School of Music, Humanities and Media Scholarships

The School of Music, Humanities and Media is pleased to offer up to nineteen competitive fee waiver and bursary opportunities for research degree candidates (MA by Research and PhD) applying for September 2020 and January 2021 entry.

In order to qualify, candidates should indicate, as part of their research proposal, the ways in which their application meets the eligibility criteria.

Candidates holding offers will be considered automatically in the current cycle and will need to meet the full conditions to qualify for any waiver or bursary. Those offered an award must take up their place in September 2020 or January 2021; although candidates may apply for a deferred entry place after January 2021, there is no opportunity to defer the award beyond January 2021.

There are two available schemes:

  • Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarship Scheme (University of Huddersfield alumni only ; see also central guidance on the eligibility criteria for this scheme).
  • School of Music, Humanities and Media scheme (all MHM applicants).

Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarship Scheme (University of Huddersfield alumni only)

  • Ten full fee waivers are granted to the best MHM applicants each academic year.
  • Three full fee waivers are additionally granted in MHM with a bursary of £3000 per annum.
  • January starters qualify for the same fee waivers and bursaries unless all awards have been made for September starters.
  • Awards are likely to be made in areas of strategic priority (see below list).
  • The School reserves the right to award fewer than 10 fee waivers and 3 bursaries with fee waiver if insufficient applications of suitable merit or matching strategic priorities are received.
  • All waivers and bursaries will be awarded through competition, including an interview for short-listed candidates.

Number of available awards under the School of Music, Humanities and Media scheme (all applicants)

  • Six awards are granted to the best applicants each academic year, with one per subject area (History; English Literature and Creative Writing; English Language and Linguistics; Music and Music Technology; Communication, Cultural and Media Studies; Drama, Theatre and Performance);
  • Awards are likely to be made in areas of strategic priority (see below list);
  • Candidates may study full-time or part-time;
  • Awards are open to home, EU, or overseas candidates;
  • These awards may be split between candidates as partial awards, depending on the strategic priorities of the subject area.

Strategic priorities in the School of Music, Humanities & Media

Applications should show relevance to one of the below areas of strategic priority. Exceptional candidates whose proposals sit outside of these areas will also be considered, subject to supervisory capacity, but priority will be given to proposals in these areas for MA by Research and PhD.

History

  • History of healthcare
  • History, culture and memory

English Literature and Creative Writing

  • Eco-critical thinking in early modern English literature
  • Aging in literature and performance (with Drama)

English Language and Linguistics

  • Stylistics of TV and film drama
  • Variation and change in English dialects

Music and Music Technology

  • Historical performance of instrumental music of the 18th – 20th centuries
  • Gender representation in music technology

Communication, Cultural and Media Studies

  • All areas, including screen writing, film, acting, and music
  • Participatory culture

Drama, Theatre and Performance

  • Disability, theatre and performance
  • Aging in literature and performance (with English)
  • Gothic and horror in dramatic performance

You will be expected to:

Undertake your research degree on a full-time or part-time basis. If you study full-time, you will need to dedicate 37 hours per week to your degree and must not also be working full-time. If you study part-time, you should expect to dedicate 18 hours per week to the degree.

Contribute 80 hours per year (pro rata for those on partial fee waivers) of activities to support areas such as teaching, research, recruitment activity, or administration. Students wishing to teach will need first to complete the University of Huddersfield Teaching Assistant Preparation Programme (TAPP), as per the teaching policy. No payment will be made for designated fee-waiver tasks.

Live a commutable distance from campus and be on campus regularly in order to be an active member of the School’s research community.

Regularly attend and, where relevant, participate in research seminars, training, conferences, and events within the School.

Pay for any period of additional time at the end of your research degree at the standard rate (4 (MA) or 4-12 (PhD) months of additional standard time, and/or 4 (MA) or 12 (PhD) months of writing up time. Additional time is not compulsory, and you are encouraged to design a project that can be completed in three full-time years or six part-time years.

Guidance on your application and research proposal

All applicants apply using the standard online application form.

There is no template for a research proposal, but the following areas are recommended as a guide to what you should include:

  • Title or research question
  • Statement of alignment with the strategic priority from the advertised list most relevant to the proposal
  • The name of a potential main supervisor if you have one in mind, subject to their suitability and availability to supervise your project (not essential)
  • Summary of project, indicating research questions, aims, or objectives
  • Brief review of the existing field of research in this area
  • Methodology
  • Reference List (any standard system is appropriate)

Your application includes the names of two academic referees who will be able to provide references in support of your application. We will request these separately.

What happens after I submit my application online?

Your application will be reviewed by a panel of academic staff representing all subject areas within the School.

If you are shortlisted, you will be invited to attend an online interview with a small panel of staff from the School of Music, Humanities and Media.

If you are successful at interview, you will be notified by the School, and the University will issue you with an offer letter. There may be further conditions to meet, for example if you are still awaiting results from an undergraduate or MA qualification or if we need confirmation of your language qualifications.

Please note that the Vice Chancellor’s Scholarship Scheme is highly competitive, with a fixed number of awards being granted each year.

When is the deadline?

Course start date

Deadline for all international applicants, and all applicants for the fee waiver and bursary schemes

Deadline for Home/EU students not seeking fee waiver or bursary

21 September 2020

4 June 2020

2 July 2020

18 January 2021

23 October 2020

20 November 2020

20 September 2021

4 June 2021

2 July 2021


Additional information

Our 10% alumni discount applies to taught postgraduate studies only, not to research degrees, and is available to all current students and alumni at the University.