Program Overview

Doctor of Philosophy

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is the University of Malaya's premier research training degree. The PhD is awarded based on the examination of a thesis, prepared under supervision, which represents an original and significant contribution to knowledge and comprehension in the chosen field of study.

Research Areas

Cultural Centre provides opportunities for candidates to pursue research in the following areas:

• Music - Composition, Ethnomusicology, Musicology, Music Technology, Music Education
• Drama and Theatre - Arts Management, Drama Ethics and Philosophy, Drama for Education, Eastern Drama, Modern Drama, Theatre Criticism, Traditional Theatre
• Dance - Asian Dance, Choreography, Dance Criticism, Ethnology, Indigenous and Malay Dance
• Visual Arts - Malaysian Art, Thai Art and Architecture, Islamic Art, Comparative Study of 20th-century art in Southeast Asia, Topics in Southeast Asian Art (Pre-modern), Theories and historiographies of art history, Topics in curatorial and exhibition studies, Topics in contemporary Asian art, Topics in modern Asian art, Visual culture and design history.

Entry Requirements

• Name of Program: Doctor of Philosophy
• Program Code: KRSRVAFTCV03/KRSRVAPTCV03 KRSRVAFTPP01
• University's General Requirements: Fulfil the University's General Requirements
• Master's Degree: Hold a Master Degree
• Equivalent qualification: In the field of Music / Drama / Dance / Visual Arts / Performance or related areas
• Special Requirement:
  • For applications for admission to the Doctoral programme by Research through prior or retrospective publication, the following conditions apply:
    • Applicants must fulfil the University's general admission requirements for the Doctoral programme and MUST have publications that contribute to scholarly knowledge in the relevant field.
    • Additional admission requirements:
      • A university academic staff member at the time of application must have not less than three (3) years of service as an academic and be actively serving at the University; or
      • The applicant must have publications that contribute to scholarly knowledge in the relevant field and are recognized among academics or professionals in the area of expertise, and endorsed by the Application Evaluation Committee.
    • Candidates are NOT permitted to hold any Doctoral degree by research from the University or any other university.

English Language Competency Requirement

• MUET: B4.0
• IELTS (Academic): 6.0
• TOEFL iBT (Centre-based): 60
• TOEFL Essentials (Online): 8.5
• Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic: 59
• Cambridge English:
  • B1 Preliminary, B2 First, C1 Advanced, C2 Proficiency: 169
  • Occupational English Test (OET) (Conventional Online): -

Additional Requirements

• A Master's Degree or its equivalent in the related field
• Note:
  • Preference will be given to applicants with a Master's Degree with CGPA 3.0 and above or its equivalent.
  • Applicants with a Bachelor's Degree with CGPA 3.7 and above can apply directly for the PhD programme.

English Language Requirement

International applicants must possess at least:

• A band 5.5 in the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) (Academic); or
• A score of 550 for paper-based total, a score of 213 for computer-based total, or a score of 80 for internet-based total for Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

Intake Schedule

The application for research programme is open throughout the year.