PhD in Art and Design – University of Chester

Institution providing the doctoral degree

University of Chester

Location

Chester | England, United Kingdom

Name of PHD

PhD in Art and Design

Research Clusters

Fine Arts – Painting, Sculpture, Printmaking, Drawing, Decorative Art, Scenographic Art
Performing Arts – Drama and Theatre Studies, Dance and Ballet, Performative Practices (Theory and/or Practice)
Multimedia Arts, Audio-visual Techniques and Media Production
Film Studies
Design – Graphic Design; Industrial Design; Fashion Design; Textile Design…
History and Theory of Art + Cultural Heritage
Art Curating
Pedagogy of Art, Art Education and Art Therapy
Other fields

Duration

PhD, full time, should take no less than two calendar years, but normally three years. You must submit within four years.
PhD, part time, should take no less than four calendar years (time spent during this should be equivalent to no less than two years full time). You must submit within seven years.

Public / Private institution

Public University

Financial terms of the PHD position

PhD fully funded and with a stipend by the university
Self-funded PhD – you must provide both tuition and your own maintenance
PhD Fully or partially externally funded, with a stipend, through private or public foundations, scholarships, grants, one or more companies, or public institutions that you have to find on your own

It is important to know that many universities offer different funding options and public and private grants available to students who match the application criteria. Before applying, it is a good idea to check the institutions’ websites and inquire about the options available to you.

Many universities require applicants to pay fees such as matriculation or dissertation fees, even if they offer a fully funded programme with or without a stipend.

Fees:
https://www.chester.ac.uk/student-life/fees-and-finance/postgraduate-fees/postgraduate-research-degree-fees

Funding resources:
https://www.chester.ac.uk/study/research-degrees/studentships/

Final output

Research Degrees are assessed on the basis of a thesis reporting individual research. Your thesis should be as concise as possible, with an absolute upper limit of 60,000 words for MPhil and 100,000 words for PhD, including footnotes and appendices.

In some subjects (e.g. Fine Art or Performing Arts) it may be possible to undertake a ‘practice-based’ MPhil or PhD, which involves the production of a body of work with a shorter thesis setting the work within an academic context.

How to apply

Before you apply, you are advised to contact the relevant Research Area Contact in the first instance, to establish whether the appropriate supervisory expertise and capacity is available for your specific project. It is useful at this stage to provide an outline proposal of 100-250 words. A more detailed proposal may be required on application.
It is very important that you make informal contact with your chosen department before completing an application. Please visit our pages detailing research activity by department for further information and contact details.
If you cannot find the details for your chosen research area on our website, Postgraduate Research (PGR) Admissions will be able to put you in touch with an appropriate person.

The supervisor will probably want to discuss your proposal with you, so you should consider what you might want to discuss, such as:

Your familiarity with current research in your area
Your previous research in this area and any possibility for Advance Standing
Gaps in the current research literature
How you see the role of your supervisor in your work – what your expectations are
The supervisor’s active research interests and background
How much time your supervisor considers appropriate to dedicate to your project
The research environment in your supervisor’s department
What facilities you may need, and whether these will be readily available to you

Please read our application guidance and course information carefully. If you would like to know more about a particular programme or research area, we suggest that you contact the Programme Leader, by telephone or by email. They will be able to answer your questions in more detail and send you further information.

How to Apply

Paper application forms are no longer issued, except in cases where an online application would be impossible for the candidate. Please complete the online application form on our website.
Before doing so, please ensure that you inform your referees. Once you have submitted your application, the system will automatically contact your referees on your behalf. Your application will not be considered without two appropriate references and all additional documents required with your application, which include:

Copies of certificates/transcripts
Copy of English language proficiency certificate (if required)
Full curriculum vitae
Broad outline of your proposed research project
You may also be asked to complete a fees assessment in order to determine the level of tuition fee payable.

If you will be based overseas for your research, you will also be asked to answer additional questions relating to:

Where your research will be conducted and how you will meet the attendance requirement of at least 30 days attendance per annum on one of the University’s campuses (or 15 days for part-time students)
How you will access appropriate training opportunities
How you will access resources required for your research
How your supervision requirement will be met (i.e. meeting, email exchange, phone conversation, video conferencing)
What opportunities you will have to interact with other researchers

Once your application is submitted, we will then forward it to the relevant department for consideration. You will receive a copy of your submitted application via email.

The Interview
Once your application has been received, an interview with the proposed supervisory team and an independent academic will be arranged. Interviews are usually held at the University, although telephone or Skype interviews can be arranged for overseas students, and are quite informal.

When will I receive a decision?
We will usually contact you with our decision within 4 weeks, however, please ensure you respond to requests for further information as quickly as possible. Please be aware that International applications usually take longer, so please allow additional time for this.

If your application is successful, an offer of a place will be made in writing by PGR Admissions.

If you are unsure about anything, please contact us.

Entry requirements

To be eligible to apply for an MPhil or PhD programmes, applicants should normally have, or expect to obtain, at least an upper second class honours degree in a discipline appropriate to their intended area of research.

Substantial prior research experience may, in some instances, be acceptable in place of a first degree qualification. If you are not sure whether this might apply to you, our Postgraduate Research (PGR) Admissions team will be able to advise you.

Applicants whose first language is not English must provide evidence of proficiency to IELTS 6.5 with no less than 5.5 in each band or equivalent.

Information about English language tests will normally be available from your British Council office. International applicants whose most recent qualification has been taken in English may be exempt from our usual English Language requirements.

The University of Chester offers supplementary English Language classes, free of charge, to those students who might need them.

A completed application, two references (in most cases the references shall come from independent academic referees, i.e. they are not normally provided by a prospective supervisor), an up-to-date CV and copies of appropriate certificates or transcripts must be uploaded to the application in order to be considered.

Applicants who do not fulfil the normal entry criteria may be required to provide additional information and documentation in support of their application.