PhD Brain-Computer Music Interfacing

• Overview

• The University of Plymouth is a world pioneer of the field of Brain-Computer Music Interfacing (BCMI). It offers unparalleled support for research in this truly interdisciplinary field, combining music, electronic engineering, neuroscience and brain imaging.
  
  This full- or part-time doctoral programme is suitable for candidates interested in contributing to the advancement of BCMI, while honing their research and scientific skills through experiments and development of practical systems.

  If you do not already have a masters degree, you may be interested in one of our masters level research degrees – for instance, our ResM Computer Music (which enables a transfer directly into the PhD programme if you are making excellent progress), or else an MPhil degree. Further details about the University’s research degree awards. 

  You will be guided by a supervisory team of academic experts in ICCMR and BRIC, under the direction of a personal Director of Studies.
  
  You will be expected to fully engage with skills development and training and to present your research in a range of scholarly and scientific contexts. Your PhD will be assessed via submission of a written thesis of approximately 80,000 words. For full details of what doing a PhD entails at the University of Plymouth, please visit our Postgraduate Research Degrees pages.

  Core modules

  • Research Brain-Computer Music Interfacing (GSRBCMI1)

  • Research Skills in the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (DRTS800)

    This module provides research students the opportunity to explore the creation and interpretation of new knowledge within their field; develop the students’ ability to conceptualise, design and present their theses to merit publication; advance the students’ academic enquiry skills and techniques; and to generate and share the new knowledge within their academic discipline and professional practice.

• Year 2

• Core modules

  • Research Brain-Computer Music Interfacing (GSRBCMI2)

• Year 3

• Core modules

  • Research Brain-Computer Music Interfacing (GSRBCMI3)

• Year 4

• Core modules

  • Research Brain-Computer Music Interfacing (GSRBCMI4)

• Year 5

• Core modules

  • Research Brain-Computer Music Interfacing (GSRBCMI5)

• Final year

• Core modules

  • Research Brain-Computer Music Interfacing (GSRBCMI6)

Applicants are expected to have either a good 2:1 or first class honours undergraduate degree, as well as completed a masters level qualification on a relevant topic, including (but not limited to) music technology, engineering, computer science, psychology or neuroscience. In exceptional cases, candidates with alternative qualification(s) and/or substantial professional experience may qualify. Please enquire.

If you do not have a masters level qualification, we recommend to consider starting with ResM Computer Music. Students who make good progress in the ResM programme can progress directly into the PhD Brain-Computer Music Interface programme after 12-18 months. In this case the ResM period counts towards the PhD.

If English is not your first language, you must have proficiency in written and spoken English (normally a minimum test score of 6.5 for IELTS, or equivalent). Given the nature of the programme, you’ll be expected to read and engage with complex theoretical texts and debates for which fluency in English is essential.

For more general guidelines and application requirements, please visit the research degrees applicants page.