Slightly obscure question...

...but where else could I ask it?

I've already tried the archives of this group, with no success.

I'm looking for a doctorate in Church Music, by DL.

I don't want to limit my study to one small area, but would rather cover a variety of topics, so I would prefer something that is not thesis-only.

Any ideas?

Many thanks in advance,

P

 

Can't help, I'm afraid, but I have to say that a D.Mus. is a seriously cool degree! Good luck!

 

I believe the Greenwich School of Theology in England may do this. They do the training, and the degrees are awarded by a major and very traditional South African university, North West University (until recently Potchefstroom University).

--John Bear

(I helped them out a lot years ago, and they made me the
honorary president, although I pointed out to them that I
was neither a Christian nor especially religious. I spoke at
their graduation that year (at Westminister Hall, adjoining
the Abbey), but have had no interaction since then.)

 

Dear John,

I was under the (mistaken?) impression that all GST doctorates are thesis only, ala the UK model.

Many thanks,

P

 

Dear Nosborne,

Agreed, I do like the sound of DMus.

However, in the UK it is generally a "higher" doctorate - awarded on the basis of extensive publishing post PhD level.

The only DMus that I am aware of at PhD (equivalent) level is from the Central School of Religion. They award ThD and DMus rather than PhD, afair.

Regards,

P

 

All I've got for a PhD in Music (not Church Music) through DL is:
University of New England
UNISA
As you probably already know, these will be dissertation only degrees (of course, you can elect to take courses if you wish).
Jack

 

You might want to call around and check with organists or choir directors of some of the larger churches in your area.

 

Dear Jack & Jimmy,

Thanks for the suggestions. I've already spoken to most of the other musicians here, and there is nothing available by DL, and all B&M doctorates are thesis only.

Thanks,

P

 

I think a DMus might be too general... even if it has a concentration in "Church Music."

It's just an opinion, but you're probably looking for a Doctor of Sacred Music (DSM or SMD) degree.

Some seminaries do award a Doctor of Church Music (DSM or SMD), but the "sacred music" designation is a bit more common.

The Association of Theological Schools (ATS) says that its accredited insitutions may also call it, more generally, Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA).

The ATS's requirements of any of its accredited institutions which offer any of these degrees may help one understand why it's so difficult to find anything via distance learning...


From the ATS's Degree Standards document (in RTF format):

• 
  SECTION J
  
  DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS (D.M.A.)
  
  DOCTOR OF CHURCH MUSIC (D.C.M.)
  
  DOCTOR OF SACRED MUSIC (S.M.D.)
  
  
  J.1 PURPOSE OF THE DEGREE
  
  J.1.0 The purpose of these degrees is to equip persons for teaching, research, and leadership in church and sacred music.
  
  
  J.2 PRIMARY GOALS OF THE PROGRAM
  
  J.2.0 The goals an institution adopts for these programs should include mastery of the various disciplines included in the study of music, including the liturgical and historical repertory of church music; competence in a performance area; and capacity to engage in research and teaching.
  
  
  J.3 PROGRAM CONTENT, DURATION, AND LOCATION
  
  J.3.1 Content
  
  J.3.1.1 The program shall provide for advanced study in several areas, including: liturgy, hymnology, theory, musicology, composition, and conducting.
  
  J.3.1.2 The program shall provide for the study of foreign languages as appropriate for advanced scholarly work in music.
  
  J.3.1.3 The program shall contain a major emphasis on musical performance.
  
  J.3.1.4 The program shall include some comprehensive assessment of doctoral-level knowledge of the course of studies, and a culminating dissertation, reflecting a high quality of research skill.
  
  
  J.3.2 Duration
  
  J.3.2.0 The program requires the equivalent of three years of full-time study beyond the M.C.M./M.S.M.
  
  
  J.3.3 Location
  
  J.3.3.0 Courses, seminars, and colloquia for the degree shall be completed on the main campus of the institution offering the degree. If course work completed at other institutions is to be accepted for credit in an ATS-approved doctoral program, that work shall have been eligible for credit in the doctoral programs offered by the institution at which it was completed.
  
  
  
  J.4 ADMISSION AND RESOURCE REQUIREMENTS
  
  J.4.1 Admission
  
  J.4.1.1 Admission should be based on: (a) completion of an NASM/ATS-approved master's degree program, or (b) demonstration that the candidate has the competencies provided by the M.C.M./M.S.M. degree in church music as prescribed by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) or (c) an acceptable plan for completing these requirements in the course of study for the doctorate if the student has not met them through other prerequisites.
  
  J.4.1.2 Admission should be based on appropriate performance and academic ability as well as the potential to contribute to leadership in church music.
  
  
  J.4.2 Distinctive Resources Needed
  
  J.4.2.1 There shall be faculty members who are specialists in the field of church music, including a sufficient number to instruct students at the doctoral level in the variety of relevant disciplines. Faculty shall have proven competence in teaching and research, with established reputations for scholarship. It is desirable that they should have published the results of their own scholarly work and be currently engaged in productive research.
  
  J.4.2.2 The program shall provide ready access to resources for the development of performance skills and opportunities to lead ensembles.
  
  J.4.2.3 The program shall have adequate library resources for research in the fields of music, especially church music, including access to scores, musical texts, recordings, books, and other media.
  
  J.4.2.4 ATS strongly recommends that any institution offering the research/performance doctorate in music have programmatic accreditation by the National Association of Schools of Music.
  
  
  J.5 EDUCATIONAL EVALUATION
  
  J.5.1 The institution shall be able to demonstrate that students completing these degrees have a comprehensive and critical understanding of the music disciplines, advanced performance skills, the competence to conduct original research that can contribute to their field, and the capacity to teach with skill.
  
  J.5.2 The institution shall also maintain an ongoing evaluation by which it determines the extent to which the degree program is meeting the needs of students and the institution's overall goals for the program, including measures such as the percentage of students who complete the program and the percentage of graduates who find placement appropriate to their vocational intentions.

I'm guessing you're looking for something that's accredited by an agency approved by the US Department of Education (USDE) or its Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). ATS, of course, is a USDE- and CHEA-approved accreditor.

There is an interesting, sort of unique program out there that's not accredited, but which insists that all coursework applied to it must be regionally-accredited. And many of its graduates have some pretty impressive positions in academia and elsewhere, so though it be unaccredited, it would certainly appear to be respected...

...and that's the Doctor of Sacred Music (DSM) degree from the oft-maligned (around here, at least) Graduate Theological Foundation (GTF).

While GTF's web site and catalog talk alot about "residencies," I was told by one of GTF's head honchos (over the phone, about two months ago) that pretty much any of its degrees could be obtained via distance learning as long as the coursework was regionally-accredited. I didn't press, during that conversation, about whether nationally-accredited coursework would be acceptable, but I'll bet it would be... even if only on a case-by-case basis. The only real residency at GTF that any of its degrees require is the one-day orientation at the very beginning of the degree; and then they really press you to attend the convocation/graduation at the end. Beyond that, as long as all coursework is accredited, it's possible to do the degree via distance... at least according to what I learned in the aforementioned phone call.

To graduate from GTF's DSM program, the student must complete:

1. the Orientation Session at the Foundation; and,
   
2. four (4) courses (3 semester credit hours each, for a total of 12 semester hours) of study at the institutions of the candidates choice, in consultation with the GTF advisor; and,
   
3. four 7- to 10-page response papers on topics related to the aforementioned courses; and,
   
4. the doctoral project, submitting one copy (including the Project Consultation evaluation form); and,
   
5. the process by attending the Convocation/Graduation (foreign/non-US students may be exempt).[/list=1]
   The doctoral project, according to the GTF's official "2005/2006 Program Bulletin," is described as follows:
   • The Doctoral Project will be developed in close association with the Project Director, Dr. Peter Roussakis. The concept and format of the Project should be determined by the candidate's track. If the candidate has chosen a performance track, then a recital, lecture-recital, the composition of an original work or set of works, or conducting performance would be appropriate. Where the candidate has selected an academic track, a thesis is the appropriate expression. For an administrative (ministerial) track, the candidate may undertake a Project which reflects his/her particular interests and/or context needs, such as the teaching of a series of classes on hymnody, the development and execution of a series of workshops, etc. The DSM project in its final form, if a theseis style, must be 35,000 to 40,000 words in length and must have a table of contents as well as a bibliography of a minimum of 35 sources. It is also a recommendation to have annotations for the 10 to 12 most important sources for the Project. The Project submissions should include videos and a monograph if performance or ministerial in nature. Two copies of the project must be submitted to the Foundation no later than February 1st of the intended year of graduation.
   So a thesis is clearly optional in the case of GTF's DSM program... which, I think, is what you're looking for. The problem is that some around here have roundly criticized GTF -- and rightly so, in some cases -- so you'd want to really check it out first. I started a thread around here about that very thing in which I listed many GTF graduates with some pretty impressive academic positions, but because the search function here is broken again (which I've reported), I cannot provide you with the link to it.
   
   Grrr.
   
   Personally, I'm finding GTF less objectionable these days. I'm doing quite a bit of looking into it, and I'm more impressed with it with every new thing I find or learn about it; and I'm coming to realize that it's got a perhaps deservedly bad reputation because of some past silliness on the part of its management from which it appears to have learned and is unlikely to ever do again. If the search function worked, you could learn more about that.
   
   Hope that helps!

 

Dear Gregg,

Many thanks for that detailed response, it is certainly very helpful.

I would prefer an accredited degree, but if I can't find the right course, an unaccredited degree might be ok - I'm only doing it for fun, not to try and get a job. If I was looking for a doctorate in theology/ ministry, I think I might be more concerned about accreditation.

I wasn't looking for a course where the thesis is optional, just one that involved something more than just one single thesis on one very well defined area.

Thanks again for all your help.

P