PhD Music (Composition)

Year of entry: 2023

Overview

Degree awarded
Doctor of Philosophy
Duration
3 years [full-time], 6 years [part-time]
Entry requirements
  • A Bachelors (Honours) degree at 2:1 level or above (or its international equivalent) in a related subject; and
  • A UK Master's degree with an overall average of 65% or higher, with a minimum of 65% in the dissertation/portfolio and with no mark below 55% (or its international equivalent) in Music or a related subject.
  • Any strong, relevant work experience will be considered on a case by case basis.

Full entry requirements

How to apply

Apply online

Please ensure you include all required supporting documents at the time of submission, as incomplete applications may not be considered. A Personal Statement is NOT required to be submitted. You should select 'Supporting Statement is not required for this programme'.

Application Deadlines

Admission to studying for a PhD is highly competitive, so please allow as much time as possible to prepare your application, browse our research pages and academics' profiles, and familiarise yourself with the application process and any important deadlines.

To be considered for all funding sources, you need to apply far enough in advance of the relevant funding competition deadlines, which are usually much earlier than the programme deadline listed below. For studentships within the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures (including AHRC NWCDTP and ESRC NWSSDTP), you must submit your completed programme application by Friday 13 January 2023 unless specfied otherwise in the funding competition information at www.alc.manchester.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-research/opportunities/

If you are applying for or have secured external funding (for example, from an employer or government) or are self-funding, you must submit your application before the relevant deadline to be considered. You will not be able to apply after these deadlines have passed.

  • For September 2023 entry: 30 June 2023
  • For January 2024 entry: 30 September 2023

Programme options

Full-time Part-time Full-time distance learning Part-time distance learning
PhD Y Y N N

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Programme description

Our PhD Music (Composition) programme will see you produce a portfolio of compositions and a written commentary under the supervision of our academics.

You will be assigned a research panel consisting of your supervisor, a co-supervisor and advisor who will meet with you on a regular basis to monitor your progress.

Postgraduate students are expected to take part in the academic community of the department and the University by participating in seminars and by presenting their research at regular intervals.

Workshops and performances of postgraduate compositions are arranged through the department, and may involve Psappha, the University's ensemble-in-association, and the Quatuor Danel, the quartet-in-residence, among other professional and student performers.

Find out more about our Music research , our staff and what our current PhD postgraduate research students are working on.

Open days

Find out what it's like to study at Manchester by visiting us on one of our  open days .

Fees

For entry in the academic year beginning September 2023, the tuition fees are as follows:

  • PhD (full-time)
    UK students (per annum): TBA
    International, including EU, students (per annum): £21,000
  • PhD (part-time)
    UK students (per annum): TBA

Further information for EU students can be found on our dedicated EU page.

Please note for the majority of projects where experimentation requires further resource: higher fee bands (where quoted) will be charged rather than the base rate for supervision, administration and computational costs. The fees quoted above will be fully inclusive and, therefore, you will not be required to pay any additional bench fees or administration costs.

All fees for entry will be subject to yearly review and incremental rises per annum are also likely over the duration of the course for UK/EU students (fees are typically fixed for International students, for the course duration at the year of entry). For general fees information please visit: postgraduate fees . Always contact the department if you are unsure which fee applies to your project.

Scholarships/sponsorships

We offer a limited number of bursaries and studentships on a competitive basis, details of which can be found via the links below.

Please note that while we do not have closing dates for programme applications, all funding competitions have a specified deadline for submitting the funding application form and a separate (earlier) deadline for submitting the online programme application form, both of which will be stated in the funding competition details below.

You may also be eligible for a postgraduate loan from the government. Find out more about this and other sources of funding on the funding opportunities page.

Programmes in related subject areas

Use the links below to view lists of programmes in related subject areas.

Entry requirements

Academic entry qualification overview

  • A Bachelors (Honours) degree at 2:1 level or above (or its international equivalent) in a related subject; and
  • A UK Master's degree with an overall average of 65% or higher, with a minimum of 65% in the dissertation/portfolio and with no mark below 55% (or its international equivalent) in Music or a related subject.
  • Any strong, relevant work experience will be considered on a case by case basis.

English language

Students whose first language is not English require one of the following:

  • an overall IELTS score of 7.0 with 7.0 in the writing component, or
  • a TOEFL score of 600 paper-based test or 100 internet-based test, or
  • a Pearson Test of English (PTE) score of 76 overall with 76 in the writing component, or
  • an overall Trinity Integrated Skills in English (ISE) III grade of Merit with Merit in the writing component.

While the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures' entry requirement for IELTS is 7.0 with 7.0 in the writing component, applicants may be admitted to the Composition/Electro-Acoustic Composition PhD with an overall IELTS score of 6.5 with 6.5 in the writing component.

Please note that students admitted with the lower score will be required to take the in-sessional English courses offered by the University Language Centre in their first year.

English language test validity

Some English Language test results are only valid for two years. Your English Language test report must be valid on the start date of the course.

Other entry requirements

The University requires you to reside within a commutable distance from Manchester during your time as a registered student, unless you are on approved fieldwork/a formal placement or are on a period of Submission pending. This is to ensure that you are able to meet attendance expectations and participate in wider research activities within your discipline area and/or School. Should you be unable to do this at any point during your programme, a formal case must be made to the Faculty office, together with the full support of your supervisor(s). The University reserves the right to reject such a request where it is considered that your residency could have a detrimental impact on the progression and engagement of your studies.

Application and selection

How to apply

Apply online

Please ensure you include all required supporting documents at the time of submission, as incomplete applications may not be considered. A Personal Statement is NOT required to be submitted. You should select 'Supporting Statement is not required for this programme'.

Application Deadlines

Admission to studying for a PhD is highly competitive, so please allow as much time as possible to prepare your application, browse our research pages and academics' profiles, and familiarise yourself with the application process and any important deadlines.

To be considered for all funding sources, you need to apply far enough in advance of the relevant funding competition deadlines, which are usually much earlier than the programme deadline listed below. For studentships within the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures (including AHRC NWCDTP and ESRC NWSSDTP), you must submit your completed programme application by Friday 13 January 2023 unless specfied otherwise in the funding competition information at www.alc.manchester.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-research/opportunities/

If you are applying for or have secured external funding (for example, from an employer or government) or are self-funding, you must submit your application before the relevant deadline to be considered. You will not be able to apply after these deadlines have passed.

  • For September 2023 entry: 30 June 2023
  • For January 2024 entry: 30 September 2023

Advice to applicants

We recommend all research applicants attempt to find a suitable supervisor here at Manchester by browsing the subject website and looking at the staff list . 

Find out more on the how to apply page.

Please note that we do not teach evening classes or offer distance learning courses.

Interview requirements

The University requires an interview for all applicants to whom we consider making an offer.

Interviews will be conducted by two academics, usually the proposed main supervisor and the subject PGR Director (or an assigned representative).

The interview can be either face-to-face or via Skype, conference call or email.

The interview serves several purposes, allowing us to:

  • get a better picture of your ability to carry out the proposed doctoral project than the research proposal on its own;
  • tell you what the proposed supervisor(s) can bring to the project;
  • discuss with you directly any potential problems with the practical aspects of your studies and explore solutions together.

Deferrals

Applicants may defer entry provided they have discussed it with their supervisor. Deferred applicants are subject to the fees of the year of entry onto the course.

Re-applications

If you applied in the previous year and your application was not successful you may apply again. Your application will be considered against the standard course entry criteria for that year of entry. In your new application you should demonstrate how your application has improved. We may draw upon all information from your previous applications or any previous registrations at the University as a student when assessing your suitability for your chosen course.

Programme details

Programme description

Our PhD Music (Composition) programme will see you produce a portfolio of compositions and a written commentary under the supervision of our academics.

You will be assigned a research panel consisting of your supervisor, a co-supervisor and advisor who will meet with you on a regular basis to monitor your progress.

Postgraduate students are expected to take part in the academic community of the department and the University by participating in seminars and by presenting their research at regular intervals.

Workshops and performances of postgraduate compositions are arranged through the department, and may involve Psappha, the University's ensemble-in-association, and the Quatuor Danel, the quartet-in-residence, among other professional and student performers.

Find out more about our Music research , our staff and what our current PhD postgraduate research students are working on.

Special features

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Graduate School

All of our postgraduate students become members of the Graduate School when you start at Manchester. It has dedicated facilities for students and offers opportunities to collaborate with other postgraduates.

Facilities

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Alan Gilbert Learning Commons Fly Through

Manchester is home to one of the UK's five National Research Libraries - one of the best-resourced academic libraries in the UK and widely recognised as one of the world's greatest research libraries.

Find out more about libraries and study spaces for postgraduate research students at Manchester.

We also have one of the largest academic IT services in Europe - supporting world-class teaching and research. There are extensive computing facilities across campus, with access to standard office software as well as specialist programmes, all connected to the campus network and internet.

Every student is registered for email, file storage and internet access. If more demanding computer access is required, our specialist computing division can provide high-end and specialist computing services.

The Graduate School offers dedicated state of the art facilities to research students, including common rooms and workstations.

Learn more about our facilities for Music students .

Disability support

Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Advisory and Support Service. Email: dass@manchester.ac.uk

Careers

Career opportunities

PhD study in Music (Musicology, Composition and Electroacoustic Composition) provides graduates with in-depth research experience and training, and wider practical and transferable skills. Our graduates have gone on to academic appointments in leading universities in the UK and abroad, as well as diverse professional careers.

Recent music PhD graduates have been appointed to lecturing, teaching and researcher positions including ENES Morelia, National Autonomous University of Mexico; Royal High Conservatory of Music in Madrid; High Conservatory of Castilla-La Mancha (Spain); dBsMusic (Germany); Tamagawa University (Japan); Kunitachi College of Music (Japan); RNCM; Futureworks; Liverpool Hope University; University of Liverpool; Keele University; Royal Holloway University of London; Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts; Birmingham Conservatoire; San Jose State University (USA); Kingston University London; City University London; Royal Conservatoire of Scotland; Royal College of Music; Canterbury Christchurch; Simon Fraser University (Canada) and Southampton University.

Recent alumni have also established careers in television music composition (Danny Saul) or formed their own music and sound business enterprises (for example, Ignacio Pecino's Recursive Arts and Josh Kopecek's Echoes). 

The University has its own dedicated Careers Service that you would have full access to as a student and for two years after you graduate. At Manchester you will have access to a number of opportunities to help support you with your goals for the future.