Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA)

The Doctor of Musical Arts is a higher qualification for students who wish to continue studying  after the completion of their Masters degree in the field of music performance. DMAs have been offered in the United States for decades and more recently in some Australian cities and at the University of Auckland. It is the internationally recognised doctorate in performance music.

The DMA is a research degree in which the research component is divided equally between research-based performance and a supporting thesis. 

In addition to a thesis, the student will undertake supervised weekly Performance sessions and apply the fruits of their research to his or her performances. The DMA will take a minimum of 3 years to complete and will include up to 4 public performances (solo, chamber music and concerto or equivalent). The final assessment will include the thesis  (of up to 50,000 words) and the final recital.

To enter, DMA students must have qualified for the MMus with First Class Honours or Second Class, First division Honours or equivalent, and comply with the Post-Graduate entry regulations of the University of Waikato, and successfully audition. During the conditional enrolment period, students may be required to undertake some specified studies in musicological research.