Composition Degrees and Programs

The Benjamin T. Rome School of Music offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees in Composition.  Each of our programs seeks first to strengthen and develop composers' technique and to expand the expressive range of their music.  Please follow the links on the sidebar, or click on the highlighted names below, to learn more about each program.  If you have questions about any of our programs after reviewing these materials, please do not hesitate to contact us:  for the 2009 - 2010 academic year, Dr. Stephen Gorbos (gorbos@cua.edu) will be coordinating correspondance with prospective students. 

The Bachelor of Music (BM) in Composition seeks to train the beginning composer (or the composer with substantial prior experience) in the discipline of creative activity.  BM Composition students take private composition lessons every semester they are enrolled in the BM program (half-hour weekly lessons in the freshman year, one-hour weekly lessons in the subsequent years).  From the beginning, BM students are engaged in the life of the Composition division, participating in the weekly Composition Seminar, the student-run Cardinal Composers Society (which presents two concerts of student music per year), and Composition Division recitals. 

The Master of Music (MM) in Composition, Stage Music Emphasis (a NEW program) and the MM Composition, Concert Music Emphasis programs are tailored to meet a specific area of concentration within the compositional field, but each contains the same core of rigorous composition, theory, and history courses.  The level of professional preparation is such that our MM graduates, regardless of emphasis, are eligible to begin doctoral study (either at CUA or at another institution). 

The Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) in Composition, the highest composition degree offered by the School of Music, is designed for students who have substantial prior compositional attainment and display strong professional promise.  The DMA curriculum is individually tailored to meet the strengths and needs of each student: coursework and dissertation requirements, including a graduation lecture-recital, ensure a thorough preparation for later professional activity. 

Two additional degrees with substantial compositional components are available through CUA's Institute of Sacred Music.  These degrees are jointly administered by the Composition faculty and by Dr. Leo Nestor, Director of the ISM.

In cooperation with the Latin American Music Center, housed in the School of Music at CUA, a concentration in Latin American music is offered with the MM Concert Music and DMA Composition degree programs.  Please follow the links to these program pages to learn more about this option.