Music PhD

**Brief outline of the programme**<br/><br/>The research degree programme in the area of Music aims to provide students with an outstanding learning<br/>experience in a supportive community of learning. The department of Music is known nationally and<br/>internationally for excellence in both practice-based and theoretical research. Research students can be<br/>supervised within our departments, and can benefit from wider support from academics with related specialisms<br/>both within and outside the university (external supervisors). Students can take practice-based or theoretical<br/>routes as appropriate to their research. Information on staff research interests and achievements can be found<br/>on the Departmental web pages.<br/><br/>Our Music programme is one of the largest and liveliest in the UK, and focuses on music as an applied art; one<br/>that is engaged with the musical world in all its diversity and excitement. This means that our courses are<br/>focused on practical work, from performance, composition and improvisation to musical theatre performance,<br/>training in instrumental or vocal teaching, music business, introductions to music therapy and community music,<br/>as well as traditional music analysis, cultural history, and critical theory. Our community of MPhil and PhD<br/>students, supervised by our highly dedicated academic team of practicing artists and researchers, are mostly<br/>concerned with research related to practice-based performance, although research across disciplines, and with<br/>a mix of practical, creative and theoretical aspects, is also encouraged. All of our academics participate in the<br/>Universitys calendar of research events, regularly presenting papers and practical research findings at<br/>seminars and in workshops in-house and internationally. Each year, at least one member of the academic staff<br/>works towards staging a major research performance, or demonstrates practice-driven work-in-progress.<br/><br/>**The main aims of the programme are:**<br/>a) The creation and interpretation of new knowledge through original research or other advanced<br/>scholarship, or of a quality to satisfy peer review, extend the forefront of the discipline and merit<br/>publication;<br/>b) A systematic acquisition and understanding of a substantial body of knowledge which is at the forefront<br/>of the academic discipline;<br/>c) The general ability to conceptualise, design and implement a project for the generation of new<br/>knowledge, applications or understanding at the forefront of the discipline, and to adjust the project<br/>design in the light of unforeseen problems;<br/>d) A detailed understanding of applicable techniques for research and advanced academic enquiry<br/>appropriate to the discipline.