Doctor of Musical Arts in Church Music
Doctor of Musical Arts in Church Music
Intensive study in performance and church music
The purpose of the Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) in Church Music is to provide intensive study in the student’s major field of performance augmented by integrative study of church music with theoretical and historical subjects.
Degree Highlights
- $4,330 per semester (review all tuition and fees)
- 50 hours
- Preparation for performance and teaching
- 3 available concentrations
The DMA degree emphasizes the advanced development of both musical artistry and scholarly achievement in an applied area of specialization.
Prerequisites
A prerequisite for the DMA is a master’s degree from an accredited college, university, or seminary whose requirements approximate those of the Master of Music degree at Southwestern Seminary, and a minimum grade point average of 3.30.
Students who have not completed their master’s degree at Southwestern will need to take WORSP 4932 Theology of Pedagogy as a leveling class. Students in the piano concentration will take MUTHY 4501 Applied Theory at the Keyboard as a leveling class.
Application
Prospective doctoral students will submit a general seminary application to the Office of Admissions.
English Requirements
International applicants must submit scores from the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or IELTS. For the TOEFL, a score of 5-6 (maximum score of 6) is required. Students who complete the computer-based TOEFL must also complete the TSE (Test of Spoken English). IELTS language exam requires a score of a 7. Southwestern Seminary and Texas Baptist College will no longer accept Duolingo as an entrance language exam. Students may continue to submit test scores from TEOFL or IELTS.
Interview
An applicant must be interviewed by the Advisor to Graduate Studies and a representative from the applied department of the applicant’s concentration.
Concentration
The student may pursue the DMA in one of the following concentrations: Guitar Performance and Pedagogy, Piano Performance and Pedagogy, and Voice Performance and Pedagogy.
Auditions
Applicants for the DMA degree will perform an audition before the faculty of the proposed department of concentration, either in person on the Fort Worth campus or by submitting a digital audition. Please consult the Prospective Music Students page for details on scheduling or submitting an audition.
The applicant for the guitar concentration will be required to play a thirty- to forty-minute entrance audition. The repertoire should represent a contrast of styles and should reflect a level of achievement equivalent to a master’s degree recital. The selections should represent the major periods of music history from the Renaissance to the present.
The applicant for a piano concentration will be required to play a thirty- to forty-minute entrance audition. The repertoire should represent a contrast of style and should reflect a level of achievement equivalent to a master's degree recital.
The DMA student who expects to concentrate in voice should arrive on campus in time to confer with an accompanist before the audition. The audition material will consist of six songs from memory: four art songs (one each in German, Italian, French, and English), one opera aria in its original language, and one oratorio aria in English. The selections should represent the major periods of music history, including the modern era. If approval is granted, a thirty-minute jury performance at the end of the first semester will qualify the student for continuation in the voice concentration on the DMA degree.
Language Requirements
All DMA students are required to demonstrate proficiency in the reading of German. Students who have not passed the German reading examination by the time they have completed eighteen hours of doctoral seminars may enroll only for Doctoral Continued Enrollment (MUDOC 8100) until the German language requirement has been satisfied.
Residence Requirements
Two consecutive semesters in which the student satisfactorily completes sixteen hours of graduate coursework will satisfy the residence requirements of the institution.
Grades
Doctoral students must maintain an overall grade point average of 3.30.
Continued Enrollment
Doctoral students must enroll in the fall and spring semesters each year and pay enrollment fees from the time they begin their program until they graduate or withdraw from the program. Doctoral students who are not enrolled in regular coursework or doctoral examinations must enroll in MUDOC 8100 Doctoral Continued Enrollment.
Time Limit
The DMA degree must be completed within a period of seven years from the time of admission. Extensions may be granted to students who are serving in an international mission field.
Course Requirements
Guitar Performance and Pedagogy Concentration
| COURSE TITLE | COURSE NUMBER | HOURS |
|---|---|---|
| Survey of Christian Worship | WORSP 7493 | 3 |
| Research and Writing in Church Music and Worship Studies | WORSP 7503 | 3 |
| COURSE TITLE | COURSE NUMBER | HOURS |
|---|---|---|
| The Music of J. S. Bach | MUHST 7173 | 3 |
| Special Topics in Music History | MUHST 7193 | 3 |
| COURSE TITLE | COURSE NUMBER | HOURS |
|---|---|---|
| Seminar in Advanced Tonal Analysis | MUTHY 7423 | 3 |
| Seminar in Theory Pedagogy | MUTHY 7473 | 3 |
| COURSE TITLE | COURSE NUMBER | HOURS |
|---|---|---|
| Auditioned Ensemble (four semesters) | ENSEM 7xx8 | 2 |
| COURSE TITLE | COURSE NUMBER | HOURS |
|---|---|---|
| Doctoral Guitar I | GTRPR 7912 | 2 |
| Doctoral Guitar II and Solo Recital | GRRPR 7922 | 2 |
| Doctoral Guitar III | GTRPR 7932 | 2 |
| Doctoral Guitar IV and Ensemble Recital | GTRPR 7942 | 2 |
| Doctoral Guitar Document | GTRCL 8862 | 2 |
| Doctoral Guitar Lecture-Recital | GTRPR 8892 | 2 |
| Doctoral Seminar in Guitar Pedagogy | GTRCL 7813 | 3 |
| Doctoral Seminar in Guitar Performance Practice | GTRCL 7823 | 3 |
| Seminar in Commercial Contemporary Music for Guitar | GTRCL 7833 | 3 |
| Teaching Guitar-Related Courses in Higher Education | GTRCL 7843 | 3 |
| Practice Teaching Guitar (two semesters) | GTRCL 7961 | 2 |
| COURSE TITLE | COURSE NUMBER | HOURS |
|---|---|---|
| Colloquium I | MUDOC 8012 | 2 |
| Colloquium II | MUDOC 8022 | 2 |
| COURSE TITLE | COURSE NUMBER | HOURS |
|---|---|---|
| First Research Language Examination | MUDOC 8060 | 0 |
| Doctoral Qualifying Examinations | MUDOC 8080 | 0 |
Total Hours
50
Piano Performance and Pedagogy Concentration
| COURSE TITLE | COURSE NUMBER | HOURS |
|---|---|---|
| Survey of Christian Worship | WORSP 7493 | 3 |
| Research and Writing in Church Music and Worship Studies | WORSP 7503 | 3 |
| COURSE TITLE | COURSE NUMBER | HOURS |
|---|---|---|
| The Music of J. S. Bach | MUHST 7173 | 3 |
| Special Topics in Music History | MUHST 7193 | 3 |
| COURSE TITLE | COURSE NUMBER | HOURS |
|---|---|---|
| Seminar in Advanced Tonal Analysis | MUTHY 7423 | 3 |
| Seminar in Theory Pedagogy | MUTHY 7473 | 3 |
| COURSE TITLE | COURSE NUMBER | HOURS |
|---|---|---|
| Auditioned Ensemble (four semesters) | ENSEM 7xx8 | 2 |
| COURSE TITLE | COURSE NUMBER | HOURS |
|---|---|---|
| Doctoral Piano I | PIAPR 7912 | 2 |
| Doctoral Piano II and Solo Recital | PIAPR 7922 | 2 |
| Doctoral Piano III | PIAPR 7932 | 2 |
| Doctoral Piano IV and Ensemble Recital | PIAPR 7942 | 2 |
| Doctoral Piano Document | PIACL 8862 | 2 |
| Doctoral Piano Lecture-Recital | PIAPR 8892 | 2 |
| Advanced Seminar in Piano Pedagogy | PIACL 7813 | 3 |
| Advanced Seminar in Piano Literature | PIACL 7823 | 3 |
| Advanced Seminar in Collaborative Piano | PIACL 7833 | 3 |
| Teaching Piano-Related Courses in Higher Education | PIACL 7843 | 3 |
| Advanced Piano Pedagogy Development (two semesters) | PIACL 7961 | 2 |
| COURSE TITLE | COURSE NUMBER | HOURS |
|---|---|---|
| Colloquium I | MUDOC 8012 | 2 |
| Colloquium II | MUDOC 8022 | 2 |
| COURSE TITLE | COURSE NUMBER | HOURS |
|---|---|---|
| First Research Language Examination | MUDOC 8060 | 0 |
| Doctoral Qualifying Examinations | MUDOC 8080 | 0 |
Total Hours
50
Voice Performance and Pedagogy Concentration
| COURSE TITLE | COURSE NUMBER | HOURS |
|---|---|---|
| Survey of Christian Worship | WORSP 7493 | 3 |
| Research and Writing in Church Music and Worship Studies | WORSP 7503 | 3 |
| COURSE TITLE | COURSE NUMBER | HOURS |
|---|---|---|
| The Music of J. S. Bach | MUHST 7173 | 3 |
| Special Topics in Music History | MUHST 7193 | 3 |
| COURSE TITLE | COURSE NUMBER | HOURS |
|---|---|---|
| Seminar in Advanced Tonal Analysis | MUTHY 7423 | 3 |
| Seminar in Theory Pedagogy | MUTHY 7473 | 3 |
| COURSE TITLE | COURSE NUMBER | HOURS |
|---|---|---|
| Auditioned Ensemble (four semesters) | ENSEM 7xx8 | 2 |
| COURSE TITLE | COURSE NUMBER | HOURS |
|---|---|---|
| Doctoral Voice I | VOIPR 7812 | 2 |
| Doctoral Voice II and Solo Recital | VOIPR 7822 | 2 |
| Doctoral Voice III | VOIPR 7832 | 2 |
| Doctoral Voice IV and Chamber Recital | VOIPR 7842 | 2 |
| Doctoral Voice Document | VOICL 8962 | 2 |
| Doctoral Voice Lecture-Recital | VOIPR 7852 | 2 |
| Doctoral Seminar in Voice Pedagogy | VOICL 7953 | 3 |
| Doctoral Practice Teaching Voice (two semesters) | VOICL 7961 | 2 |
| Teaching Voice-Related Classes in Higher Education | VOICL 7973 | 3 |
| Developmental Repertoire for Singers I | VOICL 7983 | 3 |
| Developmental Repertoire for Singers II | VOICL 7993 | 3 |
| COURSE TITLE | COURSE NUMBER | HOURS |
|---|---|---|
| Colloquium I | MUDOC 8012 | 2 |
| Colloquium II | MUDOC 8022 | 2 |
| COURSE TITLE | COURSE NUMBER | HOURS |
|---|---|---|
| First Research Language Examination | MUDOC 8060 | 0 |
| Doctoral Qualifying Examinations | MUDOC 8080 | 0 |
Total Hours
50
Frequently Asked Questions
Application Process
Applicants for the DMA do not need to submit GRE scores.
- Well-qualified applicants for the DMA will perform an audition before the faculty of the proposed department concentration, either in person on the Fort Worth campus or by submitting a digital audition. Please consult the Auditions page of the SCMW website for more details.
- The DMA student who expects to concentrate in piano will be required to play a thirty- to forty-minute entrance audition. The repertoire should represent a contrast of styles and should reflect a level of achievement equivalent to a master’s-degree recital.
- The DMA student who expects to concentrate in voice should arrive on campus in time to confer with an accompanist before the audition. The audition material will consist of six songs from memory: four art songs (one each in German, Italian, French, and English), one opera aria in its original language, and one oratorio aria in English. The selections should represent the major periods of music history, including the modern era.
- The applicant for the guitar concentration will be required to play a thirty- to forty-minute entrance audition. The repertoire should represent a contrast of styles and should reflect a level of achievement equivalent to a master’s degree recital. The selections should represent the major periods of music history from the Renaissance to the present.
- DMA applicants should demonstrate aptitude to teach applied lessons at the undergraduate level in their respective areas.
- All application materials need to be received by the RDS Office at least 120 days prior to the desired enrollment semester. This means all transcripts, recommendations, and other required materials must be submitted by this time to guarantee an acceptance decision before the desired enrollment date. If not all the letters of recommendation have been received, an applicant may still be allowed to advance to the next stage of the application process.
- Fall applicants – The first deadline for applications is January 31st. These applications will be considered first. After this deadline, applications may be submitted through the end of March as long as spaces are available in the program. The earlier the application is received, the more likely a space in the program will be available.
- Spring applicants – The first deadline for applications is August 31st. These applications will be considered first. After this deadline, applications may be submitted through the end of September as long as spaces are available in the program. The earlier the application is received, the more likely a space in the program will be available.
Program
The DMA candidate must complete the degree within seven (7) years of entering the program.
DMA students attend all seminars on the campus of Southwestern Seminary.
Upon acceptance to the DMA program the student is assigned a supervisor based on their program concentration. The entire doctoral program is conducted by an individual supervisor who guides the student’s study in the concentration. Supervisors give counsel concerning study programs, advise in seminar selection (where appropriate), as well as participate in the preparation and evaluation of the qualifying examinations. They also provide specialized guidance in the development of the DMA document prospectus, the research and writing of the DMA document, and the final defense. Therefore, specific areas of research for the student must fit within the research expertise of the supervisor. Applicants are encouraged to approach a desired supervisor as early as possible in the application process.
- Seminar Stage:
- The core of the program consists of seminars in Church Music & Worship, Music History, and Music Theory, Colloquia, 4 semesters of Ensemble and Private Study, 3 Recitals, and 5 concentration classes.
- We supplement the core with 1 two-day, on-campus orientation in August, and a seminar in Teaching in Higher Education.
- Qualifying Exam Stage:
- Follows seminars.
- Overseen by student’s major supervisor.
- The written qualifying examinations for the DMA include separate exams in (1) the applied concentration, (2) music history, (3) music theory, and (4) church music and worship. All written exams must be passed before the student is eligible to take the oral examination.
- The oral examination consists of each member of the committee asking a series of questions in turn, cycling through the committee until all members have had an opportunity to examine the candidate.
- Those students who pass will continue to prepare a prospectus for the document.
- Prospectus and Dissertation Stage:
- Follows successful completion of qualifying examinations.
- First, the student works with the supervisor to develop a prospectus, which outlines the thesis, methodology, and significance of a proposed DMA document.
- Once the prospectus is approved by the division/department, then the student works with the supervisor to complete the DMA document.
- The DMA document will then be evaluated by three readers (the first reader is also the supervisor).
- Students will have an oral defense of the DMA document.
Cost
- The Southwestern Research Doctoral Scholarship is available to Research Doctoral (PhD, EdD, DMA) students who are active members of a Southern Baptist Church and have established a 3.75 GPA. Incoming students can apply upon acceptance for enrollment, and current students must apply annually during the Spring semester for the following academic year. This is a $2,800 scholarship for tuition and fees that is divided into $1,400 for the Fall semester and $1,400 for the Spring semester. To apply for this scholarship, please fill out the general financial aid application that opens on March 1st. The deadline for current students is May 1st and the deadline for incoming students is August 15th. Late submissions will not be considered.
- Financial assistance is not available through the RDS Office. All inquiries regarding financial assistance or payment plans should be directed to the Student Financial Services of the seminary.
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