Overview
A PhD at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire will help you create opportunities to develop research skills that support performance, composition or a scholarly career. Whether you are interested in music (including composition, music technology, musicology, performance and jazz) or performing arts (theatre, acting, directing, applied drama, dance and interdisciplinary performance practice), you will be supervised by leading experts in the field.
Choosing to study in a conservatoire environment allows you access to top-level performers, enabling you to situate your research in an environment of practical music making and acting.
What's covered in this course?
A PhD enables you to follow a programme of self-directed, independent study, supported by experienced supervisors who are themselves experts in their area.
Whilst you will be developing as an independent researcher, you will be supported both by your supervisors and the wider Conservatoire research community. There are regular opportunities for you to present and share your work with other research students.
Employability
The value of a PhD to employability
The Doctor of Philosophy or PhD is recognised worldwide and is often requirement for those wishing to follow an academic or research career in the field. Our Conservatoire PhD research degree has been designed to help you achieve a career in music and performing arts research or academia. Many of our PhD graduates have also gone on to have successful careers as practitioners.
Graduate Jobs
Dr Fang Fang completed her PhD in composition in 2016 with a portfolio of works integrating Chinese folk songs into new music. She now works as a lecturer in composition at Sichuan Conservatory of Music, China, teaching composition, analysis of music and musical form.
*Price shown is for indicative purposes, please check with institution
February 2026
Birmingham Conservatoire
200 Jennens Road,
Birmingham,
B4 7XR, Central England, United Kingdom
*Price shown is for indicative purposes, please check with institution
February 2026
Online
University House,
Birmingham,
B5 5JU, Central England, United Kingdom
To apply for our Conservatoire PhD research degree you should have, or expect to be awarded, a Masters degree in a relevant subject area from a British or overseas university. Exceptional candidates without a Masters degree, but holding a first class Bachelors degree in a relevant subject area, may be considered. We also welcome enquiries from potential PhD researchers without formal academic qualifications but with appropriate levels of professional experience. Students should have Students should have an IELTS of 6.0 overall (with no band below 5.5) is required and TOEFL: 80 overall with no less than 18 in Reading, 17 Listening, 20 Speaking and 17 in Writing.
*There may be different IELTS requirements depending on your chosen course.
Birmingham City University is a student-centred, dynamic learning environment, offering courses approved by professional bodies.
