Music (PhD)

Start date

1 October 2025

12 January 2026

20 April 2026

Duration

The maximum duration for a PhD is 3 years (36 months) full-time or 6 years (72 months) part-time with an optional submission pending (writing-up) period of 12 months.

Sometimes it may be possible to mix periods of both full-time and part-time study.

If studying on a part-time basis, you must establish close links with the University and spend normally not less than an average of 10 working days per year in the university, excluding participation in activities associated with enrolment, re-registration and progression monitoring. You are also expected to dedicate 17.5 hours per week to the research.

Application deadlines

For September 2025

13 June 2025 for International and Scholarship Students

04 July 2025 for Home Students

For October 2025

13 June 2025 for International and Scholarship Students

04 July 2025 for Home Students

For January 2026

17 October 2025 for International and Scholarship Students

14 November 2025 for Home Students

For April 2026

23 January 2026 for International and Scholarship Students

20 February 2026 for Home Students

About the research degree

A PhD is the highest academic award for which a student can be registered. This programme allows you to explore and pursue a research project built around a substantial piece of work, which has to show evidence of original contribution to knowledge.

Completing a PhD can give you a great sense of personal achievement and help you develop a high level of transferable skills which will be useful in your subsequent career, as well as contributing to the development of knowledge in your chosen field.

Our research degrees are available as full-time, part-time and some are offered distance learning.

You are expected to work to an approved programme of work including appropriate programmes of postgraduate study (which may be drawn from parts of existing postgraduate courses, final year degree programmes, conferences, seminars, masterclasses, guided reading or a combination of study methods).

This programme of research culminates in the production of a large-scale piece of written work in the form of a research thesis that should not normally exceed 80,000 words.

You will be appointed a main supervisor who will normally be part of a supervisory team, comprising of up to three members to advise and support you on your project.

Entry requirements

The normal level of attainment required for entry is:

A Master’s degree or an Honours degree (2:1 or above) or equivalent, normally with a classification of merit or distinction, in a discipline appropriate to the proposed programme to be followed, or appropriate research, or
professional experience at postgraduate level, which has resulted in published work, written reports or other appropriate evidence of accomplishment.

If your first language is not English, you will need to meet the minimum requirements of an English Language qualification. The minimum for IELTS is 6.5 overall with no element lower than 6.0, or equivalent. Read more about the University’s entry requirements for students outside of the UK on our International Entry Requirements page.

CeReNeM Scholarships

The Centre for Research in New Music (CeReNeM) brings together world-leading researchers and artists. The CeReNeM students pages include more details about our courses and our student community. You can also find out more about available fee waivers and scholarships.

Music Facilities at Huddersfield

We have some fantastic equipment and facilities available for you to use throughout your studies, including recording studios, lighting rigs and an electronics lab. Watch the video to learn more.

Music composed and produced by Huddersfield postgraduate music student Johnny Swailes.

Postgraduate Study

Jung In is studying for a PhD in Music and Music Technology. In her film she talks about her practice-based work, the facilities in the Creative Arts Building EMS studios and her aspirations to work with a dance company to produce a large-scale work.

Dejana Sekulic PhD Researcher

"I highly recommend this research program, because it is an exceedingly nourishing environment for both parts of the whole: the âthinkerâ and the âdoerâ of music. The music research community at Huddersfield is filled with people who have equal enthusiasm and sense of wonder, yet all with their own approaches and ideas. It is one of the most creatively thinking and supportively challenging communities, in which we inspire each other to always strive to better articulate and execute our individual pursuits.

I have the outmost luck in having Philip Thomas and Aaron Cassidy as my supervisors. Their experience, expertise and achievements in each of their respective fields are admirable, whilst their extensive scope of knowledge and information makes for a support and guidance that manage to perfectly include and balance both the academic and the artistic aspects of my research."

Dejana Sekulic, Music PhD Researcher

CeReNeM Newsletter

One of the flagship institutes of the University of Huddersfield, CeReNeM, brings together world-leading researchers and artists at the cutting edge of contemporary music performance, composition, music technology, new sonic media and new music studies. Read the latest news from the Centre for Research in New Music.

Live at Huddersfield

We are excited to bring you an inspiring and international series of events throughout the academic year, including top-class chamber music, psychedelic noise-rock, performances from our music research students and everything in between. Check the line-up and buy your ticket here.

What can I research?

The University of Huddersfield has one of the largest Music and Music Technology postgraduate communities in the UK. With approximately 100 students representing numerous fields of study and well over a dozen nationalities, our postgraduate community is a vital and vibrant part of the life of the department. Recognised research strengths in music include:

Composition (including instrumental composition, film music composition and electroacoustic composition)
Contemporary music performance and improvisation
Sonic arts
Music technology
Early music
Historically informed performance practices
Music analysis
Cultural, historical and critical musicologies
Popular music
Archival research
Music archaeology
Music, politics and identity
Voice and embodiment
The musicology and practice of production
Digital, systematic and empirical musicologies

There are different ways to find the right research topic for you:

Find a supervisor and design your own research project – explore the Huddersfield Research Portal to find research and researcher expertise to find the area you’re interested in.
Browse our listed funded opportunities.
To find out more about the research we conduct, take a look at our Research, Innovation and Skills webpages, where you will find information on each research area. pages provide information on these research areas, alongside a full listing of academic staff. The CeReNeM Students pages include details of our courses in the composition, performance, technology and study of new music; CMCI is our centre for musicological research; and ReCePP provides a hub for performance studies within the department.

You will need to complete a research proposal outlining your areas of interest and when this is submitted along with your research degree application form we will look for the academics within the University who have the expertise and knowledge to supervise you and guide you through your research degree.

Facilities

Inside St. Paul's Hall

Exploring Music

Spatialisation and Interactive Research Lab

Music Technology

Student support

At the University of Huddersfield, you'll find support networks and services to help you get ahead in your studies and social life. Whether you study at undergraduate or postgraduate level, you'll soon discover that you're never far away from our dedicated staff and resources to help you to navigate through your personal student journey. Find out more about all our support services.

Researcher Environment

Our postgraduate researchers contribute to our thriving research [culture] community at Huddersfield, in return, we provide an experience that enhances your potential and inspires you to think big and become a globally competitive researcher.

Join our community of like-minded people who are passionate about research and gain access to world-leading facilities, advanced research skills training, and expert career advice.

Reduced inequalities

We recently ranked 6 out of 796 global institutions for reduced inequalities in the Times Higher Impact ratings – this recognises our research on social inequalities, policies on discrimination and commitment to recruitment staff and students from underrepresented groups.**

World-leading

We are in the top 50 UK universities for research power, and nearly two-thirds of our research environment is classified as world-leading and internationally excellent.***

As a researcher, you’ll gain access to our Researcher Skills Development Programme through The Graduate School, to help broaden your knowledge and access tools and skills to improve your employability. The programme is mapped against Vitae’s Researcher Development Framework (RDF), you’ll benefit from Vitae’s career support as well as our own programme. We also have a team dedicated to improving the academic English needed for research by our international PGRs.

Our training is delivered in a variety of ways to take advantage of online platforms as well as face-to-face workshops and courses. You can access a range of bespoke training opportunities and in-person events that are tailored to each stage of your journey;

Sessions on PhD thesis writing, publications and journals, post-doctoral opportunities, poster and conference presentations, networking, and international travel opportunities
opportunity to work and study abroad via the Turing Scheme through The Graduate School
Externally accredited training programme with Advance HE (HEA) and CMI
Online research training support accessed through a dedicated researcher module in Brightspace, the University’s Virtual Learning Environment
We also hold a series of PGR focussed events such as 3 Minute Thesis PGR led research conference informal events throughout the year.

**THE Impact Rankings 2022

*** REF2021

In 2025/26 the full-time tuition fee for UK postgraduate researchers will be £5,050.

Tuition fees for UK researchers will cover the cost of your study at the University. For more information about funding, fees and finance for UK students, including what your tuition fee covers, please see our Fees and Finance. Please note that tuition fees for subsequent years of study may rise in line with inflation (RPI-X).

If you are interested in studying with us on a part-time basis, please visit our Fees and Finance pages for part-time fee information.

If you are an EU or international student coming to study at the University of Huddersfield, please visit the International Fees and Finance pages for full details of tuition fees and support available.

Please email the Student Finance Office or call 01484 472210 for more information about fees and finance.

In 2025/26 the part-time tuition fee for UK postgraduate researchers will be £2,525.

Please email the Student Finance Office or call 01484 472210 for more information about fees and finance.

Fees and Finance

Tuition fees - full-time

In 2025/26 the full-time tuition fee for UK postgraduate researchers will be £5,050.

If you are interested in studying with us on a part-time basis, please visit our Fees and Finance pages for part-time fee information.

Please email the Student Finance Office or call 01484 472210 for more information about fees and finance.

Tuition fees - part-time

In 2025/26 the part-time tuition fee for UK postgraduate researchers will be £2,525.

Please email the Student Finance Office or call 01484 472210 for more information about fees and finance.

Important information

We will always try to deliver your course as described on this web page. However, sometimes we may have to make changes as set out below.

When you are offered a place on a research degree, your offer will include confirmation of your supervisory team, and the topic you will be researching and will be governed by our terms & Conditions, student handbook and relevant policies. You will find a guide to the key terms here, along with the Student Protection Plan.

Whilst the University will use reasonable efforts to ensure your supervisory team remains the same, sometimes it may be necessary to make changes to your team for reasons outside the University’s control, for example if your supervisor leaves the University, or suffers from long term illness. Where this is the case, we will discuss these difficulties with you and seek to either put in place a new supervisory team, or help you to transfer to another research facility, in accordance with our Student Protection Plan.

Changes may also be necessary because of circumstances outside our reasonable control, for example the University being unable to access it’s buildings due to fire, flood or pandemic, or the University no longer being able to provide specialist equipment. Where this is the case, we will discuss these issues with you and agree any necessary changes.

Your research project is likely to evolve as you work on it and these minor changes are a natural and expected part of your study. However, we may need to make more significant changes to your topic of research during the course of your studies, either because your area of interest has changed, or because we can no longer support your research for reasons outside the University’s control. If this is the case, we will discuss any changes in topic with you and agree these in writing. If you are an international student, changing topics may affect your visa or ATAS clearance and if this is the case we will discuss this with you before any changes are made.

The Office for Students (OfS) is the principal regulator for the University.