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Full Description

The Ph.D. degree in Music Education integrates teaching, theory and research in inquiry about music teaching and learning. Through a collaboration with Kent State's College of Education, Health and Human Services, the degree program allows for emerging scholars to engage in coursework and research in areas connecting musical and educational pedagogies. Students pursuing the Ph.D. degree are interested in preparing music teacher educators at institutions of higher learning; engaging in arts education activities; and exploring emerging practices in curriculum, artistic instruction and educational thought.

For more information about graduate admissions, visit the graduate admission website. For more information on international admissions, visit the international admission website.

Admission Requirements

• Master's degree from an accredited college or university
• Bachelor's or master's degree in music education
• Minimum 3.000 undergraduate GPA on a 4.000-point scale
• Official transcript(s)
• Current and valid state teaching license earned from an accredited U.S. university program
• Minimum three years of successful teaching experience at elementary and/or secondary levels
• Video/DVD sample of school music teaching
• Résumé or curriculum vitae of professional musical and teaching work
• Goal statement
• Scholarly writing sample of related discipline
• Three letters of reference (professional and pedagogical)
• Interview with music education faculty (via voice, video or personal campus visit)
• English language proficiency - all international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions to waive) by earning one of the following:¹
  • Minimum 71 TOEFL iBT score
  • Minimum 6.0 IELTS score
  • Minimum 50 PTE score
  • Minimum 100 DET score

¹

International applicants who do not meet the above test scores may be considered for conditional admission.

Application Deadlines

• Fall Semester
  • Rolling admissions
• Spring Semester
  • Rolling admissions
• Summer Term
  • Rolling admissions

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of the program will be able to:

1. Demonstrate knowledge of music education research and practice relative to primary, secondary, undergraduate, masters and doctoral levels through writing and oral communication.
2. Engage in research activities appropriate to doctoral and professional level practice in music education.
3. Demonstrate active involvement at local, national and global levels through diverse professional activities, including but not limited to scholarly publications and presentations, collaborative research and engagement with other scholars in order to share knowledge in music and related fields.
4. Communicate a comprehensive and sophisticated knowledge of music education through the lens of history, philosophy, psychology, sociology, research methodologies, advanced pedagogy, learning theories and methods of curricular structure.
5. Demonstrate reading, research, writing and critical-thinking skills related to contemporary music education contexts.

Program Requirements

Major Requirements

¹

Students may be required to take courses in music theory, which will be applied toward the Musical Literacy requirement of the degree. Requirements will be determined based on the results of a diagnostic exam as stated in the Music Graduate Handbook. Remaining Musical Literacy credit hours are fulfilled by taking courses in music theory, music history, ethnomusicology, composition, conducting, music performance or other related topics of student interest as approved by the academic advisor.

²

Upon successful completion of the candidacy examination, students take a dissertation topic from the proposal stage through approval, writing, submission and an oral defense process with a faculty committee comprised of the music education advisor, one additional music education faculty member, one representative from music education or education, a member from another music discipline area or education and an appointed graduate faculty representative. Each doctoral candidate, upon admission to candidacy, must register for MUS 88199 for a total of 30 credit hours. It is expected that a doctoral candidate will continuously register for Dissertation I, and thereafter MUS 88299, each semester, until all requirements for the degree have been met.

Graduation Requirements

Residency Requirements

Student must complete a residency requirement of minimum 9 credit hours each year until qualifying exams.

Candidacy Requirements

For the Ph.D. a comprehensive, qualifying, candidacy examination is taken when the student has substantially completed his/her coursework and has received the consent of the advisor committee to attempt the examination. The examination includes an extensive written section consisting of proctored and non-proctored questions, and an oral section taken before a faculty committee. Material for both written and oral sections is drawn from the coursework taken during the degree program, current professional research literature, and current topics in music education. Students who fail the candidacy examination two times will be dismissed from the doctoral program.

• Delivery:
  • In person
• Location:
  • Kent Campus

National Association of Schools of Music; National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education