Creative Industries PhDs

PhD opportunities in the creative industries.

Start date

6 July 2026

Duration

3.5 years

Application deadline

31 March 2026

Funding source

Faculty of Arts, Business, and Social Sciences, University of Surrey

Funding information

Fee waiver covering home or international fees. Fee waivers are also open to part-time students. (3 years full-time/6 years part-time).

About

The School of Arts, Humanities, and Creative Industries is delighted to announce four PhD studentships awards for outstanding postgraduate researchers. These awards are designed to support innovative and impactful research that aligns with our strategic priorities in the creative industries.

We invite PhD proposals in literature, music and media, and applied theatre, with a particular emphasis on interdisciplinary projects or those that foster collaboration across these areas. We also welcome proposals from other creative industries fields, including film, digital media, cultural studies, and creative writing.

Projects should aim to foster collaboration and contribute to understanding the arts' social, cultural, and technological impact.

Please note that PhD researchers on these studentships will have the opportunity to develop and enhance their employability and professional skills through paid roles connected to teaching and contributing to the wider research culture within their school. While participation is optional, these experiences are strongly encouraged as valuable for career development.

Welcomed topics

We especially welcome projects addressing the following areas but applications need not be limited to these topics:

Literature

Women’s writing (medieval to Victorian)
Medieval romance
Romanticism
Victorian studies
Modernism
Travel and mobility

Western and global esotericisms
Sexuality and queer theory
Postmodern/contemporary fiction
Transnational literature
Cross-media work (film/adaptation, creative writing, literature across media).

Learn more about literature supervisors.

Music and media

Musicology (both classical and popular music) and music history
Composition and sound art
Electronic and experimental music
Music education

Music performance studies
Music psychology
Practice-research
Video game design
Games user experience.

Learn more about music and media supervisors.

Applied theatre

Research may explore theatre as a tool for social, educational, and community engagement. Topics might include:

Participatory theatre
Musical theatre
Theatre for social change

Therapeutic practices
Applications in education and healthcare.

Explore prospective supervisors in this area.

Eligibility criteria

This studentship is open to both UK and international students.

You will need to meet the minimum entry requirements for the relevant PhD programme.

How to apply

Once you have discussed your project with a prospective supervisor, you will need to make an application for a place on one of the following postgraduate research programmes: