In order to obtain the Baccalaureate and Licentiate degree in Gregorian Chant and Musicology and for the Doctorate in all courses, the following standards are prescribed:
The final paper must be at least 52,500 characters (approx. 20 pages, including spaces), excluding the bibliography, images and documentary appendices.
For the Licentiate in Gregorian Chant and Musicology, the Final Dissertation must be at least 157,500 characters (approximately 60 pages, including spaces), excluding the bibliography, images and documentary appendices.
For the Doctorate, the final thesis must be at least 525,000 characters (approximately 200 pages, including spaces), excluding the bibliography, images and documentary appendices.
Baccalaureate and Licentiate Theses:
The thesis must have specific relevance to the discipline in which the academic degree is being pursued.
It will be conducted under the guidance of a moderator chosen by the student from among the Institute's lecturers. Exceptionally, with the approval of the Preside, a moderator from another university academic institution may be chosen.
The candidate - no later than three years after the last examination taken in the Licentiate Course - will submit to the Secretariat four copies of the thesis, one of which will be kept in the archives, together with the authorisation of the supervisor of the thesis.
Doctoral Theses:
The candidate will submit 6 copies of the thesis to the Secretary’s Office no later than five years after admission to the Doctoral School, one of which will be kept in the archives, together with the authorisation of the moderator.
Publication of the thesis:
The Director of the Doctoral School will inform the person concerned of the editorial rules for publication and of any changes to be made to the original paper.
The text of the thesis to be published must be delivered to the Secretariat so that the conditions for publication can be verified. The Secretary, having obtained the favourable opinion of the Director of the Doctoral School and the nihil obstat of the Preside, shall return the text for printing.
Should the thesis, in the judgement of the moderator and the censors, be published only in part, the abstract must consist of at least 50 printed pages of the text, to which the bibliography and index must be added.
The Preside, acting on the recommendation of the Director of the Doctoral School, shall appoint two censors to examine and assess the documents submitted for the dissertation. One of the two censors may also be from another university academic institution or an expert in the discipline covered by the thesis.
Five copies and a pdf file of the printed thesis must be delivered to the Secretariat. After verifying that all the required conditions and fulfilments have been met, the Secretary to the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music may produce the doctoral diploma - or a provisional substitute document bearing the Institute's seal, the signature of the Preside, and his own - entitling the student concerned to bear the title of doctor.