StudyQA — PhD: Music — University of Oxford

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Description Contents Requirements Funding

This degree, with specialisation in musicology or composition, is awarded upon successful completion of a substantial original contribution to these fields prepared over the course of usually three or four years for full-time students, or seven or eight years for part-time students.

DPhil students go on into all manners of work and careers. Many seek postdoctoral positions in higher education all round the world. Others may become full-time performers or composers. Careers in concert and performance administration are also favoured and all manner of professions.

The DPhil in Music is intended to provide you with a wide range of research skills as well as in-depth knowledge, understanding and expertise in your chosen field of research.

You are normally expected to have a master’s degree in music or equivalent before embarking on the DPhil, or you may first undertake one of the MSt programmes in music at Oxford.

Areas of research represented in the faculty include:

historical musicological topics from the Middle Ages to the present
music theory and analysis
composition
ethnomusicology
psychology of music
performance studies
aesthetics of music
popular music
critical and empirical musicology

You will be supported by a supervisor or supervisors who will help you to develop a programme of research and writing. You will also benefit from the advice and support of other members of the faculty who will be involved in your progression through the stages of the degree, and you can draw on the expertise of scholars and colleagues throughout the faculty and University.

Part-time students are fully integrated into the research culture of the university and expected to attend the University on a regular basis for supervision, study, skills training and participation in some of the many research seminars. If you are in employment, you must provide a letter from your employer stating you may take time off if necessary to attend the University as required for the duration of the course. The faculty appreciates that part-time research students will have non-standard attendance and work patterns. Your supervisor and the Director of Graduate Studies will be available to advise you on access to research and training provision for part-time students.

Applicants are normally expected to be predicted or have achieved a first-class or strong upper second-class undergraduate degree with honours (or equivalent international qualifications), as a minimum, in music or related fields. For applicants with a degree from the USA, the minimum GPA sought is 3.6 out of 4.0.

However, entrance is very competitive and most successful applicants have a first-class degree, GPA of 3.7 out of 4.0, or the equivalent.

Applicants are also normally expected to be predicted or to have achieved a good pass or distinction grade in a master's course in music or related fields.

If you hold non-UK qualifications and wish to check how your qualifications match these requirements, you can contact the National Recognition Information Centre for the United Kingdom (UK NARIC).

Relevant professional experience may be considered as a substitute for academic attainment.

The minimum Graduate Record Examination (GRE) score sought is 163, or 650 (Verbal) in the previous scoring system. However, most successful applicants have a GRE score of 166 (700 in the previous scoring system) or above.

Official transcript(s)
CV/résumé
Research proposal: Up to 2,000 words
Portfolio: Three to five compositions in score format (composition applicants only)
Written work:Two essays of 2,000 words each
References/letters of recommendation:Three overall, generally academic

ENGLISH LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS

Higher level

est	Standard level scores		Higher level scores
IELTS Academic Institution code: 0713	7.0	Minimum 6.5 per component	7.5	Minimum 7.0 per component
TOEFL iBT Institution code: 0490	100	Minimum component scores: Listening: 22 Reading: 24 Speaking: 25 Writing: 24	110	Minimum component scores: Listening: 22 Reading: 24 Speaking: 25 Writing: 24
Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE)	185	Minimum 176 per component	191	Minimum 185 per component
Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English (CAE)	185	Minimum 176 per component	191	Minimum 185 per component