A Practice-led music PHD at UCA

A PhD at the university for the creative arts combines musical and written (textual) material.

The musical material may be one of or some combination of; composition, performance, workshops, studio practice and recording, sound design, programming or sound installation.

The text, in the form of a 40,000 word thesis will support the practice, and likewise the practice may support your written argument. It may include musical analysis, historical context, interviews or archival research, a philosophical or critical theory and reflection on your practice; or some combination. 

Shape the Future of Music
At UCA, we believe that music has the power to transform lives and challenge perspectives. As a PhD student, you'll be encouraged to push boundaries, experiment with new ideas, and make a lasting contribution to the field of music.

Join Our Vibrant Community
Our diverse and welcoming community includes musicians, composers, performers, musicologists, and music technologists from around the world. You'll have the opportunity to collaborate, learn from each other, and build lasting connections.

How to Apply
Ready to embark on your musical journey? Visit our website for detailed information on our PhD programs, entry requirements, and application deadlines.

Your musical future continues at UCA.
Visit the doctoral college page for more information.

placeholder user

Verity Lane

Yugenism: The Japanese Sublime in the Modern World. Addressing questions of phenomenology, cultural translation, ideology and creative practice

placeholder user

Lara James

Covid-19 2020 and the changed the Musical Landscape of Britain: A post-pandemic study of classically trained musicians and identity.  

placeholder user

Maureen Wooloshin

The female free improvising oboist:a practical and scholarly exploration into the agency of instrument and gender in contemporary British free improvising collaborations.

placeholder user

Michael McEvoy

Process and Indeterminacy in multimodal improvisation

placeholder user

Katy Carr

Songs of Syrena: The forgotten songs of Polish-Jewish composers of the 1930s and their influence

placeholder user

Laura Lee

Graduated 2024: Post-Rock Composition and Performance Practice: Authenticity, Liveness, Creativity & Technology