音乐教育哲学博士（Ph.D.）是该领域以研究为重点的最终学位。在南佛罗里达大学，该计划面向音乐教育研究，教学和管理领域的抱负领袖。该课程使学生准备从事音乐教育及相关领域（艺术教育，音乐技术，音乐心理学等）的原创研究。在与导师的协调下，学生在设计适合其兴趣和优势的课程时具有很大的灵活性。该程序内置了一个相关的研究领域。同类研究的示例包括行为，作曲，表演以及音乐以外的领域，例如教育心理学，神经科学，统计学，多元文化教育，人类学，心理学，哲学，教育管理等。
The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in music education is a research-focused terminal degree in the field. At the University of South Florida, this program is intended for the aspiring pinnacle leader in music education research, teaching, and administration. The curriculum prepares the student to engage in original research in music education and related fields (arts education, music technology, music psychology, etc.). In coordinating with faculty mentors, the student has great flexibility in designing a program that fits his/her interests and strengths. A cognate area of studies is built into the program. Examples of cognate studies include conducting, composition, performance, as well as fields outside of music, such as educational psychology, neuroscience, statistics, multicultural education, anthropology, psychology, philosophy, educational administration, and so forth.