Programmes

Doctoral Programme Artistic Research
(PhD in Art)

The Doctoral Programme in Artistic Research is a postgraduate degree program in the arts culminating in the international “PhD” degree.

Up to 8 doctoral students per year are given the opportunity to participate in the 6 semester-long English-language programme. The program emphasises artistic practice, conceived as a foundation for knowledge production. The themes and practices of artistic research guide the programme.

Reflexively examining specific methods and production processes based on one’s artistic project will be an integral part of the research project. For the purposes of comprehensive knowledge production, research is understood to be open-ended. The programme enables its graduates to perform independent artistic research in line with international standards and to assume coordinating and executive roles in the future. The program enables artists to generate new insights on specific issues in the arts, contextualise their artistic research, and communicate the knowledge gained appropriately. They will acquire the necessary skills to successfully compete nationally and internationally in artistic fields.

Admission to the program is contingent upon satisfying the university’s admission requirements and passing the entrance examinations. Besides evidence supporting the applicant’s artistic trajectory by submitting a curriculum vitae and a portfolio of artistic works, applicants are required to submit a comprehensive written proposal outlining their artistic research project. In particular, the research context, methodology, and project goal should be explained. Additionally, the proposal should provide a schedule for the project in terms of work packages and timelines.

Selections are made especially according to the topicality, innovative potential and societal relevancy of the project, as well as knowledge of the national and international research context. Doctoral students will be supervised by professors of the university, who will be recommended by the committee. This committee is also responsible for selecting the candidates, assisted by the Zentrum Fokus Forschung.

Contact

Dr. phil. Alexander Damianisch MAS
Wiebke Miljes, MA
Mag. phil. Ulrike Klöckl
(currently on maternity leave)

professors Artistic Research PhD programme

Ruth Anderwald + Leonhard Grond

Frequently Asked Questions

Which documents should the application contain?

The application should include a curriculum vitae, a portfolio, and a research proposal. For further details on the Admission procedure for the Artistic Research PhD Programme, please refer to our infosheet.

What is the research proposal?

The research proposal (maximum 1200 words, including footnotes) should describe the proposed artistic research project. It explains the research context, methodology, project aims, and the modes of reflexive documentation. Additionally, the proposal contains a schedule of the project’s work packages and timeline. The proposal is preceded by an abstract of the research project (maximum 300 words) which should also contain the explicit research question.

Is the doctoral programme open to candidates from all artistic fields?

Yes, the program is open to graduates from all artistic fields of study. Admission requires fulfilling the university’s entrance criteria for doctoral studies.

Which costs arise during the doctoral program?

Students with citizenship of an EU/EEA country or Switzerland pay the currently valid ÖH fee per semester, provided that the period of study according to the curriculum plus two tolerance semesters is met. If the period of study according to the curriculum plus two tolerance semesters is exceeded, the tuition fee of EUR 363.36 must be paid.

Students without EU/EEA citizenship generally pay double the tuition fee per semester, including the ÖH fee.

Students with citizenship of a country listed in the appendix to the StubeiV (developing countries) are automatically exempt from this – they pay the ÖH fee per semester.

Detailed information on tuition fees here.

How are doctoral projects funded?

To ensure the feasibility and quality of the research project, candidates are expected to explain in the proposal their funding plans for the three years – whether through PhD funding programmes, fellowships, or their own resources. For further information on appropriate funding schemes, please consult this page.

Will participants have access to a studio?

The premises of the Zentrum Fokus Forschung offer PhD candidates workplaces and infrastructure to support them in implementing their projects.

What foreign language skills and credentials are required?

The doctoral programme is taught in English. Therefore, good command of the language is essential for successfully participating in the program. Language skills need not be demonstrated in the application.

Is residency in Vienna necessary?

Most courses and activities of the doctoral programme take place in Vienna. We seek to offer seminars in a block format spread throughout the semester. Participation in these block seminars is obligatory. During the remaining semesters, participants can also participate in the program from abroad.

Should I contact a supervisor for my project before submitting my application?

No. A committee of several members selects up to 8 candidates and assigns a suitable supervisor based on the applications. A supervisor’s prior endorsement is unnecessary and will not factor into the committee’s decision.

Can native language editors edit my writing?

To ensure the quality of dissertations, reflexive reports and all other types of texts, the Zentrum Fokus Forschung provides contacts to native English language editors. They are all professional editors who have already worked successfully with us or colleagues from other departments. Students can choose freely from the contacts provided and commission the editors independently. Please get in touch with Wera Hippesroither (wera.hippesroither@uni-ak.ac.at) for more information and email contacts.

Which rules apply to citations in written work?

The ZFF guidelines serve as a reference for any submission within the Artistic Research PhD programme and may be used for abstracts, handouts, or papers. These are recommendations based on standard academic publishing practices and exemplify stylesheets commonly used for peer-reviewed publications. We recommend these guidelines especially for your written reflections. PDF ZFF Guidelines

Doctoral Projects

Currently running and completed research projects of the doctoral programme artistic research:

Projects Artistic Research