PhD course and training

     The PhD course and training are governed by the institution chosen for scientific supervision, which is either the Université de Strasbourg (Unistra) in France or the Hochschule für Musik (HfM) Freiburg in Germany. The PhD course and training are similar, or at least harmonised, between the two countries. The PhD programme runs for three years; beyond this period, annual extensions may be granted each year, provided they are justified. Mobility grants may be awarded on a monthly basis for each PhD student, taking into account the students' financial resources to finance their PhD, for a maximum period of three years.

     The PhD programme involves:

• the elaboration and writing of a high-level scientific work that offers an original contribution to the field of music performance and/or creation written up as a "thesis", corresponding to about half the volume of a traditional PhD thesis in musicology;
• an approach of experimental artistic practice in the fields of music performance or creation, culminating in a very high level "end-of-study performance" (or “recital”).

     Both parts enrich each other. Combining the theoretical research with the music practice will enable the PhD students to carry out artistic research, engage with professionals from both worlds, acquire a wider perspective in their music-making activities and relate them to broader cultural and academic contexts. The repertoire played during the recital will have a direct relevance (historical, stylistic, aesthetic...) to the thesis itself.

     The work of PhD students will therefore be supervised on two levels: a scientific and an artistic one.

     PhD students enrolled in this PhD programme at the Unistra must have:

• a classical scientific supervision at the Unistra by a "scientific supervisor" who is a professor qualified to supervise doctoral research and a member of the Doctoral School of Humanities 520 and the ACCRA;
• an artistic supervision for the music practice (instrumental or vocal Interpretation, choral or orchestral/ensemble conducting, composition) by an "artistic supervisor" who is a professor tenured at the HEAR or the HfM Freiburg.

     Please visit the College GLAREAN website for more information on the scientific supervisors of Unistra, and how to contact them.

     Please also visit the College GLAREAN website for more information on the artistic supervisors of the HEAR and the artistic supervisors of the HfM Freiburg.

     The PhD students must take the following courses during the three years of the PhD programme:

• seminars on methodology, ethics and professional integration (collectively referred to as "cross-disciplinary/interdisciplinary training"), at the Unistra and/or the HfM Freiburg, for a total of 54 hours over the course of the PhD programme (please visit the website of the ACCRA for more information on the "cross-disciplinary/interdisciplinary training", sections "Formations obligatoires" and "Formations transversales ou interdisciplinaires");
• scientific seminars organised by the Unistra or the HfM Freiburg (in accordance with the PhD students’ personal research projects), including the 6 mandatory doctoral seminars organised by the College GLAREAN, over the course of the PhD programme (included in the 54 hours of "disciplinary training"; please visit the section "Formations disciplinaires" on the website of the ACCRA);
• 3 artistic masterclasses/workshops organised by the HEAR or the HfM Freiburg over the course of the PhD programme (included in the 54 hours of "disciplinary training").

     In addition, there are:

• regular meetings with the scientific supervisor;
• teaching in music practice by the artistic supervisor for a total of 90 hours over the course of the PhD programme, which will be assessed through a public concert programme presented by the PhD student in front of a competent jury at the end of the thesis ("recital");
• a professionally oriented personal project, which may consist of an internship in a performing arts organisation (4 to 6 weeks), or an artistic project (a concert tour programme, etc.). The project will be proposed by the PhD student and submitted for approval by the scientific and artistic supervisors, and the directorate of the College GLAREAN.

     PhD students enrolled in this PhD programme at the HfM Freiburg must have:

• a classical scientific supervision at the HfM Freiburg by a "scientific supervisor" who is a professor qualified to supervise doctoral research and a member of the HfM Freiburg in accordance with § 2.4 to 2.9 of the General Doctoral Regulations ("Promotionsordnung");

• an artistic supervisor for the music practice (instrumental or vocal interpretation, choral or orchestral/ensemble conducting, composition) by an "artistic supervisor" who is a professor tenured at the HfM Freiburg or the HEAR. 

     Please visit the College GLAREAN website for more information on the scientific supervisors of HfM Freiburg, and how to contact them.

     Please also visit the College GLAREAN website for more information on the artistic supervisors of the HfM Freiburg and the artistic supervisors of the HEAR.

     During the six semesters (three years) of the PhD programme, the PhD student needs to acquire 180 Credits, in accordance with the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS), which are broken down as follows:

• the scientific work: a written thesis and its defence (60 ECTS);
• the artistic work: teaching in music practice by the artistic supervisor (28 ECTS over the course of the PhD programme), which will be assessed through a public concert programme presented by the PhD student in front of a competent jury at the end of the thesis ("recital") (60 ECTS);
• participation in scientific seminars organised by the Unistra or the HfM Freiburg (in accordance with the PhD students’ personal research projects) (9 ECTS over the course of the PhD), including the 6 mandatory doctoral seminars organised by the College GLAREAN (crediting 6 of the 9 ECTS);
• participation in seminars on methodology, ethics and professional integration, at the Unistra or the HfM Freiburg (4 ECTS over the course of the PhD);
• participation in 3 masterclasses/workshops organised by the HEAR or the HfM Freiburg (9 ECTS over the course of the PhD);
• completion of a professionally oriented personal project, which may consist of an internship or an artistic project. The project will be proposed by the PhD student and submitted for approval by the scientific and artistic supervisors, and the directorate of the College GLAREAN (10 ECTS).

     Please visit the HfM Freiburg website for more information on the PhD programme and training in the documents headed “Studien- und Prüfungsordnung” and “Anlage D: Modulhandbuch”.

     The PhD degree is awarded to a PhD student who has successfully completed the following:

• an artistic performance (musical interpretation/performance or creation) related to the topic of the thesis;
• the writing and submission of a thesis, which may be supplemented by other documents or materials;
• the defence of the thesis.

     Artistic performance

     The PhD students can choose between two options:

• to perform a public recital held and recorded audiovisually at the end of the three-year period (corresponding to the theoretical period required for a thesis): subsequently, the recording will be shown to the jury when the PhD students have their defence; the PhD students should be able to justify the choice of an audio-visual recording rather than a live recital in front of the jury at the time of the defence;
• or to perform a live recital in front of the jury at the time of the defence of the thesis: the public recital will take place, if possible, the day before the defence of the thesis.

     The PhD students must notify the directorate of their choice (at the following e-mail address: cde-icm-direction@unistra.fr). This should be done during the third year of the PhD programme, and no later than nine months before the date envisaged for the recital (live or recorded) so that that this can be organised in the best possible conditions.

     Writing, submission and defence of the thesis

     The writing, submission and defence of the thesis are governed by the regulations in force at the university where the PhD students are registered.

     For PhD students enrolled at:

• the Unistra: please consult the page of the ACCRA website dedicated to the defence of the thesis;
• the HfM Freiburg: please consult the page of the HfM Freiburg website for information on the defence of the thesis.

     Once the authorisation for the defence has been issued by the institutions, the two final exams will take place as scheduled. The presentation of the audio-visual recording or the live recital will take place before the defence. Please note that the members of the jury for the recital must be the same as for the defence.