Music DA
- Doctoral
- DA
- In-Person
- Greeley
- Collaborative Piano
- Conducting
- Jazz Studies
- Music Composition
- Music Education
- Music History & Literature
- Music Performance
Program Overview
Whether you want to take your performing career to new heights or teach at the college level, our Doctor of Arts in Music will help you excel creatively and professionally.
The University of Northern Colorado offers a highly flexible Doctor of Arts in Music. You’ll study with a diverse group of internationally accomplished faculty and musicians and collaborate with talented classmates across disciplines. Throughout it all, you’ll develop deep expertise in your chosen area and find many chances to perform, present, conduct and compose.
With a Doctor of Arts in Music, you’ll be prepared to:
- Perform and conduct professionally
- Pursue original scholarship, research and academic publishing
- Lead a community arts organization or nonprofit
- Teach music at the college level
Music D.A. Concentrations
Here, you can define your own path and life as an artist. Create your own plan of study in a primary concentration while broadening your foundation, skills and knowledge in a secondary area. Choose an option below to express the power of music in your own way.
With a D.A. focused on Collaborative Piano, you’ll get comprehensive preparation to excel as an educator, performer and music scholar.
Sample courses:
- Analytical Studies in Music
- Individual Performance in Piano
- Supervised Practicum in College Teaching
- Music History Seminar
Concentration Highlights:
UNC hosts the annual Colorado Piano Festival, a three-day event that features stellar guest artists and a broad array of workshops, master classes and recitals.
As a Music D.A. student in the Conducting concentration at UNC, you’ll have opportunities to work with serious, dedicated musicians striving to excel in their craft. Our first-rate, award-winning ensembles have performed internationally.
Sample courses:
- Analytical Studies in Music
- Individual Performance
- Music History Seminar
- Individual Performance
Learn from and collaborate with nationally recognized jazz musicians as you acquire professional skills that complement and support your artistic development. As a doctoral student focused on Jazz, you’ll perform alongside more than 75 extremely talented young jazz artists and have opportunities to connect with top bandleaders, agents and record producers.
Concentration Highlights:
The renowned UNC-Greeley Jazz Festival is an annual gathering that brings together more than 4,000 internationally recognized artists, jazz lovers, award-winning clinicians, as well as hundreds of college, high school and middle school big bands, combos and jazz vocal groups from across the country.
You’ll learn:
- Advanced musical theory
- Jazz history and literature
- Pedagogy for college jazz musicians
- Composing, arranging and improvisation
Sample courses:
- Advanced Arranging
- Seminar in Jazz Composition
- Jazz Program Administration, Planning and Development
- Supervised Practicum in College Teaching
Your experience as a Music Composition doctoral student culminates with a written dissertation and a recital of your original compositions. You’ll also gain hands-on experience in college-level teaching via a supervised practicum.
You’ll learn:
- Advanced music theory
- Structure and analysis
- Music pedagogy
- Research methods
- History of music
Sample courses:
- Music History Seminar
- Music Theory
- Individual Performance
- Studies in Effective Teaching
Get noticed by hiring committees at top universities and colleges with a Doctor of Arts in Music Education from UNC. You’ll get to choose an academic focus such as educational leadership, psychology, community education or a related area to tailor your degree.
You’ll learn:
- Classroom techniques for college-level teaching
- Advanced theoretical understanding of music pedagogy
- Deep content expertise in music theory, history and literature
Sample courses:
- Foundations of Music Education
- Curriculum Trends in Music
- Research in Music Education
- Psychology of Music Teaching and Learning
UNC has earned a reputation as a highly regarded training ground for music teachers and scholars. Our doctoral students have an excellent record of academic publishing, with articles in peer-reviewed journals such as Early Music, Pendragon Review, Journal of Musicological Research, Choral Journal, and ITA Journal.
They also frequently present at meetings, conferences and meetings, including the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the American Musicological Society.
Sample courses:
- College Teaching
- Analytical Studies in Music
- Music in the Renaissance
- Introduction to Doctoral Research
As a doctoral student focused on the Music Performance concentration, you’ll work closely with faculty to design a plan of study that aligns with your artistic strengths, academic interests and career objectives.
You will start by choosing an area of emphasis from a range of instruments, including flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, saxophone, horn, trumpet, tenor trombone, bass trombone, euphonium, tuba, percussion, violin, viola, violoncello, string bass, harp, keyboard, voice or guitar.
Sample courses:
- Introduction to Doctoral Research
- Individual Studies in Effective Teaching
- Analytical Studies in Music
- Individual Performance
Why Choose UNC for Music?
All-Steinway School
With more than 90 Steinway & Sons pianos in classrooms, practice rooms and performance spaces, UNC is committed to excellence in music education. We were the first publicly funded university and one of only a few schools in the region to carry this prestigious designation.
Performances Each Year
UNC has a powerful and thriving music scene. Our accomplished faculty members, visiting artists and students at all levels perform in state-of-the-art venues across campus.
Graduate Assistantship Positions
UNC offers funding opportunities for graduate and doctoral music students to pay for their degrees and training.
Program Requirements
Learn about admissions and course requirements for the Music D.A.
The D.A. in Music requires a primary and secondary concentration. Your specific degree requirements will vary based on your chosen path, but here’s a typical breakdown:
- Primary Concentration – 18 credits
- Secondary Concentration – 8-10 credits
- Research Core – 15-16 credits
- Research Proposal/Dissertation – 16 credits
- Electives – 4-7 credits
All students applying to doctoral programs at UNC must have the following:
- A baccalaureate degree and/or master’s degree, depending on the program, from a regionally accredited college or university
- Three letters of recommendation confirming that the applicant has the ability to do doctoral work in the proposed discipline(s)
- A minimum of a 3.0 GPA
Additionally, Music D.A. candidates must take the following exams:
- Advisory exams
- music history
- writing
- student’s concentration area
- Placement exams
- Music theory
- Aural skills
Students who do not pass exams must complete additional prerequisite courses.
To apply to the Music D.A. program,
- Complete your UNC online application
- Complete the College of Performing Arts form
- Submit required supplemental materials, which may include:
- Resume
- Statement of Goals
- Writing/research samples
- Score composition samples
- Submit a pre-screening audition video, if applicable (view audition requirements)
- Complete your interview or audition, if applicable (live or by video)
The following Music D.A. concentrations also require auditions:
- Collaborative Piano
- Conducting
- Jazz Studies
- Music Education
The School of Music website offers additional, in-depth details about auditions for graduation programs, including repertoire requirements.
Our Doctoral Students
A Great War Requiem
"Dr. (Reiner) Krämer’s mentorship provided good insights, pitfalls to avoid and gave weekly feedback on the composition and dissertation chapters. His mentorship allowed me to stay on track and meet my goals."
Kay Cypret
Music D.A. - Composition
Chopin’s Scherzi
"Music history turned out to be the perfect choice because I love teaching at the collegiate level and analyzing music to discover how it creates meaning and functions in society and culture. No other doctoral program offered the mentorship or opportunities that UNC did."
Jessica Castleberry
Music D.A. - Music History & Literature, Studying Chopin
Create. Perform. Engage.
Music Ensembles
UNC offers more than two dozen ensembles, from choirs to opera theatre.
Performance & Production Spaces
Learn, practice, produce, and perform in state-of-the-art facilities, including the Campus Commons Performance Hall.
Research Opportunities
Pursue independent research alongside faculty experts. You’ll also be surrounded by curious, ambitious peers from across academic disciplines.
Arts & Culture at UNC
Locally grown festivals. Nationally touring acts. Ever-changing exhibits. Across the university and throughout Northern Colorado and beyond, you can immerse yourself in the arts.
Have Questions? We’re Here to Help
- PVA@unco.edu
- (970) 351-2993
- Frasier Hall