Music

Entry requirements

MPhil (Musicology): An upper second-class degree or international equivalent. Please note, acceptance will also depend on evidence of your readiness to pursue a research degree.

MPhil (Composition): An upper second-class degree or international equivalent, plus a portfolio of representative compositions. Please note acceptance also depends on evidence of readiness to pursue a research degree: students will normally not be admitted without having experience equivalent to a taught MA in composition.

MMus (Composition): An upper second-class degree or international equivalent, plus a portfolio of representative compositions. Additionally, acceptance will also depend on evidence of a suitable level of professional accomplishment: students will normally not be admitted without having experience equivalent to a taught MA in composition.

PhD (Musicology): A master's qualification, or be working towards a master's qualification, or international equivalent. Applicants without a master's qualification may be considered on an exceptional basis provided they hold a first-class undergraduate degree (or international equivalent). Applicants with a non-traditional background may be considered provided they can demonstrate substantial equivalent and relevant experience that has prepared them to undertake their proposed course of study.

PhD (Composition or Musicology): A master's qualification, or be working towards a master's qualification, or international equivalent. Applicants without a master's qualification may be considered on an exceptional basis provided they hold a first-class undergraduate degree (or international equivalent) and/or can demonstrate evidence of a sustained and high level of professional accomplishment. Applicants with a non-traditional background may be considered provided they can demonstrate substantial equivalent and relevant experience that has prepared them to undertake their proposed course of study.

In all cases, applications must be supported by a portfolio of representative compositions. Please note: applicants may be registered on the MPhil or the MMus degree in the first instance.

See international equivalent qualifications on the International Office website.

Months of entry

January, September

Course content

The Department of Music is a centre of research excellence in both composition and musicology.

In composition, there is no particular house style, but we are well known for a number of areas, including:

• acoustic music, ranging from solo to symphonic scale;
• electro-acoustic, including acousmatic composition, live electronics, and mixed forms with instrument/voice;
• composition exploring the interface of Western and non-Western traditions.

The department also provides access to a wide network of opportunities for professional and amateur performance.

In musicology, research strengths include not only the Western art music tradition, but also screen media, non-Western (Turkey, East Asia) and popular music. We have particular depth of expertise in the early Middle Ages (especially Spain), and in the 19th and 20th centuries (including the music of France, Britain, Germany, and Soviet Russia). We also have strengths in Anglophone vernacular traditions, including jazz and hip hop; opera, film music and the history and philosophy of technology; music and migration; and cultural and reception history more generally.

Information for international students

See international equivalent qualifications on the International Office website.

Fees and funding

The University of Bristol is part of the South, West and Wales Doctoral Training Partnership (SWW DTP), which will be offering studentships for September 2025. For information on other funding opportunities, including University-funded studentships, please see the Faculty of Arts, Law and Social Sciences funding pages.

Further information on funding for prospective UK and international postgraduate students.