Degrees
Master of Music
The faculty of the College of Music has modeled the Master of Music degree programs at CU Boulder after the guiding principles outlined by the National Association of Schools of Music. The purpose of MM degree work is to refine skills in music performance, music composition, research and writing, and pedagogy. There are numerous fields of study within the Master of Music program: composition, conducting, music theory, performance and performance with pedagogy. The musicology program admits students only at the PhD level.
The Master of Music degree provides advanced studies in performance, performance/pedagogy, composition (with an optional emphasis in technology), music theory and conducting (choral, orchestral and wind). Areas of emphasis in performance and performance/pedagogy include all band and orchestral instruments, guitar, harp, harpsichord, jazz, organ, piano and voice. Each of the MM degrees incorporates studies in the major area, support courses in music electives and thesis/recital work. The minimum credit hours required for a MM degree varies from 30 to 32 depending on the area of study. Consult the General MM Degree Guidelines along with the relevant degree plan below.
The following degree plans are available for the Master of Music degree:
Composition + Music Theory
Conducting
- Choral Conducting
- Choral Conducting (with secondary emphasis in Voice Performance)
- Orchestral Conducting
- Wind Conducting
Performance
- Brass
- Classical Guitar
- Collaborative Piano
- Early Keyboard
- Harp
- Harpsichord
- Percussion
- Piano
- Strings
- Voice
- Woodwinds
Performance + Pedagogy
Performance + Research
- Historical Performance + Research (degree will be available Fall 2025)
Master of Music Education
Students in this degree program complete advanced studies that are designed to refine their teaching philosophy and practices. These studies include courses in historical and philosophical foundations of music education, psychological theories of music learning, basic research methods, curriculum development and assessment. The minimum number of credit hours required is 30.
The college also offers a Master of Music Education degree/certification with K-12 teaching for students who have completed an undergraduate degree in music, but in a major area other than music education. Course work leads to a master鈥檚 degree and a Colorado K-12 music teaching license. The entire program requires a minimum of 71 credit hours.
The following degree plans are available for the Master of Music Education degree. Please see the degree plans, advising checklists and sample advising checklists with example course loads.
Doctor of Musical Arts
The faculty of the College of Music has modeled the DMA degree programs at CU Boulder after the guiding principles outlined by the National Association of Schools of Music. As defined by the NASM, the Doctor of Musical Arts degree is intended for those seeking 鈥渢he highest level of professional practice emphasizing the creation or performance of musical works and the application and transmission of knowledge about musical works, or pedagogy. [...] Creation, performance and teaching are highly disciplined efforts; inquiry and investigation, and often research and scholarship, are components of performance practice.鈥 (NASM Handbook, 2009鈥10:116).
This professional degree is intended for composers, conductors and performers who possess both creative and scholarly abilities. Graduates of this program go on to careers as composers and performers in solo, chamber music, opera, jazz or orchestra, or as choral, jazz, band and/or orchestral conductors. A particular focus of the DMA is the preparation for a career as a college, conservatory or university teacher. Students work closely with an advisor in developing a degree plan that reflects their needs and interests. This degree requires a minimum of 30 hours beyond the master鈥檚 level, including 12 hours in seminar and other course work, and a minimum of 18 hours of performance and written projects (constituting the dissertation portion of the degree). Consult the General DMA Degree Guidelines along with the relevant degree plan below.
The following degree plans are available for the Doctor of Musical Arts degree:
- Brass鈥揚erformance + Pedagogy
- Collaborative Piano
- Composition
- Conducting and Literature鈥揅horal
- Conducting and Literature鈥揥ind
- Conducting and Literature鈥揙rchestral
- 贬补谤辫蝉颈肠丑辞谤诲鈥扬别谤蹿辞谤尘补苍肠别
- 鈥婮补锄锄鈥扬别谤蹿辞谤尘补苍肠别
- 笔别谤肠耻蝉蝉颈辞苍鈥扬别谤蹿辞谤尘补苍肠别
- Piano (non-thesis)
- Piano (Thesis)
- 厂迟谤颈苍驳蝉鈥扬别谤蹿辞谤尘补苍肠别
- Voice鈥揚erformance + Pedagogy
- Woodwinds鈥揚erformance and Pedagogy
Doctor of Philosophy in Music
The PhD in Music emphasizes research in the principal areas of music education or musicology. Each program plan is developed through collaboration between student and advisor, keeping the specific goals of each individual student in mind. The objective is to prepare the student for a career in research and college teaching. Minimum requirements for PhD degrees are: 60 credit hours beyond the bachelor degree for musicology and 75 for music education, including 30 hours of thesis credit. Graduate-level courses taken at the University of Colorado Boulder for a Master of Music degree are automatically applied; graduate courses taken at another university may be considered for transfer (up to 21 credits).
The following degree plans are available for the Doctor of Philosophy in Music degree. Please see the degree plans, advising checklists and sample advising checklists with example course loads.