Ph.D.
The Ph.D. in Music at Bar-Ilan University is intended for students holding a Master's degree in music who wish to pursue advanced research, creative practice, or interdisciplinary inquiry in their field of specialization.
The main component of the degree is the doctoral dissertation. In addition, students are required to complete 12–16 academic credits (6–8 weekly hours) of coursework, including a mandatory departmental colloquium, a mandatory research methods course, and additional courses selected in consultation with the doctoral supervisor. The Ph.D. is normally expected to be completed within four years.
Areas of Specialization
The Department of Music offers doctoral studies in several areas:
Musicology
Advanced research in historical, theoretical, analytical, cultural, and interdisciplinary approaches to music. Research may address musical works, practices, repertoires, performance, sources, and broader historical and cultural contexts.
Music Therapy
Research examining the therapeutic uses of music and musical interaction in clinical, educational, community, and health-related contexts. Studies may employ qualitative, quantitative, or mixed research methods.
Music Education
Research into teaching and learning in music, musical development, pedagogy, curriculum, creativity, educational technologies, and the social and cultural dimensions of music education.
Composition
Doctoral studies for composers seeking to develop an original body of creative work alongside advanced theoretical, analytical, or practice-based research. The program supports contemporary approaches to composition and interdisciplinary artistic inquiry.
Music, Technology and Visual Media
Interdisciplinary doctoral research at the intersection of music, technology, computation, engineering, and digital media. Areas of research may include computational musicology, digital signal processing, sound analysis and synthesis, artificial intelligence and machine learning in music, algorithmic composition, interactive systems, spatial and immersive audio, digital musical instruments, music cognition, human-computer interaction, audiovisual media, and research-creation integrating technological research with original musical works.
Admission Process
The admission process begins with an interview with the coordinator of the relevant area of specialization. The purpose of the interview is to review the applicant's previous academic background, research or creative experience, proposed area of study, and suitability for doctoral studies in the Department of Music.
Following approval by the relevant area coordinator, the applicant must complete the formal university registration process. Candidates are subsequently invited to a departmental committee meeting attended by the chair of the departmental doctoral committee, the prospective supervisor or supervisors, a representative of the department administration, and the candidate.
The committee determines whether supplementary coursework is required, whether the candidate must complete a thesis-equivalent research project, and the appropriate supervisory arrangement. Following approval by the departmental committee, the candidate may begin preparing the doctoral research proposal.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to begin the registration process no later than June in order to allow sufficient time for university processing, the departmental committee meeting, and the beginning of studies in October of the same year.
Candidates who completed a Master's degree without a research thesis will be required to complete a thesis-equivalent research project before beginning the doctoral dissertation. It is recommended that this project be related to the intended doctoral topic, thereby establishing a foundation for the subsequent research. The thesis-equivalent project must be completed within two years, after which the candidate may proceed to the doctoral stage.
Further Information
For information about the different areas of specialization, please contact:
Musicology: Prof. Alon Schab – alon.schab@biu.ac.il
Music Therapy: Dr. Ayelet Dassa – ayelet.dassa@biu.ac.il
Music Education: Dr. Atara Isaacson – atara.isaacson@biu.ac.il
Composition: Dr. Adi Snir – adi.snir@biu.ac.il
Music, Technology and Visual Media: Prof. Shai Cohen – shai.cohen@biu.ac.il
Information regarding doctoral regulations, research proposal guidelines, dissertation submission requirements, forms, and English-language requirements is available through the Bar-Ilan University School of Graduate Studies.
