Doctor of Philosophy in Faith-Based Musicology,

Program Overview

Degree abbreviation

Ed.D. in Faith-Based Arts in Musicology

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

Three to six academic years, depending on approved transfer credit, enrollment status, academic progress, and completion of the doctoral project

Advanced faith-based arts in musicology and specialization courses

30 credit hours

Leadership, administration, and professional practice

21 credit hours

Research methods and program evaluation

18 credit hours

Professional application and doctoral residency

15 credit hours

Advanced electives or concentration courses

12 credit hours

Comprehensive examination and doctoral candidacy

6 credit hours

Applied doctoral project and defense

18 credit hours

Total

120 semester credit hours

The Doctor of Philosophy in Faith-Based Arts in Musicology, Specialization in Christian Music History, is a rigorous research-oriented doctoral program designed to cultivate scholars who bridge the gap between historical musicology and the application of faith-based traditions. Through a comprehensive study of liturgical evolution, hymnology, and the sociological impact of sacred music, students engage with diverse cultural and historical contexts to expand the scholarly landscape of the discipline. This program emphasizes critical inquiry, archival research, and the interdisciplinary intersection of aesthetics, theology, and historical analysis. By fostering an environment of intellectual depth and service-oriented scholarship, the program prepares candidates to contribute significantly to the academic community and the wider public sphere. Students are challenged to pursue excellence in research while integrating a framework of ethical stewardship and leadership within the performing arts.

The Doctor of Education in Faith-Based Arts in Musicology is an applied professional doctorate emphasizing advanced faith-based arts in musicology knowledge, organizational leadership, ethical stewardship, program development, community-care systems, higher-education instruction, and evidence-informed professional practice.

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 number of courses and the amount of time required to complete the degree. A student receiving the maximum transfer-credit award must complete at least 80 semester credit hours through the University.

The applied doctoral project must address a documented faith-based arts in musicology-support, educational, organizational, or community-care need. The project must include scholarly research, an implementation model, measurable outcomes, ethical safeguards, an evaluation plan, 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.

Program Details

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

Dissertation Proposal Development

• 3
• RES701
• MUS835 — Music and Post-Colonial Cultural Identity: This seminar investigates the influence of colonial history on contemporary musical practices and identity construction in developing nations. It addresses the synthesis of traditional musical forms with imported structures. This course prepares students in supporting faith-based, nonprofit, community organizations' missions.
• RES840 — Digital Humanities in Music Scholarship: A study of modern digital tools used for analyzing, visualizing, and sharing historical musicological data. Students learn to implement these technologies to enhance public awareness and education. This course prepares students in supporting faith-based, nonprofit, community organizations' missions.
• MUS845 — Historical Narratives in Opera: This course analyzes the evolution of Western operatic storytelling and the dramatic application of narrative motifs across distinct historical eras. Students evaluate the intersection of literary tradition and dramatic musical composition. This course prepares students in supporting faith-based, nonprofit, community organizations' missions.
• RES850 — Dissertation Proposal Development: Candidates formalize their research question, methodology, and literature review under the guidance of faculty advisors. This process concludes with a defense of the research proposal. This course prepares students in supporting faith-based, nonprofit, community organizations' missions.

Dissertation Requirement

• The Dissertation serves as the culminating academic experience of the Ph.D. program, requiring students to produce an original work that significantly advances the field of Christian music history. This project necessitates the application of advanced musicological methods, critical theory, and interdisciplinary analysis to explore a specific historical phenomenon or artistic development. The scope of the work is designed to demonstrate professional-level mastery of research protocols while adhering to the highest standards of academic integrity and investigative depth. Through this process, students integrate their findings with a framework of faith-based ethical reasoning, demonstrating how their academic work fosters a commitment to servant leadership and intellectual stewardship. The dissertation is weighted at 12 credits, signifying its primary importance in validating the student's readiness for doctoral-level scholarship and vocational service. It serves as a testament to the candidate's character development, proving that academic research can effectively serve the broader community through truth, grace, and spiritual formation.

Career Opportunities

• University Professor of Musicology
• Archivist for Ecclesiastical or Historical Collections
• Director of Music for Faith-Based Educational Institutions
• Research Scholar for Historical Societies
• Consultant for Religious Arts and Cultural Organizations
• Journal Editor for Academic Performing Arts Publications
• Administrator of Non-Profit Music Foundations

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 | Ed.D. in Faith-Based Arts in Musicology
• 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 | Three to six academic years, depending on approved transfer credit, enrollment status, academic progress, and completion of the doctoral project
• Advanced faith-based arts in musicology and specialization courses | 30 credit hours
• Leadership, administration, and professional practice | 21 credit hours
• Research methods and program evaluation | 18 credit hours
• Professional application and doctoral residency | 15 credit hours
• Advanced electives or concentration courses | 12 credit hours
• Comprehensive examination and doctoral candidacy | 6 credit hours
• Applied doctoral project and defense | 18 credit hours
• Total | 120 semester credit hours
• Code | Title | Credits | Prerequisites
• RES701 | Advanced Research Methods in Musicology | 4 | None
• HIS705 | Ritual Practices in Historical Context | 4 | None
• MIN710 | Ethics and Stewardship in the Performing Arts | 4 | None
• Code | Title | Credits | Prerequisites
• HIS715 | Development of Hymnology in Western Tradition | 3 | HIS705
• MUS720 | Aesthetics and Philosophical Musicology | 3 | None
• RES725 | Advanced Archival Research and Preservation | 3 | RES701
• MUS730 | Comparative Global Music Traditions | 3 | None
• Code | Title | Credits | Prerequisites
• HIS801 | Sacred Music in the Age of Reformation | 3 | HIS705
• RES810 | Quantitative Analysis in Musicological Research | 3 | RES701
• HIS820 | The Impact of Patronage on Sacred Music | 3 | None
• MIN825 | Leadership in Non-Profit Arts Administration | 3 | MIN710
• Code | Title | Credits | Prerequisites
• MUS835 | Music and Post-Colonial Cultural Identity | 3 | HIS730
• RES840 | Digital Humanities in Music Scholarship | 3 | RES810
• MUS845 | Historical Narratives in Opera | 3 | THE720
• RES850 | Dissertation Proposal Development | 3 | RES701
• Code | Title | Credits | Prerequisites
• MUS900 | Advanced Seminar in Musicological Research | 3 | None
• MIN910 | Community Engagement through the Arts | 3 | MIN825
• RES920 | Doctoral Dissertation Research I | 6 | RES850
• Code | Title | Credits | Prerequisites
• RES930 | Doctoral Dissertation Research II | 6 | RES920
• CAP950 | Final Dissertation Defense | 6 | RES930
• MUS960 | Doctoral Colloquium in Musicology | 2 | None
• MIN970 | Vocational Integration and Mentorship | 2 | None