Online DMA Music Education
Degree Type
- Doctorate
Formats
- Online
Location
- Off-Campus
Boston University is a leader in online doctoral degrees in music education. Our online Doctor of Musical Arts in Music Education has successfully advanced teachers and the profession for years. In Fall 2027 BU will launch the new Doctor of Musical Arts in Music Education, a practice-focused degree for educators who wish to upgrade their teaching career and become a change-maker within their community. Applications open September 1, 2026.
Please note: In Fall 2028, BU will launch a new research-focused degree, the online Doctor of Education in Music Education (EdD), which is designed to prepare educators to transition to collegiate or other leadership positions requiring research competencies. If this is your preferred focus, please talk with our Manager of Graduate Admissions about future dates and deadlines by emailing cfaapply@bu.edu.
The Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) in Music Education is a practice-focused degree designed for educators ready to become change-agents and leaders in their schools, communities, and the broader profession. Delivered in a cohort model with new students admitted each fall, the DMA equips practicing K–12 and community music teachers with the knowledge and skills to address pressing issues in the field through a curriculum that empowers teachers to utilize multiple knowledges to solve difficult problems. At the heart of the program is a rigorous project dissertation, allowing students to translate their learning into real, actionable outcomes for their schools and communities. With a total of 48 units and a completion timeline of just 2.5 years, the DMA offers a faster, more career-aligned path to the doctorate than traditional research-based programs, making it an ideal choice for educators eager to make an immediate and lasting impact.
Collaborate with an international cohort of innovative thought leaders, educators, and policy makers in the field of music education, and join a community of peers representing a broad range of perspectives, experiences, and teaching locations. Learn from BU’s large, diverse full-time faculty and highly-qualified facilitators who represent a wide range of music research and practice interests.
The new DMA in Music Education prepares music educators to increase their earning potential in their current PK-12 or community teaching positions or to transition to community college, liberal arts colleges, or lecturer positions that do not have a research publication expectation. This degree prepares music educators to enhance their teaching and leadership skills by learning how to locate, understand, and utilize multiple knowledges to solve difficult problems; to package powerful information for conference presentations and professional trade-journal publications; and to design and implement a project that makes a difference at the school, community, or music education community level.
Learn more about the curriculum requirements for the online DMA in Music Education program.
With an Online DMA in Music Ed from Boston University, you will…
- Learn new ideas and perspectives to upgrade your teaching philosophy, and explore new techniques and strategies to enhance and enliven your teaching practice.
- Collaborate with peers with diverse teaching experiences and expertise, and network with influential leaders in the music education profession.
- Learn how to access, vet, interpret, and apply knowledge from a wide range of high-quality sources and apply it to address challenges and real-world problems.
- Learn how to propose and present at music education conferences and how to write professional articles for trade journals in the field.
- Advance your career and discover new opportunities.
- Complete your doctorate without uprooting your family or leaving the work that fulfills you.
Program of Study
Boston University’s graduate programs in music education have been created for the continuing growth of forward-thinking leaders and educators who serve as advocates for the importance of music in our lives, communities, and schools.
This world-class program is an incredible place to meet future colleagues and leaders of the profession where you will be challenged and tested to your limits to produce your very best.
Dr. Gareth Dylan Smith, Associate Professor of Music Education, Boston University
We are a student-centered program. Our diverse faculty are well-prepared to support students with a wide range of topic areas including advocacy and policy; creativity; culturally sustaining pedagogy; antiracist education; early childhood pedagogy; elementary and secondary education; disability studies; diversity, equity, and inclusion; relational pedagogy; community music; technology; policy; popular music; trauma-informed pedagogy; compassionate music teaching; displacement and music; and wellbeing. We are committed to co-creating with students a welcoming learning environment where students and professors can bring and share their full selves and past experiences as they explore new possibilities, pathways, and learn together.
The contemporary curriculum offers the best of both worlds: Students will work with full-time BU music education faculty who are leading researchers in the field of music education. The faculty also co-teach with a team of highly-qualified facilitators who possess practical and scholarly expertise across a wide range of teaching areas in the field. The collaborative teaching model ensures that the very best research, practical, arts-based, culturally-relevant and sustaining, and embodied knowledges are brought together to address today’s pressing challenges and real-world problems.
Study at Top-Ranked, Fully Accredited Boston University
As the oldest degree-granting music program in the U.S., BU has shaped generations of music educators and the pedagogy of music education globally, earning a reputation for excellence.
Our program was the first (and longest-running) online DMA in music education anywhere in the world.
The diverse interests and expertise of BU’s music education faculty provide students with access to
unparalleled depth and diversity of expertise.
A blend of synchronous and asynchronous learning opportunities provide a distinct hybrid study experience.
Faculty
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Kelly Bylica
Assistant Professor of Music, Music Education
-
Diana Dansereau
Associate Professor, Music Education; Chair, Music Education
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André de Quadros
Professor of Music, Music Education
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Andrew Goodrich
Associate Professor of Music, Music Education; Director of Graduate Studies, School of Music
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Jamie Gunther
Lecturer in Music, Music Education and Licensure Coordinator
-
Karin Hendricks
Director, School of Music; Professor, Music Education
-
Lorenzo Sánchez-Gatt
Lecturer in Music, Music Education
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Gareth Dylan Smith
Associate Professor of Music, Music Education
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Jacqueline Smith
Lecturer, Music Education
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Tawnya Smith
Associate Professor of Music, Music Education
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Kính T. Vũ
Assistant Professor of Music, Music Education
From BU Today
Kính T. Vũ ’s Journey from Vietnam Orphan to BU Music Professor
“If you look at ethnomusicology, they talk about communities of singers or music makers. There is absolutely a social bond, a cohesion that occurs. When I was a high school band director, I saw how powerful playing or singing in ensembles was for young people. For some of them, the music suite became a refuge of sorts.”
Kính T. Vũ (CFA’16), Assistant Professor of Music in Music Education, Boston University
In their own words…BU Alumni on their experience in the Online DMA in Music Education Program
“The professors in the DMA program provided a beautiful blend of challenge and support that empowered me to grow in ways I never imagined upon entering. This transformative experience reshaped my vocational practice and expanded my understanding of what it means to be part of a larger community of practice.”
Diana Hawley (CFA’25)
Doctor of Musical Arts, Music Education online
“The online doctorate of Music Arts in Music Education has been one of the best decisions I have ever made.”
Karen Heath (CFA’25)
Doctor of Musical Arts, Music Education online
“The Online DMA in Music Education was an incredibly rigorous and thought-provoking experience that deepened my skills as a scholar and asked me to rethink my how and why for music education.”
Burton Hable (CFA’25)
Doctor of Musical Arts, Music Education online
“I am very grateful for the professional and inspiring teaching provided through the online DMA program. I have enjoyed every minute of the process.”
Nathan Beeler (CFA’25)
Doctor of Musical Arts, Music Education online
From CFA Magazine
Play On
“We’re stepping back a little bit and looking at what we’re doing, how we’re doing it, and what it means to be a music educator. We’re in a place of change right now and that’s scary and exciting at the same time.”
Heather Katz-Cote (CFA’16), K–12 Director of Performing Arts in Westwood, MA, President of the Massachusetts Music Educators Association
Pictured: (left) Dana Monteiro (CFA’16) and Harlem Samba perform at the 2017 Louis Armstrong’s Wonderful World Festival in New York City. Taylor Hill/Getty Images for Kupferberg Center for the Arts at Queens College
Next Steps for Applicants
The best way to determine if BU is right for you is to explore our admission requirements, financial tools, and resources to determine if the program is the right match.
Reach out to our Manager of Graduate Admissions at cfaapply@bu.edu with any questions along the way or to request information. We are happy to discuss your educational interests and career goals. In addition, allow us to provide you with a personalized webpage specific to your online program of interest!
