Doctor of Philosophy in Music Education

The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) with a major in music education attracts outstanding students who have an interest in research and wish to be able to conduct research in the areas of music teaching, the psychology of music learning, and early childhood music. The purpose of the degree is to instruct students in methods of scientific inquiry so that they can engage in research to make new discoveries of human music behaviors. Students will learn investigative and experimental techniques (quantitative and qualitative) and their application to the improvement of music education practice. To pursue this type of research, familiarity with psychology, research design and analysis, and measurement in conjunction with computer science is necessary. Upon completion of the Ph.D. in music education, students will be able to pursue successfully a research agenda that will contribute to the growth of the music education knowledge base.

The equivalent of at least three years of full-time study beyond an earned master's degree is typically required, not including the dissertation. All work must be completed within eight years of the beginning of doctoral study. After a student has completed 18-27 credit hours of course work, an oral preliminary examination is administered. A written comprehensive examination must be passed within five years of the beginning of doctoral study, at which time a student is able to create a research proposal and begin a dissertation. Prior to the completion of the comprehensive exam, after a student has completed 12-15 credit hours of course work, a written and oral preliminary examination is administered. A student can fulfill the demands of a Ph.D. program only with concentrated study and research with a minimum of outside distractions. Therefore, a minimum of two consecutive semesters of study during the regular academic year must be completed as a full-time student.

Applicants for this degree will have completed a bachelor’s degree in music education at an accredited institution and will have obtained their teacher certification.

International applicants are preferred to be proficient in English — or have TOEFL, PTE or IELTS if you are not a native speaker of the English Language. Average TOEFL scores for students range from a minimum of 80 (Internet Based Total), and 550 (Paper Based Total). The minimum score for the PTE is a 58. IELTS minimum score for graduate studies is 6.5.