Doctor of Philosophy in Music Education
The doctor of philosophy curriculum in music education prepares students for careers as teachers in higher education. A main purpose of the program is to develop skilled and knowledgeable professionals who will challenge the present and enrich the future with significant contributions to the field through teaching, research, and service. Acceptance into the doctoral program is competitive. A prospective doctoral student in music education is required to have completed appropriate undergraduate and master’s degrees in music or their equivalent at institutions of recognized standing. Also, an applicant must provide evidence of excellence in teaching and musicianship demonstrated during at least 3 years of successful, full-time contractual K-12 music teaching. Applicants to the program leading to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy must present necessary credentials for evaluation of previous training and experience to the Division of Music. These include transcripts showing at least a 3.0 grade-point average in a minimum of 28 hours in liberal arts studies, submitted through the WVU Office of Admissions and Records. A sample of writing (such as a term paper), a video-tape of teaching (preferably of a K–12 music class), and three letters of recommendation from individuals qualified to judge the applicant’s potential success as a graduate student in music must be submitted directly to the Director of Graduate Studies in Music. Normally, the admission process also includes an on-campus interview with the Music Education faculty, which may include an audition demonstrating proficiency in the applicant’s major performance area. Applicants who do not meet all of the criteria for regular admission to the Ph.D. degree program may be granted a provisional admission subject to the satisfactory completion of certain specified courses or the attainment of a specified grade-point average within a semester’s work.
Course Work
Music Education
Contemporary Techniques in Classroom Music, Appalachian Music for the Classroom, Music Making in Middle School/Junior High, Music in Early Childhood, Advanced Music Methods and Materials, Advanced Choral Music Methods and Materials, Advanced General Music Methods and Materials, Choral Techniques, Instrumental Techniques, Historical Foundations of Music Education, Foundations of Music Education, Supervision of Music, Introduction to Research in Music Education, Psychological Foundations of Music Education, Special Topics, Advanced Studies
Other Required Courses: Music History, Music Theory/Composition, Foreign Language, Statistics, Educational Psychology
Cognate Courses
Anthropology, Applied Music, Art History, Audiology, Computer Science, Curriculum and Instruction, Educational Administration, Educational Foundations, Educational Psychology, Elementary Education, Foreign Language, History, Literature, Music History, Music Theory/Composition, Philosophy, Physics, Psychology, Secondary Education, Sociology, Special Education, Statistics, Theatre
Elective Courses
Selected at the discretion of the student
Examinations
Written Qualifying
Must demonstrate broad knowledge in the fields of music history and music theory
Must demonstrate appropriate knowledge in the cognate field
Music demonstrate knowledge in depth in the field of music education
Oral Qualifying
The student’s examination committee will administer a comprehensive oral examination integral with the written examinations; passage of all is the basis for formal admission to candidacy.
Candidacy
Upon completion of the requirements of the Division of Music and the general WVU graduate studies requirements, the student will be recommended for admission to candidacy for the degree. These requirements are (in order of occurrence):
1. Pass written qualifying examinations to show:
a. Broad knowledge in theory and in music history and literature.
b. Appropriate knowledge in the minor field.
c. Knowledge in depth in the field of specialization.
2. Pass a comprehensive oral qualifying examination.
3.Present and have accepted an outline and prospectus of the dissertation.
The requirement for doctoral seminars must be completed before the presentation of the prospectus. Graduate students who have met these requirements and who have maintained a minimum average of B (3.0) in courses completed shall be admitted to candidacy. The qualifying examinations shall be considered as one integral examination consisting of the written and oral parts. If the first attempt is unsuccessful, the student is allowed to try the entire examination a second time. The second attempt will be considered final. The applicant’s committee may elect to discourage a second attempt if the first does not indicate probable success upon repetition.
Dissertation
The candidate must submit a dissertation produced at WVU under the direction of a major professor that demonstrates a high order of independent scholarship, originality, and competence in research, and that makes an original contribution to the field of specialization.
After the dissertation has been approved and all other requirements have been fulfilled, the candidate’s doctoral committee will administer the final oral examination. However, a final examination will not be given in the same semester as the qualifying examination. At the option of the student’s committee, a final written examination may also be required. The final examination(s) shall be concerned with the dissertation, its contribution to knowledge, its relation to other fields, and the candidate’s grasp of the field of specialization.
Residence Requirements
Completion of the requirements for this degree normally requires at least three years of full-time graduate work. A minimum of two consecutive semesters must be spent in residence in full-time graduate study at WVU beyond the master’s degree or its equivalent.
Time Limitation
Following admission to candidacy, doctoral students are allowed five years to complete all remaining degree requirements. An extension of time may be permitted only upon repetition of the qualifying examination and completion of any other requirements specified by the student’s doctoral committee.
