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Frost School of Music, Graduate Studies

Music Administration Center

Phone:  305.284.2241

Frost School of Music Website

Frost School of Music Graduate Studies Website.

Departments

  • DEPARTMENT OF INSTRUMENTAL PERFORMANCE - Dept. Code: MIP
  • DEPARTMENT OF KEYBOARD PERFORMANCE - Dept. Code: MKP
  • DEPARTMENT OF MEDIA SCORING AND PRODUCTION - Dept. Code: MSP
  • DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC EDUCATION - Dept. Code: MED
  • DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY - Dept. Code: MUE
  • DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC INDUSTRY - Dept. Code: MIN
  • DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC THEORY-COMPOSITION - Dept. Code: MTC
  • DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC THERAPY - Dept. Code: MTY
  • DEPARTMENT OF MUSICOLOGY - Dept. Code: MCY
  • DEPARTMENT OF STUDIO MUSIC AND JAZZ - Dept. Code: MSJ
  • DEPARTMENT OF VOCAL PERFORMANCE - Dept. Code: MVP

Admission Requirements

Please consult the general section of the Graduate Bulletin for the Graduate School admission requirements.

For additional information on the Frost School of Music Graduate Admission Requirements, please visit our Graduate Admissions website.

The University monitors enrollment to ensure that students only take courses required for their degree program. If a student is found to be enrolled in courses not required for the degree program, federal financial aid may be adjusted for that student. In essence, aid may be reduced, as aid will not be given for courses outside the degree program. Moreover, the University could incur sizable fines if federal aid is used to pay for courses outside the degree program.

Degree Programs

  1. Doctor of Philosophy – Deg. Code: PhD
    1. Music Education – Conc. Code: MEDU
  2. Doctor of Musical Arts – Deg. Code: DMA
    1. Choral Conducting – Conc. Code: MCDC
    2. Composition – Conc. Code: MTCP
    3. Instrumental Conducting – Conc. Code: MCDI
    4. Instrumental Performance – Conc. Code: MIPF
    5. Jazz Composition – Conc. Code: MSJC
    6. Jazz Performance (Instrumental – Conc. Code: MSJI or Vocal – Conc. Code: MSJV)
    7. Keyboard Performance and Pedagogy – Conc. Code: KPED
    8. Multiple Woodwinds – Conc. Code: MIPW
    9. Keyboard Performance – Conc. Code: MKPF
    10. Vocal Performance and Pedagogy – Conc. Code: VPED
    11. Vocal Performance – Conc. Code: MVPF
  3. Master of Arts – Deg. Code: MA
    1. Music Industry - Conc. Code: MIND
    2. Music Industry - Online - Conc. Code: MINDO_MA
    3. Juris Doctorate & Master of Arts in Music Industry - Conc. Code: JDMI_MA
    4. Live Entertainment Management – Conc. Code: MLEM
    5. Live Entertainment Management - Online - Conc. Code: MLEMO_MA
    6. Juris Doctorate & Master of Arts in Live Entertainment Management- Conc. Code: JDML_MA
  4. Master of Arts in Teaching
    1.  Music Education - Conc. Code: MEDU_MAT
  5. Master of Music – Deg. Code: MM
    1. Choral Conducting – Conc. Code: MCDC
    2. Composition – Conc. Code: MTCP
    3. Instrumental Conducting – Conc. Code: MCDI
    4. Instrumental Performance – Conc. Code: MIPF
    5. Jazz Pedagogy – Conc. Code: JPED
    6. Jazz Performance (Instrumental – Conc. Code: MSJI or Vocal – Conc. Code: MSJV)
    7. Keyboard Performance and Pedagogy – Conc. Code: KPED
    8. Media Scoring and Production – Conc. Code: MSPD
    9. Multiple Woodwinds – Conc. Code: MIPW
    10. Music Education – Conc. Code: MEDU
      1. Music Education with Certification – Conc. Code: MEDUC
    11. Music Therapy – Conc. Code: MTYP
      1. Music Therapy with Undergraduate Equivalency – Conc. Code: MTYPE
    12. Musicology – Conc. Code: MUSY
    13. Keyboard Performance – Conc. Code: MKPF
    14. Studio Jazz Writing – Conc. Code: MSJW
    15. Vocal Performance – Conc. Code: MVPF
  6. Master of Science – Deg. Code: MSMET
    1. Music Engineering – Conc. Code: MUEE
  7. Artist Diploma in Performance – Deg. Code: AD
    1. Instrumental Conducting – Conc. Code: MCDI
    2. Instrumental Performance – Conc. Code: MIPF
    3. Keyboard Performance – Conc. Code: MKPF
    4. Vocal Performance – Conc. Code: MVPF

Entrance Exams

The Frost School of Music requires certain incoming graduate students to take an entrance exam in Music Theory.  Graduate students are expected to be well-prepared for this exam.  Masters students who do not pass this exam must fulfill a remediation requirement prior to completion of the final project as required for the degree.  Doctoral students who do not pass the entrance exam must fulfill a remediation requirement prior to applying for Doctoral Committee Approval. The Music Theory Entrance Exam covers undergraduate knowledge of music theory and analysis and serves as a diagnostic tool to determine whether or not students have sufficient background in these areas to succeed in their graduate coursework.  The format of the exam consists of three parts:  Common Practice, Post Tonal Music, and Aural Skills.  Detailed information on this exam is made available to students upon their admission to the Frost School of Music.  

Degree Requirements: Doctoral Degrees

Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA)

The purpose of the Doctor of Musical Arts is to train the most promising musicians at the highest musical and intellectual level for prominent careers in their field. The degree stresses excellence in performance, conducting, composition, scholarship, and teaching. By its nature, the Doctor of Musical Arts provides opportunities for students with proven accomplishment to prepare themselves for the professorship.

For the Doctor of Musical Arts in Performance, Keyboard Performance and Pedagogy, Composition, Jazz Composition, Jazz Performance, Vocal Performance and Pedagogy, and Conducting, the candidate must meet all the general requirements for the PhD degree with respect to residence, total minimum credit hours, and qualifying examinations. The main distinction between the two degrees pertains to the required creative activity.

The DMA emphasizes performance ability, as well as performance-related research. These creative efforts replace the dissertation requirements traditionally found in the PhD.  In addition to specific courses and credit hours listed in the following pages, students pursuing the DMA must meet the requirements listed below.

Credit Hours and Grades

All DMA degrees require a minimum of 60 credit hours.  Within these 60 credit hours, a minimum of 12 credit hours must be taken within the category of  Creative Activities.  To graduate, students must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 (B average). Grades below C- are not considered passing.  Additional grading criteria may be included within specific Doctoral Qualifying Examinations; students are advised to carefully read and follow these requirements.

Doctoral Committee for the DMA

This committee can be the same or different from the student's recital committee. The committee should consist of four members, including three members from the student’s major area (one of whom is the committee chair), and one member from another department of the Frost School. The committee chair will be Regular Faculty and/or hold a doctoral degree (i.e., DMA or PhD) as well as graduate faculty status. Two other committee members will be Regular Faculty or members of the Graduate Faculty. At least one member of the committee must hold a doctoral degree (i.e., DMA or PhD). Committees are first approved by the committee chair and then the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies in the Frost School. Requests for exceptions to these committee requirements can be submitted in writing for consideration by the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies in the Frost School.

Responsibilities of the committee shall include the following:

•    Overseeing the doctoral final project (i.e., doctoral essay,  lecture recital with research paper, etc.), including approval of the topic and proposal, supervision of progress toward project completion, assessment of the quality of the final project, and the quality of the final defense. In cases where special faculty expertise is needed for a particular project, changes in membership of the doctoral committee may be made. Membership of the doctoral committee is approved first by the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies in the Frost School and subsequently by the Dean of the Graduate School.

Doctoral Cognates

Within the 60 credit hours required for the degree, DMA students may select a formal area of study known as the cognate. A total of 12 credit hours are devoted to the cognate. If a cognate is not selected, the student should work with the advisor to select a meaningful collection of elective courses that complement the student’s discipline.

The cognate allows the student to obtain specialized knowledge and skill in an additional area of expertise. For example, a student pursuing the DMA in instrumental performance may wish to obtain a cognate in musicology or music industry. Completion of a cognate should give the student a heightened level of understanding in this topic area, and could give the student a competitive advantage when pursuing post-graduation opportunities. Upon degree conferral, cognates are listed on the student’s official transcript.

Cognates are offered in a number of programs within the Frost School. Students must apply to the cognate program for acceptance.  This process may include an audition, interview, portfolio submission, or testing as determined by the cognate program.  Students must complete all requirements specified for a cognate to be recognized as having completed the cognate.  Otherwise, the credits will be considered electives and the cognate will not be granted. In order to ensure completion of the cognate in a timely manner, students should decide on a cognate no later than the end of their second semester of full-time study.

No credits that are otherwise required in the DMA program can apply to the cognate. Any overlap will require approved course substitutions within either the DMA program or the cognate as determined to be most appropriate by the Faculty In-Charge of the selected cognate, as well as the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies. One course substitution is allowed per cognate.  

Procedures for Completing a Doctoral Cognate

See Procedures for Completing a Cognate on this website: 

  1. Contact the Office of Graduate Studies to obtain a complete listing of required courses in a selected cognate.
  2. Contact the faculty in-charge for the desired cognate. 
  3. Complete the application process for that cognate. 
  4. The designated faculty member must then complete and sign a Doctoral Cognate Acceptance Form and submit it to the Frost School Office of Graduate Studies.
  5. Complete all required courses in the cognate with a grade of C- or higher.  The cognate can then be listed on the student’s official transcript at time of degree conferral.

List of Cognates, Respective Departments, and Faculty in Charge:

    Live Entertainment Management, Department of Music Industry, Gary Wood

    Collaborative Piano, Department of Keyboard Performance, Naoko Takao

       Conducting: Choral, Department of Vocal Performance, Amanda Quist 

       Conducting: Instrumental, Department of Instrumental Performance, Robert Carnochan 

       Instrumental Performance, Department of Instrumental Performance, Margaret Donaghue, Jodi Levitz,  Richard Todd, Svet Stoyanov 

      Jazz Performance, Department of Studio Music and Jazz, John Daversa

       Keyboard Pedagogy, Department of Keyboard Performance, Naoko Takao

       Music Industry, Department of Music Industry, Serona Elton

       Music Education, Department of Music Education, Stephen Zdzinski

       Music Technology, Department of Music Engineering Technology, Christopher Bennett

       Music Theory, Department of Music Theory and Composition, Charles Mason

       Musicology, Department of Musicology, David Ake

       Vocal Accompanying, Department of Vocal Performance, Alan Johnson

DMA Qualifying Examinations

Qualifying examinations represent a significant milestone in the doctoral degree. All students pursuing the Doctor of Musical Arts degree must pass Doctoral Qualifying Examinations prior to proposing the Doctoral Final Project, and prior to applying for candidacy. These exams represent a comprehensive and in-depth assessment of knowledge and skill level in the major discipline as acquired over a lifetime of academic and practical experience. Depending on the degree program, qualifying examinations may consist of timed written exams, take-home projects, performance-based examinations of musical skill, and oral exams.

Students who fail a qualifying exam (or a portion of the exam) can re-take the exam one time with Departmental approval. A student who fails a qualifying examination (or portion of the exam) for a second time will be dismissed from his/her respective degree program.

Discipline-specific qualifying exam procedures for each DMA degree can be found on our Graduate Studies website (https:// admissions.frost.miami.edu/graduate/current-students/). All DMA students are strongly encouraged to contact their advisors and Department Chairs to obtain more information on exam scheduling, expectations, and preparation.

Admission to Candidacy

Doctoral students may apply for candidacy after successful completion of the qualifying examination as well as a successful defense of the Doctoral Final Project proposal. No student may receive the degree in the same semester or summer session in which he or she is admitted to candidacy.

Performance and Creative Requirements

DMA students in performance, jazz performance, or keyboard performance and pedagogy may present one recital before the qualifying examination (provided they have passed their qualifying recital). Before the second or third recital, depending upon program, students must have passed the Qualifying Examinations. All recitals are to be presented during either Fall or Spring semesters when classes are in session.

Performance Majors

Students accepted into the program must present three full-length (60 minute) doctoral recitals, and may choose from these options as decided in consultation with their studio teacher:

  1. Three solo recitals
  2. Two solo recitals and one chamber recital
  3. Solo recitals may also include some chamber music which features the student’s instrument or voice
  4. One doctoral recital may consist of an Orchestral Mock Audition

Vocalists are expected to execute one or more substantial roles in a large scale work, e.g., opera or oratorio in addition to the solo recitals. For Keyboard Performance and Pedagogy, an approved combination of recitals and pedagogy presentations is required.

Jazz Performance Majors

Students must complete three performance projects, including:  one, full-length recital, one lecture recital, and can choose from a full-length recital or recording project for the third requirement.

Conducting Majors:  Choral

Three approved public recitals (or the equivalent) with suitable performing groups must be given during the period of residency and prior to the oral examination.

Conducting Majors:  Instrumental

Three approved public recitals (or the equivalent) with suitable performing groups must be given during the period of residency and prior to the oral examination.

Composition Majors

  1. The candidate will be required to compose a piece of substantial proportions.
  2. The candidate will be required to write a doctoral essay. The text will either detail the doctoral composition or discuss another topic as approved by the doctoral committee chair.
  3. A public presentation of the candidate’s compositions will be required. A series of smaller performances presented each semester on- or off-campus, a larger festival performance(s), or a cumulative solo recital at the terminal stages of the degree exemplify how this requirement can be fulfilled. Other options are possible with faculty approval.

DMA Final Project

 As required by their chosen degree program, all DMA candidates are expected to complete a substantial and rigorous Doctoral Final Project that makes an innovative and meaningful contribution to their discipline and demonstrates a high level of achievement as an artist and/or scholar. . All DMA students must pass a public oral defense of the Doctoral Final Project. Further information on doctoral final project options per degree program are found in later sections of this Bulletin (per degree program) .  Detailed information regarding completion of these projects and defense procedures is made available to students upon their admission to the Frost School of Music.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

The Doctor of Philosophy degree is offered in Music Education, and Music Education with Music Therapy Emphasis.  This rigorous curriculum prepares students to become innovative researchers, scholars, and outstanding leaders in these disciplines.  Graduates are uniquely-prepared for careers in higher education, research, and administration.  Candidates must meet all general requirements for the PhD degree as defined by the Graduate School of the University of Miami with respect to residence, total minimum credit hours, and qualifying examinations.  In addition to specific courses and credit hours listed in the following pages, students pursuing the PhD must meet the requirements listed below.

PhD Qualifying Examination

All PhD students must complete a qualifying examination that includes two components.  The first component consists of writing three scholarly papers that are independent of or significant extensions of documents written as part of other coursework. The second component consists of a one-hour, oral examination focusing on the written papers.  After successfully completing this exam, students can apply for Doctoral Committee Approval, defend the dissertation proposal, and apply for Doctoral Candidacy.  Students who fail a qualifying exam (or a portion of the exam) can re-take the exam, with committee approval.  A student who fails a qualifying examination (or portion of the exam) twice will be dismissed from the degree program.

Qualifying exam procedures for the PhD degree can be found on our Graduate Studies website. PhD students are strongly encouraged to contact their advisors and Department Chairs to obtain more information on exam scheduling, expectations, and preparation.

Doctoral Committee for the PhD

All students pursuing the Doctor of Philosophy degree must establish a Doctoral Committee to oversee the dissertation.  The committee should consist of five members, including three members from the student’s major area (one of whom is the committee chair), and one other member from another department within the Frost School, and one faculty member from outside the Frost School.  The committee chair and two other members must be members of the Graduate Faculty.  Requests for exceptions to these committee requirements can be submitted in writing for consideration by the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies in the Frost School.

Admission to Candidacy

Doctoral students may apply for candidacy after successful completion of all qualifying examinations as well as a successful defense of the dissertation proposal. No student may receive the degree in the same semester or summer session in which he or she is admitted to candidacy.

PhD Final Project: the Dissertation

The culminating project for the PhD is the Doctoral Dissertation.  A PhD is traditionally considered a research-oriented academic degree, thus the dissertation should consist of independent, original research that demonstrates the candidate’s mastery of both subject matter and scholarly method. All PhD students must pass a public oral defense of the Dissertation. Detailed information, including defense procedures, is made available to students upon their admission to the Frost School of Music.

Degree Requirements:  Masters Degrees

Credit Hours and Grades

All masters degrees require a minimum of 30 credit hours. However, many masters degrees in the Frost School require more than 30 credit hours. Students are therefore advised to carefully read the respective bulletin pages for their chosen degree program. To graduate, students must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 (B average). Grades below C- are not considered passing.

Master of Music Degree (MM) in:

  • Conducting, Choral or Instrumental
  • Instrumental Performance
  • Keyboard Performance
  • Jazz Performance, Instrumental or Vocal
  • Vocal Performance

In addition to specific courses and credit hours listed in the following pages, students pursuing these Master of Music degrees must meet all requirements listed below.

Ensemble Requirements

The curricula for Master of Music degrees in performance and conducting typically include participation in a minimum of one ensemble per semester. Certain performance degrees have additional ensemble requirements as found on the respective bulletin pages.

Conducting Recital Guidelines

Master’s Recital

A video-recorded compilation of conducting single or multiple works of live performances of major ensembles spread across the Masters’ experience. These performances are arranged in consultation with the major professor who assists in the preparation of the performances.

Master’s Advanced Recital

A full-length conducting recital is prepared and presented. The ensemble(s) and repertoire will be selected in close consultation with the major professor who will assist in the preparation process. All aspects of performance preparation including scheduling, venue arrangements, program notes, and the like will be carried out by the student under the guidance of the major professor.

Performance Recital Guidelines

Master’s Recital

A full-length recital performed publicly by the student that may include chamber music in which the student’s instrument plays a prominent role. Selection of repertoire is determined in consultation with the major professor who assists in the preparation of the performances.

Master's Second Recital

With advisor approval, masters students in performance may give a second (optional) recital.  In the Department of Instrumental Performance, this second recital may take the form of an Orchestral Mock Audition.

Final Projects

All masters degrees in performance and conducting require the successful completion of a final, culminating project. For example, in some performance degrees, students must perform and defend an extended comprehensive jury. In other performance degrees, students must complete a scholarly document in the form of either a Recital Paper or Extended Program Notes which must be defended before the masters recital committee.  Detailed information, including defense procedures, is made available to students upon their admission to the Frost School of Music.

Students are advised to carefully read the respective bulletin pages and consult with their assigned advisor to obtain more information on the required final project for their degree program.

Master of Music Degree (MM) in:

  • Composition
  • Jazz Pedagogy
  • Keyboard Performance and Pedagogy
  • Media Scoring and Production
  • Musicology
  • Music Education
  • Music Therapy
  • Studio Jazz Writing

In addition to specific courses and credit hours listed in the following pages, students pursuing these Master of Music degrees must meet all requirements listed below.

Masters Thesis or Masters Project

Students in these Master of Music degree programs must complete either a thesis or masters project, some of which require a public, oral defense of their work. Detailed information, including defense procedures, is made available to students upon their admission to the Frost School of Music.

Comprehensive Examinations

Certain masters degree programs also require students to take written Comprehensive Examinations.  Students should contact their advisors to obtain specific details regarding comprehensive examination requirements.  The exam is typically written and evaluated by a committee of faculty members in the student’s department who are familiar with the student’s discipline.

Per Graduate School policy, students who fail the comprehensive exam may be given one opportunity to retake the exam, with the committee’s approval.  The re-take of the comprehensive exam may not be taken during the same semester as the original exam, or during a summer session.  Additionally, the re-take must be completed within one calendar year of the original exam.

Master of Arts Degree (MA) in: 

  •          Music Industry         ​
  •          Live Entertainment Management

In addition to specific courses and credit hours listed in the following pages, students pursuing these Master of Arts degrees must meet all requirements listed below.

Cumulative Exit Exam

Students must pass a cumulative exit exam as part of the Master of Arts degree in Music Industry. 

Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) in:

•                  Music Education

In addition to specific courses and credit hours listed in the following pages, students pursuing this Master of Science degree must meet all requirements listed below.

Teaching Portfolio

Students pursuing the Master of Arts in Teaching in Music Education must complete a teaching portfolio that is submitted to the Music Education faculty for review and final approval. Detailed information about this portfolio is made available to students upon their admission to the Frost School of Music.

Master of Science Degree (MS) in: 

  •        Music Engineering Technology

In addition to specific courses and credit hours listed in the following pages, students pursuing this Master of Science degree must meet all requirements listed below.

Masters Research Project

Students pursuing the Master of Science degree in Music Engineering Technology must complete a substantial final project in the form of independent research that is defended before a faculty committee. Detailed information, including defense procedures, is made available to students upon their admission to the Frost School of Music.

Degree Requirements:  Artist Diploma

Artist Diploma (AD) in:

  •             Instrumental Conducting
  •             Instrumental Performance
  •             Keyboard Performance
  •             Vocal Performance

The Artist Diploma is an intensive, one-year immersion in performance or conducting study for candidates with highly-developed skills.  In addition to specific courses and credit hours listed in the following pages, students pursuing the AD program must also complete two, full-length (60 minute) recitals.  In the Department of Instrumental Performance, one of the Artist Diploma recitals may take the form of an Orchestral Mock Audition.