Doctor of Philosophy in Church Music and Worship
School of Church Music and Worship
Doctor of Philosophy in Church Music and Worship
Intensive study in the field of church music and worship
The purpose of the Doctor of Philosophy in Church Music and Worship degree is to provide intensive study in the field of church music and worship integrated with biblical, theological, philosophical, historical, and theoretical perspectives.
Degree Highlights
- 68 hours
- Prepares for church ministry or specialized careers in music
The Ph.D. degree emphasizes rigorous scholarship and original research. Students enrolled in the program follow the current Doctor of Philosophy Handbook, which is also provided by the Research Doctoral Studies Office.
Prerequisites
Applicants must hold a master’s degree from a regionally accredited college, university, or seminary whose requirements approximate those of the Master of Music (MM) degree at Southwestern Seminary. The Master of Arts (MA) may be acceptable depending on the overall content of the degree curriculum. When possible, the school will offer opportunities for otherwise qualified applicants who do not have the required prerequisite degree to attain degree equivalency through additional studies.
Applicants with a grade point average of 3.5 or higher in graduate studies will be well qualified for the limited spaces available in the program. Applicants with a grade point average below a 3.3 will normally be requested to take additional graduate courses to demonstrate academic ability before being considered for the program.
Application
Prospective doctoral students will submit a general seminary application to the Office of Admissions.
English Requirements
International applicants must submit scores from the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or IELTS Language exams. For the TOEFL, a score of 5-6 (maximum score of 6) is required. Students who complete the computer-based TOEFL must also complete the TSE (Test of Spoken English). IELTS language exam requires a score of a 7. Southwestern Seminary and Texas Baptist College will no longer accept Duolingo as an entrance language exam. Students may continue to submit test scores from TEOFL or IELTS.
Evidence of Scholarship
PhD applicants must submit a research paper (4000-6000 words) on a subject in an area of church music and worship studies. The form and style should follow the most recent edition of Turabian’s Manual for Writers. In matters not addressed by Turabian, the paper should adhere to the most recent edition of The Chicago Manual of Style or The SBL Handbook of Style.
Interview
An applicant must be interviewed by the chair of Ph.D. in Church Music and Worship program before final approval for admission can be granted.
Language Requirements
Students must demonstrate competency in at least two research languages chosen under the guidance of the student’s supervisor. English may not serve as one of the two research languages, nor may any native language that does not directly pertain to the student’s area of research. The first research language should be completed by the end of the first year of reading seminars and the second research language by the conclusion of the second year.
Residence Requirements
Students may participate in the program as residential students on the Fort Worth campus or, as part of a three-year educational experiment approved by the Association of Theological Schools, online through live video web conferencing.
Grades
Doctoral students must maintain an overall grade point average of 3.30.
Continued Enrollment
Doctoral students must enroll in the fall and spring semesters each year and pay enrollment fees from the time they begin their program until they graduate or withdraw from the program. Doctoral students who are not enrolled in regular coursework or doctoral examinations must enroll in MUDOC 8100 Doctoral Continued Enrollment.
Time Limit
The Ph.D. degree must be completed within a period of seven years from the time of admission. Extensions may be granted to students who are serving in an international mission field.
Course Requirements
| COURSE TITLE | COURSE NUMBER | HOURS |
|---|---|---|
| 3 Orientation Seminars (All Ph.D. students must attend three years of the Ph.D. Orientation in the Fall semester.) | RSTCH 7551-7571 | 3 |
| Research and Writing in Church Music and Worship Studies | WORSP 7503 | 3 |
| Special Research in Church Music and Worship | WORSP 7613 | 3 |
| Colloquium I | WORSP 8011 | 1 |
| Colloquium II | WORSP 8021 | 1 |
| Teaching in Higher Education | MUDOC 7883 | 3 |
Research Seminars
Select six seminars, at least one from each category:
18
| COURSE TITLE | COURSE NUMBER | HOURS |
|---|---|---|
| Research in Worship History I | WORSP 7514 | 4 |
| Research in Worship History II | WORSP 7524 | 4 |
| COURSE TITLE | COURSE NUMBER | HOURS |
|---|---|---|
| Research in Theology and Worship I | WORSP 7534 | 4 |
| Research in Theology and Worship II | WORSP 7544 | 4 |
| COURSE TITLE | COURSE NUMBER | HOURS |
|---|---|---|
| Research in Music and the Arts in Worship | WORSP 7554 | 4 |
| Research in Aesthetics and Music Philosophy | WORSP 7564 | 4 |
| COURSE TITLE | COURSE NUMBER | HOURS |
|---|---|---|
| Research in Congregational Song I | WORSP 7584 | 4 |
| Research in Congregational Song II | WORSP 7594 | 4 |
Total
24
| COURSE TITLE | COURSE NUMBER | HOURS |
|---|---|---|
| Selection of electives will be made in consultation with the advisor, based on the student's background and dissertation research. Applied study must be with the approval of the department of instruction and after an audition. The student can select any combination of the following: | 8 | |
| One additional Church Music and Worship Research Seminar | WORSP 7xx4 | |
| One seminar from another school at Southwestern Seminary | XXXXX 7xx4 | |
| 1 or 2 Music History Seminars | MUHST 7xx3 | |
| 1 or 2 Music Theory Seminars | MUTHY 7xx3 | |
| Up to 3 hours of auditioned ensembles and/or applied study |
| COURSE TITLE | COURSE NUMBER | HOURS |
|---|---|---|
| Research Language Examination | MUDOC 8062 | 2 |
| Doctoral Qualifying Examinations | MUDOC 8082 | 2 |
| Doctoral Prospectus Defense | MUDOC 8092 | 2 |
| Doctoral Dissertation in Church Music and Worship | WORSP 8116 | 16 |
Total
68
Frequently Asked Questions
Application Process
Any applicant with a grade point average lower than 3.5 among all graduate degrees related to the applicant’s proposed area of study must submit scores from the Graduate Record Exam Standard Examination (GRE). Applicants with professional doctoral degrees may not waive this requirement based on the completion of those degrees or the grade point average from them. The GRE should be taken at least four months prior to the SWBTS PhD entrance examination and must have been taken no more than five years prior to applying for admission to Southwestern’s PhD program. Each applicant must take Verbal, Quantitative, and Analytical Writing portions of the General Test.
PhD applicants must submit a research paper on a subject in the student’s chosen major. The length varies depending on the specific department but, at a minimum, should be article-length and should demonstrate the ability to sustain an argument across a lengthy document. The form and style should follow the most recent edition of the Turabian Manual for Writers. In matters not addressed by Turabian, the paper should adhere to the most recent edition of (1) The Chicago Manual of Style or (2) The SBL Handbook of Style.
Students applying for Church Music and Worship who intend to take advantage of applied lessons, ensembles, etc. are strongly encouraged to schedule auditions through the School of Church Music and Worship.
- All application materials need to be received by the RDS Office at least 120 days prior to the desired enrollment semester. This means all transcripts, recommendations, and other required materials must be submitted by this time to guarantee an acceptance decision before the desired enrollment date. If an applicant has completed the GRE but has not received a score yet, then the applicant may still be allowed to advance to the next stage of the application process. Also, if not all the letters of recommendation have been received, an applicant may still be allowed to advance to the next stage of the application process.
- Fall applicants – The first deadline for applications is January 31st. These applications will be considered first. After this deadline, applications may be submitted through the end of March as long as spaces are available in the program. The earlier the application is received, the more likely a space in the program will be available.
- Spring applicants – The first deadline for applications is August 31st. These applications will be considered first. After this deadline, applications may be submitted through the end of September as long as spaces are available in the program. The earlier the application is received, the more likely a space in the program will be available.
Cost
- The Southwestern Research Doctoral Scholarship is available to Research Doctoral (PhD, EdD, DMA) students who are active members of a Southern Baptist Church and have established a 3.75 GPA. Incoming students can apply upon acceptance for enrollment, and current students must apply annually during the Spring semester for the following academic year. This is a $2,800 scholarship for tuition and fees that is divided into $1,400 for the Fall semester and $1,400 for the Spring semester. To apply for this scholarship, please fill out the general financial aid application that opens on March 1st. The deadline for current students is May 1st and the deadline for incoming students is August 15th. Late submissions will not be considered.
- Financial assistance is not available through the RDS Office. All inquiries regarding financial assistance or payment plans should be directed to the Student Financial Services of the seminary.
Program
The PhD program is designed to be completed in four years. The PhD candidate must complete the degree within seven (7) years of entering the program.
Upon admission to the program, the student will be assigned a major supervisor, a member of the SWBTS faculty with a specialty in the student’s area of research. PhD students will also be assigned a minor advisor (if the student has a minor), a faculty member from the minor field of study who will be able to assist in choosing appropriate minor seminars and preparing for the minor comprehensive examination. Applicants are encouraged to approach a desired supervisor as early as possible in the application process.
- Seminar Stage:
- The core of the program consists of 36 credit hours of field-specific seminars and 8 credit hours of field-specific courses, plus guided reading in a supervised field bibliography.
- We supplement the core with 3 two-day orientations in Fort Worth (held each August), research and writing seminars that correspond to the orientations, and a seminar in Teaching in Higher Education.
- Field-specific seminars meet once per week.
- During completion of the seminar stage, a student will also earn a ThM.
- Comprehensive Exam Stage:
- Follows seminars.
- Overseen by student’s major supervisor.
- Oral exam conducted by three examiners for three hours.
- Intended to ensure that the student has become an expert in the academic field and is prepared to contribute to the field through a dissertation.
- Prospectus and Dissertation Stage:
- Follows successful completion of comprehensive exam.
- First, the student works with the supervisor to develop a prospectus, which outlines the thesis, methodology, and significance of a proposed dissertation.
- Once the prospectus is approved by the division/department, then the student works with the supervisor to complete the dissertation.
- The dissertation will then be evaluated by three readers (the first reader is also the supervisor).
- Student will have an oral defense of the dissertation.
Location & Online Learning
PhD students may access seminar sessions in person or remotely via synchronous online delivery. Flex access students will participate in real-time seminars, including the same opportunities for interaction as residential students. All PhD students are required to attend 3 two-day RDS Orientations on campus that are held annually in August.
All PhD students are required to attend 3 two-day RDS Orientations on campus that are held annually in August.
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