where legends are made

Optional Secondary Concentrations for DMA Students

Secondary concentrations are available for DMA students. A list with curriculum outlines appears in Section 10 of the SOM Graduate Student Handbook.

General Requirements and Procedures

  1. Hours and Credit
    • All secondary concentrations require 9 semester hours; of these, 5 hours may be applied to the elective requirement for the major concentration.
    • No other courses may fill requirements in both major and secondary concentrations simultaneously.
  2. Grade
    • No course with a grade lower than B may count toward a secondary concentration.
  3. Application to the Major Area
    • Students must make written application to the appropriate area coordinator, copying the DGS.
    • The application must be supported by an audition, a portfolio, or other material required by the area faculty.
    • Students should speak to an area faculty member about supporting material.
  4. Review by the Area
    • Overall musical and academic qualifications will be reviewed by area faculty before eligibility for a secondary concentration is established.
  5. Deficiencies
    • The area faculty may require extra coursework or supervised study to remove deficiencies.
  6. Decision of the Area
    • The decision to accept or reject a student’s application will be forwarded to the DGS, along with any supporting documentation.
    • If the application is accepted, the area will also send the name of the area faculty member who will serve as supervisor for the concentration.
  7. Approval of the Advisory Committee
    • The DGS will solicit final approval from the student’s advisory committee and will supply any supporting documentation for review.
    • The application can be approved via email; a meeting of the advisory committee will be called only if problems are identified.
  8. Appointment of a Secondary Concentration Committee
    • The DGS will appoint a secondary concentration committee chaired by the supervising area faculty member and including one other area faculty member and one member from the student’s advisory committee.
    • This committee will grade any recitals and lectures pass/fail by simple majority.
  9. Scheduling of Required Recitals, Lectures, etc.
    • Recitals and lectures required for the secondary concentration will be scheduled and recorded following procedures in Section 6 with the supervising area faculty member functioning as major professor (including signing the Music Services forms) and the secondary concentration committee functioning as the advisory committee.