Degrees
Yale University awards three graduate professional degrees through the School of Music: Master of Music (M.M.), Master of Musical Arts (M.M.A.), and Doctor of Musical Arts (D.M.A.). In addition there is an Artist Diploma (A.D.) for outstanding performers holding an M.M. degree or its equivalent, a Certificate in Performance program for younger students of exceptional promise, and a combined Bachelor of Arts/Master of Music (B.A./M.M.) program offered in conjunction with Yale College.
Graduate study in music history and theory, leading to the Doctor of Philosophy degree, is offered through the Department of Music in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
Master of Music
Students holding a baccalaureate degree or its equivalent are qualified to apply for admission to this degree program in the Yale School of Music. To qualify for the M.M. degree, two years of residency are required, and students must pass a minimum of 72 credit hours with an average grade of B. All programs in the School of Music require that students earn a grade of B or better each term in both Individual Instruction in the Major and Seminar in the Major. Students who receive a grade lower than a B in either course will be placed on probation. Candidates for the M.M. degree must present a juried degree recital or its equivalent in the second year of study. All M.M. candidates are required to complete a comprehensive review during the last term of enrollment. The departmental faculty and/or the dean (or the dean’s designee) examine the candidates. The examination is normally given in the final term of the departmental seminar. All proficiencies and required courses must be completed satisfactorily before the Master of Music can be conferred.
Master of Musical Arts
The Master of Musical Arts degree is awarded to candidates who successfully complete two years (normally 18 hours per term) of predoctoral studies required for the Doctor of Musical Arts degree. The program provides intensive training in the student’s major field—performance, conducting, or composition—supported by studies in theoretical and historical subjects. Individual courses of study will be assembled as recommended by the individual department, the advisory committee, and the director of the M.M.A. program. M.M.A. candidates are also required to enroll in the M.M.A. Seminar for three terms.
Degree requirements include public presentation of recitals and/or compositions during each year of the student’s residence. An M.M.A. thesis, as well as a public lecture based on the thesis, is required of all candidates. A thesis prospectus must be submitted to the M.M.A. committee for approval at the end of the candidate’s first term in the M.M.A. Seminar. Candidates are required to pass comprehensive written and oral examinations during their last term in residence. All internal candidates must earn a minimum of 108 term hours (36 beyond the School of Music M.M. degree requirement), maintain an average grade of B, and be recommended for the degree by the faculty of the School of Music. All programs in the School of Music require that students earn a grade of B or better each term in both Individual Instruction in the Major and Seminar in the Major. Students who receive a grade lower than a B in either course will be placed on probation. On the recommendation of the M.M.A. examining committee and with the approval of the faculty, the degree of Master of Musical Arts may be awarded with distinction.
Admission to the M.M.A. is not automatic for students enrolled in the Master of Music degree program. Candidates for a Yale M.M. apply for the M.M.A. during their third term and are examined and auditioned in the fall term for admission to the M.M.A. Seminar in the subsequent spring. Candidates must pass the examination to be scheduled for an audition of twenty minutes’ duration. (See Audition/Interview Schedule, in chapter on Admission Procedures.) An important component of the application process is the submission of a term paper or other sample of scholarly writing. This paper may be completed within the student’s first year at Yale or may, by permission of the director of the M.M.A. program, consist of work done prior to admission to Yale. Applicants for the M.M.A. program must have completed all M.M. proficiencies in order to be considered.
Upon arrival at Yale, students interested in making application to the M.M.A. program should consult with the M.M.A. director. In order to facilitate the student’s readiness to meet the academic standards of the M.M.A. program, a combination of courses selected from the offerings in the School of Music, Yale College, and the Department of Music is suggested.
Students who already hold a master’s degree in music from another institution may apply directly to the M.M.A. program. These students are examined and auditioned in the spring for admission to Yale in the subsequent fall and must come to New Haven for an audition and examinations. Applicants are required to perform before a faculty committee and to demonstrate proficiency in a second language. Keyboard and musicianship skills are also assessed, and an individual interview with members of the faculty culminates the process. A two-year residency at Yale (normally 72 credit hours) is required for these applicants to complete the M.M.A. degree program. Specific requirements (recitals, thesis, examinations, etc.) are the same as those for internal M.M.A. candidates. Successful external candidates join the M.M.A. Seminar during their second term at Yale.
Yale M.M. students or graduates who are not admitted to the M.M.A. program during their third M.M. term may apply for a two-year M.M.A. residency by taking the examinations and auditions with outside candidates in the spring. Qualified students may, with permission of the director, be considered for admission to a two-year M.M.A. residency while enrolled in the fall term of their first year of the Yale Artist Diploma. If they are admitted to the M.M.A., they forfeit their enrollment in the Artist Diploma. No one may be considered for application to the M.M.A. program more than twice.
Doctor of Musical Arts
Yale University awards the Doctor of Musical Arts degree to those who have earned the Master of Musical Arts degree at Yale with a major in either performance or composition, and who have subsequently demonstrated their qualifications for the doctorate through distinguished achievement in the profession. “Distinguished achievement” will be determined not only on the basis of how ably the candidates fulfill the obligations of whatever position they may hold but also, and more importantly, on the extent and quality of additional professional accomplishments that are carried out on their own initiative; thus, the level of achievement should be remarkably higher and more wide-ranging than the already high standard of professional activity expected from all holders of the M.M.A. degree who are pursuing musical careers. Innovative and creative contributions to the profession will be considered particularly significant.
The candidate’s attention is drawn to the fact that the School’s doctoral degree is given in Musical Arts. The School interprets this degree in a most comprehensive manner and expects that all candidates will possess both great depth and breadth within the field of music.
It is expected that each candidate’s preparation for Yale’s doctoral degree will differ only in detail, not in broad outline. Keyboardists, string players, and vocalists, for example, have an exceptionally extensive and comprehensive range of music available to them. Wind players and percussionists, on the other hand, may not have the same rich musical heritage from which they can draw. The above means, of course, that while performers must deal directly with the problems of their own repertoire and the demands of their specialties, they must also significantly add to their competency as musicians and as performers by acquiring real familiarity and skill with as many of the complementing auxiliary areas in music as possible.
The candidate for Yale’s D.M.A. degree should possess and demonstrate among other things:
- 1. Exceptional competence as a performer or composer. This competence should be a matter of public record attested to by the candidate’s peers and recognized members of the profession as a result of a wide range of music making during the preceding three to five years.
- 2. Genuine curiosity about other aspects of music making and real experience in these closely allied fields. For example, an instrumentalist should be familiar with the elements of compositional techniques, including improvisation and arranging. By the same token, every composer should display very considerable skill as a performer on at least one instrument. If the keyboard is not the composer’s principal performance medium, then ability as a performer must include, additionally, considerable familiarity with the piano.
- 3. Real intellectual curiosity about music and an ability to discuss in depth its history, theory, styles, sources, and its relation to the other arts and to civilization.
Candidates must assume the major responsibility for informing the School of Music of their professional activities, not only by their own account, but also by submitting such supporting evidence as programs, compositions, reviews, articles, publications, recordings, and any other materials they consider to be pertinent.
Letters from several individuals who are professionally qualified to evaluate the candidate’s work are required; these are requested directly by the School of Music. The names and addresses of at least five individuals, together with a brief description of their professional relationship to the candidate, are to be provided by the candidate. No individuals who are currently members of the Yale faculty may be included.
Candidates may apply for the doctorate whenever they feel that their achievements subsequent to receiving the M.M.A. degree warrant consideration within the period of time specified below. Application is to be made on a form provided by the School of Music. A faculty committee reviews the application and supporting evidence, and if approved, the candidate must then enroll as a nonresident student at the School of Music. Candidates may apply no earlier than two full calendar years after receiving the M.M.A. degree, and applications made more than six full calendar years after graduation will be accepted only under exceptional circumstances and with prior permission of the D.M.A. Committee. Only under such exceptional circumstances is the D.M.A. conferred later than the seventh year. Enrollment as a nonresident student is possible only at the beginning of the fall term, and the application must be completed—including forms, references, dossier, and any other supporting material—by January 15 during the time period of the student’s eligibility for candidacy.
Final qualification for the D.M.A. degree is determined on the basis of a public performance presented by the candidate at the University during the year of the candidate’s nonresident enrollment. The performance is to be planned as an appropriate demonstration of the candidate’s professional specialty. Candidates are responsible for all aspects of their recital program including arrangements for equipment and performers. The Operations Office of the School of Music will provide stage management for the recital, and may be contacted to schedule additional rehearsals and to obtain the names of students who may be hired to perform in the recital. It is expected that the candidate can handle all details of the public performance in a professional manner. In addition, all candidates are expected to complete, with distinction, a comprehensive oral examination. A jury consisting of members of the Yale faculty, possibly augmented with professional musicians from outside the University, judges the performance and participates in the oral examination. If approved, the candidate is then recommended for the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts. This degree is awarded to the successful candidate at the close of that academic year.
Artist Diploma
The Artist Diploma curriculum is a full-time program of studies designed for gifted composers and performers. Applicants must hold a master’s degree or the professional equivalent and may be admitted only on the basis of a personal audition before a faculty committee. Students accepted must be in residence for two years. On recommendation of the major teacher and endorsement by a faculty committee, students who have completed the Master of Music degree at Yale may be admitted to the Artist Diploma program. These students are expected to complete work for the diploma in one academic year.
The course of study for Artist Diploma candidates is flexible and designed for the individual needs of advanced students. A minimum of fourteen credits, which include one nonperformance course, are required per term for the Artist Diploma candidate. All courses in the School of Music and Yale University are open to Artist Diploma candidates with permission of the instructor.
Minimum performance requirements for each year of residence are one solo recital, one major ensemble performance, and one performance of a work composed for soloist and orchestra. In addition, performers participate in the School of Music ensembles including chamber music, Philharmonia, New Music New Haven, and opera. Composers are expected to contribute substantial material (the equivalent of one full program) to the resident contemporary ensemble, New Music New Haven.
Although the Artist Diploma track does not require the academic breadth of the M.M.A. program, Artist Diploma candidates hold M.M. degrees, so a fundamental knowledge of musicianship and the history of Western music is presumed. Artist Diploma candidates are tested in these areas when they enter the program. If deficiencies are evident, students are required to enroll in appropriate courses. A passing grade in Hearing at a level of 500 or higher satisfies the Musicianship proficiency. A passing grade in Music 510 or an equivalent course as assigned by the Music History faculty satisfies the Music History proficiency.
The dean and the faculty review the progress of all two-year candidates at the end of two terms, and permission to continue in the program is granted only when substantial progress has been demonstrated. All programs in the School of Music require that students earn a grade of B or better in both Individual Instruction in the Major and Seminar in the Major. Students who receive a grade lower than a B in either course will be placed on probation.
Certificate in Performance
The Certificate in Performance is designed for a few excellent performers who have not completed a bachelor’s degree. A high school diploma or equivalent is required for admission. Students enroll full-time in a program of performance and academic studies and participate in Philharmonia, Chamber Music, New Music New Haven, or other ensembles as appropriate. The Certificate in Performance is a three-year program requiring a minimum of 96 credits (16 per term). To qualify for the Certificate, a student is required to maintain an average grade of B. All programs in the School of Music require that students earn a grade of B or better in both Individual Instruction in the Major and Seminar in the Major. Students who receive a grade lower than a B in either course will be placed on probation for one term.
It is hoped that, after receiving the Certificate in Performance, a student will complete a baccalaureate degree at Yale or elsewhere. On completion of a bachelor’s degree—and providing that performance, course, examination, and proficiency requirements for the M.M. degree, including the comprehensive review, were met during the Certificate studies—the student may petition the faculty to convert the Certificate to a Master of Music degree. The 72 credits in performance and academic studies required for the Master of Music degree may not be applied toward completion of an undergraduate degree. Performance credits required for the certificate may not be used toward completion of the undergraduate degree.
B.A./M.M. Program
The Bachelor of Arts/Master of Music program is designed for Yale College students with outstanding abilities in performance or composition. This program is open to majors both in Music and other subjects. B.A./M.M. students usually complete requirements for the Baccalaureate in their senior year and for the Master of Music after one year of the Master of Music program in the School of Music (year 5), providing that they have completed the following:
- 1. music majors: four terms of performance (MUSI 360a or b, 361a or b, 460a or b, 461a or b) and MUSI 210a or b and 211a or b by the end of the junior year;
- 2. majors in subjects other than music: four terms of performance (MUSI 360a or b, 361a or b, 460a or b, 461a or b) and four courses, which usually include two courses from the MUSI 301–311 series, and two of MUSI 350a, 351b, 352b, or 353a, taken by the end of the junior year.
Students who have accelerated the undergraduate program are ineligible to apply for the B.A./M.M. program.
Interested students should consult their major teacher at the beginning of the first term of the junior year, and must apply for the program at the School of Music by December 1 of that year. Music majors should also consult with the director of admissions.
Candidates admitted to the B.A./M.M. program are required to sit for juries in the School of Music at the beginning of their senior year.
In their senior year they must take MUSI 540 (Individual Instruction) and MUSI 544 (Seminar in the Major) each term, and are advised to take two terms of a performance ensemble if schedules permit. B.A./M.M. students who major in an orchestral instrument are required to participate in the Yale Symphony or the School of Music Philharmonia during the senior year. Composers, singers, guitarists, and keyboard players should consult with their principal teacher about requisites in the senior year beyond the lessons and seminar.
By the end of the fifth year all students participating in the B.A./M.M. program must have met the School of Music’s standard in musicianship and music history either through testing or course work. They must also have completed language and keyboard proficiency requirements.
