Postgraduate teaching and supervision

The Music Centre contributes to interdisciplinary teaching and research for postgraduate students. 

Taught Masters

The Music Centre and the School of Divinity jointly teach the MLitt in Sacred Music. This course is aimed at those intending to carry out church music performance and leadership roles, clergy, and those seeking a self-contained programme of study in sacred music or planning to pursue doctoral research in the field.

Music Centre staff also contribute to postgraduate Masters teaching in other Schools (for example, with the School of English, contributing to the Shakespeare and Renaissance Literary Culture MLitt as well as the Modern and Contemporary Literature and Culture MLitt). 

Research degrees

The Music Centre may be able to provide PhD project support or co-supervision if appropriate with the agreement of the lead academic School.

Applications should be made to the lead School (not to the Music Centre) in the first instance, but early discussion with both potential supervisors will help to establish if this is possible. 

To contact a potential co-supervisor, see the Music Centre's research interests page.

Current PhD projects

  • Claudia Lubao Musical Activism, communication and public profile: the case of a Tanzanian popular musician (funded by GCRF)
  • Anthony Cowie Music in Science Centres (funded by SGSAH)

Examples of previous PhD projects

  • Preparation, rehearsal, performance and reflection: a conductor's autoethnographical study of the process of interpretation 
    Bede Williams, 2013-2018, (supervisor Dr Michael Downes) (part-time)

  • The Music of the Book of Common Prayer
    Ian Sexton, 2014 and ongoing, (supervised by Professor Ian Bradley, School of Divinity, and Dr Michael Ferguson, Music Centre) (part-time)

  • “With Strange Fantastic Motions”: the development of the early Stuart Anti-masque
    Rachel Horrocks, 2015-2019 (supervised by Professor Neil Rhodes, School of English, and Dr Jane Pettegree, Music Centre)

  • The Pageant Plays of E. M. Forster and Ralph Vaughan Williams: Inter-War British Wagnerism and Nationalism
    Parker Gordon, 2017 and ongoing, (supervised by Professor Emma Sutton, School of English, and Dr Michael Downes, Music Centre)

  • Creation and Christological Encounter in the Hymns of Evening Prayer
    Joel Clarkson, 2018 and ongoing, (supervised by Dr Rebekah Lamb, School of Divinity, and Dr Michael Ferguson, Music Centre)

  • Colour-music by Scriabin and Messiaen: Relationship between cross-modal assignments, harmonic language and consonance perception
    Konstantin Semilakovs, 2019 and ongoing, (main supervisor Ines Jentzsch, School of Psychology; 20% co-supervision by Dr Jonathan Kemp, Music Centre)

Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

Music research at the University of St Andrews is complemented by a close relationship with the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS). Since 2000, the University has awarded and validated research degrees awarded by the RCS. Students and staff from both institutions frequently collaborate in performances and associated research seminars.  

Please find details below of a funded degree currently available:-

The Sounds of Science: A practice-based PhD exploring the use, purpose and potential of music in science centres - The Sounds of Science Funded PhD (PDF)