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Music Education | College of Music

Doctoral Program

Coordinator: Dr. Don Taylor
(940) 565-3745 or Don.Taylor@unt.edu

The PhD degree is designed to focus on skills related to research, pedagogy, and leadership in the field of music education. Students in the program may pursue part-time or full-time study; however, a minimum of one year residence beyond the Master’s degree is required.  Detailed information can be found in the MUED Handbook:

Handbook: PhD Degree in Music Education

 

MUED Application Procedures

I. Prerequisites for Application

The following prerequisites apply for application to the MUED program:

    1. An earned Master's degree.
    2. A record of at least three (3) years of full-time, successful teaching experience in group instructional settings. It is highly recommended that this experience be gained at the public school level of instruction. Private studio teaching alone may not suffice as a substitution for group instructional activities. The appropriateness of a candidate’s teaching experiences will be evaluated by the Music Education Graduate Faculty.
II.  Applying

Application to the MUED graduate program is a two-step process, including (1) applying to the Toulouse Graduate School, and (2) applying to the College of Music.

Step 1: Apply to the University and the Toulouse School of Graduate Studies
Current guidelines regarding application to the University may be obtained here: http://tgs.unt.edu/future-students/graduate-admissions.

Step 2: Apply to the College of Music Division of Music Education

https://app.getacceptd.com/untmusic
Applicants to the MUED graduate program must submit a completed College of Music online application form and must upload supporting materials to the online application. Supporting materials must include: 

  1. A current résumé or vita
  2. A writing sample demonstrating academic writing (e.g., a Master’s paper, project, etc.)
  3. A personal philosophy statement that addresses teaching, music, and long-range professional goals
  4. Three (3) letters of recommendation from three (3) individuals qualified to evaluate the applicant's accomplishments and merits. These will be submitted using the online form included on the College of Music application.
  5. A teaching video that highlights classroom instructional episodes, such as rehearsals, warm-ups, or other activities. These are especially important for students who are applying for TA/TF positions. 
  6. GRE Scores in Verbal and Writing.

As a reminder, these materials will be uploaded to the College of Music online application, which can be found at: http://music.unt.edu/admissions/graduate. (Deadlines differ according to varying fields in the College of Music. Applications to the MMEd program are accepted throughout the year.

General Application Information

  1. No performance audition is required in order to apply to the MUED graduate program.
  2. Please note that application to the Toulouse Graduate School is separate from application to the College of Music, and that admission to the Graduate School does not imply acceptance to the Music Education program.
  3. Applicants are expected to submit GRE scores (verbal and written analytical portions only) at the time of application in order to be considered for graduate studies in music education. This is especially important for applicants who wish to be considered for full-time status. Students who have been accepted previously received a score of 418 or higher on the verbal exam and a 4.0 or higher on the analytical (writing) exam. When registering for the GRE, applicants will need to provide UNT’s school code: 6481.
    1. The Graduate Preparation Course (GPC), provided for international students by the Intensive English Language Institute (IELI), will not be accepted as a substitute for the GRE requirement. The GRE must be taken prior to moving to the United States.
    2. International applicants in music education must be provisionally accepted to the program prior to beginning studies at the Intensive English Language Institute (IELI). Acceptance to and/or studies in IELI in no way ensures acceptance to the Music Education program.
  4. In order for the Coordinator of the PhD Program to give full consideration to applicants’ files, all supporting materials and Toulouse Graduate School requirements must be fulfilled. Application files will not be seen by the Coordinator until such time as they are complete.  
  5. Once completed files have been reviewed, notifications of acceptance or denial will be sent to applicants from the College of Music Office of Graduate Studies, typically within a two-week time frame.
III.  Acceptance

Acceptance Procedures, Deficiencies, and Permission to Enroll in Coursework
After arriving on campus for the first semester's work:

    1. Take the Graduate Placement Examinations (GPE) given by the College of Music during the student orientation sessions in the Fall and Spring semesters. These examinations cover music theory and music history. Deficiencies in either or both of these areas will result in additional coursework to remove deficiencies. Additionally, deficiency courses do not count toward the hours necessary to finish graduate coursework, so students may go beyond the hours of minimum coursework when removing deficiencies.
    2. Attend all orientation sessions scheduled by the Director of Graduate Studies in Music.
    3. Meet with the Coordinator of the PhD Program in Music Education to discuss advising procedures and the facets of the degree program.
    4. Make final adjustments to class enrollment for the upcoming semester.

Time Limitation and Student Status
All work to be credited toward the doctoral degree must be completed within a period of ten (10) years from the date doctoral credit is first earned. A minimum residence of one full academic year above the master's degree is required. A graduate student is officially in residence when carrying at least nine hours of course work in each of two consecutive long semesters. The summer can be counted as a summer of residency if the hours taken either spring/summer or summer/fall total 18.  A graduate student is officially full-time when carrying at least nine (9) hours of coursework in each of two consecutive long semesters.

Scholarships, Teaching Assistantships (TAs), and Teaching Fellowships (TFs)
Music education scholarships, Master’s-Doctoral Fellowships, and TA/TF awards are available for students who qualify and when funds are available. Only full-time students are eligible for TA/TF awards. Additionally, full-time students cannot be considered for TF assistantships until 18 hours of coursework have been successfully completed. More information on these awards may be found here.

For more information, contact:
Dr. Don Taylor, PhD Coordinator
Don.Taylor@unt.edu
(940) 565-3745