Programme
We welcome applications for PhD studentships at the Centre for Music and Science. A PhD typically provides three or four years of focused study on a research topic, culminating in a substantial thesis. It is a chance to immerse yourself in a field, design and run a series of empirical studies, and submit several research articles for publication.
As a CMS member you will join a vibrant community of other postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers
who regularly meet for seminars and work together in a shared office space.
We particularly look for team players who enjoy group discussion and collaboration!
Prerequisites
You should have received, or be expecting, a good grade in a relevant Master’s degree such as Music, Music Psychology, Psychology, Neuroscience, or Computer Science.
At least one of your work samples should be a write-up of an empirical research project, ideally music-related — ordinarily your Master’s dissertation.
Finances
Cost
The latest fees are on the Postgraduate Finance page. For reference, for 2024–25 tuition fees for the Music PhD were £9,858 for home students and £29,826 for international students, with estimated living costs of £18,625.
Funding
PhD funding is available but competitive. Most applications go through a central University scheme; see Funding Postgraduate Study. To be eligible you typically need to apply well in advance, typically around a year in advance of your start date.
Applying
Timeline
Each year’s programme starts in October. If you want to apply for funding (highly recommended),
there are various deadlines to look out for, usually starting from October the previous year
(Gates Cambridge USA) and lasting until January.
Even if you are not applying for funding, we encourage you to apply by this deadline so that
your application is considered before places are filled.
You may be asked to attend an online interview. These usually take place within a month of the January funding deadline, or within a month of your application if you submit later.
Expressions of interest
We encourage you to get in touch in advance of submitting your application
to get feedback on your CV and planned research direction.
To do this, please write directly to the
CMS director (Peter Harrison),
including the following:
- A draft CV (short is fine, but it should include estimated or final undergraduate grades);
- A sample piece of work;
- A paragraph or so about your research interests and how they fit into the advertised topics;
- Any questions you might have about the application process and the programme.
How to apply
You should apply for the PhD in Music (see centralised guidance).
If your topic fits, we recommend additionally applying for the PhD in
Human Inspired Artificial Intelligence.
Please make sure your research proposal matches one of the advertised topics.
