<p>My son asked me an interesting question today, and I had no idea how to answer him. So, all you music education gurus, this one's for you!</p>
<p>As a general matter, college professors have to have earned a Ph.D. in order to get a tenure track position and a Ph.D. is a must in order to be considered for tenure. Colleges have all sorts of other types of instructors, who are often referred to as professors, but who aren't tenure-eligible. Thus, it is likely that if one were to peruse the biographies of the faculty in, say, the history department, one could expect to find that all or most faculty members have doctorate degrees (or are working on them).</p>
<p>That doesn't seem to be the case in music, at least as far as instrument specific teachers go. Thus, for example, the Chair of, say, a percussion department usually does not have a Ph.D. Does this mean that such a Chair or professor does not have tenure? Or are there special rules for music faculty? Should the fact that a professor does or does not have a doctorate (or tenure) make any difference to a prospective student? </p>
<p>Those who teach music history and music theory usually have a Ph.D. Those who pursue a doctorate in one of the performance areas, i.e. piano, voice, cello, etc., earn a D.M.A. or Doctor of Musical Arts. (In some of the arts areas, a Master of Fine Arts is considered a terminal degree; some consider the Artist Diploma to be a terminal degree, but this is a hard sell to a university tenure and promotion committee.) </p>
<p>Most of the larger music schools and conservatories are more interested in performance experiences as a validation of the applied faculty, though a DMA is fine. Many of the regional and smaller private schools require the DMA for tenure track appointments. These schools are more controlled by the general administration, and the point of view of a sophisticated music faculty and dean are less appreciated. </p>
<p>If the chairman or dean of a department or college of music holds a PhD, that probably means they are principally theorists or musicologists. If they hold a DMA, they are principally performers or composers. Regardless of their degree emphasis, all will have a performance medium and strength.</p>
<p>In our experience, the applied faculty (the instrument or voice teachers) do not have DMA or PhD degrees. They do, however, have extensive performance credentials. One of DS's favorite teachers (had tenure at a university), had a bachelors degree, but was principal player in the symphony and a well respected soloist on the instrument.</p>
<p>My son's teacher has an "Artist's Diploma"only, but is a highly respected teacher at a very good school. He is not from the US and his English is not perfect, but his teaching is great. I'm sure he has tenure.</p>
<p>DD's college instrumental teacher is an adjunct and as such is not eligible for tenure. In fact, she has to apply annually for her job (they have lost some very good teachers due to this policy). The current teacher has a BM from Berklee and an MM from NEC...and experience playing in one of the armed forces bands. She'll never get tenure...she only has one student...my kid.</p>
<p>Agree with all the above. Terminal degree for applied facutly (also conductors) may not mean nearly as much as the experience of the individual. As mamenyu notes, the stand alone conservatories - Juilliard, CIM, etc often do not use the standard tenure system but have still faculty in all areas who have spent years or an entire career at the institution.</p>
<p>Also, I've been noticing recently that many of the younger string (violin, viola, cello) players of great ability and notable accomplishment (major competition winners, participants in major select festivals, etc) are now persuing DMA's. In past years, these students would have been snatched up by music schools with little more than MMs or Artist Diplomas. If you check the bios of applied string faculty (I don't have knowledge of winds, piano or percussion) the older teachers rarely have DMA's, but younger frequently do. I sense that there may be a change in the job market, but haven't confirmed my theory. </p>
<p>In any case, the "proof of the pudding" is still in the teaching. A DMA may not increase the ability to be a fine studio teacher in the least - just another hurdle. If a student is concerned about faculty turn-over (and that is a reasonable concern), I'd ask the institution.</p>
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If you check the bios of applied string faculty (I don't have knowledge of winds, piano or percussion) the older teachers rarely have DMA's, but younger frequently do.
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<p>I've got to agree completely with fiddlestix there.</p>
<p>Without making yourself too crazy, you can google current open music faculty job listings at the college/conservatory level and note the minimum requirements for both tenure track and adjuncts.</p>
<p>The trend toward more DMA's may reflect the fact that for those who don't join orchestras it is hard to keep going in music without any continuing affiliation with a conservatory.<br>
Even at major universities, the music faculty teaching things like aural skills and keyboard are adjuncts.</p>
<p>As I understand some conservatory faculty lines, the individual faculty members have to be able to fill their studios to a certain load with student requests in order to maintain employment status with benefits, no small perk these days! Many of them teach in several area conservatories, and this has helped develop the standards and levels....sometimes a teacher will not have time on their load at at one school, but will at another, and the student who wants that teacher must go where there is room in the studio. </p>
<p>The instrumental faculty at these schools, i.e. the northeast conservatories, tend to be active performers, with connections to long established chamber groups. The voice faculty members may be more mature, past their prime as singers, and some of them have not had singing careers of particular note.....they have been hired more for their teaching abilities, a commendable employment practice. </p>
<p>Graduate students frequently teach lower level theory and music appreciation courses, secondary piano classes and instruction, voice classes, and non-major applied lessons. (Sometimes there is a mega-performer-professor teaching the large service courses for non-majors, music appreciation for the masses, part of the general core curriculum for the school.....it can pay the bills for the whole school with credit hour production.) This is universal and financially necessary considering how expensive one-on-one applied music instruction is.</p>
<p>A Ph.D. or D.M.A. does imply in-depth and< scholarly study in the discipline. Even D.M.A. candidates will do in-depth research and study, usually leading to performance instead of publication. There are just more doctorates overall in all disciplines. If you look across college faculty, you will find older faculty in all areas who were tenured with only master's degrees. It used to be that folks could get tenure often just for breathing (and, of course, depending on the institution). Nowadays, many adjunct instructors also have Ph.D.s. Tenure track faculty lines are important budget decisions because it implies a long-term financial commitment on the part of the school. There is much more flexibility when there are more adjunct faculty because they can be eliminated more easily in a time of budget cuts. </p>
<p>That is impossible now. In non arts disciplines, a Ph.D. or D.Ed. is an absolute requirement. The arts, until quite recently still considered M.F.A.'s or Artist's certificates terminal and people with outstanding performance/composition credentials could still get tenure. </p>
<p>IMO, one must always look at the individual and his/her credential. That being said, S2 eliminated programs where a majority of faculty did not have D.M.A.s/Ph.D.s simply because he/we felt that the education he would get would not be what he was looking for, however talented the specific individuals might be. For the same reason, he chose not to attend a large program where the faculty member essentially worked only with the grad students and upperclassmen. S2 had studied for 6 1/2 yrs. with 3 different teachers who all had DMA's and felt he did not want to go any place where he would not see that faculty member until he was at least a junior.</p>
<p>Even with the DMA, there will be research, and a performance document or monograph as the final project. There will be requirements for a breadth of types of recitals and performances: solo, chamber, lecture, roles, concerto, etc. All will be presented and accompanied with in depth (written) work concerning the style and historical relevance of the music, even if it is only formally presented as program notes. Language study will be extensive in the vocal arts (voice and choral conducting). </p>
<p>A performer with considerable professional experience will have accomplished these things, this in depth knowledge of the medium, through a different, less documented work, but just as thorough.</p>