Introduction
The degree of Doctor of Musical Arts is the only nonclinical doctoral degree offered at Stony Brook other than the Ph.D. The fundamental requirements for the D.M.A. are essentially those for the Ph.D. with the exception that the scope of the original work and the scale of the research are somewhat reduced.
The requirements for expertise within the subject area and for clear exposition are equal to those for the Ph.D. In the case of the D.M.A., clarity of exposition is demonstrated through the medium of recital.
Admission to the Graduate School does not automatically qualify a student as a candidate for the D.M.A. degree. Formal recommendation of advancement to candidacy for the D.M.A. degree must be made to the Graduate School by the Music program after a review of the student’s performance in courses, independent study, and program examinations.
The requirements listed below are the minimal ones mandated by the Graduate School. The Music program may set additional requirements.
Course and Grade Point Average
The student will follow a program of courses determined to meet his or her needs and to satisfy the program requirements. A student must achieve a minimum 3.0 overall GPA in graduate courses taken at Stony Brook in order to receive the D.M.A. degree
Calculation of the grade point average (GPA) includes all courses numbered 500 and above taken at Stony Brook. Temporary grades (I and NR), missing grades and those grades for which no numerical equivalents are defined (P, S, U, and R) are excluded from the computation.
Grading System: See Academic Regulations/ Grading System
A graduate student who has changed primary program may request a restart of GPA in considering possible waiver of academic probation. The GPA for the new program will be calculated from the beginning of the semester in which the change of program became effective. A graduate student who has graduated and is readmitted into a new degree or certificate program may request a restart of GPA. Program approval is necessary before any restart request is submitted to the Graduate School. Courses taken before the restart of GPA cannot be used towards a second degree or certificate.
Contract Towards Candidacy
The student must fulfill the specific requirements of an approved contract toward candidacy.
Language Proficiency
Although the Graduate School does not require proficiency in a foreign language, the Music program oversees their own foreign language requirements and the evaluation of proficiency. Students must comply with their program requirements (see the Music section of the Graduate Bulletin).
Advancement to Candidacy
A student may advance to candidacy after completion of the following requirements:
- Completion of three of the four public recitals;
- Completion of the two graduate seminars or proseminars required for the generation of doctoral essays and completion of two MUS 695 courses with a grade of B or better to work on revisions for each essay;
- Completion of requirements C through I of the Music section of the Graduate Bulletin.
- Students on academic probation cannot be advanced to candidacy.
- Students must be classified as a G4 at the time of request.
- Advancement to candidacy is granted by the Dean of the Graduate School upon recommendation of the Graduate Program Director.
- DMA students may advance to candidacy one semester prior to graduation.
Doctoral Recital
The student must demonstrate a distinguished level of performance in the doctoral recital. A recording of the recital is to be kept permanently in the University Library.
Please also see Residency Requirements for information on Residency for Doctoral Recitals.
Teaching
All doctoral students at Stony Brook University must complete at least one semester of practicum in teaching under supervision. The form this practicum takes may differ by discipline. The experience might include making seminar or class presentations, leading discussion sessions or grading. Grading experience by itself will not be considered sufficient for satisfaction of this requirement. Faculty are responsible for providing informal feedback and formal evaluation.
Following (or in some cases, concurrent with) proper training through a teaching practicum and after having fulfilled other requirements for teaching (e.g., demonstration of spoken English proficiency for non-native speakers of English), a graduate student may serve as a teaching assistant (TA) in courses at Stony Brook University, where the instructor of record is a faculty member.
An advanced graduate student may act as the instructor of record for an undergraduate course offered at Stony Brook University only if he or she is appointed to an adjunct faculty position as a lecturer. No student shall be appointed to such a position until he or she has been advanced to candidacy in a doctoral degree program. It is not required that such students be enrolled in full time status, although this is recommended. Appointment procedures follow the same process as regular faculty appointments.
Graduate students at G4 level or below cannot be designated as the Instructor of Record for any course offered at Stony Brook University. They will be appointed as Teaching Assistants. In addition, there must be a designated faculty supervisor who serves as the Instructor of Record for the course. In the absence of any other faculty Instructor of Record for a course, this designation shall revert to the department Chair.
Residence Requirement
At least two consecutive semesters of full-time graduate study at Stony Brook University in the program granting the degree are required. The purpose of the residence requirement is to ensure that the graduate student participates in the professional life of the program beyond class attendance. Some program residence requirements may vary from the Graduate School norm and are described in the individual program requirements for the degree. Unless specified, however, Graduate School regulation pertains.
Research for the dissertation will normally be conducted at Stony Brook under the direct guidance of the faculty of the student’s PhD program. Facilities at Stony Brook University, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, regional hospitals, other institutions on Long Island, or the libraries of New York City are all considered to be on-campus for the purposes of dissertation work. For on-campus dissertation research, Students should register for ### 699 (where ### refers to their program designator).
When a student’s research would be facilitated at an off-campus location not covered under the preceding paragraph, he or she must obtain approval from the dissertation advisor, Graduate Program Director, and the Dean of the Graduate School. When a major portion of a student’s research will take place off-campus but in the United States and/or U.S. territories they should register for ### 700 for the relevant semesters. When a major portion of their research will take place outside of the United States and/or U.S. territories they should register for ### 701. Other information and requirements regarding these courses may be obtained from the Graduate School.
Degree Application
The student must apply for graduation online at the Graduate School website in accordance with published deadlines. If degree requirements are not met, students must reapply for any subsequent awarding periods. .
Registration
Degree candidates must be registered in the semester they intend to graduate. Students who intend to graduate in the spring or fall must register for at least one graduate credit. Students who intend to graduate in the summer can register for zero credits, but it still must be a graduate level course.
Program Recommendation
When all program requirements are completed, the Graduate Program Director may recommend to the Dean of the Graduate School that the D.M.A. degree be granted.
Time Limit
The candidate must satisfy all requirements for the D.M.A. degree within seven years after completing 24 graduate level credits at Stony Brook University.
- The Request for Waiver of Graduate Time Limit form can be found by selecting the forms link from the Graduate School website. These petitions require the approval of the student’s advisor and graduate program director.
- Requests for a time-limit extension must be filed before the limit is exceeded and must contain a significant justification.
- The final decision rests with the Dean of the Graduate School, who may impose additional requirements.\
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