MPhil

Note: As it currently stands, the CMS may not be able to take MPhil students in the 2026-27 academic year, due to leave plans. Please check with Peter (pmch2@cam.ac.uk) before preparing an application.

The Faculty of Music offers a 1-year MPhil in Music targeted at individuals with an undergraduate degree who wish to develop more experience in music research. This MPhil provides a varied collection of courses designed to develop and hone research skills, as well as an opportunity to conduct a significant research project resulting in a substantial written dissertation. Within this MPhil in music one can then take the Music and Science track, which means focusing the optional courses on relevant scientific topics and conducting a research project into a particular area of music and science.

The first term involves some rather intense study of general topics and research skills in musicology. There is a lot of required reading for this part of the course, and only a small part is scientific in nature. MPhil candidates should ideally have some prior knowledge already of some musicological literature, be it through prior taught courses or self-study, and they should have some enthusiasm for learning more about this research area.

The second term involves taking two taught courses which are chosen from a wider selection. Music and Science students are likely to take the MPhil Music & Science course as well as another empirically oriented course. This could include the Computer Music course run by the Department of Computer Science and Technology, an MPhil course from Digital Humanities, one of the undergraduate courses in Music & Science run by the CMS, or specialist research skills courses taught by the Social Sciences Research Methods Programme (SSRMP).

The third term is dedicated wholly to the research project, though students will have typically made substantial progress already on this project in the previous two terms. MPhil Music and Science research projects are generally supervised by the CMS Director, Peter Harrison.

FAQ

Why should I do an MPhil?

The MPhil provides an excellent opportunity to develop research skills (e.g. designing surveys, conducting interviews, applying statistical methods) that are highly valued both in academia and in many parts of industry (e.g. market research, audio branding). It simultaneously allows you to immerse yourself for a year in a particular research topic of your choosing, which can itself be a highly enjoyable and rewarding experience.

Why Cambridge?

The Music MPhil at Cambridge places a relatively high weight on its research component compared to most other Master’s programmes in music psychology. There are relatively few taught courses, and these courses are mainly focused on critical thinking and research skills as opposed to foundational knowledge. The student is therefore free to spend the larger proportion of their time on their personal research project. This setup is particularly well-suited to students who already have experience in music and science and have already started to develop their own research interests.

A special property of the Cambridge MPhil is the freedom it provides to select optional courses from different departments. The University of Cambridge has many world-class teaching programmes in a great variety of fields, and it can be very valuable to incorporate some of these different programmes into one’s MPhil experience.

How do I apply?

Prospective Music and Science MPhil students should apply for the MPhil in Music, and state their intention to work with Peter Harrison at the Centre for Music and Science as part of their application. See How to Apply for details on the application process and required materials.

Each year’s program starts in October. The application deadline for October entry is typically in May of the same year, but if you want to apply for funding (highly recommended), then the relevant application deadlines are in the preceding December/January.

You may be asked to attend an online interview as part of the application process. These interviews typically take place within a month of the January funding application deadline, or within a month of your application if you submit it after this deadline.

How much does it cost?

The latest fees can be found on the Postgraduate Finance page. For reference, for 2024-25 the tuition fees were £13,554 for home students and £31,860 for international students, while the estimated living costs were £13,969.

Music and Science students are asked to set aside an additional £600 for possible costs involved in participant recruitment, and/or other expenses associated with running scientific experiments.

How do I get funding?

MPhil funding is available, though highly competitive. Most applications are made through a central University scheme; see Funding Postgraduate Study for details. In order to be eligible for funding one must typically apply fairly far in advance, not much less than a year before your proposed start date.

There are some other funding opportunities available outside of the central University scheme. One example relevant to US citizens is the Churchill Scholarship.

What should I write for my research proposal?

Assuming your supervisor is going to be Peter Harrison, you should start by looking through his current research interests. Think about what topics within these areas you might be well-suited to studying, both in terms of your abilities and your passions.

For the MPhil application, the research proposal should be approximately 250 words in length, not including the bibliography. You should cover: Background, Aims, Methodology, Significance, and Bibliography.

It’s important to note that the research proposal is not a final commitment. We would expect to workshop these plans during the early parts of the MPhil.

Should I get in touch before applying?

If you have general administrative questions about the application or the degree programme, please contact our graduate administrator at graduate@mus.cam.ac.uk.

If you have specific questions about studying at the CMS, please email Peter at pmch2@cam.ac.uk. If you would like to meet Peter in advance of applying, he is happy to do so via a one-on-one video call (1 x 15-minute call per applicant). Peter is also happy to give feedback on a draft research proposal (one round of feedback per application).