Doctor of Musical Arts

DMA Purpose and Program Outcomes The purpose of the Doctor of Musical Arts degree specializing in church music is to equip persons with knowledge, attitudes, and skills that may be applied in research, performance, teaching, ministry, and denominational leadership in the field of church music. The Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) degree is designed to lead graduates to meet the following outcomes:

• Mastery of a body of knowledge related to required course work

• Skill in written and oral communication

• Skill in planning and conducting ministry, classroom, or studio learning experiences

• Attitudes and skills conducive to healthy interpersonal relationships

• A high level of skill development in a chosen performing and/or research area

Dr. Jessica McMillan is the Director of the DMA program. She may be contacted by phone at 504.816.8238, or by e-mail at jmcmillan@nobts.edu.

Admission Requirements

Specific admission requirements for the DMA may be obtained by contacting Dr. Jessica McMillan, at 504.816.8238, or by e-mail at jmcmillan@nobts.edu.

Degree Prerequisites
Applicants should have a bachelor’s degree in music and a Master of Music in Church Music degree or the equivalent from an institution accredited by National Association of Schools of Music/Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada. Applicants having a master’s degree (but not in church music) from an accredited institution may fulfill church music deficiency requirements by completing the following:

1. Take master’s or remedial courses as prescribed by the music faculty to fulfill deficiencies in the student’s studies and thereby aid the student in mastering the rigorous doctoral courses. Any remedial courses should be taken and passed with a letter grade of A or B in the first two semesters of their program. The student will be in “provisional admittance” until all deficiencies are cleared.

2. Submit for consideration a paper relating in depth the experience of the applicant in church music leadership positions, and if required, satisfactorily complete entrance examinations.

Graduate Record Examination
Applicants must take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) verbal, quantitative, and analytical writing tests. Scores can be no older than 5 years.

GRADE POINT AVERAGE AND GRADUATE RECORD EXAMINATION

The grade point average (GPA) and the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) verbal and analytical writing scores will be considered on the following five-point sliding scale. For the application to be accepted, the individual must have a combined score of “0” or higher on the three components. Scores can be no older than 5 years.

Although not included in the above calculation, the quantitative score will be considered in the overall evaluation of the applicant. The institutional code for New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary is 6472.

Research Paper
The applicant must submit a graded research paper from the master’s program for review by the Church Music Ministries Department faculty. If no paper is available, the applicant should contact the DMA Director for guidance.

Department Interview
Applicants are required to interview with the Church Music Ministries Department faculty related to the proposed area of major study. The interview focuses on one’s conversion experience, call to ministry, family relationships, reasons for pursuing the doctoral degree, interests and reading in the proposed field of study, and other concerns that may enable the faculty to know the applicant better and to ascertain his or her potential for advanced studies.

Audition
If the applicant is pursuing study in an applied field, an audition in the applicant’s major field of performance is required. The literature to be performed should represent the major style periods of Western music. Auditions may be presented in person, or a video recording may be submitted, but the recording must have been made within the academic year (August-June) of the applicant's interview.

Placement/Proficiency Examinations
Assessment of transcripts, faculty interview, and evaluation of the audition may lead to oral and/or written placement/proficiency examinations in any specified areas of music and music ministry study.

Professional Experience
Applicants should have a minimum of two years of substantial experience in church music leadership. If such experience has not been obtained prior to admission to the DMA program, it may be accomplished during the program of study but must be completed prior to the Written Comprehensive Examination.

International Applicants

Applicants whose primary spoken language is not English must fulfill one of the following options as part of the application process to the Professional Doctoral Programs:

Option 1:

• Students whose native language is not English must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), or the Duolingo English Test (DET). Those taking the DET must achieve a score of 120 or higher. Below are minimum scores for admission approval for each TOEFL testing format. The minimum score for consideration is 550 on the Paper-Based Test, 213 on the Computer-Based Test, or 80 on the Internet-Based Test. The minimum score for the writing section is 3.5.

• Either the DET or TOEFL must be taken prior to the Admissions Council granting admissions approval. The institutional code for New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary is 6472.

• Pass the NOBTS English Entrance Exam. (This exam is offered during orientation each January and August.)

• All test scores must be within 2 years.

Option 2:

• Completion of an appropriate master’s degree at NOBTS (or an accredited U.S. institution).

• DET or TOEFL scores are normally required as part of the evaluation of the applicant.

Student applicants may contact the International Student Advisor in the Registrar's office by phone at 504.816.8257, or by e-mail at registrar@nobts.edu. However, please note that WES transcript evaluations for master’s degrees must be course by course.

Program Overview

The DMA consists of 4 core semester-length seminars; 3 supervised reading colloquia; Introduction to Doctoral Music Research and Writing; 12 additional hours in a chosen concentration (divided between semester-length seminars and private study); a music faculty Mid- Point Assessment (upon the completion of 32 seminar hours); Written Comprehensive Examination (at the completion of seminar and recital work); Teaching Higher Education; two recitals and one lecture recital for applied students; the Oral Qualifying Examination (upon completion of RDOC9303 Prospectus Development); and the submission and defense of a dissertation.

The DMA program is divided into three stages: DMA residency, DMA senior residency, and DMA candidacy. The student enters the senior residency stage following the completion of 41 semester hours of DMA work. The student enters the DMA candidacy stage after completion of the Oral Qualifying Examination.

The student’s program is guided by the DMA Director during the Residency stage and by a faculty advisor and guidance committee during the Senior Residency and Candidacy stages. Faculty guidance assignments are made by the DMA Director in consultation with the music faculty and the student.

The NOBTS DMA program is designed for a student to take one core course, one colloquium, and one seminar or private lessons per semester (10 credit hours). This will keep the student on an efficient schedule for degree completion and keep the student in step with course offering rotation. Should a student decide not to take a required course during the specified semester it is offered, he/she will have to wait to enter the course until it is offered again in the rotation schedule. This is not considered grounds for granting a Directed Study.

Full-time students generally can complete the program in 3½-4 years. The recommended semester load for a full-time DMA student is ten semester hours of coursework. On this schedule a student would complete course work after five semesters.

The Written Comprehensive Examination is administered after the student has completed a minimum of 40 hours and includes areas such as music history and literature, music theory, church music history/hymnology, recognition of musical styles, and research/bibliography. The results of the Written Comprehensive Examination are used to determine the student’s continuance in the DMA program. Depending on severity, should the Written Comprehensive Examination reveal lack of knowledge, or a failure of familiarity in any area, the student may be given the opportunity to re-address the topic(s) in an oral examination re-take, be asked to re-take specific courses, or be terminated from the program.

The Written Comprehensive Examination is administered by the music faculty at the completion of senior residency. The Oral Qualifying Examination will focus exclusively on refinement and approval of the prospectus which ushers the student into DMA Candidacy and the writing stage of the dissertation.

After submission of the dissertation, the candidate is given a final oral examination to defend the dissertation.

The program must be completed within seven years.

DMA Concentrations

• Applied Areas

  Composition

  Conducting

  Organ

  Piano

  Voice

• Worship/Hymnology

Program Stages

The DMA program at NOBTS has three stages:

1. Residency: the first 41 semester hours of course work and the Written Comprehensive Examination;

2. Senior Residency: 8 semesters of course work, proposal and prospectus development, and the Oral Qualifying Examination; and

3. Candidacy: dissertation research and writing, and the oral defense of the dissertation.

Preresidency

Students who hold a master’s degree but need a year or less of additional leveling courses can apply for the Preresidency stage of the DMA program by indicating on the application form that they are applying for Preresidency. Preresidents are eligible to apply for scholarships and campus housing with no minimum hours requirement.

Preresidents taking leveling courses only online need not submit personal evaluations or health and immunization forms. However, all application items must be submitted by the application deadline of the semester prior to desired entrance into the residency stage of the DMA program.

Degree Requirements

DMA Preresidency

(One year or less of leveling)

DMA Residency Research

(Worship/Hymnology) (41 hours)

DMA Senior Residency (8 hours)

DMA Candidacy (6 hours)

Total Required: 55 hours

Directed Study

A directed study provides a unique opportunity for a student to work one-on-one with a professor. Directed studies enable a student (1) to engage in specialized research under a professor’s supervision or (2) to cover an area not included in the regular seminar offerings during the student’s scheduled seminar work. Students may contact the DMA Director concerning the procedure for submitting a proposal.

Continuous Enrollment Program

After beginning studies, the student must maintain enrollment (register and pay matriculation fees) each semester until the doctoral program is completed. The Doctor of Musical Arts program is a continuous enrollment program until graduation. Failure to register and pay fees each semester will result in termination from the program.

Dissertation Requirements

DMA candidates must write a dissertation that demonstrates the candidate’s ability to do independent and original research, mastery of a research methodology, competency to report logically the results of the research, expertise in presenting the research in acceptable style, and contribution to the academic discipline. The dissertation may contain no less than 25,000 nor more than 50,000 words, unless otherwise authorized by the student’s guidance committee. Students with recital requirements will not be expected to write such an extensive dissertation.

If the chosen topic requires research language facility, the student must demonstrate written fluency in the language or demonstrate proficiency through completed semester hours in the applicable language. Course credits that are to be considered for meeting the language requirement may not be more than seven years old. In addition to course credits on a transcript, competency in French, German, or Latin can be verified by testing arranged through the Office of Research Doctoral Programs. The approval of a dissertation topic goes through several stages:

• Approval of a research proposal by the faculty committee

• Completion of RDOC9303 or MUDC9303 Prospectus Development

• Oral Examination - approval of the prospectus by the Church Music faculty

• Following Church Music faculty approval, at least four months must pass before the presentation of the dissertation for defense.

Students are required to use the style guides approved by the seminary faculty. Four plain paper copies of the completed dissertation (unbound in four separate boxes) must be submitted to the DMA office by the April 1 or November 1 deadline. Appropriate dissertation and diploma fees must be paid at the time of submission.

Degree Requirements

DMA Preresidency

(One year or less of leveling)

DMA Residency

Applied (Composition, Conducting, Organ, Piano, Voice) (41 hours)

DMA Senior Residency (8 hours)

DMA Candidacy (6 hours)

Total Required: 55 hours

Following the dissertation defense, the student will need to work with the guidance committee chairperson to make any changes the committee might require. The student will submit a pdf of the revised document to the guidance committee chairperson, who will approve the pdf and forward it to the director of the DMA program for final approval for submission to ProQuest.

If the dissertation is rejected following an unsatisfactory dissertation defense and if the guidance committee looks with favor upon its resubmission, a period of three months must elapse before it may be presented again. The student would register as a writing candidate and pay full tuition.

If the dissertation is rejected for form, style, and/or minor content reasons following a satisfactory dissertation defense and if the guidance committee looks with favor upon its resubmission, the dissertation may be presented again no sooner than two months after the dissertation defense and no later than two months prior to the following graduation date. The student would register for Program Continuance and pay a reduced tuition.

In either case permission to resubmit the dissertation does not involve a commitment as to the time of graduation.

Performance Dissertation Requirements

Conducting, Organ Performance, Piano Performance, or Vocal Performance

The requirements for these concentrations consist of three recital performances--two recitals (MUSC9006 and MUSC9007) covering the literature of the applied field, and one lecture recital (MUSC9008).

The lecture recital must be documented by a dissertation which treats thoroughly the performance practices or historical and analytical aspects addressed by the recital. This recital is to be a lecture recital in which the student apprises the audience, which has not had the benefit of the document, of the high points of the investigation. The Candidate will speak concisely to the origins, procedure, and outcomes of the research and support those outcomes by demonstration.

The document demonstrates the depth of investigation that the student has made of literature selected for the performance. The performance is to reflect the knowledge gained, and should in no way disagree with the findings in the document. All three recitals require program notes, but the lecture recital requires extensive program notes.

Composition Dissertation Requirements

The dissertation in Composition should contain a large form composition by the student with extensive compositional design/philosophy notes explaining origins and stylistic influences, with any historical, analytical, and/or spiritual aspects of the piece that may apply. Desired performance venues should be included.

The Composition concentration requires one recital where the student composition(s) will be performed. Detailed program notes derived from the high points of the dissertation are required. This is a lecture recital. The lecture should be a significant expansion of the program notes. This recital should consist of a performance of approximately one hour and must reflect DMA standards. The large form composition must comprise approximately 50% of the recital. Shorter compositions may be included in the recital depending upon the length of the major work.

DMA Courses and Seminars

MUDC9300 Introduction to Doctoral Music Research and Writing (3 hours)
In this course students will be introduced to the literature and techniques of doctoral research in music. Special attention will be given to the development of research proposals and the presentation of research, including individual guidance in the form and style of research writing. The course must be taken during the student’s first year in the program.

MUDC9303 Prospectus Development (3 hours)
In this one-week course students are given guidance in the development and writing of a prospectus for the dissertation. Prerequisite: a research proposal must be submitted to the student’s guidance committee by the April 1/November 1 deadline. The research proposal must be approved by the Church Music faculty by the last day of the semester. Also can be taken as RDOC9303.

MUDC9010 Program Proficiency
This is not a course per se. Students in the residency or senior residency stage of the DMA degree program should register for this component in semesters in which no course work is taken. Each semester after completion of the oral comprehensive examination, students should register for dissertation writing in the appropriate major.

MUDC9011 Inactive Status
This is not a course per se. Students who have prior approval from the music faculty and the DMA director to cease all work on the doctoral program for the semester should register for inactive status. See the Manual for Research Doctoral Programs for procedures.

MUDC9000 Program Continuance
This is not a course per se. Students who have prior approval from their guidance committee following a successful dissertation defense can continue editing the dissertation for one semester while registered for Program Continuance.

Music Theory

MUTH9400 Advanced Studies in Analysis and Composition (4 hours)
This seminar is designed as a study of the history of composition, style, and analysis throughout the history of western music. Special attention will be given to a variety of techniques of analysis, both tonal and non-tonal. Students will gain experience in composition in the styles of selected eras and genres.

MUDS9300/9400 Directed Study in Music Theory (3 or 4 hours)

Church Music Education

MUED9300 Foundations of Music Learning (3 hours)
This seminar explores music learning theory, musical learning related to age and developmental stages, and musical aptitude and giftedness.

MUED9301 History of American Music Education (3 hours)
This seminar recounts the roots, growth, blossoming, and current state of music education in American history.

MUED9302 Music Education Research (3 hours)
This seminar will focus on the philosophical, historical, descriptive, experimental, and other variations of research employed in music education.

MUED9303 Music Methodology in North America (3 hours)
This seminar examines the philosophy, history, practice, and contributions of the primary music education methods found in North America: Kodaly, Orff, Suzuki, Dalcroze, Gordon, Kindermusik, and others.

MUED9304 Contemporary Problems in Church Music Education (3 hours)
This seminar is designed to bring focus on the resources anticipated for use in the dissertation. The seminar will enhance the student’s understanding of the literature, articles, websites, etc., that will be considered for the bibliography of the dissertation.

MUDS9301/9401 Directed Study in Music Ministry (3 or 4 hours)

Music History, Hymnology and Literature

MUHI9300 The Theology of Contemporary Hymnody (3 hours)
This seminar examines the biblical doctrines addressed in published collections of contemporary Christian music. Special attention will be given to songs which were published since 2000 and are used in congregational worship.

MUHI9302 The Hymnody of Other Cultures (3 hours)
This seminar focuses on the hymnody and congregational worship practices of Asian, African, and Latin American cultures. Special attention will be given to comparative analysis of how congregational song relates to the worship service.

MUHI9303 Music and Worship in the Biblical World (3 hours)
This seminar is a comprehensive study of the music, musicians, and instruments in Scripture. Special attention will be given to archaeological research in the field and implications for an understanding of worship in the biblical world.

MUHI9304 Advanced Studies in Lyrical Theology (3 hours)
This seminar is an advanced evaluative study of the lyrical texts used in hymnody, focusing on Watts, Wesley, and contemporary hymn writers= compositional techniques in writing lyrical theology. Special attention will be given to writing.

MUHI9400 Advanced Studies in Music History and Literature (4 hours)
This seminar is a comprehensive study of the music and musicians of the Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Twentieth Century. Special attention will be given on traits that characterize the individual periods through listening and score analysis.

MUHI9401 Advanced Studies in Church Music History (4 hours)
This seminar is an advanced, comparative, and evaluative study of church music history, beginning with pre-Christian music, moving through music of the early church, and continuing through church music in the present era. Special attention will be given to discerning patterns in the development and evaluation of church music history.

MUDS9302/9402 Directed Study in Music History, Hymnology and Literature (3 or 4 hours)

Performing Arts

MUPA9300 Studies in Performing Arts Literature (3 hours)
This seminar is an intensive study of the origins and development of the forms and styles of performance literature through the twenty-first century. Emphasis is given to an analysis of performance practice considerations of the literature of each era and each composer.

MUPA9301 Advanced Studies in Applied Research (3 hours)
The purpose of this seminar is to aid the student in constructing an appropriate dissertation proposal related to his/her applied area of study in church music. The student will work closely with a faculty mentor or Applied Research Coordinator (ARC) to prepare a formal dissertation proposal including a working bibliography on the specific research topic.

MUDS9309/9409 Directed Study in Performing Arts (3 or 4 hours)

Composition

MUCT9102/9202 Private Composition (1 or 2 hours)
This course is an advanced study which involves the writing of music in larger forms and in various styles. The course may be repeated at the discretion of the instructor (1/2 hour lesson or 1 hour lesson).

MUDS9303/9403 Directed Study in Composition (3 or 4 hours)

Conducting

MUCO9104/9204 Private Conducting (1 or 2 hours)
This course is designed for private study by doctoral students in advanced conducting techniques and literature (1/2-hour or 1-hour lesson).

MUCO9203 Orchestral Conducting (2 hours)
The student is required to spend one semester in the role of associate conductor of an approved instrumental organization.

MUDS9204/9304 Directed Study in Conducting (2 or 3 hours)

Organ

MUOR9110/9210/9310 Private Organ (1, 2, or 3 hours)
This course is designed for private study by doctoral students in advanced organ techniques and literature (1/2-hour or 1-hour lesson).

MUOR9301 Advanced Study in Organ Pedagogy (3 hours)
This course will survey many of the recent and most important materials and methods for teaching organ. Method books for beginning organists will be compared and contrasted as they pertain to manual and pedal technique, exercises, and general information related to the organ. Materials will also be reviewed and evaluated in the areas of Historical Performance Practice, Organ Building and Registration, Improvisation, and Service Playing.

MUDS9305/9405 Directed Study in Organ (3 or 4 hours)

Piano

MUPI9110/9210/9310 Private Piano (1, 2, or 3 hours)
This course is designed for private study by doctoral students in advanced piano techniques and literature (1/2-hour or 1-hour lesson).

MUPI9301 Advanced Study in Piano Pedagogy (3 hours)
This course is designed to educate and equip students to serve the local church by increasing their knowledge of piano instruction and various developmental applications which can be used both in private and corporate settings to improve the overall quality of a church’s music ministry.

MUDS9306/9406 Directed Study in Piano (3 or 4 hours)

Voice

MUVO9110/9210/9310 Private Voice (1, 2, or 3 hours)
The course consists of private study of advanced voice techniques and literature (1/2-hour or 1-hour lessons). Independent work is expected.

MUVO9301 Advanced Study in Voice Pedagogy (3 hours)
The course is designed to educate and equip students to serve the local church by increasing their knowledge of the vocal instrument and various developmental applications which can be used both in private and corporate settings to improve the overall quality of a church’s vocal music ministry.

MUDS9207/9307 Directed Study in Voice (2 or 3 hours)

Worship Ministries

MUWM9300 Contemporary Context of American Evangelical Worship (3 hours)
This seminar is an investigation into the major movements which have impacted Christian evangelical worship in America over the past twenty- five years. Postmodernity and other influences, such as the ecumenical movement, the charismatic movement, contemporary Christian music, the church growth movement, and the emerging church, will be examined in light of their effect on current worship practice.

MUWM9301 Comparative Study in Worship Practice (3 hours)
A study is made of worship practices across a variety of Christian denominations and expressions, including Catholic, Episcopal, Lutheran, Reformed, Methodist, Baptist, and Pentecostal. The seminar will feature a comparison of resources for corporate worship such as architecture, liturgy, and music.

MUWM9302 Worship and the Task of Disciple Making (3 hours)
This seminar examines the various means by which corporate worship may contribute to the process of spiritual formation and spiritual maturation in the life of Christ-followers. Factors such as learning styles, worship environment, elements, and forms are analyzed as to how their usage within community at worship may aid in the development of Christian values resulting in spiritual growth.

MUWM9303 Contextual Dimensions in Current Worship Research (3 hours)
This seminar surveys recent research in worship related to the variables of gender, ethnicity, and generational age-group. Special attention is given to studies which investigate the impact these particular factors may have on current worship practices in evangelical churches in the United States.

MUWM9304 Contemporary Studies in Ethnodoxology (3 hours)
This seminar focuses on the hymnody and Christian congregational worship practices of Asian, African, Latin American, and European cultures. Special attention will be given to comparative analyses of how various cultures employ the elements of worship within their given cultural contexts.

MUWM9305 Emotionally Healthy Worship Leadership in the Contemporary Church (3 hours)
This seminar combines an investigation of the biblical mandate, foundations, and principles of worship with healthy emotional development among the various generational cohorts and makes application to worship leadership in contemporary worship settings. Attention will be placed on the personal emotional health of the worship leader, contemporary trends in worship, and pitfalls that might lead to emotional manipulation hidden under the guise of worship.

MUWM9400 Advanced Studies in Historical Perspectives of Worship (4 hours)
The purpose of this seminar is to engage students in an in-depth study of Christian worship from the time of the early Church through the twentieth century. Special emphasis is given to cultural, philosophical, and theological influences which have shaped the development and practice of worship for the Christian community over the past twenty centuries.

MUDS9308/9408 Directed Study in Worship Ministries (3 or 4 hours)

MUSR9301 Supervised Reading Colloquium 1: Worship in Ministry and Practice (3 hours)

MUSR9302 Supervised Reading Colloquium 2: Contemporary Trends in Church Music (3 hours)

MUSR93XX Supervised Mentoring (3 hours)
MUSR9311 Worship/Hymnology
MUSR9312 Performing Arts

MUSC9006 Solo Recital 1 (no credit)
The first recital consists of a performance of approximately one hour in the appropriate performing medium and must reflect DMA standards.

MUSC9007 Solo Recital 2 (no credit)
The second recital also consists of a performance of approximately one hour in the appropriate performing medium and must reflect DMA standards. The prerequisite for this course is MUSC9006.

MUSC9008 Solo Lecture Recital (no credit)
This recital is a lecture recital and consists of a performance of approximately one hour in the appropriate performing medium and must reflect DMA standards. Prerequisites for this course are MUSC9006 and MUSC9007.

MUCE9100 Comprehensive Exam in Church Music (1 hour)
MURP9100 Research Proposal Approval (1 hour)
MUOE9100 Oral Exam in Church Music (1 hour)
MUAP9100 Dissertation Prospectus Approval (1 hour)
MUWC9401 Writing Candidate in Worship/Hymnology (4 hours)
MUWC9404 Writing Candidate in Conducting (4 hours)
MUWC9405 Writing Candidate in Organ (4 hours)
MUWC9406 Writing Candidate in Piano (4 hours)
MUWC9407 Writing Candidate in Composition (4 hours)
MUWC9408 Writing Candidate in Voice (4 hours)
MUDD9100 Dissertation Defense (1 hour)