Music

The Department of Music is at the forefront of current research and postgraduate teaching across music styles and repertoires from a wide variety of critical perspectives. From 19th century classical music to game music our staff and postgraduate researchers undertake cutting edge, internationally recognised research, at a university home to the first academic centre created specifically to study popular music, founded in 1988. In a UNESCO City of Music with a wealth of musical institutions, organisations, festivals and events, our PhD researchers have the opportunity to both study and participate through partnership with locally based cultural and creative industries. The Department of Music offers a stimulating research environment. Our critically acclaimed research encompasses a wide spectrum of music studies. With two supervisors assigned to every PhD researcher, we encourage imaginative combinations of discipline and repertoire to explore new approaches to creative musical excellence and research innovation. Our world-leading expertise in music encompasses numerous methodological approaches and critical perspectives including critical musicology, popular music studies, composition, music psychology and ethnomusicology. Our lecturers and postgraduate researchers conduct research on a wide variety of topics in a vibrant and diverse department within an internationally renowned city of music. We invite research proposals that match those of our researchers, whose profiles can be viewed via our staff pages. We particularly welcome proposals in any of the following areas: As a postgraduate researcher, you’ll participate in the full range of the Department of Music’s research activity, from presenting papers at research seminars to working as teaching assistants within the Department, with pedagogical training and support provided. There’s a vibrant weekly postgraduate forum involving research, careers and teaching support for all postgraduates, as well as a series o

IELTS: 7.0 overall, with no component below 6.5 TOEFL iBT: If you took a TOEFL test on or before 20 January 2026, you’ll need 100 overall, with minimum scores of listening 21, writing 21, reading 21 and speaking 23. If you took a TOEFL test from 21 January 2026 onwards, when a new scoring system was introduced, you’ll need 5 overall, with 4.5 or above in all components. TOEFL Home Edition not accepted. Pearson PTE Academic: 69 overall, with no component below 61 Your most recent IELTS score: Pre-sessional English course length 6.5 overall, with no component below 6.0: 6 weeks 6.0 overall, with writing at 6.0 and no component below 5.5: 10 weeks 6.0 overall, with no component below 5.5: 12 weeks 5.5 overall, with no component below 5.5: 20 weeks 5.5 overall, with no component below 5.0: 30 weeks 5.0 overall, with no more than one component at 4.5: 40 weeks

IELTS 7.0 overall, with no component below 6.5

International students: Full-time place, per year - £25,350; Part-time: £12,650

UK students: Full-time place, per year - £5,238; Part-time: £2,619

UK/Home: Full-time place, per year - £5,238; Part-time: £2,619

International: Full-time place, per year - £25,350; Part-time: £12,650

Year round

Rolling admissions - check project listing

• Liverpool, United Kingdom