Doctor of Philosophy in Faith-Based Music in Performance

Program Overview

Degree abbreviation

Ph.D. in Faith-Based Music in Performance

Total program length

120 semester credit hours

Maximum approved transfer credit

Up to 40 semester credit hours

Minimum credits completed through the University after maximum transfer

80 semester credit hours

Normal completion time

Four to six academic years, depending on approved transfer credit, enrollment status, research progress, and dissertation completion

Advanced faith-based music in performance theory and specialization

30 credit hours

Research methods, statistics, and scholarly inquiry

24 credit hours

Professional leadership and higher-education teaching

15 credit hours

Advanced electives and concentration courses

18 credit hours

Scholarly writing and publication

9 credit hours

Comprehensive examination and doctoral candidacy

6 credit hours

Program Details

• Total Credits: 120
• Duration: 3 years
• Degree Level: PhD

Dissertation research and defense

• 18 credit hours
• Total
• 120 semester credit hours
• The Doctor of Philosophy in Faith-Based Music in Performance at HBI University is a rigorous, terminal degree program designed for advanced practitioners, scholars, and pedagogues in the musical arts. The curriculum integrates high-level performance expertise with scholarly research, focusing on the intersection of artistic excellence, ethical responsibility, and community impact. Students engage in deep inquiry regarding the role of the performing arts in diverse cultural and organizational settings, preparing for leadership roles that demand both intellectual depth and technical proficiency.
• Rooted in an institutional commitment to servant leadership, the program emphasizes the stewardship of creative gifts and the role of the artist as an agent of positive societal transformation. Through a synthesis of advanced performance practice and rigorous academic research, candidates develop the capacity to design and lead music initiatives that align with the mission and values of faith-based and community-oriented organizations.
• The Doctor of Philosophy in Faith-Based Music in Performance is a research-intensive doctoral program emphasizing advanced faith-based music in performance theory, original research, quantitative and qualitative methodology, scholarly publication, higher-education teaching, ethical leadership, and the development and evaluation of faith-based music in performance-support programs.
• Students may receive up to 40 semester credit hours of approved graduate or doctoral transfer credit. Accepted transfer credits are applied toward the 120-credit graduation requirement and may reduce the student's remaining coursework and anticipated completion time. A student receiving the maximum transfer-credit award must complete at least 80 semester credit hours through the University.
• The Ph.D. requires successful completion of all required coursework, comprehensive examinations, admission to doctoral candidacy, approval of a dissertation proposal, original scholarly research, submission of an approved written dissertation, and a successful oral defense.
• DOCTORAL TRANSFER-CREDIT POLICY: The Doctor of Education and Doctor of Philosophy programs each require 120 semester credit hours. Students may transfer up to 40 semester credit hours of eligible graduate or doctoral coursework toward either degree. Transfer credit is not automatically awarded. Each request is evaluated individually according to: The academic level of the previous coursework; The relevance of the coursework to the doctoral curriculum; Course content and learning outcomes; Credit-hour equivalency; Grades earned; The age of the coursework; Official institutional documentation; The University's residency and transfer-credit policies. Accepted transfer credit may reduce the number of courses and the amount of time required to complete the degree. Students awarded the maximum 40 transfer credits will have 80 semester credit hours remaining in the 120-credit doctoral program. Comprehensive examinations, doctoral candidacy, doctoral residency, the applied doctoral project, dissertation research, and the final oral defense must ordinarily be completed through the University. These requirements may not be satisfied through transfer credit unless expressly permitted under a published University policy.

Dissertation Prospectus Development

• 4
• RES730
• MUS760 — Performance Seminar II: This second seminar continues the exploration of virtuosic performance with an emphasis on stylistic nuance and historical performance practices. Students prepare repertoire for public performance cycles. This course prepares students in supporting faith-based, nonprofit, community organizations' missions.
• MUS770 — Theoretical Foundations of Music Performance: Students analyze advanced formal structures and harmonic languages in 20th and 21st-century music. The curriculum emphasizes analytical methodologies for interpretation and performance execution. This course prepares students in supporting faith-based, nonprofit, community organizations' missions.
• COU780 — Organizational Management and Group Dynamics: This course reviews strategies for leading teams, managing conflict, and fostering collaborative environments in creative nonprofits. It emphasizes interpersonal communication and institutional health. This course prepares students in supporting faith-based, nonprofit, community organizations' missions.
• RES800 — Dissertation Prospectus Development: Candidates formalize their research inquiry, literature review, and methodology for their final doctoral dissertation. This process involves regular critique from faculty and peers. This course prepares students in supporting faith-based, nonprofit, community organizations' missions.

Capstone Performance Residency

• 4
• MUS810
• RES870

Dissertation Writing I

• 4
• RES800
• BUS880
• Nonprofit Administration and Grant Writing
• 3
• None
• ART890
• Sociology of Aesthetic Expression and Cultural Development
• 3
• None
• MUS860 — Capstone Performance Residency: Students undertake a major public performance series, integrating artistic scholarship with community-focused programming. This residency serves as the artistic component of the dissertation. This course prepares students in supporting faith-based, nonprofit, community organizations' missions.
• RES870 — Dissertation Writing I: Candidates begin drafting the substantial chapters of their final doctoral research project under faculty supervision. Emphasis is on original argument and rigorous scholarly synthesis. This course prepares students in supporting faith-based, nonprofit, community organizations' missions.
• BUS880 — Nonprofit Administration and Grant Writing: Students learn the principles of fiscal management, fund development, and grant acquisition for musical nonprofits. The course emphasizes sustainability and institutional transparency. This course prepares students in supporting faith-based, nonprofit, community organizations' missions.
• ART890 — Sociology of Aesthetic Expression and Cultural Development: This course examines the role of aesthetic expression in shaping societal structures and human civilization throughout history. Students analyze how cultural artifacts and performances function as primary mediums for communication and community identity. This course prepares students in supporting faith-based, nonprofit, community organizations' missions.

Dissertation Writing II

• 4
• RES870
• RES910

Dissertation Defense

• 6
• RES900
• MUS920
• Professional Portfolio and Career Planning
• 3
• None
• EDU930
• Advanced Mentorship in the Arts
• 3
• None
• RES900 — Dissertation Writing II: This final phase focuses on the completion of the dissertation manuscript and preparation for the oral defense. Candidates refine final arguments and ensure academic integrity. This course prepares students in supporting faith-based, nonprofit, community organizations' missions.
• RES910 — Dissertation Defense: Candidates present their completed research and performance work to a faculty committee for examination and final approval. This defense certifies the candidate's mastery of the field. This course prepares students in supporting faith-based, nonprofit, community organizations' missions.
• MUS920 — Professional Portfolio and Career Planning: Students compile their professional body of work, creating a strategy for future scholarly, performing, and leadership opportunities. The focus is on long-term professional development. This course prepares students in supporting faith-based, nonprofit, community organizations' missions.
• EDU930 — Advanced Mentorship in the Arts: Candidates apply principles of mentorship to guide future students and emerging practitioners in their respective fields. The course emphasizes the cultivation of leadership character. This course prepares students in supporting faith-based, nonprofit, community organizations' missions.

Dissertation Requirement

• The Dissertation serves as the culminating academic experience for the PhD candidate, representing an original and substantial contribution to the field of music performance. This project encompasses both a performance-based component and a rigorous scholarly document, requiring the candidate to synthesize theoretical research with high-level artistic practice. The dissertation is weighted at 10 credit hours and requires the candidate to demonstrate expertise in a specialized area of performance while articulating its broader implications for professional and community service.
• The project requires students to evaluate their research through the lens of servant leadership and biblical stewardship, demonstrating how artistic excellence serves as a medium for positive communal influence. Students must document how their performance choices, programming, and pedagogical approaches reflect ethical integrity and spiritual formation. This final scholarly work serves as the primary evidence of the student’s readiness to participate in professional life as an artist-scholar who is deeply committed to both technical mastery and the advancement of faith-informed, nonprofit initiatives.

Dissertation research and defense | 18 credit hours

• Total | 120 semester credit hours
• Code | Title | Credits | Prerequisites
• RES701 | Advanced Research Methodology in the Arts | 3 | None
• MUS705 | Advanced Performance Pedagogy | 3 | None
• CHR710 | Ethics and Stewardship in Professional Leadership | 3 | None
• Code | Title | Credits | Prerequisites
• MUS720 | Performance Seminar I | 4 | None
• RES730 | Advanced Academic Writing for Musicians | 3 | RES701
• HIS740 | Music History and Cultural Context | 3 | None
• MIN750 | Servant Leadership in Creative Environments | 4 | None
• Code | Title | Credits | Prerequisites
• MUS760 | Performance Seminar II | 4 | MUS720
• MUS770 | Theoretical Foundations of Music Performance | 3 | None
• COU780 | Organizational Management and Group Dynamics | 3 | None
• RES800 | Dissertation Prospectus Development | 4 | RES730
• Code | Title | Credits | Prerequisites
• MUS810 | Advanced Performance Seminar III | 4 | MUS760
• MUS820 | Music Technology and Digital Stewardship | 3 | None
• EDU830 | Curriculum Design in the Arts | 3 | MUS705
• RES850 | Advanced Qualitative Analysis | 4 | RES701
• Code | Title | Credits | Prerequisites
• MUS860 | Capstone Performance Residency | 4 | MUS810
• RES870 | Dissertation Writing I | 4 | RES800
• BUS880 | Nonprofit Administration and Grant Writing | 3 | None
• ART890 | Sociology of Aesthetic Expression and Cultural Development | 3 | None
• Code | Title | Credits | Prerequisites
• RES900 | Dissertation Writing II | 4 | RES870
• RES910 | Dissertation Defense | 6 | RES900
• MUS920 | Professional Portfolio and Career Planning | 3 | None
• EDU930 | Advanced Mentorship in the Arts | 3 | None

Career Opportunities

• University Professor of Music
• Director of Artistic Programming in Nonprofit Organizations
• Music Minister or Organizational Arts Director
• Performing Arts Consultant for Faith-Based Institutions
• Community Music Outreach Coordinator
• Research Scholar in Music Pedagogy

Important Notices

• The program educates ethical professionals who demonstrate technical excellence, servant leadership, professional integrity, and a commitment to apply sound principles to advance faith-based organizations, strengthen communities, and contribute responsibly.
• HBIU is a lawfully operating nonpublic faith-based postsecondary institution that maintains its status under section 1005.06(1)(f), Florida Statutes. The University annually affirms its compliance with the requirements applicable to faith-based institutions in Florida through Commission for Independent Education.
• HBIU accreditation from QAHE (for quality assurance in pre-tertiary and higher education mechanisms). QAHE offers globally recognized accreditation and quality assurance for higher education, training providers, and professional institutions worldwide. Students should consider the nature and scope of this recognition in relation to their individual certification and professional goals.
• Transfer credit is evaluated individually based on course content, credit hours, grades, institutional documentation, program requirements, and applicable university policies. Although HBIU provides academically structured programs, no institution can guarantee that another college, university, employer, licensing board, or credential-evaluation service will accept its credits or credentials. Students are encouraged to obtain advance written confirmation from the intended receiving organization.
• The program develops academic knowledge and applied competencies for service in faith-based organizations, nonprofit institutions, community programs, and related professional environments. Some occupations associated with the subject area may be regulated by governmental or professional authorities. A degree from HBIU demonstrates completion of the University's academic requirements but does not, by itself, confer professional licensure or legal authority to perform regulated services.
• Where a program is related to an external certification, eligibility is determined exclusively by the applicable certifying organization. Certification bodies may establish additional requirements involving education, examinations, experience, background screening, continuing education, or membership. HBIU does not guarantee certification eligibility or examination approval unless a formal written agreement expressly provides otherwise.
• Career and occupational information is provided to help students make informed educational decisions. Employment outcomes depend on factors such as the graduate's experience, geographic location, professional qualifications, employer requirements, economic conditions, interviewing ability, and any applicable licensure or certification requirements. Completion of a program does not constitute a promise of employment, promotion, job placement, or a particular occupational title.
• This program is delivered through online instruction. Students must have access to the technology, equipment, internet service, software, and learning resources identified in the University's technology requirements.
• Internship or field-experience participation is subject to academic eligibility, site availability, supervisor approval, and the requirements of the participating organization. The University assists students with the placement process but cannot guarantee placement with a particular organization, supervisor, location, or schedule.
• Students are responsible for reviewing the catalog, understanding program requirements, providing accurate information, meeting academic and financial obligations, and verifying whether the program supports their intended educational or professional goals.
• Completion of a University program does not authorize a graduate to use a professional title that is protected or restricted by law. Graduates must use titles that accurately reflect their education, credentials, employment role, and current licensure or certification status.
• Degree abbreviation | Ph.D. in Faith-Based Music in Performance
• Total program length | 120 semester credit hours
• Maximum approved transfer credit | Up to 40 semester credit hours
• Minimum credits completed through the University after maximum transfer | 80 semester credit hours
• Normal completion time | Four to six academic years, depending on approved transfer credit, enrollment status, research progress, and dissertation completion
• Advanced faith-based music in performance theory and specialization | 30 credit hours
• Research methods, statistics, and scholarly inquiry | 24 credit hours
• Professional leadership and higher-education teaching | 15 credit hours
• Advanced electives and concentration courses | 18 credit hours
• Scholarly writing and publication | 9 credit hours
• Comprehensive examination and doctoral candidacy | 6 credit hours