PhD Music

Music at Hull has a long-standing history of high quality research. Our internationally excellent and world-leading research in popular music, jazz studies, sonic arts, and music psychology was recognised by the Research Excellence Framework of 2014. We host up to 45 public performances every year and contribute regularly to musical events in the region, including Early Music festivals, jazz festivals and community projects as well as running the prestigious Newland Lectures in which renowned international academics, composers and music industry figures discuss their work in detail.

By studying here, you will be able to access some of the finest music facilities in the country following a major redevelopment of Middleton Hall - with rehearsal spaces and studios available 24/7.

Investment in the hall has brought some of the best facilities of their kind in the UK to the University of Hull. These include a concert hall, surround-sound cinema, ambisonic surround sound recording studio and industry-standard rehearsal facilities. The refurbishment includes a new entrance and café with a 400-plus seater concert hall forming the centre-piece of the development. The versatile space is ideal for classical and popular music concerts. With adaptable acoustics, it will also be used for music, theatre and cinema screenings- see here for more information about our facilities.

These programmes have been designed to be flexible to enable you to pursue your chosen specialism in a supportive and productive environment with individual supervision for all specialist modules. Our staff are active researchers, so you can access wide-ranging expertise quickly and easily. These programmes are available full-time, part-time and, where appropriate, for distance learners.

You’ll explore a topic in the field of musicology, composition or performance through the completion of a thesis of 40,000 words or equivalent, or the development of a practice-based portfolio. The topic might be developed into a larger thesis or portfolio through transfer onto a PhD programme.

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Research and advance your knowledge in a chosen area of musicology that culminates in a thesis of 100,000 words or equivalent for the PhD.

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Develop a portfolio of original compositions of up to 90 minutes for the PhD with supporting research documentation of 25,000 words, or equivalent.

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