Key information
Duration
- Full-time: 36 months
- Part-time: 48 months
Start dates & application deadlines
- Starting February 2027
- Apply before Nov 2026, National (This is an estimated deadline. The deadline applies if you have the same nationality as the university.)
- Apply before Apr 2027, National (This is an estimated deadline. The deadline applies if you have the same nationality as the university.)
- Apply before Mar 2027, International (This is an estimated deadline. The deadline is applicable to students from outside the European Economic Area who want to study within the EEA, or to students who want to study outside the EEA but are not nationals of that country.)
- Apply before Aug 2027, National (This is an estimated deadline. The deadline applies if you have the same nationality as the university.)
- Apply before Jul 2027, International (This is an estimated deadline. The deadline is applicable to students from outside the European Economic Area who want to study within the EEA, or to students who want to study outside the EEA but are not nationals of that country.)
Language
English
TOEFL iBT: 100 — TOEFL iBT is accepted by more than 13,000 universities and other institutions in over 160 countries. The test can be taken at a test center or at home. The test measures your English-language abilities in an academic setting. The score refers to the total score of 4 subjects (writing, listening, speaking, and reading), each subject has a range of 0 - 30.
IELTS: 7 — The International English Language Test System (IELTS) tests your English-language proficiency on a scale of 1 – 9. The score refers to the combined average score of 4 subjects (writing, listening, speaking, and reading).
Delivered
On Campus
Campus Location
- London, United Kingdom
Disciplines
- Music
- Musicology
- Music Composition
Overview
We are particularly strong in Western music from the twelfth century to the present day, jazz, opera, film music, performance studies, and the music of the Middle East, South and South East Asia, Latin America, and West Africa.
Features
- Music Research PhDs at King's College London can be co-supervised with other arts & humanities or social sciences departments at King's, or with a department at another of our London Arts & Humanities Partnership (LAHP) partners.
- As a department, we believe in the complete equality of all areas of music research, and welcome students from all backgrounds, especially those who are currently under-represented in musicology, ethnomusicology, performance, and composition.
Programme Structure
Recent publications:
- Lessons in Love and Violence, and Written on Skin, operas (George Benjamin).
- The Influence of Technology on Performance: Classical Perspectives (Amy Blier-Carruthers).
- The Sense of Sound: Musical Meaning in France, 1260-1330 (Emma Dillon).
- Thinking on our Feet: A Somatic Enquiry into a Haydn Minuet (Joseph Fort).
- Paris Blues: African American Music and French Popular Culture, 1920–1960 (Andy Fry).
Admission requirements
Academic requirements
GPA: Upper Second Class. Your GPA, or Grade Point Average, is a number that indicates how well or how high you scored in your courses on average. Usually a GPA scales between 1.0 and 4.0, however different countries and universities can have different grading systems.
English requirements
TOEFL iBT: 100
IELTS: 7
Other requirements
General requirements
- A Bachelor's degree with 1st class or 2:1 honours in Music or a related humanities or social science discipline.
- A Master’s degree in Music or a related humanities or social science discipline; if the Bachelor's degree is not in Music, the Master’s degree should be. Equivalent qualifications or experience may be considered in exceptional cases.
- Master's degrees in performance will usually only be considered suitable qualifications for the PhD in creative practice. Please contact the PhD coordinator if you are unsure of any of these requirements.
Fees and funding
Tuition Fees
Tuition fees are shown in AUD and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.
International
International tuition fees apply to students who are not citizens or permanent residents of the study country. In some regions, like the EU/EEA, or under certain agreements, students from partner countries may also pay domestic fees. Non-residents: 50,955 AUD / year (≈ 27,100 GBP / year).
Domestic
Tuition fee for the domestic students. Citizens or residents: 12,410 AUD / year (≈ 6,600 GBP / year).
Living costs
London, United Kingdom: 2,138-4,056 AUD / month. The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.
Scholarships Information
Below you will find PhD's scholarship opportunities for Music Research. You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.
Available Scholarships
- King's College London Marshall Scholarship — Provided by university, Grant, Various benefits, Deadline 01 Oct 2026, Merit-based (King's College London, London, United Kingdom)
- Fulbright Postgraduate Scholarship — Provided by university, Grant, Various benefits, Deadline 06 Oct 2026, Merit-based (King's College London, London, United Kingdom)
- King’s-China Scholarship Council PhD Scholarship programme (K-CSC) — Provided by university, Grant, Various benefits, Deadline 01 Jan 2027, Merit-based (King's College London, London, United Kingdom)
- King's College London Marshall Scholarship — Provided by university, Grant, Various benefits, Deadline 09 Oct 2026, Merit-based (King's College London, London, United Kingdom)
- Higher Education Scholarships for Palestinians (HESPAL) — Provided by university, Grant, Various benefits, Deadline Not specified, Merit-based (King's College London, London, United Kingdom)
- Turkish Embassy - Postgraduate Funding — Provided by university, Grant, Various benefits, Deadline Not specified, Merit-based (King's College London, London, United Kingdom)
- ANID/CONICYT Becas Chile Scholarships — Provided by university, Grant, 500 GBP, Deadline Not specified, Merit-based (King's College London, London, United Kingdom)
- The Egyptian Bureau for Cultural & Educational Affairs Scholarship — Provided by university, Grant, Various benefits, Deadline Not specified (King's College London, London, United Kingdom)
- Joint PhD Scholarships — Provided by university, Grant, Various benefits, Deadline 02 Mar 2027, Merit-based (King's College London, London, United Kingdom)
- Hans Rausing Scholarships — Provided by university, Grant, Various benefits, Deadline 17 Apr 2027, Merit-based (King's College London, London, United Kingdom)
- Fulbright U.S. Student Program — Independent provider, Grant, Various benefits, Deadline 07 Oct 2026 (U.S. government)
- ACES Scholarships — Independent provider, Grant, 3500 USD, Deadline 15 Nov 2026 (ACES Education Fund)
- ServiceScape Scholarship — Independent provider, Grant, 1000 USD, Deadline 30 Nov 2026 (ServiceScape)
- Erasmus+ - Grants for study mobility — Independent provider, Grant, Various benefits, Deadline Not specified, Merit-based (OeAD, Austria's Agency for Education and Internationalisation)
- Scholarships for PhD Students — Independent provider, Grant, 19000 GBP, Deadline Not specified, Merit-based (Junhua Li)
- Boustany Astronomy PhD Scholarship — Independent provider, Grant, Various benefits, Deadline 28 Feb 2027, Merit-based (Boustany Foundation)
- Amberscholar Scholarship — Independent provider, Grant, 6000 USD, Deadline 31 Jan 2027, Merit-based (Amber Scholar)
- $1,500 Annual Video Contest Scholarship — Independent provider, Grant, 1000 USD, Deadline 31 Oct 2026, Merit-based (IvyPanda)
- Voice Talent Online Scholarship — Independent provider, Grant, 1000 USD, Deadline 01 Mar 2027 (Voice Talent Online)
- Dream Chaser Scholarship — Independent provider, Grant, 1000 USD, Deadline 13 Jan 2027, Merit-based (Salvado Law)
- Scholarship for students with disabilities — Independent provider, Grant, 3000 USD, Deadline 31 Dec 2026, Need-based (Anonymous Hope Fund)
- Commonwealth Shared Scholarship – University Bids — Independent provider, Grant, 22500 GBP, Deadline Not specified (UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO))
- The Annual IELTS from 6 to 9 Scholarship — Independent provider, Grant, 1500 USD, Deadline Not specified (IELTS from 6 to 9)
- Tobacco Harm Reduction Scholarship Programme — Independent provider, Grant, 12000 USD, Deadline 11 Jan 2027 (The Tobacco Harm Reduction Scholarship Programme)