Doctorate in Fine Art


School of study	School of Creative Arts

Entry requirements
months prior.[SC1]

An undergraduate degree minimum of 2:1. Master’s degree or equivalent academic and/or professional experience, typically evidenced by a portfolio of recent professional practice. IELTS 6.5 minimum for non-native English speakers.

The basic criterion for admission to the programme is the submission of a viable research proposal of 1000 - 2000 words, that represents an intellectual standpoint that can be substantiated with arguments. The proposal should cover:
- the scope of the project
- key research propositions/questions
- underpinning literature pointing to potential gaps in knowledge
- an indication of how the project will make an original contribution to the wider field of practice.
A portfolio of examples of recent professional practice is expected as part of the submission.

Where recruitment aligns to a specific bursary and/or studentship as part of a funded research project, the candidate will be expected to submit a proposal that is relevant to said research.

The initial DFA proposal must be commensurate with the facilities available at University of Hertfordshire.

For advice on writing your proposal for entry, please see our latest proposal writing guidelines.

For informal inquiries please contact doctoralcollegeadmissions@herts.ac.uk

About the course

The School of Creative Arts offers a Doctorate in Fine Art designed for practitioners in the field of contemporary arts looking for a structured research programme. The DFA is suitable for professionals with a strong track record in their field who may not come from an academic background and practitioners who have come from a more traditional Master’s degree route. University of Hertfordshire’s Doctorate in Fine Art is extremely versatile, allowing for artworks to form a major part of the submission with no minimum word count for the final written thesis. Doctorate in Fine Art students are routinely overseas and participate through the Distance Learning mode.

The School invites candidates who wish to undertake a project in their area of interest that broadly aligns with our supervision expertise, as follows:

Artist moving image, including film, video, animation and installation
Experimental documentary film and video.
Sound art and sound installation
Art and Science collaborative practices

Candidates are advised to review the Course Experts (below) to ensure that School has the relevant expertise to supervise their proposal.

The Doctorate in Fine Art programme aligns with the Art:Sci Research Lab and we welcome projects that relate to the Lab’s remit, see here.

The School of Creative Arts has a strong and proven track record in practice-led research and offers expert supervision in innovative practice, including interdisciplinary collaborations. You’ll have access to fully equipped workshops and technical support and will have opportunities to engage with established research communities while on campus. The Doctorate in Fine Arts students form part of the Doctoral College and are invited to participate in Summer and Spring Schools offering researcher development training.

The programme can be undertaken on both a full and part-time basis using a combination of online and on-campus research activities and supervision. It is not uncommon for candidates to structure their doctoral study around an on-going body of work or project development. You’ll be expected to develop a body of artwork that both engenders and informs the contextual theory. The course is practice-led, where theory and practice are integrated. The research output for the final examination will include a written thesis alongside a body of art practice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Teaching methods

You’ll be assigned a specific expert supervision team who you will meet on a regular basis. The course begins with a series of online study and research skills, which provide a thorough grounding in the philosophical and theoretical issues for practice-based research and the relationship between academic and professional values.

Year 1 is a period of refining study skills and working with the team to fully develop the research proposal for the Registration Assessment (9 months after enrolment). If successful, your research proposal will proceed to an individual supervised research project in your professional discipline. Once the second phase has been successfully completed, you will focus on the production of a written thesis and accompanying artefacts that embody or engender the content of the research project.

The Programme runs a Doctorate in Fine Art Cooperation with Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSLU), Switzerland, for discrete projects related to Art and Science collaborations. Bursaries and scholarships aligned with this cooperation will be announced when available.

Course experts

Dr Laura Mee

Find out more about Dr Laura Mee

Dr Matthew Holman

Find out more about Dr Matthew Holman

Rob Godman

Find out more about Rob Godman

Ms Samantha Jury

Find out more about Ms Samantha Jury

Dr Steven Adams

Find out more about Dr Steven Adams

Professor Tony Shaw

Find out more about Professor Tony Shaw

What’s next for my career?

Obtaining a UK and internationally recognised Doctorate will bring you several opportunities Fine Art. After successfully defending your thesis, you will have:

Developed a body of artwork and written thesis with a strong grounding in practice-led research.
Established yourself as artist who is part of the international debate concerning the nature of research in creative areas.
Have an internationally recognised UK doctorate in Fine Art.
Be qualified for a variety of academic posts in both teaching and research.
Be able to articulate your practice as research and be a stronger position to obtain funding and awards for your projects.