Scholarly Doctoral Programme
The scholarly doctoral programme imparts and fosters an understanding of theory and methodological skills at postgraduate level. The aim of the PhD studies is to train the next generation of academics by equipping them with the ability to carry out independent academic research, going beyond the academic professional training they have already received. Graduates are familiar with the current state of research in their field. They can critically analyse various positions at the intersection of science and the arts and are capable of developing new research questions and addressing them using sound methodological approaches.
Primary Scholarly Supervision
Primary scholarly supervision is available in the following disciplines at Bruckner University:
- Interpretation Research
- Cultural Studies in the Field of Musicology
- Music Education
- Music Theory
- Musicology
Secondary Scholarly Supervision
For secondary supervision, please search at a recognised domestic or foreign post-secondary educational institution in accordance with your subject area and contact the professors who are suitable for you directly.
Established partnerships in the field of doctoral programmes exist with the Bern University of the Arts (HKB), the University of Art and Design Linz, the Paris Lodron University Salzburg, and the mdw University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna.
Please note: For a corresponding secondary supervision assessment at the HKB, please first contact the Head of the Institute of Interpretation, Prof. Martin Skamletz, via martin.skamletz@hkb.bfh.ch.
Curriculum of the Scholarly Doctoral Programme
Click on the button to see the full curriculum for the scholarly doctoral studies:
Curriculum: Scholarly Doctoral Programme
Below you can find a brief summary thats provide a general overview.
The doctoral programme comprises 180 ECTS credits, which corresponds to a duration of six semesters of full-time study.
It is divided into four modules:
The Research Exposé serves to demonstrate essential subject-specific competences and should generally be submitted by the end of the second semester. It sets out the objectives of the thesis, hypotheses, research questions, and topics. The Research Exposé demonstrates–on the basis of the research methods, the context and the literature review in the chosen field of research–that the doctoral candidate is capable of pursuing their research objective. An oral presentation, followed by a discussion of the dissertation proposal before an examination board, concludes the first module.
As part of the doctoral programme, students must complete doctoral studies seminars, courses, special activities, and projects amounting to 30 ECTS in consultation with their primary and secondary supervisors. The chosen courses should relate to the dissertation topic or complement the methodological approach, and are to be agreed upon with the supervisors. Included are such lectures and seminars as “Fundamentals and Concepts of Artistic and Artistic-Scholarly Research”, “Methods of Artistic and Artistic-Scholarly Research”, and special activities such as subject-related courses, active and passive participation in conferences, artistic presentations, etc.
The dissertation must generally be written in German, but may also be submitted in English if both supervisors agree. It must be an original work comprising at least 150 pages (at least 270,000 characters, including spaces).
All copyright laws must be observed when working on the dissertation.
The defence consists of a presentation by the doctoral candidate on the findings of their written dissertation. The supervisors then question the student on the content of the dissertation with the aim of assessing their mastery of the subject and their ability to establish broader connections within the field. Afterwards, the members of the Examination Board and members of the audience may, under the Chair’s guidance, raise questions with the doctoral candidate.
The public defence should last no longer than 90 minutes.
Following a positive overall assessment, the Chancellor shall confer the academic degree of ‘Doctor of Philosophy’ upon the graduates without delay, but no later than one month after all requirements have been met.