Admissions
Graduate Studies
Graduate Study in the Faculty of Music
The Faculty of Music has one of the largest and liveliest communities of graduate students in the United Kingdom. Usually about 20 new students enter every year, coming from countries all around the world. Graduate students have the benefit of a team of international experts to supervise their research, access to outstanding libraries, and the stimulus of a committed group of like-minded students and scholars in many subject areas. The University, the colleges and the city of Oxford provide a lively and diverse musical, academic and cultural atmosphere.
Graduate Open Day - Friday 11th November.
The Humanities Division will be hosting a Graduate Open Day on Friday 11th November. This will include a session in the Music Faculty with a talk from the Director of Graduate Studies, Professor Laurence Dreyfus, and a tour of the facilities with current graduate students. Find out more here.
Subject areas, approaches, and modes of study are very varied. Students may concentrate on Western music history (from chant to film music), source studies, music theory, aesthetics and criticism, composition and analysis, musical instruments, ethnomusicology, musical performance and interpretation. Many individual research projects are unique in their blend of approaches; frequently they extend into other academic disciplines such as literature, art history, theatre and film studies, philosophy or general history.
Research degrees
The degrees of DPhil and MLitt, with specialisation in Musicology or Composition, are awarded upon successful completion of a substantial original contribution to these fields prepared over the course of usually two years for MLitt and three or four years for DPhil. Students embarking on these degree courses are normally expected to have a Master's degree in music or equivalent, or they may first take the MSt in Music at Oxford (see below).
During the first year students hold the status of PRS (Probationer Research Student). Besides initial work on their research project, they may undertake some graduate coursework, depending on their experience and interests, to prepare themselves for independent research. At the end of this period, students' fitness to continue is assessed through an examination called 'transfer of status', for which they submit a research proposal accompanied by a draft chapter and an annotated bibliography in the case of Musicology, and a portfolio of compositions and critical writings in the case of Composition. It is also possible to apply for transfer to DPhil status while enrolled in the MPhil course (see below); this transfer is dependent upon successful completion of the MPhil. A further examination, called 'confirmation of status' and involving discussion of further submitted materials (thesis chapters and compositions), usually takes place in the third year of the DPhil.
Degrees are awarded on the basis of a research thesis in Musicology (maximum length: 100,000 words for DPhil or 50,000 for MLitt), or of a portfolio of at least three compositions and a dissertation or a group of essays relevant to the intellectual and artistic concerns of the candidate in Composition. Submission is required within twelve terms from admission (nine terms for MLitt).
Here are the Admissions Criteria for Research Degrees.
Taught degrees
The MSt in Music offers an introduction to the broad range of current methodologies and approaches in music scholarship. Students choose on application to specialise in either musicology, composition or performance. All students take part in the Graduate Seminars which cover issues in methodology. They also attend a series of discipline-specific seminars. For the 2011-12 session these are in The Social and Cultural Study of Music, Composition, Performance, Music Psychology and Historical Musicology. Assessment is by the submission of a portfolio of four essays - two on research methods and two in musicology. Musicology students also submit a dissertation while the composers submit a composition and performers present a 30 minute recital in the Holywell Music Room.
The MPhil in Music is a two-year course whose first year is identical to the MSt. At the end of this year assessment is as for the MSt. On successfully completing the first year students then proceed directly to the second year of the MPhil. This gives the opportunity to apply and expand the skills acquired in the first year. There are two components in the second year: Part A is a 30,000-word essay in musicology or ethnomusicology or an editoral exercise. Part B is (for Musicology students) a portfolio of two coursework essays, (for composers) two compositions and (for performers) a 60 minute recital.
To find out more about our taught courses here.
Here are the Admissions Criteria for Taught Degrees.
Other degrees
The requirements for the degree of BMus, which is restricted to Oxford graduates, are printed in the University's Examination Decrees and Regulations, as are those for the senior degree of DMus.
Teaching, supervision and academic events
Teaching is offered by the professors, readers and lecturers in the Faculty of Music who hold University appointments. Other Faculty members, such as college fellows and lecturers and senior research fellows, may assist with graduate teaching and supervision. All graduates have an academic supervisor in the Faculty and an advisor in their college. Seminar instructors are available for advice on individual seminar topics. Special supervision in particular research skills is also available if needed. The Faculty offers several series of public lectures and musical events, as well as research colloquia particularly designed for graduates, often with internationally renowned figures in musicology, composition or related fields.
Research facilities
The Faculty is situated in self-contained and specially adapted buildings in St Aldate's, comprising teaching and lecture rooms, a rehearsal hall, practice rooms, the Faculty Library, the Bate Collection of Musical Instruments, an electronic studio and a graduate centre with teaching offices and a common room. There are also computing, music-processing and internet facilities.
The rich collections of music, books, microfilms and recordings are distributed between the Faculty Library and the Music Section of the Bodleian Library. Other collections of the University, for example the Taylorian Library and Christ Church Library, are also excellent resources for music research.
The Bate Collection of Musical Instruments is a leading national museum with research status. Other important instrument collections are found in the Ashmolean Museum (including the Hill Collection) and the Pitt Rivers Museum (with extensive ethnographic materials).
Research Colloquia, run by the graduate students themselves, are held with invited speakers every week during term time. There are papers on many musical topics, some offered by distinguished visitors from around the world, others by Oxford academics and graduate students. The Colloquia make it easy to get to know the Oxford research community as well as many scholars from elsewhere.
Application procedure
All applicants are required to submit written work, which, for composers should include 3 compositions, and for performers a CD or DVD. DPhil applicants will be invited to attend an interview, for those who are overseas this will be by telephone or skype. Places are awarded first and foremost by the Faculty. While graduate study is largely based in the Faculty students are required to be a member of a college. On your application you will be invited to make your first choice of college (or you can ask for an Open College place - which will be allocated by the graduate office). If you are offered an academic place you are guaranteed a college place, but not necessarily at your first choice college. There are two deadlines for applications: for entry in 2011 they are 21st January 2011 and 11 March 2011. The January deadline is the most popular: and students are encouraged to meet it if they also wish to be considered for University funding. Our courses do remain open until 1st July for late applications. Please refer to the University Graduate Prospectus (http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/postgraduate/) for further guidance.
Fee Rates
Fee rates for courses offered by the Faculty of Music have been the subject of a review and in some cases have been increased significantly. This affects both Home/EU and Overseas rates. For the latest information on fees charged by the University please visit: http://www.ox.ac.uk/feesandfunding/fees/
Funding
The university website's graduate admission pages provides detailed and comprehensive information about funding as well as on training, support, and much more. Graduates may also obtain research grants from their colleges, the Faculty, or the University, to travel to research collections or to give papers at conferences in Britain and abroad.
Hélène La Rue Scholarship in Music
St Cross College invites applications for this scholarship from students who will begin studying at the University of Oxford in the academic year 2012-2013 for a postgraduate research degree in Music. Preference may be given to a research topic related to the musical collections at the University, including those at the Ashmolean Museum, those at the Pitt Rivers Museum, the Bate Collection in the Faculty of Music and those held in any of the colleges.