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PROGRAMMES

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Music Practices

The PhD in Music Practices offered by the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music is designed to develop artist-researchers who integrate advanced artistic practice with critical research. It addresses the growing need for cross-disciplinary music scholarship and expands opportunities for post-master’s study in the region.

Candidates will be expected to undertake original research that engages with societal issues and contributes meaningfully to both the music industry and the broader community. Students will gain expertise in artistic inquiry, critical thinking, and interdisciplinary engagement, positioning them to generate new knowledge and innovation in the field.

Graduates can expect to take on roles in academia, arts education, arts management, and other sectors where music intersects with wider social and cultural contexts. The programme prepares them to be leaders in artistic research and to contribute significantly to the evolving global landscape of music practice and scholarship.

Application for PhD for August 2027 intake will open from 1 September to 1 December 2026.

Please refer to our Admissions page for more information on the application process.

For queries on the PhD in Music Practices, please email ystacad@nus.edu.sg.

Apply Here!

Programme Requirements

The PhD in Music Practices comprises the following requirements to be completed within the advised duration of 4 years (or up to the maximum duration of 5 years):

Coursework (34 Units)

Core (18 Units)

  • MUA6163 Advanced Research Practices in Music (4 Units) – *If a strong applicant lacks research background, they will need to first take MUA5163 Research Practices in Music before taking MUA6163
  • MUA6771-MUA6774 Doctoral Seminar (4 x 2 Units)
  • NG5001 Academic Communication for Graduate Researchers (4 Units) – ^Students who are required to sit for the Diagnostic English Test (DET) may need to complete ES5000 and/or ES5001A before enrolling in NG5001, depending on their DET results.
  • NG5002 Research Ethics for Graduate Researchers (2 Units)

Electives (16 Units)

Level-5000 and above courses from any department within NUS, subject to approval from the programme director and doctoral supervisor.

  • 4 Units from YST
  • 12 Units from outside YST or from a given list

Notes

  • Students required to take MUA5163 Research Practices in Music before enrolling in MUA6163 must complete it in addition to the elective requirements.
  • Exemptions are allowed for up to 8 Units for students who have completed eligible electives previously with good academic standing, subject to approval.

Qualifying Examination (QE)

The QE should be taken 12 to 24 months from the start of the doctoral study. In the event that the student fails the first attempt at QE, they are allowed one additional attempt. All students must successfully pass the QE by the end of the 24th month from the start of doctoral study in order to continue in the programme; as such, students are recommended to do their first attempt within 12 to 18 months from the start of doctoral study.

There are two comprehensive examinations (CE) as part of the QE:

  • The first CE (CE1) is a research-oriented paper, in which the student draws upon course content from their electives to write an essay that explores how this content can be integrated into their practice as a musician. Students will be evaluated on their critical thinking abilities, strength of communication, creativity, and the depth and breadth of their considerations of related issues.
  • The second CE (CE2) is a presentation of a representative portfolio, in which the student displays evidence of work accomplished within their area of interest, accompanied with self-evaluative essays that detail the strengths and weaknesses of the output, how it aligns with their chosen artistic and career trajectories, and potential paths moving forward. At least 75% of the work in this portfolio must have been completed during the time that the student has been enrolled in the degree programme. A typical portfolio would comprise at least two significant performances/productions/papers/presentations, each accompanied by a reflective essay of at least 800 words.

Thesis sample

The thesis sample should outline in detail the research question and context that the student would like to investigate in their thesis, with a full literature review as pertaining to background/contextual research. It should also include a description of their methodology and planned timeline. Thesis samples are usually between 30 and 50 pages in length (double-spaced, 12-point-font, Times New Roman).


Oral defence of thesis sample

This oral defence involves an extended discussion of the thesis sample between the student and the faculty panel, in which the student is given the opportunity to further elaborate on their proposed thesis and respond to questions and feedback from the faculty panel. The faculty panel comprises the thesis advisor (appointed by the programme director in agreement with the faculty member involved), and two other faculty members, one of whom must be from an NUS faculty/school other than YST.

 

Thesis

As part of the thesis requirements, students will need to complete the following:

  1. Artistic output — the format of the output will be dependent on the chosen research area, and must demonstrate integral connections with the written thesis. The artistic output should be documented in an archivable format.
  2. A written thesis in English, of minimum 40,000 and maximum 100,000 words (including footnotes but excluding appendices, illustrations, etc.).
  3. Oral examination comprising a final public presentation and a closed-door oral defence of research project.

Programme Information

The PhD in Music Practices is offered only on a full-time basis. Research candidates are expected to commit at least 40 hours per week to their studies.

All PhD candidates must spend a minimum residency of 18 months at NUS during their candidature. Periods of study leave and overseas fieldwork will not be counted towards residency. In addition, students must reside in Singapore during the semester in which they submit their thesis for examination.

The maximum period of candidature is 5 years and is inclusive of periods of approved study leave, but may exclude periods of approved leave of absence, subject to YST approval.

The recommended period of candidature for the PhD in Music Practices candidates is 4 years. Candidates are expected to submit their thesis for examination by the end of Week 2 of their 8th semester of study. Submissions made after this deadline will incur additional fees.

Candidates who fail to submit their thesis by the maximum period of their candidature will have their candidature automatically lapsed.

Students are expected to maintain a minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.50 during their enrolment in the PhD in Music Practices degree. To continue in the programme, a student may not have:

  • GPA below 3.50 (but greater than or equal to 3.00) for three consecutive semesters; or
  • GPA below 3.00 for two consecutive semesters.

Students will be required to have a minimum GPA of 3.50 to be eligible to graduate. Failure to maintain the stipulated minimum GPA requirements will result in termination of candidature.

Additionally, candidates must obtain a pass in the:

  • Qualifying Examination (candidates may be given a maximum of one additional try should they fail the QE)
  • Thesis
  • Public presentation and defence

A research student may also be issued a warning, placed on probation, or issue a letter of termination for poor performance in the PhD Qualifying Examination, research progress, research thesis, or other programme requirements.

Please refer to Cost of Attendance