Hello everyone. So I get a lot of emails and messages asking about Liberty University’s Doctor of Music Education program. I made a video around the time I started the program back in 2021 on YouTube that you can watch by clicking here. As a quick update…I’ve been taking two classes per semester (spring, summer, and fall) and started my dissertation classes in the fall of 2022. Here is a quick overview of the major aspects of the program. As someone that does not have a background in music education (my bachelor’s is in music performance, and my master’s is in jazz studies), I’ve definitely learned a lot in my efforts to “round out'“ my academic knowledge in music.
WRITTEN COMPREHENSIVE EXAM
Once you complete all of the core coursework, you have to complete both an oral and written comprehensive exam. The written portion is administered first. You can pick when you want to take it within the semester. Typically it is best to take it as early as possible. The written test is three questions that are given to you by a special code. I can’t remember exactly, but you get about 5-7 days to complete the question (I think it is five days), and each question was a minimum of four pages long. It may seem like a long time, but I used the complete time to research, draft, and edit my responses. The questions, from what I understand, are completely chosen at random; however, all of the previous coursework prepares you for the challenge.
ORAL COMPREHENSIVE EXAM
The oral comprehensive exam is administered a few weeks after the written one. This allows the members of the board to review the written comp exam. Essentially, the board (usually consisting of two professors) will dig deeper into the topics from the written exam. My oral comp took about 1.5-2 hours. I was definitely challenged to support my responses. Overall, it was a great experience that I think will prepare me to defend my thesis.
CURRENT STATUS
I’m currently in my second dissertation class. The first class required me to complete chapters 1 and 2 (the literature review). The second dissertation class is for completing chapters 3-5. My process was extended, however, due to awaiting approval from the Institutional Review Board (IRB). The IRB process is required if your research involves human subjects. My research was exempted; however, the process still took about two months. Now that I have been approved to conduct my research, I’m currently seeking participants. This process is definitely taking a little longer than I suspected…so I may end up continuing throughout the summer.
I hope this blog post gave you some insight into the program. Wish me luck on my quest to become
Dr. DeMarius Jackson!