Doctor of Musical Arts

The Doctor of Musical Arts is a three-year full-time programme in Music with three areas of specialisation: Performance, Composition or Studio Production. The DMA offers creative musicians the opportunity to develop their skills to the highest artistic and professional levels, while working within the innovative and stimulating environment of Otago's Music Department.

Attaining a DMA will demonstrate your mastery in a creative field of music perfomance, composition or studio production. The DMA signals to the professional and creative musical world that you are capable of independently conceiving and presenting high quality musical creative outputs in your area of specialisation.

Admission to the degree programme shall be subject to the approval of the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Humanities).

Every candidate must be a university graduate and produce evidence of ability to undertake study in the proposed area. Such evidence shall include:

• a Bachelor’s degree with first or upper second class Honours or equivalent; or
• a Master’s degree (including an appropriate research component); or
• appropriate experience in the proposed area of study.

A candidate for a Master of Music degree may apply to transfer to candidature for the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts, and may have the date of admission backdated as is considered appropriate.

English language requirements

• IELTS (Academic module) (including IELTS Online) - Overall score of 6.5, no individual band below 6.0.
• TOEFL iBT - Overall score of 90 and a writing score of 21.
• C1 Advanced (previously Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE)) or C2 Proficiency (previously Cambridge English Proficiency (CPE)) - Overall score of 176 (with no individual band below 169).
• Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic - Overall score of 58 with no communicative skills score below 50.
• Language Cert - International ESOL: C1 Expert (LRWS) with a high pass overall and no less than a pass in each skill OR C2 Mastery (LRWS) with a pass overall and no less than a pass in each skill.
• NZCEL - NZCEL 5 Academic endorsement
• English New Zealand's Accredited Pathway Assessment - Assessment Level 3 (with no skill lower than Level 2).
• APIEL Advanced Placement International English Language Examination - Grade 4 or higher.