Program Overview

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Overview

A PhD is the highest academic award for which a student can be registered. This programme allows you to explore and pursue a research project built around a substantial piece of work, which has to show evidence of original contribution to knowledge.

Completing a PhD can give you a great sense of personal achievement and help you develop a high level of transferable skills which will be useful in your subsequent career, as well as contributing to the development of knowledge in your chosen field.

Our research degrees are available as full-time, part-time and some are offered distance learning.

You are expected to work to an approved programme of work including appropriate programmes of postgraduate study (which may be drawn from parts of existing postgraduate courses, final year degree programmes, conferences, seminars, masterclasses, guided reading or a combination of study methods).

This programme of research culminates in the production of a large-scale piece of written work in the form of a research thesis (or practice-led equivalent) that should not normally exceed 80,000 words.

You will be appointed a main supervisor who will normally be part of a supervisory team, comprising of up to three members to advise and support you on your project.

Key Information

Entry requirements

The normal level of attainment required for entry is:

• A Master’s degree or an Honours degree (2:1 or above) or equivalent, normally with a classification of merit or distinction, in a discipline appropriate to the proposed programme to be followed, or appropriate research, or
• professional experience at postgraduate level, which has resulted in published work, written reports or other appropriate evidence of accomplishment.

If your first language is not English, you will need to meet the minimum requirements of an English Language qualification. The minimum for IELTS is 6.5 overall with no element lower than 6.0, or equivalent.

Start dates

• 1 October 2025
• 12 January 2026
• 20 April 2026

Application deadlines

• For September 2025
  • 13 June 2025 for International and Scholarship Students
  • 04 July 2025 for Home Students
• For October 2025
  • 13 June 2025 for International and Scholarship Students
  • 04 July 2025 for Home Students
• For January 2026
  • 17 October 2025 for International and Scholarship Students
  • 14 November 2025 for Home Students
• For April 2026
  • 23 January 2026 for International and Scholarship Students
  • 20 February 2026 for Home Students

Duration

The maximum duration for a PhD is 3 years (36 months) full-time or 6 years (72 months) part-time with an optional submission pending (writing-up) period of 12 months.

Sometimes it may be possible to mix periods of both full-time and part-time study.

If studying on a part-time basis, you must establish close links with the University and spend normally not less than an average of 10 working days per year in the university, excluding participation in activities associated with enrolment, re-registration and progression monitoring. You are also expected to dedicate 17.5 hours per week to the research.

What can I research?

The University of Huddersfield has one of the largest Music and Music Technology postgraduate communities in the UK. With approximately 100 students representing numerous fields of study and well over a dozen nationalities, our postgraduate community is a vital and vibrant part of the life of the department. Recognised research strengths in music include:

• Composition (including instrumental composition, film music composition and electroacoustic composition)
• Sonic arts
• Music technology
• Music Production
• Audio Engineering
• Historically informed performance practices
• Cultural, historical and critical musicologies
• Popular music
• Archival research
• Music archaeology
• Digital, systematic and empirical musicologies

There are different ways to find the right research topic for you:

1. Find a supervisor and design your own research project – explore the Huddersfield Research Portal to find research and researcher expertise to find the area you’re interested in.
2. Browse our listed funded opportunities.
3. To find out more about the research we conduct, take a look at our Research, Innovation and Skills webpages, where you will find information on each research area. pages provide information on these research areas, alongside a full listing of academic staff.

You will need to complete a research proposal outlining your areas of interest and when this is submitted along with your research degree application form we will look for the academics within the University who have the expertise and knowledge to supervise you and guide you through your research degree.

Teaching and Assessment

As a minimum you can expect to meet with your supervisors at least once a month (once every two months for part-time students). In practice you may meet with your supervisors more frequently. This time should include at least an hour of one-to-one supervision with each student.

Self-directed study is to be agreed in liaison with you and your supervisor. Self-directed study and supervision time should equate to 35 hours per week (for full-time research degrees).

A research degree has no compulsory taught element, the study period is for 52 weeks a year with a 35-day annual leave allowance. You are expected to study for at least 35 hours a week for full-time study.

Fees and Finance

Tuition fees - full-time

In 2025/26 the full-time tuition fee for UK postgraduate researchers will be £5,050.

Tuition fees will cover the cost of your study at the University.

Tuition fees - part-time

In 2025/26 the part-time tuition fee for UK postgraduate researchers will be £2,525.

Tuition fees will cover the cost of your study at the University.

Important information

We will always try to deliver your course as described on this web page. However, sometimes we may have to make changes as set out below.

When you are offered a place on a research degree, your offer will include confirmation of your supervisory team, and the topic you will be researching and will be governed by our terms & Conditions, student handbook and relevant policies. You will find a guide to the key terms here, along with the Student Protection Plan.

Whilst the University will use reasonable efforts to ensure your supervisory team remains the same, sometimes it may be necessary to make changes to your team for reasons outside the University’s control, for example if your supervisor leaves the University, or suffers from long term illness. Where this is the case, we will discuss these difficulties with you and seek to either put in place a new supervisory team, or help you to transfer to another research facility, in accordance with our Student Protection Plan.

Changes may also be necessary because of circumstances outside our reasonable control, for example pandemics, other disasters (such as fire, flood or war) or changes made by the government. Where this is the case, we will discuss these issues with you and agree any necessary changes.

Your research project is likely to evolve as you work on it and these minor changes are a natural and expected part of your study. However, we may need to make more significant changes to your topic of research during the course of your studies, either because your area of interest has changed, or because we can no longer support your research for reasons outside the University’s control. If this is the case, we will discuss any changes in topic with you and agree these in writing. If you are an international student, changing topics may affect your visa or ATAS clearance and if this is the case we will discuss this with you before any changes are made.