PhD Music (Electroacoustic Composition)

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Please ensure you include all  required supporting documents  at the time of submission, as incomplete applications may not be considered.

Application Deadlines

For consideration in internal funding competitions, you must submit your completed application by  13 January 2025.

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 below deadlines to be considered. You will not be able to apply after these dates have passed.

• For September 2025 entry:  30 June 2025
• For January 2026 entry:  30 September 2025

Before you start your application, you should:

1. Develop your own research proposal and project title.
2. Find a supervisor by browsing our academics’ profiles, and reach out directly to discuss if they are interested in supporting your research.
3. Consider how you plan on funding your research and discuss this with your supervisor.

When you submit your application, you must include each of the below required documents:

• A 1,500 word PhD research proposal ; Please state the word count on page 1 of the document.
• A copy of your Bachelor's academic transcript and certificate.
• A copy of your Master's academic transcript and certificate. If your Master's degree is pending, please provide an interim transcript.
• If you have completed more than one Bachelor's or Master's degree, please provide evidence for each. If your transcripts are in a language other than English, you must provide an official English translation. If your weighted average mark or GPA is not included on these documents, please also include an official document from your university verifying this information.
• An up-to-date academic CV summarising your academic record, employment history, publications and highlighting experience demonstrating your research potential.
• The names of two academic referees, including one from your most recent institution. Your referees will be contacted directly via the Referee Portal following the submission of your application form. You may wish to notify your referees to submit their references promptly, as this is part of the review process.
• A certificate or evidence demonstrating your English language ability and proficiency. Applications can be considered without this evidence but any offer would be conditional on meeting minimum requirements.
• After you submit your application, we will request a compositional portfolio.

Our PhD Music (Electroacoustic Composition) programme will see you produce a portfolio of electroacoustic works and a written commentary, allowing you to develop your original creative voice under the supervision of our specialist academic staff.

Your supervised research will normally relate to the research interests of a member of staff. These currently include (but are not limited to):

• Fixed media/acousmatic electroacoustic composition
• Multi-channel spatial formats
• Data sonification and audification
• Interactive music systems
• Audio-visual music
• Game-audio and VR-based electroacoustic music
• Arts-science and interdisciplinary electroacoustic music

Our research across the department involves particular focus on seven core research areas , built around research questions, themes and approaches that are shared by a number of members of staff. Explored thematically during our Thursday research afternoons, the core research areas allow us to interrogate key issues in music research from multiple angles, fostering imaginative and multi-layered responses that are both intellectual and creative. They comprise:

• Creative and performing practices
• Sound, space and interactive art
• Politics, protest and power
• Nationalism, mobility and identity
• Historically and culturally informed analysis
• Critical reception studies
• Intercultural musicking

Electroacoustic postgraduate students are based in the NOVARS research centre and the associated electroacoustic music studios. Workshops and performances of postgraduate compositions are arranged through the department. These will primarily be supported by student involvement with MANTIS (Manchester Theatre in Sound) and may also involve the Quatuor Danel, our quartet-in-residence, among other professional and student performers.

As a research student in the department, you will be assigned a research panel, consisting of your supervisor, a co-supervisor and an independent reviewer who will meet with you on a regular basis to discuss your progress and offer expert advice on the development of your project.

Postgraduate students are an important part of the academic community of the department and the University, and we encourage all our PhD students to participate in research seminars and to present their research at regular intervals to help them develop their research experience and profile.

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

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.

Learn more about our facilities for Music students .

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.