“Make/Sense” PhD in Art and Design – Art University Linz and FHNW: Basel Academy of Art and Design
Art University Linz – in collaboration with the Basel Academy of Art and Design (FHNW)
Multiple cities: Linz, Basel | Austria, Switzerland
| “MakeSense” – PhD in Art and Design |
- 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
- Design – Graphic Design; Industrial Design; Fashion Design; Textile Design…
- Art Curating
- Other fields
3 years
Public universities
- 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
Fees: Study fees are set by the University of Arts Linz:
- EU/EEA nationals: 20 EUR per semester (first 8 semesters), then 384 EUR
- Non-EU/EEA nationals: 747 EUR per semester
There are no additional study fees at FHNW.
Funding resources: The PhD is not funded; candidates are encouraged to explore the following funding opportunities:
Dissertation
• A PhD project (“PhD-Arbeit”) developed as an independent artistic and/or scholarly research project.
Disputation
• “Defensio” (public), including: presentation of the PhD work in a format appropriate to the work + final discussion with the examination committee.
• If failed: up to three repeats permitted.
Publication
• After passing the defensio, the PhD work must be published and deposited with the university library and the Austrian National Library.
• Embargo/exclusion from use can be requested for up to 5 years if important legal or economic interests would be at risk.
1. Obtain written supervision commitment.
• Prospective candidates submit a coherent project description (and, where relevant, supporting materials such as portfolios, selected literature, or artistic references) to potential supervisors; supervisors decide on the project’s academic/artistically-research suitability; supervision commitment is issued in writing.
2. Submit the project for formal review (Research Board).
• With admission requirements met and supervision secured, submit the supervision commitment + project description + underlying materials to the Research Board for formal assessment by the stated deadlines.
3. Admission confirmation and enrollment.
• After Research Board approval, the responsible rectorate member confirms the admission request; enrollment then takes place via the legal/study administration.
Applications are welcome from artists, curators, publishers, designers, and cultural organisers — holding an MA degree (120 ECTS) or equivalent qualification.
Prof. Dr. Lucie Kolb (FHNW, Head of the program) | lucie.kolb@fhnw.ch | +41 61 228 40 22
PhD candidates have access to the infrastructure of both the Basel Academy of Art and Design FHNW and the University of Arts Linz. Candidates also benefit from the broader networks of both institutions, connecting research to international communities.
International students can find further information on the website of the International Office of the HGK Basel.
Relevant Documents
Find more details on the formal background for the MAKE/SENSE PhD programme (e.g. admission requirements, the supervisor agreement and study plan regulations) on the University of Arts Linz website: https://www.kunstuni-linz.at/studium/studienrichtungen/phd-programm/links-und-downloads.
Languages used within the program and for thesis writing and discussion: PhD with both theoretical and artistic outcomes – artistic projects/concerts/exhibitions as part of the final project