Structured Doctoral Program in Music – Hamburg University for Music and Drama
Hamburg University of Music and Drama (HFMT – Hochschule für Music und Theater Hamburg)
Hamburg | Germany (Hamburg)
Structured Doctoral Program – Dr. Sc. Mus. (Doctor of Musical Sciences)
- Musical and Vocal Performance
- Theory, Analysis and Musical Composition
- Musicology and Musical Heritage
- Music and Media
- Other fields
| Expected duration: approx. 3-4 years. Extensions can be requested. |
Public University
• 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
Fees: not specified. Standard semester contribution or administrative fees may apply to enrolled doctoral students.
Funding resources: PhD students must secure their own funding through external scholarships, grants, or sponsorships.
Depending on the topic of the project one may try receiving funds from the following scholarship foundations:
https://www.boell.de/
https://www.rosalux.de/
https://www.boeckler.de/
https://www.fes.de/
https://www.evstudienwerk.de/
https://www.studienstiftung.de/
The following database may as well help: https://www2.daad.de/deutschland/stipendium/datenbank/en/21148-scholarship-database/
These doctoral studies have two possible formats: one purely theoretical, the other hybrid (theoretical/artistic).
Candidates who choose the purely theoretical format will produce a standard scientific dissertation.
Those who choose the hybrid path will develop an artistic project in addition to a correlated written thesis (dissertation).
Dissertation
- Monographic or cumulative (a collection of connected papers) if permitted
- Written in German or in English.w
Disputation (Final Defense)
- Tipically no earlier than two weeks after dissertation acceptance.
- Public exam
- Presentation (max. 30 minutes) followed by a discussion (max. 90 minutes in total)
The dissertation and a suitable documentation of the artistic part, if hybrid (e.g., a DVD or other digital archive) must be provided. The dissertation has to be published in print or digital form within two years after the defense.
Application Materials:
- Application Form: Complete the online application form provided by HfMT Hamburg.
- Project Summary: (up to 15 lines) outlining the proposed doctoral project.
- Detailed Proposal: (approximately 10 pages) describing the research objectives, methodology, theoretical framework, and (if a hybrid format is chosen) the planned artistic component.
- Academic Documentation: copies of degree certificates (Master’s, Diplom, or equivalent), academic transcripts (with a minimum grade of “good”), and any other required qualification proofs.
- Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Supervisor Confirmation: a written statement or confirmation from the proposed primary supervisor (and secondary supervisor if applicable) indicating their willingness to supervise the project.
- Declaration: a statement acknowledging that the candidate has not previously submitted a doctoral thesis to another institution.
Submission Deadlines: around May 15 for the winter semester, around December 15 for the summer semester
Interview: After reviewing the submitted application, the Doctoral Committee may invite you for an interview to discuss your project further.Enrollment: Upon acceptance, you must enroll as a doctoral candidate at HfMT Hamburg.
Academic Qualifications:
- Master’s degree (or equivalent) in a relevant field from a German university or an internationally recognized institution. A minimum overall grade of “good” is required.
- For foreign degrees, official documentation must be provided to prove the equivalence of your qualification to the required standard.
Evidence of aptitude for scientific research:
- Candidates should demonstrate their ability to conduct independent scholarly research. This can be evidenced by your previous academic work, research projects, artistic achievements, publications, or other relevant professional experiences.
- For the hybrid format: a strong portfolio that documents the candidate’s artistic work.
Supervisor Confirmation: at least one professor (and a secondary advisor, if required) from HfMT Hamburg must be willing to supervise the candidate’s doctoral project. The prospective supervisors’ agreement is a mandatory part of the application.
Language Proficiency:
- The dissertation is usually written in German.
- In justified cases, the dissertation and defense may be conducted in English.
- German C1 for non-native speakers.
- English B2.
| Prof. Dr. Gordon Kampe (Head of the Doctoral Committee – Dr. sc. mus.) | gordon.kampe@hfmt-hamburg.de |
The Dr. sc. mus. at HfMT Hamburg is a structured six‑semester doctoral program requiring 180 ECTS credits: 135 for the doctoral project/dissertation, 22 in core subjects (musicology, music theory, music technology), 15 in elective academic fields, and 8 for the disputation. Candidates must attend conferences, doctoral seminars, and present progress at least three times.
PhD either with only theoretical or hybrid (scientific-artistic) outcome, which includes projects/concerts/exhibitions as part of the final project.
General information about research in Germany: https://www.research-in-germany.org/en.html
Visa information for extra-EU doctoral candidates: https://www.bamf.de/EN/Themen/MigrationAufenthalt/ZuwandererDrittstaaten/Arbeit/Wissenschaftler/wissenschaftler-node.html