Program Overview

Doctor of Musical Arts in Voice

The D.M.A. degree in performance requires a minimum of 72 post-baccalaureate semester hours. Candidates must meet all the general requirements for the D.M.A. in music with respect to residence, and written comprehensive examinations. It is expected the D.M.A. applicant in the solo voice area will have overcome major technical vocal problems and be able to offer quality public performances, successfully manage professional engagements, and utilize a variety of appropriate teaching skills. A minimum of 39 semester hours must be earned at the University of Iowa.

Requirements and Program Planning

This information is intended to assist in your course planning but is not intended to serve as an official guide to graduation requirements. Consult your advisor to confirm progress toward graduation.

Course Offerings

• General requirements
  • MUS:5300 Introduction to Graduate Study in Music (2 s.h.)
  • MUS:7140 Seminar in Music Research (2 s.h.)
• Music theory requirements
  • Review of Undergraduate Theory (MUS:5200): Required of all graduate students who do not pass the advisory examination in music theory.
  • MUS:4200 Counterpoint before 1600 (3 s.h.)
  • MUS:4201 Counterpoint after 1600 (3 s.h.)
  • MUS:4730 Jazz Theory (3 s.h.)
  • MUS:5235 Tonal Analysis (3 s.h.)
  • MUS:5236 Non-Tonal Analysis (3 s.h.)
  • MUS:5237 Analysis of Popular Music (3 s.h.)
  • MUS:5240 Special Topics in Theory and Analysis (3 s.h.)
  • MUS:6210 History of Ideas in Music (3 s.h.)
  • MUS:6211 Theoretical Approaches to Music (3 s.h.)
  • MUS:6215 Theory Pedagogy (3 s.h.)
  • MUS:6250 Advanced Tonal Theory and Analysis (3 s.h.)
  • MUS:6251 Advanced Non-Tonal Theory and Analysis (3 s.h.)
  • MUS:6252 Advanced Theory and Analysis of Popular Music (3 s.h.)
• Music history requirements
  • Music and Gender (MUS:4320), 3 semester hours
  • Medieval and Renaissance Music (MUS:4325), 3 semester hours
  • Baroque Music (MUS:4330), 3 semester hours
  • 18th-Century Music (MUS:4335), 3 semester hours
  • 19th-Century Music (MUS:4340), 3 semester hours
  • 20th-Century Music (MUS:4345), 3 semester hours
  • Advanced Jazz History (MUS:4350), 3 semester hours
  • American Music (MUS:4355), 3 semester hours
  • Jazz Matters (MUS:4360), 3 semester hours
  • Studies in Film and Music (MUS:4610), 3 semester hours
  • Teaching Music, History, and Culture (MUS:6305), 3 semester hours
  • Topics in Musicology (MUS:6310), 3 semester hours
  • Historical Approaches to Music (MUS:6312), 3 semester hours
  • Topics in Ethnomusicology (MUS:6314), 3 semester hours
  • Foundations of Ethnomusicology (MUS:6315), 3 semester hours
  • Renaissance Music Notations (MUS:6326), 3 semester hours
  • Music Editing (MUS:6375), 3 semester hours
• Ensemble participation
  • Major Ensemble (four semesters required), 1 semester hour each
• Voice area requirements
  • MUS:6020 Graduate voice lessons (6 semesters) (12 s.h.)
  • MUS:5510 Graduate Diction (2 s.h.) (Spring)
  • MUS:6520 Voice Pedagogy (3 s.h.)* (Spring)
  • MUS:6530 Topics in Vocal Performance (taken 2 times, 2 s.h./each) (Spring)
  • MUS:6540 Survey of Operatic Literature (3 s.h.) (Spring—odd numbered years)
  • MUS:6541 Survey of Song Literature I (3 s.h.) (Fall—odd numbered years)
  • MUS:6542 Survey of Song Literature II (3 s.h.) (Fall – even numbered years)
• Language proficiency requirements
  • Successfully completed at least one year (two semesters) of college level language study in each of the three major Western singing languages (French, German, and Italian) prior to taking comprehensive exams.
  • Earned an undergraduate BA or its equivalent in French, German, or Italian
• Detailed DMA Recital Requirements
  • One DMA qualifying recital*
  • Two traditional solo recitals or one traditional solo recital and one lecture recital**
  • One collaborative recital featuring more than one other instrument
• Comprehensive Exams
  • Comprehensive exams must be taken.
  • This exam evaluates the candidate’s knowledge of music theory, music history, song literature and vocal pedagogy.
• Doctoral Essay
  • 2 s.h. minimum; 6 s.h. maximum.
  • Candidates for the DMA in Voice must give evidence of their ability to make a scholarly investigation by means of The Thesis for General Distribution or The Essay for Limited Distribution.
• Research paper
  • The student is required to submit to the voice faculty a qualifying research paper that can be considered representative of the level of writing competence appropriate to his/her candidacy for the D.M.A. degree.

Faculty

• Abbigail Coté: Director of Opera, Assistant Professor, Voice Area Co-Head
• Keely Futterer: Voice, Visiting Assistant Professor
• David Meyer: Voice, Assistant Professor, Voice Area Co-Head
• Stella Roden: Voice, Visiting Assistant Professor
• Jeremiah Sanders: Voice, Visiting Assistant Professor
• Wayne Wyman: Vocal Coach, Assistant Professor of Instruction

Practice and Performance

• Need to book a music room, request an accompanist, check out audition information, rent a locker, or use a recording studio? Visit the Music Callboard for all scheduling and policy information.