Ph.D.Composition

Development of the student's compositional skills, focused on the individuality of their own compositional style and artistic, aesthetic and cultural perspective;
Deepening knowledge of contemporary music and its application to their own compositions, as well as the historical continuity of the field of study;
Improvement of the ability to reflect theoretically on their own field and acquiring skills leading to the engagement of their own theoretical results within the broader professional discourse;
Acquiring a rigorous knowledge of research methodologies, particularly in the field of artistic research, and the ability to relate this to one's own artistic practice, becoming familiar with current publishing methods and gaining experience with creative and research grants;
Improved communication skills, enabling pedagogical practice in the highly specialised and demanding disciplines of composition and theory;
Gaining experience and knowledge in the organisation of musical life, the promotion of contemporary music and the presentation of one's own work, including the ability to apply related legal standards;
Overall strengthening of the ability to navigate interdisciplinary relationships.

The graduate is an independent creative personality with their own opinion on the issues of contemporary music and the ability to defend them within the discipline’s discourse; they have a versatile compositional technique and an original, integral and distinctive style.

Expertise
- The graduate demonstrates a deep understanding of the historical and cultural context of compositional theory and practice.
- The graduate has an overview of past developments and the current state of musicological research on issues within their field, at an international level.
- They are familiar with current compositional, technical and aesthetic developments and are able to take informed positions on them.
- They display superior, detailed knowledge in the compositional and research areas specified in their individual study plan and are able to communicate this knowledge both through teaching and professional discussion.

Professional Skills:
- The graduate is capable of fully autonomous creation, their technical and compositional skill set enables them to respond flexibly to the demands of the genres used while maintaining artistic standards, for example in the field of film or stage music.
- In addition to classical compositional techniques, the graduate creatively masters contemporary technological possibilities in the field of electroacoustic, multimedia and interactive media.
- The graduate masters standard scientific working methods with an emphasis on the field of artistic research, and can apply them to the principles of their own compositional practice.
- The graduate is capable of publishing in the professional press, engaging in popularisation activities, creating teaching texts (e.g., pedagogical texts and presentations), monographs, and scholarly works that are systematically, analytically, compositionally, technologically, and historically focused.
- The graduate is able to act as a highly specialised teacher in secondary and higher education.

General competences
- The graduate is able to communicate fluently on highly specialised topics in two foreign languages, one of which is typically English; they express themselves in a sophisticated manner both in writing and orally.
- The graduate is able to seek appropriate grant opportunities and to carry out professional projects, either as an individual researcher or as the leader of a research or artistic team.
- The graduate is able to contribute creatively to the activities of a team or department, approaching long-term goals and daily activities in a conceptual and systematic manner.
- The graduate is able to dramaturgically conceive a larger professional event (conference, symposium).

Education and experience requirements:
- completion of a Master's degree,
- convincing results in previous compositional work,
- experience and knowledge of compositional work and a superior understanding of contemporary music and its interdisciplinary relationships,
- the ability to think creatively in musical terms theoretically, a convincing orientation towards discourse within the discipline, and adequate formulative skills.

The entry requirements include adequate knowledge of English and another foreign world language, which the applicant must demonstrate by means of an examination before the interview. The required level and the group of languages that may be tested are regulated by the relevant Dean's Decree for each academic year.

The admission procedure is single-round. During the interview, the student will present a proposal for the PhD project, specifying their artistic, research and study preferences. It may focus on composing for acoustic instruments or the human voice, as well as on the use of contemporary technologies in composition and intersections between them. In the theoretical segment of the project, continuity with previous creative and research activities of the department is expected, but not required.

In particular, the PhD project will:
- include a clear intention for composition and research activities during the course of the degree,
- formulate an intention of how the candidate will actively participate in the artistic and research activities of the Department of Composition, or how they will engage in teaching activities.

As part of the entrance examination, the applicant will submit and present representative examples of their previous compositional work (see the compulsory annex to the application form). They must also submit scores or a corresponding recording of the work (graphic, textual, etc.) and recordings of their works of up to 20 minutes. In addition, they will present a sample of their previous music-theoretical work to the selection committee in the form of a short presentation of up to 10 minutes.

Each year the Department may specify preferred areas for potential doctoral projects that reflect continuity with existing research areas in the Department of Composition.

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