Center for the Performing and Cinematic Arts / BOYER COLLEGE OF MUSIC AND DANCE

Learn more about the Doctor of Philosophy in Music Education.

About the Program

The PhD program in Music Education stresses the development of university teaching skills and research experience. It prepares music educators with advanced skills in quantitative or qualitative research methods to effectively translate research findings into music education practice and develops a cadre of music education professors who can assume leadership roles in the music education profession. Students are offered advanced study through specialization in music education practice and research, focusing on skills development and accountability for a diverse student population in a rapidly changing educational terrain. The program provides a home for those with traditional and non-traditional backgrounds. Its breadth and flexibility allow outstanding opportunities for differences in expertise and focus. The curriculum is overseen by the academic advisor in concert with the departmental PhD advisory committee.

Time Limit for Degree Completion: 7 years

Campus Location: Main

Full-Time/Part-Time Status: The degree program can be completed on a full- or part-time basis.

Interdisciplinary Study: Interdisciplinary study is encouraged.

Accreditation: Temple University is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM), and is an approved provider of educational programs leading to the Pennsylvania Department of Education Professional Certification.

Areas of Specialization: Students enrolled in the PhD program in Music Education identify an area of scholarly focus while at Temple. Examples include, but are not limited to, arts education, choral education, composition, conducting, dance and movement, early childhood music education, educational administration, educational policy studies, elementary music education, general music education, instrumental education, kinesiology, music history, music theory, psychology, secondary music education, sociology, technology and urban education.

Job Prospects: Graduates of the program typically find employment in colleges and universities, public and private educational systems, and other venues in the music industry, or as independent researchers.

Non-Matriculated Student Policy: With permission from the Dean's Office, individuals may be granted permission to enter the College as a non-matriculated student, taking up to 9 graduate credits (excluding private lessons) before applying for admission to a program.

Financing Opportunities: Boyer College of Music and Dance offers a number of assistantships and academic internships to full-time matriculated graduate students. Full awards carry a stipend plus full tuition remission for the Fall and Spring terms. Partial awards also are available in values of a quarter, half, or three quarters of a full award. Duties for assistantships and internships vary, but typically include teaching, tutoring, classroom assistance, research, artistic performance and/or direct service related to academic programs. All incoming graduate students are automatically considered for an award by the department and Dean of Admissions.

Admission Requirements and Deadlines

Application Deadline:

Fall: February 1
Spring: September 15

Decisions regarding admission are rendered after all required credentials have been submitted and the admissions application is complete.

APPLY ONLINE to this graduate program.

Letters of Reference:
Number Required: 2

From Whom: Letters of recommendation should be obtained from evaluators who can provide insight into the applicant's abilities, talents and aptitude for graduate study. Applicants who received a degree from the Boyer College of Music and Dance within the previous 12 months are exempt from this requirement.

Coursework Required for Admission Consideration: All applicants must present credentials that are the equivalent of the appropriate Bachelor of Music degree at Temple University, which is based on a curriculum of 124 to 135 hours. Doctoral candidates must hold the Master of Music degree (or the equivalent) in the field of specialization from an accredited institution. Applicants accepted with deficiencies will find the deficiencies noted in the letter of admission. Deficiencies must be addressed prior to completion of the degree.

Master's Degree in Discipline/Related Discipline: A degree in Music is expected. At least one degree, whether bachelor's or master's, must be in Music Education.

Bachelor's Degree in Discipline/Related Discipline: A degree in Music is required.

Statement of Goals: Provide a written account of your accomplishments to date, goals and expectations for the program, goals for beyond the program, and special interests in the discipline.

Standardized Test Scores:
GRE/MAT: Optional

Applicants who earned their baccalaureate degree from an institution where the language of instruction was other than English, with the exception of those who subsequently earned a master’s degree at a U.S. institution, must report scores for a standardized test of English that meet these minimums:

• TOEFL iBT: 100
• IELTS Academic: 7.0
• PTE Academic: 68

Resume: Your current resume must be submitted in paper form with other supporting application materials and forwarded electronically to the department chair.

Interview: After the complete admissions application has been received by Temple University, applicants should contact the department at 215-204-8310 to arrange a campus visit and schedule an interview.

Writing Sample: Applicants submit a paper that was written while completing the master's degree. This paper should demonstrate the applicant's scholarship and writing ability.

Academic and Musical Profile (AMP): The Academic and Musical Profile (AMP) consists of two parts:

1. Performance: Applicants must submit a digital video of representative instruction episodes that adequately demonstrate both teaching skills and musicianship. The recording should be no more than 15 minutes in duration and may include any type of music teaching. Applicants should include a brief written narrative explaining the contents of the video. The digital video is submitted via Acceptd.
2. Written: This examination is completed by the applicant during the on-campus interview visit. The applicant has 90 minutes to demonstrate writing skills and general knowledge about music education, including contemporary theories, practices, problems and trends. The exam is scored by Music Education faculty. Results are considered in the admissions decision. Additional coursework may be required to remediate inadequacies.

Teaching Certification: Applicants must be certified to teach in at least one state in the United States. A minimum of three years' successful elementary or secondary teaching experience is required. A copy of the teaching certificate must be submitted.

Advanced Standing: The Music Education PhD consists of credits taken beyond the master’s degree. At the time of admission, the entire master’s degree serves as the starting point of the doctoral degree and so these credits are not counted toward any requirement of the doctoral degree. However, students who completed graduate coursework beyond a master’s degree may request to transfer up to 12 additional graduate credits in coursework graded “B” or higher. Typically, this coursework is reviewed after admission to the program and must be approved by the major advisor, the department chair and the dean or dean’s designee before being sent to the Graduate School for final review.

Other: Due to the large number of applications for admission and the competitive nature of its music programs, the College admits only a portion of its applicants. In addition to the general admissions credentials required of all Temple University graduate applicants, specialized admission criteria (i.e., auditions, portfolios, interviews, recommendations, departmental term papers, and standardized examinations) are very heavily weighted in admission decisions of the Boyer College of Music and Dance. Graduate applicants may be rejected for admission for failing to obtain the required level of proficiency in any one area of the specialized admission criteria regardless of the level of success in meeting the Temple University general admission criteria. In addition to the level of success demonstrated in the above-mentioned criteria, a final admission factor is the College's Optimum Enrollment Policy. This policy may preclude the admission of any student who meets the minimum requirements.

Program Requirements

General Program Requirements:
Number of Credits Required Beyond the Master's: 60

Required Courses:

Course List

Code	Title	Credit Hours
Core Courses
MUED 8651	Psych Music Lrn & Behav	3
MUED 8672	Supervsed Univ Music Tch (2 terms)	2
MUED 8673	Music Tch in Higher Educ	3
MUED 8674	Sem Grad Music Education (2 terms)	2
Electives
Music Education 1		17
Music Supportive Areas 2		9
Cognate Area 3		18
Research Course 4		6
MUED 9994	Preliminary Examination Preparation
MUED 9998	Pre-Dissertation Research
MUED 9999	Doctoral Dissertation
Total Credit Hours		60

¹

Electives in Music Education are taken in the Major Area, advised by the academic advisor. These courses are taken in Music Education and research skills development (educational psychology, statistics, etc.). A course of study is developed depending on the candidate's prior experiences and professional goals. 

²

Electives in Music Supportive Areas are designed to reinforce musical foundations and musicianship. They include conducting, ethnomusicology, literature, music history, music theory, and performance. 

³

After the candidate has been accepted into the program but prior to the first term of study, the candidate declares a cognate area in concert with the academic advisor. The candidate and faculty advisor then develop a general course of study appropriate to the cognate area. The course of study becomes the curriculum that guides the student and faculty advisor throughout the degree program. During the first year of study, students may opt to modify the course of study and/or cognate area in consultation with the advisor. Following the first year of study, the cognate area and general course of study become binding.

⁴

Of the 6 required research credits, a minimum of 2 credits of MUED 9999 must be taken. The other 4 credits may be taken in any combination of MUED 9994, MUED 9998, and MUED 9999.

Additional Requirements:
Written Entrance Examinations:
Written entrance exams are optional for incoming doctoral students. Typically, doctoral music education students who request or are advised to take them are pursuing music theory as a cognate, and thus seek access to all graduate level music theory and music history courses. Candidates who fail the entrance examinations the first time may, upon application to the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies of the Boyer College of Music and Dance, be permitted to take the examinations a second time. A third opportunity is not allowed. If the examinations are failed a second time, and the student still seeks access to all music history and theory courses, remediation must occur. Students are advised by departmental faculty who develop a remediation plan according to the student's needs.

1. Music History Exam: A general examination covering the history of music is administered. Questions relative to forms, styles and periods of music are included. It is expected that all examinees are acquainted with the standard literature of music.
2. Harmony Exam: This exam involves completion of a harmonic excerpt in advanced chromatic idiom and the creation of a bass line with figuration (figured bass) in Baroque style.
3. Counterpoint Exam: From a given motive, approximately 20 measures of imitative counterpoint in three parts are to be completed.
4. Form and Analysis Exam: A score is provided at the examination that requires analysis of specified passages.

Continuous Registration:
Continuous registration of at least 3 credits must be maintained each term, with the exception of Summer, from the time of acceptance into the PhD program in Music Education until completion of all courses prior to the 6 dissertation credits. In advance of a fall or spring semester, students who identify they will be unable to make sufficient academic progress should consult with their advisor about filing for a leave of absence.

Professional Development Policy:
In addition to taking the required subjects for their degrees, all students in the Boyer College of Music and Dance are obligated to serve in a number of capacities in order to enrich their academic and musical expertise. Boyer College of Music and Dance believes that such experiences give impetus to successful professional careers. Among the duties that may be required are conducting laboratory classes; tutoring; teaching private lessons; coaching; participating in the distribution and inventory control of Temple University-owned musical instruments and instructional materials; participating in ensembles; accompanying; performing at admissions and open house events; supervising performance classes; and engaging in other academic activities.

Independent Study Courses:
Independent study courses provide a special opportunity for graduate students to work in a highly individualized setting with one or more faculty members. All such study must receive the approval of the faculty member providing the instruction, the students' major advisor, and the Associate Dean. Approval is granted only after the student has presented a detailed description of the intended independent study project. Approval of independent study projects is granted only for students whose academic and musical record provides substantial support for the benefits of this type of study. In no case may more than 20% of a graduate student's curriculum be taken as independent study. Private lessons beyond those required in the curriculum are not an appropriate form of independent study.

Acceptable English:
All students, including those for whom English is not the native language, are expected to present all written work in acceptable English. No double standard exists to differentiate students on the basis of proficiency in the use of the English language. Students are also responsible for becoming familiar with the College's statement on plagiarism and academic honesty.

Preliminary Exam Requirements:
The music education doctoral preliminary exam consists of two parts, organized in consultation with the advisor: (1) Oral Examination and (2) Paper Project. Typically, the two requirements are completed in the academic year during which the student is completing coursework. To be eligible to prepare and defend their dissertation proposal, students complete preliminary exam requirements when they complete both portions of the preliminary requirements with a minimum evaluation of Pass, and all related paperwork has been submitted and approved.

Residency:
A one-year residency of two contiguous (Fall and Spring) terms is required for PhD candidates. During the residency, internship requirements are met. The residency provides candidates with the opportunity to work closely with a faculty mentor and allows focused time for work toward degree completion with faculty guidance. Candidates with previous University teaching experience may apply for a residency waiver.

Incompletes:
All incomplete grades must be fulfilled by the first day of the month in which the student expects to graduate.

Other:
Graduate assistantships and other forms of University-sponsored financial aid do not cover private lesson and recital extension fees.

Culminating Events:
Proposal:
In consultation with the academic advisor, and following Temple University Graduate School and music education program policies, a doctoral student who has completed the program's preliminary exam requirements prepares their dissertation proposal and identifies committee members to participate in the proposal defense. Upon passing the proposal defense, the doctoral student satisfies the proposal requirements when they have submitted to the department chair an approved proposal and all paperwork related to the proposal's content and Graduate School policies. With the department's approval, all paperwork is forwarded to the Graduate School. Upon the Graduate School's approval, the doctoral student is elevated to candidacy and is eligible to register for MUED 9999 and complete the dissertation.

Dissertation:
Doctoral students who are elevated to candidacy register for 1 credit of MUED 9999 per fall and spring semester until successfully defending, revising, and submitting their dissertation to the Graduate School following Graduate School policies. The completed dissertation demonstrates the capability to integrate coursework; identify a viable research topic; develop an appropriate research design; systematically gain evidence toward resolving the stated problem; and write, defend and publicize the results in a professional manner.

At the time of defense, advisor ensures that the doctoral student is registered for, at minimum, their 6th research credit. Of the 6 required research credits, a minimum of 2 credits of MUED 9999 must be taken. The other 4 credits may be taken in any combination of MUED 9994, MUED 9998, and MUED 9999. 

Contacts

Department Contacts: