Doctor of Philosophy - Music (DR-PHILMUS)

The Doctor of Philosophy (Music) is now offered in the Doctor of Philosophy – Fine Arts and Music course.

Information on the Doctor of Philosophy – Fine Arts and Music can be found in the Handbook here.

If you wish to apply for entry to the Doctor of Philosophy – Fine Arts and Music, information on admissions is on the Study Hub here.

You can find details of our discipline areas and all the courses offered by the Faculty of Fine Arts and Music here.

The degree of Doctor of Philosophy signifies that the holder has undertaken a substantial piece of original research, which has been conducted and reported by the holder under proper academic supervision and in a research environment for a prescribed period.

The PhD thesis demonstrates authority in the candidate's field and shows evidence of command of knowledge in relevant fields. It shows that the candidate has a thorough grasp of the appropriate methodological techniques and an awareness of their limitations. The thesis also makes a distinct contribution to knowledge. Its contribution to knowledge rests on originality of approach and / or interpretation of the findings and, in some cases, the discovery of new facts. The thesis demonstrates an ability to communicate research findings effectively in the professional arena and in an international context. It is a careful, rigorous and sustained piece of work demonstrating that a research 'apprenticeship' is complete and the holder is admitted to the community of scholars in the discipline.

In scope, the PhD thesis differs from a research Masters thesis chiefly by its deeper and more comprehensive treatment of the chosen subject. It is written succinctly, in English, unless approval has been given for the thesis to be written in a language other than English. The normal length of a PhD thesis is 80,000 words, exclusive of words in tables, maps, bibliographies and appendices OR equivalent to 80,000 words in the case of the PhD (Composition), the PhD (Music Performance), the PhD (Jazz & Improvisation) and the PhD (Interactive Composition) – see Confirmed Candidature, below. Footnotes are included as part of the word limit. The thesis should not exceed 100,000 words (or equivalent) without special approval from the Research Higher Degrees Committee.