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Postgraduate Study

Apply using the Applicant Portal

The Apply Now button on the right will take you to the Applicant Portal. There, you can create and submit your application and supporting documents, and you can also request your references.

An application is only complete when:

  1. you have submitted your application and supporting documents via the Applicant Portal
  2. you have paid the application fee if applicable. For further information on application fees, and which courses require an application fee, see here.
  3. your referees have provided their references.

If you miss the deadlines specified in this section, you will not be able to submit your application.

Selection Process

Applications submitted by the funding deadline will be considered in a gathered field.

Applications submitted after the funding deadline will be considered on a rolling basis up until the course deadline, provided places are still available. Decisions are normally made within 12 weeks of receiving the application.

Further information on How To Apply


Things You'll Need

You should start preparing the things that you'll need when you apply. These will be mandatory, unless specifically flagged as optional.

  • Two referees willing to give you a reference
    Either academic or professional – please see our References guidance for more information about which type you need. Your referees will need to have submitted their reference by the course deadline.
  • Transcript  
  • CV/resume
  • Evidence of competence in English
    If required - please see our Competence in English guidance for more information.
  • Research Proposal (document upload) (mandatory)
    The Research Proposal should give as much information as possible about your likely subject of specialisation. This should be approximately 750 words with a bibliography (this is excluded from the wordcount). It should outline the basis for your interest in the proposed topic (including some bibliography), position your work in relation to existing literature, and explain what you hope to contribute to the field. While the topic may evolve, this helps us assess how well we can support your research, whether you’re suitably qualified to undertake the research and who your initial supervisor will be. For further information, please visit the Faculty website for more details: https://www.mus.cam.ac.uk/applicants/graduate/grad-how-to-apply.
  • Sample of Work (2) (document upload) (mandatory)
    There is no set requirement for this, but applicants typically provide two essays of 2,000-4,000 words or an undergraduate/Master’s dissertation. Ideally, this should represent recent academic work in a relevant subject, demonstrating your ability to examine a question in depth. It should be in English (or translated). For further information, please visit the Faculty website for more details: https://www.mus.cam.ac.uk/applicants/graduate/grad-how-to-apply
  • Composition and audio
    If you are applying for the composition pathway, please provide a list of your works, details of previous studies in composition, and between two and four original scores which demonstrate the breadth of your work. See the faculty website for more detail https://www.mus.cam.ac.uk/applicants/graduate/grad-how-to-apply

Gates Cambridge Scholarships

If you wish to be considered for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship you will also need to provide the following:

  • Gates Cambridge Reference  
  • Research Proposal (PhD applicants only)

See Gates Cambridge for more information.


How to Find a Supervisor

The majority of postgraduate students in the Faculty of Music undertake research that is connected with the particular research interests of an individual Faculty member. If you are planning an application, we recommend that you initially make contact with the member of the academic staff whose interests seem closest to yours. Our Academic and Research Staff page provides information about individual members of the academic staff and their research interests, whereas the Research Clusters page offers an overview of the principal research clusters in the Faculty.

The information you provide about yourself in your application (probable subject of specialisation, possible preferred Supervisor from the Faculty) also helps us to determine who your main Supervisor could be.

Apply Now

Key Information


3-4 years full-time

4-7 years part-time

Study Mode : Research

Doctor of Philosophy

Faculty of Music

Course - related enquiries

Application - related enquiries

Course on Department Website

Dates and deadlines:

Michaelmas 2026

Applications open
Sept. 3, 2025
Application deadline
May 14, 2026
Course Starts
Oct. 1, 2026

Some courses can close early. See the Deadlines page for guidance on when to apply.

Course Funding Deadline
Jan. 7, 2026
Gates Cambridge US round only
Oct. 15, 2025

These deadlines apply to applications for courses starting in Michaelmas , Lent and Easter .


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