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During my time here, I organised an international conference based around my subject involving delegates from 4 continents

Emily Baines
DMus, ‘Mechanical Musical Instruments as a Source for Historical Performance’

Emily Baines
The research community at Guildhall is a really interesting place to be

Stefania Donini
PhD

Stefania Donini
I found it very beneficial to take a break from a busy teaching career to think and reflect on my teaching value, principle and strategies

Yushan Li
PGCert Performance Teaching

Yushan Li
Studying at Guildhall is really cool because you are in a setting where the arts are valued by an entire community

Natasha Mbwana
BA Performance & Creative Enterprise

Natasha Mbwana
The projects we work on are real - we are in effect constantly getting work experience

Laurie Lumley
BA Video Design for Live Performance

Laurie Lumley
Guildhall is an institution that knows it has to be connected to the outside world - that's the key thing. It's not a bubble. It has roots in the city and in the world.

Jonathan Ferrucci
Artist Diploma Piano

Jonathan Ferrucci
One minute you could be playing in the Guildhall Studio Orchestra with jazz musicians, the next you could be playing in the opera pit, then the next minute you'll be with actors doing the musical and then playing a symphony in the orchestra.

Millie Ashton
BMus Violin

Millie Ashton
I had access to people I would never have been able to meet as a young composer starting out.

Na'ama Zisser
Doctoral Composer in Residence

Na'ama Zisser
I knew about the fantastic tutoring and resources, but the friendly and stimulating environment clinched it for me.

Eden Lonsdale
BMus Composition

Eden Lonsdale
I had the opportunity to play percussion with the Guildhall Studio Orchestra which gave me the chance to learn from, and play alongside, amazing senior players, as well as to perform with the incredible Liane Carroll.

Dave Adsett
BMus Jazz Drums

Dave Adsett
At Guildhall, they don't hold your hand, but they're going to push you to become the actor that you want to be.

Daniel Adeosun
BA Acting

Daniel Adeosun
It's the scale of productions that really makes Guildhall stand out. It gets to the point where you think, wow, this is massive. In other places, you just wouldn't have that opportunity to learn on the job.

Sian Clare
BA Technical Theatre Arts (Costume)

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

How to apply

Application process

Applications for September 2022 will open later this term and will close on 31 March 2022. Interviews will be held in April and May.

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 (including DMus degrees), 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. Research Guildhall School and potential supervisors

Does the format and ethos of our doctoral programme fit with your expectations and proposed approach? Read this website thoroughly, attend events such as our open days and ResearchWorks and speak to current students to ensure that we are the right institution for you. Above all, identify at least one prospective supervisor for your project: one of the most common reasons for an application to be rejected is that it does not fit with the expertise and interests of research-active staff. You are welcome to approach prospective supervisors in advance of application, including a brief summary of your proposal. Some prospective supervisors may offer some advice on aligning your project with their research interest. Due to the high volume of enquiries, others may not respond, especially to approaches from people unfamiliar with their research. 

4. 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 may send a short outline of your proposed project to research_applications@gsmd.ac.uk by 1 March 2022.

5. 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. 

    6. Interview

    Candidates will be short-listed on the basis of their application material and those who meet the criteria 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 2022. If you have submitted an application early, it may take a while to hear from us. 

    7. 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 2022.

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