Professional diplomas are awarded to any student who has studied musical theory, composition, performance, or musical production and industry courses for 96 credit hours. A diploma program differs from a Bachelor of Music degree in that the diploma program replaces general education requirements (math, science, English, etc.) with specialized music courses. This specialization offers students with a college degree in another field, who have already taken a full four years of courses, the opportunity to get an accelerated degree in music.
A Bachelor of Music is a four year degree awarded after 120 credit hours have been completed. Students may choose from a wide range of different programs, such as performance, composition, music education, music therapy, and others--depending on the college's offerings. These degrees require that general education credits be met in order to be completed. These requirements typically include courses in the humanities (history, philosophy, sociology) and the sciences (math, physics, psychology) and must be completed in addition to the student's regular musical coursework.
Master's degrees are typically completed within one to three years and, depending on the program, require between 30 and 60 credit hours to be awarded. Students typically enter Master of Music programs to pursue performance, conducting, or composition. In addition to a set of final exams, most programs require one or two recitals performed before a panel for the degree to be awarded.
Doctoral degrees are the highest available degree for musical studies. Doctors of Music typically study performance, composition, or musicology (a program that includes a rather broad study of musical history and culture). Performance and composition students typically discontinue their studies after obtaining a Doctoral degree and enter the music field performing, conducting, or composing music. Musicology students typically enter academia as professors or researchers while continuing with postdoctoral studies.