Doctor of Philosophy in Music Education

The PhD program was singled out by the National Association of Schools of Music as a “special area of excellence” within the college. The review team noted that “the program is well conceived, has a strong faculty, and has developed a vision for the expected profile of students completing this program.”

Doctoral students normally spend three full-time academic years on campus for this program in order to fully participate in the community of scholars comprising fellow students and faculty. Most doctoral students have graduate assistantships that support them and provide them with the experience of teaching undergraduate students.

Recent Michigan State University Ph.D. graduates have been appointed to tenure-track positions at renowned universities across the US, including Oklahoma State University, University of Maine, University of North Dakota, University of North Texas, and University of Wisconsin-Madison. They join PhD alumni network teaching at institutions such as: Case Western Reserve University, Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Eastern Michigan University, Hope College, University of Arizona, University of Houston, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, University of North Carolina-Greensboro, and the University of South Florida.

Music Education doctoral students at MSU maintain an active publication profile. For example, current and recent MSU PhD students have published work in Arts Education Policy Review, the Journal of Research in Music Education, Music Educators’ Journal, and many more. They also present their work at international, national, and state conferences.

Learn more about our current PhD students.

Curriculum

See the MSU Registrar’s Office for a list of courses and requirements to complete a PhD in Music Education.

Application

The application process and required materials are outlined under Admissions to the MSU College of Music.