PhD Music (Royal Birmingham Conservatoire) at Birmingham City University

Programme overview

A PhD at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire will help you create opportunities to develop research skills that support performance, composition or a scholarly career. Whether you are interested in music (including composition, music technology, musicology, performance and jazz) or performing arts (theatre, acting, directing, applied drama, dance and interdisciplinary performance practice), you will be supervised by leading experts in the field.

Faculty: Faculty of Arts, Design and Media | Department: Music | Duration: 3-4 years full-time; 4-7 years part-time; 4-7 years distance learning | Study mode: full-time/online/part-time | Intake: September 2026, February 2027 | Location: Birmingham, England, United Kingdom

What you will study

A PhD enables you to follow a programme of self-directed, independent study, supported by experienced supervisors who are themselves experts in their area. Whilst you will be developing as an independent researcher, you will be supported both by your supervisors and the wider Conservatoire research community. There are regular opportunities for you to present and share your work with other research students.

Career pathways

The Doctor of Philosophy or PhD is recognised worldwide and is often requirement for those wishing to follow an academic or research career in the field. Our Conservatoire PhD research degree has been designed to help you achieve a career in music and performing arts research or academia.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

To apply for our Conservatoire PhD research degree we usually expect you to have, or to be working towards, a Masters in a relevant subject area. Exceptional candidates without a Masters but with a strong undergraduate degree in a relevant subject area who can demonstrate that they are already working at that level may be considered. We also welcome enquiries from potential PhD researchers with appropriate levels of professional experience. Please send us an initial PhD enquiry containing your brief PhD research proposal (max. 500 words), and/or any questions or queries you may have. We will review your initial enquiry to ensure your research proposal complements one of our PhD research interests and if so we will ask you to make a full application. English Language Requirements.

Domestic applicants: GBP 5,238 a year (2026/27). full-time, 3-4 years; annual tuition for the first year of study Source

International applicants: GBP 15,420 a year (2026/27). full-time, 3-4 years; annual tuition for the first year of study Source

Intake: September 2026, February 2027

Duration: 3-4 years full-time; 4-7 years part-time; 4-7 years distance learning

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