Voice: Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) - UBCV is a doctorate in Music programme offered by The University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. The programme is delivered on campus. Teaching is in English. Tuition for international students is CAD 10,082 per year (CAD 5,739 per year for local students).
At a glance
Degree:Doctorate
Field:Music
Delivery: On Campus
Language: English
Local tuition: CAD 5,739 / year
International tuition: CAD 10,082 / year
Information for the 2027/28 academic year · Last reviewed September 2026 ·
Program details
Overview
The Doctor of Musical Arts in Voice is for accomplished singers developing their artistry to the highest level while preparing for university-level teaching. Candidates choose a concentration in operatic performance or in voice performance, and both routes combine solo and opera recitals and Opera Division productions with academic study in music theory, music history and musicology or ethnomusicology, plus proficiency at the 100 level in three languages. Performance practice and music literature projects accompany the coursework and thesis requirement. Students take part in three annual opera productions with the Vancouver Opera Orchestra, masterclasses with international artists, and partnerships with Vancouver Opera and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, alongside interdisciplinary and collaborative projects inside and beyond the School of Music.
Requirements
Minimum GPA:76.00 / %
Admission Requirements: Admission requires a Master of Music degree or equivalent, plus the School of Music's language requirement of 100-level proficiency in three languages in addition to certified proficiency in one of them, and required history coursework in the area of specialization. UBC's Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies sets a baseline minimum overall average in the B+ range (76% at UBC), though this is typically exceeded in practice given the program's competitive admission. Applicants from non-English-instruction institutions must submit a test from the last 24 months: IELTS Academic 6.5 overall with no section below 6.0, TOEFL iBT 4.5 overall (minimum 4.0 in any section) on the scale from January 2026, or Duolingo English Test 125 overall with no section below 115. Applicants cannot be admitted without an in-person audition; remote applicants may first submit a pre-screening video. An academic writing sample, a CV and a repertoire list of all performances are also required.
Application Details
Start Date:September
Application Deadline:Domestic and international undergraduate applicants both apply through EducationPlannerBC for Winter Session 2027/28 (September 2027 entry) and Summer 2027: applications open in early October 2026 and the equal-consideration deadline is 15 January 2027, 11:59 p.m. PST, the same date for both groups; a few programs keep reviewing late applications on a space-available basis afterwards. Earlier dates apply only to entrance-award consideration -- 15 November 2026 for the International Scholars Program and 1 December 2026 for Presidential/Centennial/Beyond Tomorrow scholars. Several limited-entry programmes -- Law, Pharmacy, Dentistry, Nursing (advanced entry), Occupational/Physical Therapy, Social Work and Teacher Education -- set their own earlier deadlines from October 2026 through February 2027. These are institution-wide dates; this programme publishes no deadline of its own.
