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Home > About the School > Research > Doctoral Research > How to apply

How to apply

Application process

Applications for September 2021 are open. The deadline for applications is 31 March 2021. 

Please see below for more information on the application process.

Applicants are selected on the following criteria:

  • The originality, rigour and significance of the proposed project
  • Skills, experience and characteristics required to pursue that project
  • Alignment of the project with areas of supervisory expertise
  • The candidate’s preparedness for doctoral study

1. Identify whether you meet the minimum requirements

The minimum admission requirements for admission onto the doctoral programme are:

  • A BA (hons) degree (upper 2nd or 1st class) and Master’s degree in a relevant subject area (equivalent professional or academic experience occasionally considered)
  • For projects involving artistic or pedagogic practice, demonstrated expertise and experience
  • Applicants who do not speak English as their first language and who do not hold a degree from a majority English-speaking country should have achieved a minimum overall score of 7.0 in the IELTS Academic Training examination with no individual component score below 6.0 (or equivalent).

2. Consider funding

Before applying for a doctorate, you should ensure you have considered how you will fund your study. See more information on funding. 

3. Write a proposal

Your research proposal is the main way we assess the suitability of your application. We recommend committing some time to undertaking background research and developing your research questions so you can demonstrate that it will make an original contribution to existing knowledge. Guidelines are provided here and you can find a template here. 

If you would like feedback on whether your proposed research is in an area we can support, you are welcome to send a draft proposal to research_applications@gsmd.ac.uk. Please send draft proposals by 1 February 2021.

You may also want to approach potential supervisors at the school. In some cases they may offer some advice on aligning your project with their research interests.

4. Submit a formal application

Once you have a research proposal please contact research_applications@gsmd.ac.uk for an application link. The following material will be required:

  • A research proposal of up to 2,000 words (excluding bibliography)
  • Contact details of two academics who are prepared to supply a reference
  • Details of academic qualifications and relevant professional experience
  • A personal statement demonstrating your preparedness for doctoral study
  • For practice-based projects, examples of your practice as follows: 
    • DMus Composition: Composers should submit a portfolio of three distinct compositions with recordings (live not MIDI)
    • DMus Performance: high quality unedited recording of you playing two or three pieces of repertoire relevant to your proposal
    • Other practice based projects: portfolio of creative/professional as advised on submission of your application. 

    5. Interview

    Candidates who submit strong applications will be invited to interview. Interviews are usually held during the last two weeks in April and the first week in May. Candidates will be interviewed by a panel of between two and four people and the interview will last about 30 minutes. 

    Please note that we will review all applications after the closing date of 31 March 2021. If you have submitted an application early, it may take a while to hear from us. 

    6. Offer

    If successful, you will be notified about the outcome within 1 month of interview and receive your offer. Please note that you will need to formally accept your offer and pay your fee deposit no later than 15th July 2019.

    If you have questions or require further information please contact the Doctoral Research Coordinator on research_applications@gsmd.ac.uk

    Read more about the work of the Research Department.

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