to register for

 .

The examination is given prior to the first day of instruction for the Fall semester.  The exact date, time, and location may be found on the Department of Music website: http://music.unlv.edu/home.shtml

Students must take the exam at the designated time; no make-up examinations will be given.  Students who fail to take the exam at the scheduled time must complete MUS 603 before enrolling in any other music history course.  This course is offered in the Fall semesters only.

For more specific details concerning the placement exam, please consult the Music History Handbook, available on the Music Department website: http://music.unlv.edu/home.shtml or contact Dr. Anthony Barone (702) 895-5953, (anthony.barone@unlv.edu).

Graduate Music Theory and Aural Skills/Sight-singing Placement Examination
A sample graduate theory placement exam may be found on the Department of Music’s website: http://music.unlv.edu/home.shtml

The Graduate Aural Skills/Sight-singing Placement Examination consists of:

a) Two-voice dictation

b) Three-voice dictation

c) Harmonic dictation

d) Two-part rhythmic dictation

e) Sight-singing of a melody in any of the modern clefs (treble, alto, tenor, bass).  A single melody may contain clef changes.

Students who show deficiencies in music theory and/or aural skills/sight-singing will be required to register for   and/or  .

The Graduate Music Theory and Aural Skills/Sight-singing Placement Examination is given prior to the first day of instruction for the Fall semester and the Spring semester.  The exact date, time, and location may be found on the Department of Music’s website: http://music.unlv.edu/home.shtml

Students must take the exam at the designated time; no make-up examinations will be given.  Students who fail to take the exams at the scheduled time must complete MUS 604 and MUS 602  before enrolling in any other music theory course.

For more specific details concerning the placement exam, please contact Dr. Kenneth Hanlon (702) 895-4809 (kenneth.hanlon@unlv.edu).

Advising

Advisors are assigned by the Graduate Coordinator and are usually the
student’s major teacher. New graduate students should schedule an appointment with their advisor before registering for classes to determine course of study and will be advised upon matriculation as to which, if any, areas need special attention.  Advisors take an active role in assisting to correct any student deficiencies by suggesting appropriate course work.  Meetings should continue on a regular basis to assure appropriate progress towards the degree.

Ensemble Enrollment

Participation in large ensembles is required throughout the student’s residency. Some areas may have more specific large and small ensemble requirements.  Students should consult their advisor for more details.

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