Music Performance: Music, D.M.A.

Program Overview

Music Performance: Music, D.M.A.

School of Music

Hone your musical talents by working one-on-one with our world-class faculty, who are ready to help you build a successful and rewarding career in performance, teaching and research.

Receive faculty-level training and gain an outstanding doctoral education through rigorous training and performance experiences in a creative environment committed to musical excellence. Performance candidates must present four full recitals and submit a research document along with passing a comprehensive exam.

Program Highlights

• Distinguished School: Since 1969, the School of Music has consistently retained the distinctive National Association of Schools of Music accreditation.
• Supportive Community: Foster your creative learning, skill development and personal exploration through Spark: Music Leadership at Carolina.
• Stand-out Skills: Attain performance competence at the highest professional level along with historical and theoretical knowledge.
• Broad Scope: Along with advanced studies in pedagogy, attain a broad knowledge of repertory and literature.

What You’ll Study

Prepare for faculty positions and demonstrate expert-level knowledge of performance techniques and musicianship in final recitals of primary instrument or voice. Complete doctoral-level study of music history, music theory and compositional styles. Choose any doctoral minor. Write and produce original research suitable for publication in your area of specialty.

Building Skills

Gain the professional and personal intelligence it takes to have a successful career.

• Performance: Presenting oneself creatively through a specific medium to an audience
• Critical Thinking: Analyzing and evaluating information to make informed decisions or judgments
• Cultural Awareness: Learning about and respecting diverse cultures and beliefs
• Entrepreneurship: Identifying opportunities and creating and launching new ventures
• Attention to Detail: Being meticulous and thorough in all aspects of a task or project
• Teamwork: Working collaboratively with others to achieve a shared goal or objective

Using your degree

Make your college experience the foundation for a successful future.

Potential Careers

• Faculty
• Performer

Job Titles of Alumni

• Adjunct Piano Faculty
• Assistant Professor of Music
• Director of Bands
• Director of Choirs
• Saxophonist
• University Lecturer

Average Alumni Salary

Five to 10 years after graduation without additional education $81,897

Workplace Settings

• Education

Employers of Alumni

• University of South Carolina
• Pennsylvania State University
• Assembly Quartet
• National Collegiate Choral Organization
• Radford University
• Columbia Arts Academy

Related Degrees

• Composition: Music, D.M.A. (School of Music)
• Anthropology, Ph.D. (McCausland College of Arts and Sciences)
• Social Work, Ph.D. (College of Social Work)
• Library and Information Science, Ph.D. (College of Information and Communications)
• Teaching and Learning, Ph.D. (College of Education)
• Music Education, Ph.D. (School of Music)
• Sport and Entertainment Management, Ph.D. (College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management)
• History, Ph.D. (McCausland College of Arts and Sciences)
• Linguistics, Ph.D. (McCausland College of Arts and Sciences)

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

The Music, D.M.A. program at the University of South Carolina School of Music is designed to provide students with a rigorous and comprehensive doctoral education in performance. The program aims to equip students with the skills and knowledge necessary for successful careers in performance, teaching, and research.

Objectives:

• Receive faculty-level training and gain an outstanding doctoral education through rigorous training and performance experiences in a creative environment committed to musical excellence.
• Attain performance competence at the highest professional level along with historical and theoretical knowledge.
• Prepare for faculty positions and demonstrate expert-level knowledge of performance techniques and musicianship in final recitals of primary instrument or voice.
• Complete doctoral-level study of music history, music theory, and compositional styles.
• Choose any doctoral minor.
• Write and produce original research suitable for publication in your area of specialty.

Assessment:

• Performance candidates must present four full recitals.
• Students must submit a research document.
• Students must pass a comprehensive exam.

Teaching:

• Students work one-on-one with world-class faculty.
• The program emphasizes faculty-level training and rigorous performance experiences.

Careers:

• Potential careers include faculty positions, performer, adjunct piano faculty, assistant professor of music, director of bands, director of choirs, saxophonist, university lecturer.
• Average alumni salary five to ten years after graduation without additional education is $81,897.

Other:

• The School of Music has consistently retained the distinctive National Association of Schools of Music accreditation since 1969.
• Students can foster their creative learning, skill development, and personal exploration through Spark: Music Leadership at Carolina.
• Students attain a broad knowledge of repertory and literature along with advanced studies in pedagogy.