Music: Composition (D.Mus.)
Offered by: Music (Schulich School of Music)
Degree: Doctor of Music
Program Description
The D.Mus. in Music; Composition offers private instruction with some of Canada's most accomplished composers as well as studies in different compositional methods and technologies.
Students admitted to the D.Mus. in Music; Composition program who have a master's degree other than the M.Mus. in Music; Composition from McGill University, may be required to successfully complete one or more undergraduate course(s) before completion of the doctoral program.
Details concerning the comprehensive examinations, thesis and academic regulations are available from the Graduate Studies Coordinator, Schulich School of Music or from the Music Graduate website at: http://www.mcgill.ca/music/programs.
Note: For information about Fall 2025 and Winter 2026 course offerings, please refer to Visual Schedule Builder. A technical issue is causing the "Terms offered" field to incorrectly report "this course is not currently offered" for many courses in the Course Catalogue.
Thesis
A thesis for the doctoral degree must constitute original scholarship and must be a distinct contribution to knowledge. It must show familiarity with previous work in the field and must demonstrate ability to plan and carry out research, organize results, and defend the approach and conclusions in a scholarly manner. The research presented must meet current standards of the discipline; as well, the thesis must clearly demonstrate how the research advances knowledge in the field. Finally, the thesis must be written in compliance with norms for academic and scholarly expression and for publication in the public domain.
Required Courses (12 credits)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MUCO 710 | General Examinations. | 0 |
General Examinations. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Series of examinations (harmony, counterpoint, orchestration and analysis presentation). | ||
| MUGS 701 | Comprehensive Examinations. | 0 |
Comprehensive Examinations. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Examinations that must be passed by all doctoral candidates in order to continue in the doctoral program. | ||
12 credits (two years) of:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MUCO 722D1 | Doctoral Composition Tutorial. | 3 |
Doctoral Composition Tutorial. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Individualized guided composition research on an approved topic. | ||
| MUCO 722D2 | Doctoral Composition Tutorial. | 3 |
Doctoral Composition Tutorial. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Individualized guided composition research on an approved topic. | ||
Complementary Courses (12 credits)
12 credits of seminars at the 600 level or higher, approved by the Schulich School of Music.
Composition Performance
The candidate must present a concert of his/her compositions. With the permission of the Composition Area Committee, the compositions may be presented as parts of two or three concerts, or as a list of national and international performances since the student began his/her residency.