PhD Ethnology, Folklore, and Ethnomusicology at University of Aberdeen

Programme overview

Ethnology, Folklore, and Ethnomusicology are disciplines built on the study of culture in context. Ethnologists, folklorists, and ethnomusicologists use ethnographic fieldwork to consider how identity is shaped, maintained, transmitted, and adapted. We analyse the social, political, economic, and psychological forces that construct our humanity in its widest sense—from narrating everyday life to customs and oral traditions, from beliefs to musical and artistic production, from foodways to interactions with the environment.

Study mode: full-time / part-time | Location: Aberdeen, Scotland, United Kingdom

Career pathways

Graduates from the Institute’s programmes have gone on to work in academia, public arts, museums, archives, cultural tourism, cultural administration and provision, and other fields. The disciplines of Ethnology, Folklore, and Ethnomusicology are incredibly interdisciplinary and wide-ranging.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Normally an undergraduate 2:1 or equivalent in Ethnology, Folklore, Ethnomusicology, or a related field. Students without specific experience in ethnographic fieldwork will be asked to audit the Taught MLitt fieldwork seminars and workshops.

Domestic applicants: GBP 5,238 a year (2026/27). Full-time Home/RUK research rate (set by UKRI); part-time is 50% of the full-time rate. Source

International applicants: GBP 21,700 a year (2026/27). Full-time international rate for research degrees admitted 2026/27; part-time is 50% of the full-time rate. Source

Apply through the official page: https://www.abdn.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-research/apply/

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