Statement of Purpose

The Doctor of Musical Arts in Vocal Performance degree is an academic degree in music that has been designed to provide professional training for the vocalist who wishes to focus on performance through courses in voice, pedagogy and performance styles. The course of study is intended for students planning to work at the most advanced academic and professional levels of music endeavor. Vocal performance students study to develop and maintain an efficient vocal technique and compelling artistry through study with a voice faculty whose members are established master teachers and performers. DMA students are expected to achieve competencies that enable them to function consistent with their specializations as musicians, scholars, and teachers and who can communicate effectively, both orally and in written form.

Private voice lessons, vocal coaching, music theory, music history and literature, opera literature, art song repertoire, and vocal pedagogy are vital components of the degree program. Students gain essential stage skills and experience through participation in University of Mobile stage productions (opera, musical theater, and theater), and other events, which complement and build on work in the voice studio. Advanced courses in vocal pedagogy, music history, style, and literature give the students opportunities to hone their writing and oral presentation skills as they work towards their final doctoral thesis or lecture recital.

The Doctor of Musical Arts (D.M.A.) in Vocal Performance provides opportunities for students to develop their performance abilities while expanding their knowledge of music literature and vocal technique. 

This program is uniquely designed to prepare students for performance and teaching across multiple styles, including contemporary, musical theatre, opera, and others.

Criteria for Admission to the DMA Program

Admissions Requirements

Proficiencies required for entrance to the Doctor of Musical Arts in Vocal Performance program (for example, keyboard, diction, aural skills, theoretical skills, etc.), will be determined by a placement exam. Additionally, a knowledge of music theory, music history, English, German, French, and Italian diction as well as general phonetic knowledge and skills that can be applied to other languages will also be tested upon commencement of studies by a placement exam. Students who do not pass these exams will be required to take remedial coursework in these areas, as determined by their placement exam results.

If the students do not have previous collegiate study in Italian, French, and German, one semester each of French (FR 101), German for Musicians (GER 101), and/or Italian for Musicians (IT 101) will be required to achieve competency. Credit toward their degree will not be given for remedial coursework required to meet these proficiencies.

Students must have attained a master’s degree from an accredited university in order to apply for the DMA. A grade point average of 3.5 in previous graduate work will be required for entrance to the program (A = 4).

A writing sample will be required to ascertain candidate’s viability in academic DMA courses and cempetency in completing the final paper.

Residence Requirements

Residency at University of Mobile is achieved when a doctoral student is considered a full-time (on campus/face to face) student for a minimum of two years (four semesters). Doctoral students are not required to be in residence during the third year while working on the doctoral document and/or the recital, if not completed.

If the voice recital is not completed, generally, students will continue applied voice lessons until the recital requirements are satisfied. However, exceptions can be made for the following reasons:

• Student has completed the required number of semesters of applied study and continues to work toward completion of the recital.
• Student has completed the number of semesters of applied study, yet has moved to another area, making weekly study prohibitive. In this case, the major applied professor may work out the expectation of what is required beyond the plan of study.

Minimum Number of Credit Hours Required

90 semester hours of accredited collegiate work are required beyond the baccalaureate for the Doctor of Musical Arts in Vocal Performance degree plan.