Overview
Research
Research excellence sits at the heart of everything we do. Key to our world-leading research is our vibrant research community. In the Department of Music at the University of Sheffield, you will find a diverse and internationally acclaimed team of research academics and students.
Programme Structure
Research areas include:
- Composition
- Ethnomusicology
- Musicology
- Music Technology
- Performance
- Psychology of Music
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 – 95. 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.
Other requirements
General requirements
- relevant merit MA degree or equivalent
- research proposal
- proof of previous degrees, academic references, English language certificates (if required), and CV
- sample of academic level work (e.g. Dissertation, Composition or recorded Performance)
- in-principle agreement from a supervisor to support PhD proposal.
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: 45,523 AUD / year (≈ 23,985 GBP / year)
Domestic
Tuition fee for the domestic students.
Citizens or residents: 9,501 AUD / year (≈ 5,006 GBP / year)
Additional Details: Overseas: £23,985 to £26,960
Living costs
Sheffield, United Kingdom: 1,053-1,854 AUD / month
The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.
Funding
Scholarships Information
Below you will find PhD's scholarship opportunities for Music. In order for us to give you accurate scholarship information, we ask that you please confirm a few details and create an account with us.
Available Scholarships
- NCUK Postgraduate Taught Scholarships – Grant 2500 GBP – Deadline: Anytime – Merit-based – University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
- Sheffield MBA Scholarship Scheme – Grant Various benefits – Deadline: Anytime – Merit-based – University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
- Fulbright U.S. Student Program – Grant Various benefits – Deadline: 07 Oct 2026 – U.S. government
- ServiceScape Scholarship – Grant 1000 USD – Deadline: 30 Nov 2026 – ServiceScape
- ACES Scholarships – Grant 3500 USD – Deadline: 15 Nov 2026 – ACES Education Fund
- Erasmus+ - Grants for study mobility – Grant Various benefits – Deadline: Not specified – Merit-based – OeAD, Austria's Agency for Education and Internationalisation
- Scholarships for PhD Students – Grant 19000 GBP – Deadline: Not specified – Merit-based – Junhua Li
- Boustany Astronomy PhD Scholarship – Grant Various benefits – Deadline: 28 Feb 2027 – Merit-based – Boustany Foundation
- Amberscholar Scholarship – Grant 6000 USD – Deadline: 31 Jan 2027 – Merit-based – Amber Scholar
- Voice Talent Online Scholarship – Grant 1000 USD – Deadline: 01 Mar 2027 – Voice Talent Online
- $1,500 Annual Video Contest Scholarship – Grant 1000 USD – Deadline: 31 Oct 2026 – Merit-based – IvyPanda
- Dream Chaser Scholarship – Grant 1000 USD – Deadline: 13 Jan 2027 – Merit-based – Salvado Law
- Scholarship for students with disabilities – Grant 3000 USD – Deadline: 31 Dec 2026 – Need-based – Anonymous Hope Fund
- Commonwealth Shared Scholarship – University Bids – Grant 22500 GBP – Deadline: Not specified – UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO)
- The Annual IELTS from 6 to 9 Scholarship – Grant 1500 USD – Deadline: Not specified – IELTS from 6 to 9
- Tobacco Harm Reduction Scholarship Programme – Grant 12000 USD – Deadline: 11 Jan 2027 – The Tobacco Harm Reduction Scholarship Programme