Music Conducting - Doctor of Musical Arts at Michigan State University

To be admitted to the Doctor of Musical Arts degree program in music conducting on regular status, an applicant must have:

1. A master's degree in music from a recognized educational institution or a total of 30 credits of approved course work.
2. Presented a live performance audition that was acceptable to the committee appointed by the Dean of the College of Music.

When applying for to the Doctor of Musical Arts degree program with a major in music conducting, an applicant must specify one of the following three major areas:  wind conducting, choral conducting, or orchestral conducting.

With the approval of the faculty in an applicant's major area, an applicant may be considered for to the program on the basis of a high–quality video recording of a recent performance, rather than on the basis of a live performance audition. An applicant must submit a video recording showing a front view of the applicant conducting a minimum of 10 minutes. An applicant who submits a recording may be admitted only on provisional status pending the presentation of a live performance audition before a faculty committee appointed by the Dean of the College of Music. The audition must be presented before the end of the first semester of enrollment in the program.  As part of the audition, an applicant must present a 10–minute lecture on a topic related to conducting. The applicant may be asked to conduct a live performance group or to illustrate appropriate conducting techniques in relation to printed scores. The applicant may submit video and audio tape recordings of performances that he or she has conducted.

For additional information about the Doctor of Musical Arts degree program in conducting, contact the Director of Bands, the Director of Choral Activities, or the Director of Orchestras in the College of Music.

Guidance Committee

The student’s guidance committee, which must be formed in the first year of graduate study, must consist of the student’s major professor, who serves as the chairperson, a second faculty member from the student's conducting area, one faculty member in the area of music theory, and one faculty member in the area of musicology. In instances where additional expertise would be beneficial it is recommended that the guidance committee include an additional faculty member from within or outside the College of Music.

Requirements for the Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in Music Conducting

Each student in the program has a major professor who provides instruction in the student's major area, oversees the musical content of the student's program guides the preparation of required conducting appearances, oversees the preparation of the scholarly paper or abstract, and oversees the final oral examination. Normally, the student studies with the major professor for four semesters.

Due to cancellations of many international English language proficiency tests, MSU will be temporarily accepting the following tests for international students applying for fall semester 2022. In addition, MSU will be expanding the ability for students to receive provisional admission. If a provisionally admitted student is able to take a test that meets our regular admission standards prior to enrollment, we will update their admission status to regular.