(PMUSC)
PhD concentrations are Composition, Experimental Music & Digital Media, Music Education, Musicology, and Music Theory.
The Doctor of Philosophy degree at LSU requires the following minimum number of credit hours of graduate coursework for each of the following specializations:
Composition: 48 hours beyond a 30-hour master’s degree in music. This degree is offered to students who show promise as outstanding composers.
Experimental Music & Digital Media: 60 hours beyond a 30-hour master’s degree in music. This degree is designed to prepare students to be composers, performers or music researchers whose work explores music technology, digital media and experimentation in either professional or academic settings. Graduates will also be prepared to teach electroacoustic music, digital media and music technology at the college-university level.
Music Education: 53 hours beyond a 30-hour master’s degree in music. This degree is offered to students who show promise as outstanding researchers and master teachers of music. The degree is awarded to candidates who complete the course of study with distinction, demonstrating outstanding ability in original research, scholarly study, and excellence in teaching.
Music History: 51 hours beyond a 30-hour master’s degree in music. This degree is intended to develop in students the knowledge, concepts, and techniques for musicological research and to prepare students for teaching music history at the college/university level.
Music Theory: 51 hours beyond a 30-hour master’s degree in music. This degree is intended to develop in students the knowledge, concepts, and techniques for research in music theory and to prepare students for teaching at the college/university level.
The Doctor of Philosophy degree must be completed within seven years. The majority of the required coursework will be selected from courses at the 7000 level with minimal number of credit hours selected from 4000 level courses that carry graduate credit. The dissertation is required for all PhD degrees and requires a minimum of nine credit hours of MUS 9000 .
Additional information regarding specifics of each Doctor of Philosophy degree offered may be found in the School of Music Graduate Handbook by accessing the school’s website.