The Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) in Music Performance is a practice-based doctorate degree designed for individuals who have completed a master’s degree in music performance and intend to pursue faculty positions at the collegiate level or leadership positions in the music industry.
The purpose of the proposed DMA in Music Performance is to prepare musicians to pursue performance, scholarly, and teaching careers at the highest levels. A unique feature of this proposed program, in comparison to DMA programs at peer institutions in New York state and across the country, is the requirement that students undertake study in a secondary field -- a sub-specialization -- to expand their knowledge base, enhance their leadership skills, and further prepare them to work and thrive in the music industry.
DMA students work with the doctoral advisor to pursue coursework within their primary and sub-specialization areas. DMA students must receive at least a B- in courses that fulfill degree requirements and maintain a 3.0 GPA at minimum. Any course graded below a B- must either be repeated or the student register for a different course within the curriculum guidelines. Students wishing to pursue a Composition or Technology sub-specialization must submit a portfolio of prior experience, scores and/or recordings/videos for approval; please reference the sub-specialization sheet for more details.
In addition to required coursework, DMA students must successfully complete the following milestones:
Written Candidacy Exams
Three Recitals (including a lecture-recital)
Capstone Pre-proposal
Capstone Proposal
Capstone Project
Full-time time students are expected to complete all degree requirements within three years, with the possibility of a one-year extension. Part-time students are expected to complete all degree requirements within five years, with the possibility of a one-year extension. Students entering the program after 2025 may only be considered for full-time admission.
All DMA students are advised by the doctoral advisor, responsible for organizing an academic plan, clearing students to register and ensuring that the primary, sub-specialization, theory, research, and elective courses are registered correctly. Full-time doctoral faculty within the students’ primary areas serve as faculty advisors. Through regular communication with advisees, they share field-specific knowledge, provide advisement for performance electives and mentor students through all stages of the recitals, as well as review annual progress reports. Full-time faculty from sub-specialization areas may provide additional advisement for coursework in their areas.
Once DMA students identify the topic of research for their capstone project, they must reach out directly to faculty from the DMA Governance Committee to confirm who their capstone advisor will be. While doctoral faculty from students’ primary areas typically serve as their capstone advisors, other members of the DMA Governance Committee may serve this role, depending on the nature of the project. The capstone advisor provides support during all stages of the capstone project, including the pre-proposal, proposal and final project.
The two-page pre-proposal (500-800 words) must be submitted to mpap-doctoral-studies@nyu.edu at least four weeks before the last day of class, the semester prior to enrolling In Performing Arts Research Collegium. The capstone advisor joins the instructor of Performing Arts Research Collegium to provide support for and evaluate the capstone proposal (approximately 2500-3500 words) during the semester of Performing Arts Research Collegium.
After the proposal is approved, the student must reach out to two additional members from the DMA Governance Committee to request the appointment of a capstone committee. The capstone advisor serves as the chair of this three-person committee, which provides support for and evaluates the final project. It is recommended that students form their Capstone Committee immediately after the proposal is approved. The committee must be formed no later than the third week of the semester following proposal approval.
Javian Brabham, DM
DMA students are required to present three recitals: two full-length public performances as well as one public lecture-recital. Each recital is registered for one credit under DMA Recital, MPAIA-GE 3402.
Each program has specific requirements for recitals, detailed on this page. No more than one solo recital may be presented in the first year of study, with the lecture recital occurring no sooner than the semester of candidacy. Program notes are required and approved by the student’s private lessons instructor and doctoral faculty from the primary area.
For full-time students, the candidacy exam for the DMA in Music Performance typically occurs in the fourth semester of study. Students must have completed or be in the process of completing at least nine credits of primary and sub-specialization courses by the semester of candidacy. The exam may not be taken earlier than the fourth semester of full-time study.
The exam includes three questions sent to the candidate 48 hours in advance of the exam date, related to the student’s primary area. Students will choose two questions to respond to and will have 48 hours to research the topics and develop a bibliography with sources they will reference.
On the date of the exam, which is administered in MPAIA-GE 3400 Performing Arts Research Collegium, students will have the full class time (2 hours and 40 minutes) to respond to the two prompts. We recommend that students bring their laptops and complete the exam over Brightspace, first installing Respondus Lockdown Browser. The browser extension will provide access to the exams and prevent the use of other applications. Students should bring a printout of the bibliography to the exam room, without annotations, to refer to in their responses. The expected length for each essay is approximately 1,000 words (equivalent to roughly 4 pages double-spaced). While submitting the exams over Brightspace is recommended, we will also provide blue books for students who prefer to complete by hand.
To apply for candidacy, DMA students should submit the Application for Doctoral Candidacy form along with their unofficial doctoral transcript to mpap-doctoral-studies@nyu.edu by the deadlines established on the MPAP Doctoral Candidacy Dates and Deadlines page in this handbook. The transcript can be accessed at any time via Albert by following these instructions. The program code for the application form is GEMUSPDMA, and the advisor signature should come from the MPAP doctoral academic advisor.
The essays are evaluated by two members of the DMA Governance Committee. The examination shall be evaluated as PASS, PASS WITH CONDITIONS, or FAIL. A third member of the doctoral faculty will be asked to review the essays if the committee does not agree on an evaluation. If the candidacy examination results in a PASS WITH CONDITIONS, the student will be notified by the exam coordinator of what is required in order to have the conditions removed. If the candidacy examination results in a FAIL outcome, matriculation is suspended and the student must request permission (in writing) from the department to retake the examination. A second opportunity to sit for the examination may or may not be allowed, based on the DMA Governance Committee’s evaluation of the student’s request. If the student passes the second candidacy examination, doctoral student status is restored.
Please note that Steinhardt policy does not allow any doctoral student to take the candidacy examination more than twice. In the event that a student fails the candidacy examination a second time, matriculation in the doctoral program is automatically terminated, in accordance with the guidelines laid down in the Steinhardt Doctoral Policies Website.
DMA students work with their capstone advisor to develop a pre-proposal of approximately 500-800 words, not including the bibliography. The pre-proposal must be submitted to mpap-doctoral-studies@nyu.edu at least four weeks before the last day of class, the semester prior to enrolling In Performing Arts Research Collegium. The following sections should be included:
1) Proposed title
2) Background: Provide a brief contextual overview with industry-specific definitions, If applicable. (Not to exceed 200 words)
3) Purpose: Identify the primary research problem, following the instructions in Part 1 of The Craft of Research by Wayne Booth. A strong research problem articulates that you will investigate X to find about Y in order to help people understand Z. You may also describe sub-problems that are related to your main research problem.
4) Need for study: Explain why there is a need for study and how scholarly discourse does not already address your topic. You will eventually undertake a more involved literature review, however we need a preliminary understanding of what has already been researched in this area.
5) Methodology: Explain your methodology in some detail. For instance, what pieces and composers do you intend to focus on, and what techniques will you use to analyze them?
6) Format: Specify what the format of your capstone project will be. Do you anticipate a purely written document or will there be supplemental materials included, like a guide for performance, recorded materials, etc?
7) Bibliography: Include the primary and secondary sources relevant to the proposed research. Dictionary or encyclopedia entries should not appear in a bibliography, and a separate discography should be attached if recordings will be utilized.
The DMA Capstone proposal is completed in MPAIA-GE 3400 Performing Arts Research Collegium and approved by the Review Panel, composed of the instructor of the course and the capstone advisor. Emphasis is placed on understanding and defining the logical relations between elements in a proposal including the problem statement/research question, conceptual/theoretical framework, literature review, research design and methodology. The length of the proposal without bibliography is approximately 2500-3500 words.
Elements of the proposal include:
1: Title Page
2: Introduction
3: Literature Review
4. Design and Method
5. Table of Contents
6. Bibliography
The proposal must be approved in order to receive a passing grade in MPAIA-GE 3400 Performing Arts Research Collegium. The proposal shall be evaluated as APPROVED, APPROVED WITH AGREED UPON REVISIONS, OR NOT APPROVED. If the proposal is APPROVED, the Review Panel may have offered suggestions, which are not a matter of official record, to the student. If the proposal is APPROVED WITH AGREED UPON REVISIONS, the student must make revisions to be approved by the Review Panel. If the proposal is NOT APPROVED, it must be completely reworked, resulting in a Failure in the course. The student must retake the course the following academic year and successfully submit a capstone proposal. If the student fails the course the second time, matriculation in the doctoral program is automatically terminated.
After the proposal is approved, the student must reach out to two additional members from the DMA Governance Committee to request the appointment of a capstone committee. The capstone advisor serves as the chair of this three-person committee, which will both provide support towards completion and evaluate the final project. The student must complete the DMA Request for Appointment of Capstone Project Committee form and send it to mpap-doctoral-studies@nyu.edu and steinhardt.doctoral.studies@nyu.edu after obtaining the capstone committee and department chair signatures.
Students in the DMA program conduct innovative practice-based research culminating in a capstone project that is context-bound and driven by a practitioner’s questions and problem posing. The final product may take a variety of forms, but must include a substantial written document of publishable quality, approximately 15,000 words. Accompanying content on relevant projects (i.e. professional recording, performance study score) may count as 5,000 words towards the total length. Capstone projects should carefully adhere to Steinhardt dissertation formatting guidelines and follow the most recent MLA, Turabian or Chicago style manuals.
Examples of possible capstone projects include, but are not limited to:
Method Book
A textbook which demonstrates repertoire or techniques for the candidate’s instrument. Possible topics of the text could include: extended techniques, fingerings, reed making; or cover a group of topics such as repertoire, accompanying, improvisation. Historical context, along with the strengths and weaknesses of prior research in this and similar areas, should be included.
Essay Collection
A collection of three publishable essays, typically related to the primary or sub-specialization areas, that are thematically linked and framed by an overall introduction and conclusion. The three papers must form a cohesive and coherent body of work that supports a central theme, documenting original research and contributions from scholarly sources. Students who focus on repertoire presented in doctoral recitals must present a valid need for study and contextualize how they are going to approach score analysis, stylistic comparison, and/or detailed documentation of the performance process.
Professional Recording with Analysis
Professional recording of a new edition or important work by a major composer, with comprehensive annotations and commentary on historical context, musical analysis, performance techniques, interpretation, and/or editorial method. Students in need of recording facilities/services as part of their Capstone project can request studio time in Dolan. These arrangements must be coordinated well in advance with the student's Program Director and designated Dolan booking liaison, listed here. Pre-semester booking period deadlines can be found on the Dolan studio Google site; the booking process typically begins in April for those recording in fall and November for for those recording in spring.
Performance Study Score
An annotated score of a new edition or important work by a major composer, with commentary on historical context, musical analysis, performance techniques, interpretation and/or editorial method. The annotated score is submitted in addition to the accompanying text.
Research Paper
A historiographical and/or analytic examination of a piece or collection of music contributing significantly to the student’s primary field of music performance or area of sub-specialization.
In the final year, DMA students complete and defend the capstone project before their capstone committee, composed of the primary capstone advisor and two additional members from the DMA Governance Committee.
The final oral examination is organized as follows:
10-minute student presentation of capstone research
Question and answer with the members of the capstone committee
Evaluation without the student present
Student returns for feedback and outcome
One vote is to be taken with three and only three possible outcomes (all members of the capstone committee vote). These outcomes (PASS, FAIL, or DEFERRED PASS with conditions) result according to the rules posted on the Steinhardt Dissertation Policies Website. A DEFERRED PASS implies that although the student’s performance is acceptable in many respects, substantive revision of the capstone project and/or additional requirements of consequence are deemed necessary. If the student FAILS, they may request permission for a second final oral examination from the Vice Dean. If approved, the examination must be held with the same capstone committee no sooner than six months from the first final oral examination. If the student fails the second final oral examination, matriculation is automatically and irrevocably terminated.