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PhD/MA by Research Musicology

Carry out your postgraduate Musicology research in one of the most dynamic institutions in Britain, University of Birmingham, with supervision from world-leading academics and access to outstanding facilities in our Bramall Music Building.

Quick Facts

  
Duration: 1 year (MA by Research)
3 years (PhD)
Starting in: January, September
Tuition Fee: £20,820 full-time
£10,410 per year part-time (distance learning only)
Location: Birmingham, United Kingdom / Online

Our staff include composers, performers and scholars with research expertise that covers popular music, electronic music, Western Art Music (Medieval, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, 20th and 21st Century), music analysis, music psychology, critical theory, British music, ethnomusicology, and sound studies.

We offer two postgraduate research-only programmes, whether you are looking to complete your academic studies with a PhD or pursue your research at Masters level.

Research:

  • Musical Composition
  • Musical Performance Practice
  • Musicology

“The transition from undergrad to postgrad can be a big step up in terms of workload and what is expected of you, but there is so much support available to you as a postgrad student, from academic writing support (if you’ve been out of education for a few years or just want a bit of extra help) to mental health and wellbeing services. The careers support is fantastic – the uni puts on employer fairs throughout the year and you have access to one on one support from the Careers Network team, who can help you develop your skills ready for your next step!”

Emma Sutton // PhD Psychology

Why study this course?

  • Postgraduate community: By taking the Musicology programme from University of Birmingham, you will experience the latest research in music via our regular seminar series featuring leading scholars, composers, and performers. You will also have the opportunity to present your own research to fellow students and staff in our informal ‘research lunch’ series.
  • World-leading research: The Department celebrated excellent results in the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF), where 50% of research outputs (which measure the quality of published research produced by academics) for Music were top 4* rated as ‘world-leading’. This output score was one of the leading scores in the country.
  • Employability: Employers that graduates have gone on to work for include: Arts Council England; BBC; Birmingham Conservatoire; Birmingham Contemporary Music Group; Coventry City Council Performing Arts Service; Lancaster University; National Opera Studio; National Orchestra; Raffles Institution; and Royal Northern College of Music.
  • Scholarship opportunities: The Department has generous scholarship funding to cover fees and/or maintenance costs in cases of appropriate attainment.

Requirements

Our requirements for postgraduate research are dependent on the type of programme you are applying for:

  • For MA by Research programmes, entry to our programmes usually requires a good (normally a 2:1 or above) Honours degree in Music or a related subject, or an equivalent qualification if you were educated outside the UK.
  • If you are applying for a PhD then you will usually also need to hold a good Masters qualification in Music or a related subject.

Any academic and professional qualifications or relevant professional experience you may have are normally taken into account, and in some cases, form an integral part of the entrance requirements.

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