PhD in Music – Cardiff University

Institution providing the doctoral degree

Cardiff University

Location

Cardiff | Wales, United Kingdom

Name of PHD

PhD in Music

Research Clusters

Musical and Vocal Performance
Theory, Analysis and Musical Composition
Musicology and Musical Heritage
Ethnomusicology – Etno; Jazz; Pop; Rock…

Duration

PhD 3 years; MPhil 1 year

Full Time PhD 5 years; MPhil 2 years – Part Time

Public / Private institution

Public University

Financial terms of the PHD position

Self-funded PhD – you must provide both tuition and your own maintenance
PhD Fully or partially externally funded, with a stipend, through private or public foundations, scholarships, grants, one or more companies, or public institutions that you have to find on your own

It is important to know that many universities offer different funding options and public and private grants available to students who match the application criteria. Before applying, it is a good idea to check the institutions’ websites and inquire about the options available to you.

Many universities require applicants to pay fees such as matriculation or dissertation fees, even if they offer a fully funded programme with or without a stipend.

Fees:

https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/research/programmes/programme/music

Funding resources:

https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/funding

https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/research/programmes/programme/music

Final output

PHD:
Assessment

Composition

Candidates for this scheme are required to submit a major work or portfolio of works of original composition, accompanied by a written commentary (of between 10,000 and 20,000 words for PhD; of between 5,000 and 10,000 words for MPhil) providing a critical analysis and placing the work in its academic context. The submission should include supporting recorded material in an appropriate format determined by the School.

Practice-led submissions are assessed by the same generic criteria as any other Cardiff University MPhil or PhD. In this regard a practice-led submission should represent sustained research into an aspect of musical composition, rather than samples of professional practice. Research in this context is understood as a process of investigation leading to new insights, effectively shared.

Musicology

The text of a PhD thesis should not normally exceed 80,000 words (excluding bibliographies and appendices). The text of an MPhil thesis should not normally exceed 60,000 words (excluding bibliographies and appendices).

Performance

For PhD in Music Performance, the submission will take one of the following forms:

a 90-minute performance plus a thesis of ca. 50,000 words or a scholarly edition with critical commentary
a portfolio of performances of ca. 220-minutes in total, supported by a written commentary of ca. 20,000 words

Performances may be live or a sound and video recording (DVD or equivalent), or a combination.

Post-examination, a recording of the performance(s), in a format agreed by the School of Music, shall form part of the durable record.

How to apply

Follow the steps below to find out exactly how to apply for our postgraduate degree programmes and what to expect after you have applied.

Funded research projects and studentships may have their own application instructions that could differ from the process below.

Choose a taught course or research area.
Check the start date and application deadline.
Check the entry requirements – if you have not yet met the entry requirements, you can usually still apply for a course. You may receive an offer of a place on the condition that you meet the requirements before you start the course.
Check you can pay the fees (they vary depending on course) and the living costs.
Look at our funding pages to see the financial support available – if you intend to apply for funding, we advise that you submit your application at least two months before a scholarship deadline.
Write a research proposal and find a supervisor to discuss your proposal (for self-funded research projects only).
Gather the supporting documents required for your application.
Apply through our online application portal via our course and research area pages – you can save your application and return to it later, so you don’t need to complete it all at once.
Wait for us to process your application.
We will send you an offer – find out what your offer means.
You should reply to the offer by the set deadline.
Follow the next steps.

International applicants

If you’re an international student applying to Cardiff University, you may also need to:

Consider an English language course
Apply for a visa
Check your qualifications by visiting the relevant country page
Meet the English language requirements

Entry requirements

Suitable for graduates in Music. Candidates are normally expected to have a 1st or upper 2nd class Honours degree, or equivalent, and to have completed, or be about to complete, a taught master’s degree involving music.

Applicants must also show evidence of appropriate skills in music composition (for Composition) or music performance (for Performance) as well as foreign language skills (if relevant).

English language requirements

IELTS with an overall score of 6.5 with 5.5 in all subskills, or equivalent. Please see our English Language Requirements guidance for more details.