Music (Electroacoustic Composition)

Entry requirements

• Bachelor's (Honours) degree at 2:1 or above (or overseas equivalent); and
• Master's degree in a relevant subject – with an overall average of 65% or above, a minimum mark of 65% in your dissertation and no mark below 55% (or overseas equivalent)

Months of entry

January, September

Course content

Our PhD Music (Electroacoustic Composition) programme will see you produce a portfolio of electroacoustic works and a written commentary, allowing you to develop your original creative voice under the supervision of our specialist academic staff.

Your supervised research will normally relate to the research interests of a member of staff. These currently include (but are not limited to):

• Fixed media/acousmatic electroacoustic composition
• Multi-channel spatial formats
• Data sonification and audification
• Interactive music systems
• Audio-visual music
• Game-audio and VR-based electroacoustic music
• Arts-science and interdisciplinary electroacoustic music

Our research across the department involves particular focus on seven core research areas, built around research questions, themes and approaches that are shared by a number of members of staff. Explored thematically during our Thursday research afternoons, the core research areas allow us to interrogate key issues in music research from multiple angles, fostering imaginative and multi-layered responses that are both intellectual and creative. They comprise:

• Creative and performing practices
• Sound, space and interactive art
• Politics, protest and power
• Nationalism, mobility and identity
• Historically and culturally informed analysis
• Critical reception studies
• Intercultural musicking

Electroacoustic postgraduate students are based in the NOVARS research centre and the associated electroacoustic music studios. Workshops and performances of postgraduate compositions are arranged through the department. These will primarily be supported by student involvement with MANTIS (Manchester Theatre in Sound) and may also involve the Quatuor Danel, our quartet-in-residence, among other professional and student performers.

As a research student in the department, you will be assigned a research panel, consisting of your supervisor, a co-supervisor and an independent reviewer who will meet with you on a regular basis to discuss your progress and offer expert advice on the development of your project.

Postgraduate students are an important part of the academic community of the department and the University, and we encourage all our PhD students to participate in research seminars and to present their research at regular intervals to help them develop their research experience and profile.

Find out more about our Music research, our staff and what our current PhD students are working on.