phd in art and design

Mission of the programs

The PhD Program prepares students to become public intellectuals and transformative practitioners in shaping the environment at all scales – from the design of cities, buildings and landscapes, to interiors, products and graphics, to the arts.

Goals of the program

The PhD Program has two goals:

• To educate people who will pursue academic paths or assume leadership roles in professional design, environment and art practices, the public sector and the nonprofit sector.
• To educate people who will emphasize sustainability, innovation, community building, cultural and contextual awareness.

PhD interdisciplinary experience opportunities

The PhD in Design, Environment and the Arts Program in the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts strongly believes in the benefits derived from an interdisciplinary experience while at ASU. Consequently, the PhD Program developed several academic connections with other programs at the university. Such connections provide our PhD students with enviable opportunities for interdisciplinary studies and research. For example, many courses offered in these programs are both relevant and available to PhD students. Furthermore, faculty members from these other programs can participate as members of a student's dissertation committee, although they cannot serve as chairs. 

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The UC San Diego Visual Arts PhD Program grants two PhD degrees: Art History, Theory and Criticism and Art History, Theory and Criticism with a Concentration in Art Practice . The program embodies the department's commitment to innovative research by embracing the close intersection of art, media, and design practice with history, theory, and criticism, and by offering training in the history, theory, and criticism of a range and mix of areas represented in our MFA faculty, including studio art, film, video, photography, computational media, performance art, public art, design, visual culture, and socially engaged art practice. Regional and cultural frameworks of study include European and Latin American art, Chinese art, nineteenth-century French visual culture, Mesoamerican, Native American, and Indigenous art and material culture, Medieval art and culture, queer and feminist art, material culture, science, technology, and art; and ocean, environmental, and land art.

The Art Practice Concentration degree, which must be applied for at the time of application to the PhD program, follows the same course of scholarly training, research, and writing as the Art History, Theory and Criticism degree, with additional requirements in research-based art practice that span all years of coursework, qualifying, and doctoral research. Two students are admitted to this concentration annually.

Information for Current and Prospective Students

Requirement overview, program requirements.

• Coursework, 88 units

Language Requirement

• Qualifying Materials and Exams

Dissertation and Defense

• For VA77 Only- Art Practice Project and Exhibition

Full Time Enrollment

In order to remain eligible for financial support all graduate students must be enrolled   in 12 units of upper-division (100-199) or graduate level (200 and above) courses each quarter during the regular academic year. Graduate students must also maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 to maintain good academic standing. The majority of students will choose to complete the majority of their academic coursework for a letter grade.

Pre-Candidacy

Coursework should be chosen in consultation with the Advisor and should be taken in preparation for the Qualifying phase. During the first three years in the program, students should aim to fulfill the following requirements:

• MA en Route Requirements (if interested and eligible)
• Qualifying Materials and Exams (year 3)

Advancing to candidacy occurs when the student has passed all course, language, and qualifying requirements and is ready to research and write a dissertation. Doctoral candidates, sometimes referred to as “all but dissertation” or ABD, work on their dissertation with Advisor and Committee consultation and feedback for two or more years. During this time, Art Practice candidates additionally produce the required art practice components. Each quarter, most doctoral candidates typically enroll in 8-12 units of VIS 299 and/or 4 units of a 500, in consultation with their Advisor. Candidacy concludes when the candidate completes and successfully defends the dissertation (and, for VA77, the additional Art Practice requirements) and is awarded the doctorate.

Degree Paths

The program consists of two degree paths: Art History, Theory and Criticism (VA76) and Art Practice (VA77), a concentration designed for artists engaged in advanced research who wish to pursue their work in an environment geared to doctoral study, and to produce studio, media, performance or public facing work alongside a written dissertation. See Handbook for further details.

Interdisciplinary Specializations

Students within the PhD program who are interested in the opportunity to undertake specialized research may apply to participate in an interdisciplinary specialization. Students accepted into a specialization program would be expected to complete coursework in addition to those required for their PhD program. The department offers interdisciplinary specializations with the following campus programs.

• Anthropogeny:   for students with an interest in human origins
• Critical Gender Studies:   providing specialized training in gender and sexuality
• Interdisciplinary Environmental Research : for students interested in environmental solutions

Curriculum: VA76 Art History, Theory and Criticism

VA76- 22 courses, 88 units

GENERAL FIELD EMPHASIS

During the first year of study, students declare a general area of study in consultation with their Advisor and with the approval of the Faculty Director. This general field emphasis will be considered as they choose courses and, toward year three, plan their qualifying materials. See the Handbook for general field options.

CORE REQUIREMENTS (8 courses, 32 units)

Required (4 courses, 16 units):

• VIS 200- Methods and Theories
• VIS 204- Rethinking Art History
• VIS 500 (1 course, 4 units)- Apprentice Teaching
• VIS 502- Graduate Teaching in Visual Arts

Breadth (4 courses, 16 units), choose from 4 different areas with 3 different faculty:

• Medieval, Renaissance or Early Modern Art- VIS 251, VIS 252
• Modern and Contemporary Art- VIS 254, VIS 255
• Media Studies- VIS 256
• Meso-American Art or North American Indigenous Art- VIS 257, VIS 260
• Asian Art- VIS 258
• Latin American Art- VIS 259
• Material Culture- VIS 261
• Design Studies- VIS 262

ELECTIVE REQUIREMENTS (14 courses, 56 units), choose from the following options:

• Art History Seminars (VIS 230-269), a minimum of 6 MUST be taken for the elective area
• Graduate Research (VIS 299), during 1st year with provisional advisor
• Professional Practice Seminar (VIS 220)
• Art Theory/Practice (VIS 206, VIS 210-219), a maximum of 2 may be taken
• Other Department, a maximum of 3 graduate level courses may be taken 
• Reading Courses (approved undergrad courses), a maximum of 4 may be taken 
• Directed Group Study (VIS 298), a maximum of 1 may be taken
• Individual Studies (VIS 295), a maximum of 12 units may be taken with Advisor

Curriculum: VA77 Art History, Theory and Criticism- Art Practice

VA77- 22 courses, 88 units

CORE REQUIREMENTS (12 courses, 48 units)

Required (9 courses, 36 units):

• VIS 206- Seminar in Art Practice Research
• VIS 207 (repeat 3 times for 12 units)- Working Practice for Art Practice
• VIS 210-219, 1 course from Art Theory/Practice 

Breadth (3 courses, 12 units), choose from 3 different areas with 3 different faculty:

ELECTIVE REQUIREMENTS (10 courses, 40 units), choose from the following options:

• Art History Seminars (VIS 230-269), a minimum of 3 MUST be taken for the elective area
• Art Theory/Practice (VIS 210-219), a maximum of 2 may be taken
• Other Department, a maximum of 3 may be taken 
• Reading Courses (approved undergrad courses), a maximum of 2 may be taken 
• Directed Group Study (VIS 298), a maximum of 4 units may be taken

For the VA76 PhD students, competency in reading, understanding, and interpreting texts in two languages other than English is required before advancement to candidacy (Qualifying Exam stage), and competency in at least one language is expected at the time of application to the program. Art Practice Concentration students (VA77) will be required to satisfy competency in one language other than English before advancing to PhD candidacy. The student and their Advisor will jointly determine examination languages. 

The Program’s language requirement may be met in one of three ways: 

• Passing the department’s in-house Language Exam  
• Passing one approved graduate-level language course 
• Passing two approved upper-division undergraduate language courses 
• Passing a two-year sequence of approved undergraduate language courses in a single language  

Required Paperwork

For each language exam or course sequence taken to satisfy a language requirement, a Language Completion form must be completed by the student, the proctor/instructor and submitted to the Student Affiars Manager in order to receive credit for completion of the language requirement. Submitted forms are automatically routed via DocuSign for approval and processing.

In-House Language Exams

In-house Language Exams test ability in reading and comprehension (by translation into English) only, not writing or spoken fluency in the designated language. The exam consists of two short texts, one less difficult to be translated into English without a dictionary, and one more difficult to be translated with a dictionary. The dictionary may be either a printed volume or an on-line resource. One hour is allowed for each section (total test time: 2 hours). The translations may be written on a computer or by hand. Exams are corrected by the faculty member responsible for designing the exam, who also invigilates the test. If adequate reading knowledge is not demonstrated, the student’s Advisor will review with the student and the faculty setting the exam the steps necessary to master the language and a new exam will be scheduled within a reasonable amount of time. 

Students requesting an in-house language examination should consult with faculty responsible for particular languages:

• Chinese and Japanese : Professor Kuiyi Shen 
• French : Professors. Jordan Rose and John Welchman 
• German : Professor Alena Williams 
• Italian : Professor William Tronzo 
• Korean : Professor Kyong Park
• Mayan languages : Professor Elizabeth Newsome 
• Spanish : Professors Elizabeth Newsome and Mariana Wardwell 
• Turkish: Professors Memo Akten and Pinar Yoldas

Individual arrangements for determination of competency will be made for those languages that cannot be tested by department faculty . 

Committee Constitution and Management

About the committee.

This is the group of four faculty who agree to the student’s request for mentorship and evaluation during the qualifying and doctoral years. The Committee is chaired by the Advisor(s). In addition to mentoring and guiding the student’s research, this team serves as the Qualifying Committee and the Doctoral or Dissertation Committee, conducting the Qualifying Exam and the Dissertation Defense. The committee must be formally appointed by Graduate Division in the process outlined below.

Committee Constitution

The Committee Chair is the student’s Faculty Advisor/Co-Advisors and is selected by Year Two through mutual agreement with the student. The rest of the Committee is constituted through request and consent between the student and other faculty, with the guidance and approval of the Advisor(s). 

Makeup of the committee:

• 3 Visual Arts Faculty (including the Chair/Co-Chairs), 1 member may be a non-PhD faculty
• 1 tenured or emeritus faculty from outside the department

For each option, Assistant or Acting-Associate Faculty may serve as a general member or Co-Chair but not as sole Chair. The Graduate Division website has  additional information  about committees and a  Committee Membership Table  which may be helpful in determining what role a faculty member may serve on a committee.

Submitting Your Committee

After faculty have agreed to serve on the Committee, and the Faculty Advisor has approved the list, the student must complete and send the  Committee Constitution form  which will be routed to the Student Affiars Manager for processing.  This form must be approved by the Graduate Division by Week 5 BEFORE the Qualifying Exam .

Changing Your Committee

There are times when committee membership must change after the intial review and approval. All changes to committee membership need to be approved by the Department and then Graduate Division. Committee reconstitution must be completely reviewed and approved by Week 5, the quarter PRIOR to QE/Defense. When changing committee membership:

• Review the Committee Membership requirements 
• Discuss the change in committee membership with the Committee Chair/Co-chairs
• Discuss the change in committee with impacted committee members
• Complete the   Committee Reconstitution form   which will be routed to the Student Affairs Manager for processing.

Committee Management

It is the responsibility of the student, in consultation with their advisor/committee chair, to engage with and request feedback on drafts of written materials and (for VA77) documentation of artwork progress with all committee members during research and writing of their qualifying materials and dissertation. The student also must email final copies of all materials to their Committee prior to their Qualifying Exam and Dissertation Defense. 

Qualifying Exam, Advancement to Candidacy

About the qualifying process.

The Qualifying process occurs throughout Year Three. The student, under the supervision of the Advisor and with the advice of the Committee, prepares two bibliographies (one on the chosen field of emphasis and the second pertaining to the proposed dissertation); writes a qualifying paper and a dissertation prospectus; and takes written and oral examinations pertaining to these documents. The Art Practice PhD additionally requires a practice prospectus and a third bibliography.

Qualifying Exam

The Qualifying Examination has two parts: A Written Examination in which the student writes two essays over five days in response to questions provided by the Committee; and two weeks later,  a 2- or 2.5-hour Oral Examination led by the Committee, during which the student is asked questions and put in dialog about all of the qualifying materials.

Qualifying Timeline

A student must have completed all required course work and passed all language examinations before taking the qualifying examination, which will be held no later than the end of the third year. Upon successful completion of the qualifying examination, the student will be advanced to candidacy.

Qualifying Exam Administrative Checklist  

Qualifying Exam Failure

Should a student fail the examination, the Faculty Committee will clarify the weaknesses in the exam, so that the student can prepare to take it a second time. If a second oral examination is warranted, they will have to re-take and pass the exam prior to the end of the Pre-Candidacy Time Limit (or they need an extension approved to continue). They can always take a leave and return but if the PCTL is expired, they will have to advance before returning or an exception to extend the time would be need to be approved prior to retuning. If the student fails the oral examination a second time, their graduate studies in the department will be terminated.

MA en Route

• Five Art History seminars 
• VIS 200 Methods and Theories
• VIS 204 Re-Thinking Art History 
• One Theory/Practice seminar (chosen from VIS 210-219)
• Four breadth courses, from four different breadth areas

We do not offer an MA with an Art Practice concentration. Therefore, Art Practice concentration students must make a formal change in their degree aim to designate Art History, Theory, and Criticism (VA76). This change must take place at least two quarters prior to the Qualifying Exam. 

Note:   Students who wish to receive an MA as part of the Ph.D. program   must apply for master’s degree candidacy by the end of the second week of the quarter in which they expect to receive the degree.   Please see the Graduate Coordinator regarding this process.

Necessary Documents for the Qualifying Exam

• Report of the Qualifying Exam

Necessary Documents for the MA on the Way

• Application for MA (due week two) 
• Final Report for MA 

Best Practices for Completing the Report of the Qualifying Exam and Final Report via DocuSign:

• Ahead of your exam/defense ask faculty to add [email protected] as a “safe sender” so those emails are less likely to go to junk/spam. Although campus IT has taken steps to identify DocuSign as a safe sender, it is still recommended that individual users do so as well.
• At the end of your Exam/Defense ask your committee members to check their email for the DocuSign email with the link to the form and sign while you're all online together. 
• ask the faculty to check their junk folder, spam quarantine, or other spam folders
• next, ask them to log into their DocuSign account using their @ucsd.edu email address and SSO credentials to access the form/s directly (https://docusign.ucsd.edu) *some people have personal DocuSign accounts so ask them to ensure they are logging into the UCSD DocuSign account
• Get verbal confirmation of who has signed and who has not, then follow-up with the Student Affairs Manager to resolve any issues your committee members have with signing the form.
• Once the appropriate form is submitted to the Graduate Division, the appropriate fee will be charged directly to the student’s financial TritonLink account. 

About the Dissertation

Following successful completion of the qualifying examinations, the candidate will research and write a doctoral dissertation under the supervision of their Advisor and with the input of the Committee. Students in the art practice concentration (VA77) will submit a written dissertation that observes the same regulations and conventions as VA 76, except that the length requirement is slightly shorter and there must be one additional chapter devoted to discussion of the art practice. In addition, Art Practice candidates will additionally produce and exhibit a visual component. See the Handbook for details. 

About the Defense

After the committee has reviewed the finished dissertation (and art practice components, for VA 77), the candidate will orally defend their dissertation (and art practice work and exhibition), responding to questions from the Committee in a meeting that may be public (the student may invite visitors), as per university policy. The Dissertation Defense is the culmination of all of your work within the Ph.D. program. Please read all of the information on the Graduate Division's website about " Preparing to Graduate " and make an appointment to speak with the Student Affairs Manager one year prior to when you plan to defend.

Roles and Responsibilities for the Defense

Student will:

• Schedule the Dissertation Defense with their committee. This is normally scheduled for three hours. (You are responsible for reserving a room or scheduling the zoom meeting). 
• Complete the PhD Dissertation Defense Notification form which will notify the Student Affairs Manager of the date and time of the defense. This form is required so that the Final Report paperwork can be initiated and sent to your committee members on the date of the defense.
• Follow-up with your committee, the Graduate Division, and the Student Affairs Manager about any issues surrounding the completion of your degree.

Faculty Advisor will:

• Ensure the   policy   appropriate participation of all members of the committee at the Dissertation Defense. It is also helpful to remind all committee members to sign the forms by checking their inboxes for the DocuSign request to sign the forms. These sometimes end up in a person's spam folder.

Student Affairs Manager will:

• Fill out the Final Report form via DocuSign and route the form the morning of the exam/defense for signature to all committee members, the department chair, and the Graduate Division.
• Follow-up with committee members regarding signatures on the Final Report and general petition forms (if needed).
• Send out the announcement of the defense to department faculty and graduate students.

Additional Information and Tasks

Preliminary Dissertation Appointments with the Graduate Division: Students will schedule their preliminary and final appointments with Graduate Division Academic Affairs Advisors utilizing the online calendaring system they have in place:   https://gradforms.ucsd.edu/calendar/index.php

Committee Management : If you need to make any changes to your doctoral committee please follow the instructions above in the "Committee Management" drawer. 

Embargo Your Dissertation:   Talk to your faculty advisor about embargoing your dissertation. You may want to embargo your dissertation if you are planning to turn it into a book. The embargo will delay the university's publication of your dissertation and prevent other academics from using your research.   https://grad.ucsd.edu/_files/academics/DissertThesisReleaseTemplate.pdf

Necessary Documents for the Dissertation Defense

• Final Report (routed for signature by the Student Affairs Manager)

Best Practices for Completing the Final Report via DocuSign:

• At the end of your Defense ask your committee members to check their email for the DocuSign email with the link to the form and sign while you're all online together. 
• Get verbal confirmation of who has signed and who has not, then follow up with the Student Affairs Manager to resolve any issues your committee members have with signing the form.

Paying Associated Fees:  For students who will need to pay fees (advancement to candidacy, thesis submission fee, filing fee, re-admit fee), they will be charged on the financial TritonLink account once the form is received by the Graduate Division. There is no need for students to go to the cashier’s office.

Grades and Evaluations

Only courses in which a student received grades of A, B, or S are allowed toward satisfaction of the requirements for the degree. Note that a “C” is generally regarded as unsatisfactory within this department. In satisfaction of all program requirements and electives, A, A-, and B+ are regarded as acceptable grades for seminars and courses. Grades of B, B- indicate weaknesses and are cause for concern. Grades of C+ or below are regarded as unsatisfactory and may lead to academic probation. University policy states that any student with more than 8 units of “U” and/or “F” grades is barred from future registration including the next available quarter. It is not recommended that VIS 295/298/299 are taken for a letter grade.

Grade Point Average

A graduate student must maintain a minimum grade point average of at least 3.0 (B average) to continue in good standing. A student is subject to dismissal if the overall grade point average falls below 3.0 at any time.

Spring Evaluation

Every Spring quarter, Advisors (in the first year Provisional Advisors) will submit an evaluation of their advisee’s progress to Graduate Division. Students are expected to submit a summary of the past academic year to their advisor. These evaluations serve as an important tool for students and advisors in assessing student progress, while also providing suggestions and goals for students’ successful completion of their projects.   

The Graduate Division will review the evaluations when student/departments are making specific requests for exceptions

The duration of the Ph.D. program is five to eight years. University and departmental regulations stipulate that the maximum tenure of graduate study at UC San Diego or Total Registered Time Limit (TRTL) is eight years; while seven years is the limit for receiving any type of university financial support or a student's Support Time Limit (SUTL). For the Department of Visual Arts, the "normative" time to degree is 6 years. Students are expected to pass their qualifying exam and advance to candidacy in year three, but no later than year four which is the university's Pre-candidacy time limit (PCTL).

To learn more about time limits please visit the Graduate Division website.

Time Limits:  https://grad.ucsd.edu/academics/progress-to-degree/time-to-doctorate-policy.html

You can check your time limit by logging into the Graduate Student Portal.

Graduate Student Portal:  https://gradforms.ucsd.edu/portal/student/

PhD Current Students

Phd handbook.

The department website and catalog are great resources for students to learn generally about the PhD program and progress towards their degree. There are detailed instructions and robust program information available in the full PhD Handbook. Each student should refer to this resource throughout their academic career.

2024-25 Academic Year

2023-24 Academic Year

2022-23 Academic Year  

2021-22 Academic Year

How to Apply

• Join our PhD Art History Program (VA76)
• Join our PhD Art Practice Program (VA77)

Doctoral Programs

Doctoral programs at the Harvard Graduate School of Design are non-studio degree programs that allow in-depth studies of topical areas that span the traditional design disciplines.

To apply to the PhD program in Architecture, Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning, please visit the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) admissions page .

Doctoral Programs Harvard University Graduate School of Design 40 Kirkland Street, Room 1-A Cambridge, MA 02138 (617) 495-2337

Margaret Moore de Chicojay Program Administrator [email protected]

Liz Thorstenson Program Coordinator [email protected]

Melissa Hulett Executive Coordinator [email protected]

Northern Illinois University School of Art and Design College of Visual and Performing Arts

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• School of Art and Design
• Graduate Programs

Ph.D. Art and Design Education

Our doctoral program in art education will help you hone your skills as a researcher and theorist. You'll be prepared to become a teacher or scholar at a college or university. You'll also be ready for leadership positions in a variety of art education settings.

The program will enable you to conduct research on teaching and learning in fine arts and other forms of visual culture. You'll have opportunities to contribute substantial knowledge and exhibit original scholarship.

You'll benefit from:

• Financial support, such as scholarships and assistantships.
• Opportunities to conduct and present research.
• Our strong local community and extended network.
• Access to rich art and design education resources.

Program Requirements

The Ph.D. in art and design education requires 60 semester hours beyond a master's degree. The program emphasizes research, theory and philosophical development. It also focuses on the application of new knowledge in the visual arts and design education.

Course Requirements

• Core courses: 15 semester hours
• Research methodology: nine semester hours
• Cognate courses: 12-15 semester hours
• Elective courses: 12-15 semester hours

Please note: Some courses are offered online. Contact the doctoral program coordinator for more information.

Other Requirements

• Successful completion of a candidacy examination.
• Completion of a dissertation of original research.
• Successful oral defense of the dissertation.

Read more about program requirements .

Program Highlights

Financial support.

You can apply for scholarships, travel funding, tuition waivers and assistantships. A teaching assistantship will give you experience working with undergraduates. A research assistantship will give you a wide range of experience, from managerial work in a higher education program to providing assistance on a faculty research project.

You can apply for an assistantship by filling out a form when you apply to the program.

Research Opportunities

You'll have many opportunities to conduct and present your research. Our art and design faculty members will mentor you along the way. They are known around the world for their excellence in scholarship, as well as teaching and service. They will also guide your learning in areas such as conference planning, editorial experience and program planning.

Strong Community

Our program has a reputation for building a sense of community among students. We're also known for our networking with potential employers. Our faculty will work with you to ensure both collegiality during the program and employment after graduation.

You'll have opportunities to build your network by attending and presenting at conferences. Some of the conferences our students have been involved with include:

• National Art Education Association Convention
• Illinois Art Education Association Conference
• Art Education Research Institute Symposium
• International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry

You'll have access to resources at NIU that support study and research in art and design education. These include extensive library facilities and the NIU Art Museum. Due to our close proximity to Chicago, you can also make use of major museums and other resources in the area.

You'll have many chances to interact with the extended art education community and build your professional network. For example, we offer a scholar/speaker series that brings national and international leaders in the field to campus.

You'll work closely with our accomplished faculty members. They have published widely and received major awards and grants.

Douglas Boughton Professor of art education Area of focus: Assessment and curriculum

Kerry Freedman Professor of art   education Area of focus: Visual culture and curriculum

Kelly Gross Assistant professor of art education Area of focus: Disability studies and technology

Kryssi Staikidis Professor of art education Area of Focus: Multiculturalism

Shei-Chau Wang Professor of art education Area of focus: Studio pedagogy/cross-cultural curriculum

• How to Apply

We welcome you to apply for admission. You can find admission requirements and application deadlines on the Graduate School website.

View Application Instructions

• M.A. Art (Specialization in Studio Art) / M.F.A. Art and Design
• M.A. Art (Specializations in either Art History Research or Teaching at The Two-Year College Level)
• M.S. - Art and Design Education
• M.S. - Art and Design Education (online)
• Ph.D. - Art and Design Education
• Art History Certificate
• Museum Studies Certificate
• Digital Fabrication Certificate
• School of Art and Design Graduate Programs Handbook

Request Information --> Request Information Apply for Admission Explore Campus

Request Information

Kerry Freedman , Ph.D Professor and Ph.D Advisor [email protected]

Ann Van Dijk Associate Professor and Graduate Coordinator [email protected]

School of Art and Design Jack Arends Building , room 216 815-753-1474

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Due to inclement weather, all classes at Northeastern University are canceled for today, Tuesday, February 28, 2023. Click here for additional information. Test

• Interdisciplinary

Interdisciplinary Design and Media, PhD

The PhD in Interdisciplinary Design and Media offers an innovative, globally-aware, human-centered approach to advanced graduate study, focusing on practice-based research and scholarship applied to or conducted through making or creation.

The PhD is designed for entrepreneurial self-starters who seek to break ground and invent new fields through hybrid and integrated approaches to knowledge creation. Four pillars of excellence are emphasized within a research culture:

• Engaging with the nature of human experience through innovative, interdisciplinary approaches to design
• Investigating new forms of digital media and data-driven communication across diverse disciplines
• Articulating how creativity can embrace connections between artistic practices, innovation, entrepreneurship, and research
• Connecting with changing forms of technology and media to foster shared experiences and exchange within local and global communities

The PhD is unique in its focus on practice-based research or scholarship applied to or conducted through making or creation. This is an emerging area that has been applied internationally to a wide range of creative fields and industries, many of which are represented within the College of Arts, Media and Design: music, theatre, design, studio art, games, architecture, journalism, and others. It differs from other forms of knowledge creation in that it rigorously cultivates the creation of artifacts as a mode of producing new knowledge, theories, and methodologies.

Practice-based research integrates fields such as creativity and cognition or human-computer interaction to understand how practice operates, to enact that knowledge in practical applications, and to use the acts of creation themselves as a research methodology. PhD students will be encouraged to conduct their research in—and in some cases create—”living labs” embedded in real-world contexts and through on- and off-campus research partnerships.

The PhD degree program is composed of a common core and pathways of specialization. The core is centered around three areas: design research, which provides a methodology for understanding the ways design and media touch every aspect of daily life at every level of society; ethical practice, which engages with the humanistic concerns of design and cultural production; and experiential learning, which offers students the opportunity to produce research and conduct fieldwork with partner organizations.

Specialized pathways, customized according to the program of study as approved by the PhD advisors and vetted by external experts, include:

• Information design and visualization
• Design research
• Creative research

“The world today needs transdisciplinary creative leaders who pave new ways of thinking and working that will show what the world of tomorrow will look like. The CAMD PhD program in Interdisciplinary Design and Media seeks to cultivate such thought leaders.”

Casper Harteveld

Professor and Associate Dean of CAMD Graduate Studies

More Information

Unique features.

The CAMD PhD in Interdisciplinary Design and Media supports practice-based research that is:

• Interdisciplinary: Transcending traditional disciplinary boundaries by merging, blending, and integrating theories, principles, methods, and techniques from across disciplines and domains.
• Integrative: Cultivating creative practice as a rigorous method for producing new knowledge, theories, and methodologies, embodied through artifacts, performance, and texts.
• Experiential: Incubating “living labs” embedded in real-world contexts, both on and off campus, with local, networked, and global partners.
• Impactful: Generating research within real-world contexts resulting in meaningful social impact.

Program Objectives

• Engage with the nature of human experience through innovative, interdisciplinary approaches to design, media and arts.
• Investigate new forms of digital media and data-driven communication across diverse disciplines.
• Articulate how creativity can embrace connections between artistic practices, innovation, entrepreneurship, and research.
• Connect with changing forms of technology and media to foster shared experiences and exchange within local and global communities.
• Cultivate a research culture dedicated to developing human literacies for new media technologies and collaboration across and beyond the university.

Admissions + Funding

The application deadline for Fall 2025 will be December 1, 2024.  Click here to access the online application portal and further details regarding the application requirements.

PhD students receive up to five years of funding including a stipend and coverage of tuition for approved courses, as well as the student health insurance plan (NUSHP). All other fees are the responsibility of the student.

Faculty Recruiting for Fall 2025

Applicants are encouraged to contact a CAMD faculty member in advance of their submission to find support of their application. The list of CAMD faculty members recruiting for Fall 2025 is available via the link below and all CAMD faculty members can be found on the CAMD faculty page .

Our PhD Students

Maiy Ashraf El-Wakeel

James Earl Cox III

Dana Bullister

Jailyn Zabala

Jules Rochielle Sievert

Nathan Miner

Alayt Ablam Issak

Ryan Bruggeman

Mustafa Feyyaz Sonbudak

Sydney Purdue

Angelique Motunrayo Folasade C-Dina

Uttkarsh Narayan

Ala Ebrahimi

Mahsa Nasri

Deborah Wanderley Dos Santos

Featured Faculty

Art + Design

Dietmar Offenhuber

Chair, Professor

Psyche Loui

Associate Professor

Dean's Office

Brooke Foucault Welles

Senior Associate Dean for Research and Partnerships, Professor

Celia Pearce

Faculty testimonials, psyche loui, associate professor, music.

“The Interdisciplinary Design and Media PhD will provide hands-on learning experiences in artistic and creative cross-disciplinary research, giving practitioners in the arts the language and the research skills to delve into their chosen creative work at the PhD level.”

Dietmar Offenhuber, Associate Professor and Chair

“The knowledge of artists and designers and their methods for creating it are becoming increasingly important in today’s society – we have built the Interdisciplinary Design and Media PhD around the “elastic rigor” of creative researchers and provide the tools to make their voices heard.”

Celia Pearce, Professor, Art + Design

“The Interdisciplinary Design and Media PhD is ideal for self-motivated forward thinkers who want to invent and forge new media, art, design and research practices through integrative blending and appropriation across disciplines. It values creative practice as a form of knowledge creation and provides a platform for people whose work defies categorization.”

Brooke Foucault Welles, Associate Professor

“Big social challenges require creative, interdisciplinary solutions. The Interdisciplinary Design and Media PhD will train future leaders in the tools and creative practices to integrate data, technology, and design into solutions that improve the human experience.”

Program and Admissions Contacts

Interdisciplinary Design and Media PhD

Program Questions

CAMD Graduate Admissions

Application Questions

Program Administration

Associate Dean for Graduate Programs, Professor

Associate Director, PhD Programs

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• PhD in Design

The first PhD in design program in the US, Institute of Design’s PhD is a top-rated graduate program for those seeking to teach or conduct fundamental research in the field. Our PhD alumni have gone on to lead noted design programs at universities all over the world and lead practices at global corporations.

By pursuing rigorous research in an area that aligns with work by our PhD faculty, you’ll work directly in some of the most exciting design-focused work being done today. To learn more about research at ID and our PhD in Design, complete this form .

PhD Faculty Advisors

Weslynne ashton.

Professor of Environmental Management and Sustainability & Food Systems Action Lab Co-Director

Anijo Mathew

Dean & Professor of Entrepreneurship and Urban Technology

Assistant Professor of Data-Driven Design

Ruth Schmidt

Associate Professor of Behavioral Design

Carlos Teixeira

Charles L. Owen Professor of Systems Design and PhD Program Director

Degree Requirements

All PhD students will work closely with their advisors to plan their course of study and research. Students complete a total of 92 credit hours:

• Up to 32 credits can be transferred from a master’s program
• 12 course credits
• 48 research credits

Courses may be selected from across the university’s course offerings to complement the objectives of the student’s program.

Admitted doctoral students will be required to submit and obtain approval for a program of study. Within two years of being admitted, students take a comprehensive examination, after which, students will be considered candidates for the PhD degree.

The research component of the program grows as the student progresses. The dissertation created from this work is intended to create a substantial and original contribution to design knowledge.

Featured Courses

Phd principles & methods of design research, phd research and thesis, phd philosophical context of design research, student work, future archetypes of ev charging, exploring controlled environment agriculture, partnership with city clerk’s office aims to reform fines and fees, phd corporate partnership initiative.

Designed for professionals who want to reach the next level of design leadership, ID’s PhD Corporate Partnership provides candidates and organizations the tools and techniques needed to grow leadership and innovation within your organization.

Candidates should have a master’s degree in design (or equivalent) and/or significant experience as a professional designer.

A Global Network

Across the entire school, ID alumni make up a strong network—a uniquely skilled set of more than 2,400 people across 32+ countries who deal with difficult issues and navigate them with clarity, purpose, and discipline.

Alumni Hiighlights

Jessica meharry, phd, associate professor, columbia college chicago, id’s phds make their mark, andré nogueira, co-founder and deputy director of the design laboratory at the harvard t.h. chan school of public health.

Estimated Costs

Tuition and research stipends are extremely limited. Only self-funded applicants will be considered.

Spring 2025 Admission

November 1, 2024 (final admission)

Fall 2025 Admission

January 17, 2025 (priority admission) March 7, 2025 (final general admission)

Request More Info

Request more information.

Please complete the form to request more information or if you have additional questions regarding our application process or requirements.

For Learners

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Design, Environment and the Arts, PhD

• Program description
• At a glance
• Degree requirements
• Admission requirements
• Tuition information
• Contact information

building, industrial, landscape, urban

ASU is not currently accepting applications for this program.

The PhD in design, environment and the arts is an individualized, institute-wide, transdisciplinary degree program that integrates graduate courses and faculty research with expertise in design; health care and healing environments; history, theory and criticism; and digital culture in design.

Broad in scope, the program is at the cutting edge of creating new knowledge in architecture, design and the arts. It complements transdisciplinary research in other disciplines within the university. The program provides research experience for students who wish to pursue careers in industry as members of interdisciplinary design teams on environmental and energy issues as well as for those who wish to teach in the architecture, design or the arts fields.

• College/school: Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts
• Location: Tempe
• STEM-OPT extension eligible: No

84 credit hours, a written comprehensive exam, an oral comprehensive exam, a prospectus and a dissertation

Up to 30 credit hours from a previously awarded master's degree can count toward the requirements of the doctoral program.

Of the 54 credit hours remaining after the master's degree, 12 must be dissertation credit and 12 may be research. These 24 credit hours plus the remaining 30 credit hours must be completed after admission to the program. No transfer credits are allowed to fulfill the 54 credit hour minimum requirement completed after admission to the program.

The student is required to take 15 credit hours in the concentration and a minimum of nine credit hours of specialized coursework outside the area of focus; a minimum of six credit hours in current research and research methods is required.

Each student entering the program is required to submit a plan of study during the first year.

Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts.

Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have earned a master's degree in the field of architecture, graphic design, industrial design, interior design, landscape architecture or fine arts from a regionally accredited institution.

Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program, or applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program.

All applicants must submit:

• graduate admission application and application fee
• official transcripts
• three letters of recommendation
• a statement of purpose summarizing career objectives and the reasons for pursuing doctoral education
• an indication of proposed area of concentration (design; history, theory and criticism; digital culture in design; or health care and healing environments)
• an indication of a potential mentor
• a sample of sole-authored written work in English or any other evidence relevant to admission to the program (i.e., master's degree thesis, research paper or published articles)
• proof of English proficiency

Additional Application Information An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of their current residency. A TOEFL iBT score of at least 100 or an overall IELTS band score of 7.50, with no individual band below 7.00, is required of all applicants whose native language is not English.

International applicants who are interested in receiving funding as teaching assistants must take the Speaking Proficiency English Assessment Kit, administered at ASU, and become certified. Additional information is available on the department website.

Students are admitted to the program only upon completion of a degree in architecture, graphic design, industrial design, interior design, landscape architecture or fine arts, or upon the demonstration of equivalent standing. Applicants must be familiar with design and the arts and are expected to demonstrate a high level of academic maturity before being admitted to the program.

Applicants must have identified a doctoral program faculty member who has agreed to serve as a mentor. The faculty mentor should be from the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts. Students should introduce themselves by email to the faculty members who they feel have related research interests and to inquire about their availability to be mentors.

The letters of recommendation preferably would be academic, although they could be professional. Applicants must provide the names and contact information of three recommenders at the time of their online application. Recommenders will receive an email with a link to the online letter of recommendation to complete. Candidates are able to see which recommenders have already completed their recommendation by logging into the My ASU system and viewing their To Do list. Once a recommender has submitted the letter of recommendation, the recommender's name is removed from the To Do list. All letters must be in English.

Applicants should identify a proposed research topic or list of possible topics that aligns with the research mission of the program and the research interests of faculty.

The application is considered incomplete if any of the items is missing.

The doctoral executive committee evaluates the applications and supporting materials. Admission decisions are based on the ability of the potential mentor to devote time to the student; the compatibility of the applicant's career goals with the purpose of the degree program; GRE scores (optional); previous academic training and performance; recommendation letters; and the research mission of the institute and the research interests of faculty. The recommendations of the committee are forwarded to the program director for approval. Upon receipt of the written recommendation from the program director, the dean of the Graduate College notifies all applicants in writing of the admission decision.

ASU does not accept the GRE® General Test at home edition.

Applicants should see the program website for application deadlines.

Dean, Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts | CDN 162E [email protected] 480-965-3536

Fully Funded MFA and PhD Programs in Art and Design

Last updated March 9, 2022

As part of my series on  How to Fully Fund Your PhD , I provide a list of universities that offer full funding for a MFA and PhD Programs in Art and Design, which, in addition to preparing you to work as a professional artist in your field, can lead to careers in academia, consulting, and curating for museums, among others. With the average cost of a Master’s and Doctoral degree nearing or exceeding $100,000, gaining admission to a fully funded program is ideal.

“Full funding” is a financial aid package for full-time students that includes full tuition remission and an annual stipend or salary for the three to six-year duration of the student’s doctoral studies. Funding is typically offered in exchange for graduate teaching and research work that is complementary to your studies. Not all universities provide full funding to their doctoral students, which is why I recommend researching the financial aid offerings of all the potential PhD programs in your academic field, including small and lesser-known schools both in the U.S. and abroad.

Would you like to receive the full list of more than 1000+ fully funded programs in 60 disciplines? Download the FREE Directory of Fully Funded Graduate Programs and Full Funding Awards !

1. Duke University, PhD in Art History and Visual Culture

(Durham, NC): The Graduate School provides Ph.D. students with a stipend, payment of tuition, and fee support for their first five years of study, as well as health insurance for the first six years if students are on the Duke student medical insurance plan. After their fifth year, students are responsible for tuition and fees, and most of our students obtain external or departmental funding to cover those costs.

2. Illinois State University, MFA in Art

(Normal, Il, IL): The University provides graduate assistantships as a means of financial support. Monthly wages paid in the form of either a stipend or an hourly wage, waiver for 100% of tuition during a semester of appointment, a waiver for up to 12 credit hours of tuition for the summer term immediately following a fall or spring appointment are included.

3. North Carolina State College of Design, PhD in Design

(Raleigh, NC): The PhD in Design program provides generous support for the students, which includes full tuition, stipend, and health insurance. This level of support is a minimum for the three years or more of the students’ study period.

4. Ohio State University, MFA in Visual Arts

(Columbus, OH): Most students accepted into the MFA Program are funded with a Graduate Associate appointment, which requires working 20 hours a week in exchange for a fee authorization (payment of tuition) and a stipend. These appointments may include teaching introductory courses, assisting in department labs, and working for The Arts Initiative.

5. Stanford University, MFA in Art Practice

(Stanford, CA): Through a combination of fellowship funds and teaching assistantships, each Art Practice graduate student normally receives an aid package that includes tuition and stipend as well as small materials grants.

6. Tulane University, MFA in Studio Art

(New Orleans, LA): All admitted graduate students receive a full tuition waiver and a generous assistantship stipend.

7. University of Arkansas, MFA in Studio Art

(Fayetteville, AR): All students in the M.F.A. Studio Art program are fully supported.  We are able to provide full assistantships to all of our M.F.A.’s. The assistantship includes a full tuition waiver and a stipend that will increase next year to $15,000 annually, plus  a Graduate Fellowship in the amount of $4,000 per year,  for a total package of $19,000 of support per year

8. University of California, Davis, MFA in Art Studio

(Davis, CA): The Art Studio MFA Program offers substantial financial support through paid Teaching Assistant positions each quarter and through Art Studio Program Fellowships, made possible by generous private endowments.

9. University of Connecticut, MFA in Studio Art

(Storrs, CT): Fully funded program providing both tuition remission, stipend, and health insurance.

10. University of Georgia, MFA in in Studio Art

(Athens, GA): All full-time students of the three-year MFA program are fully funded. Applicants will be automatically considered for departmental assistantships. Funding is also available from various sources to offset the cost of materials and travel related to graduate research.

11. University of Michigan, MFA in Art & Design

(Ann Arbor, MI): The Stamps School offers generous financial support to graduate students, in addition to teaching and research assistantships, stipends, and discretionary funds.

12. University of South Florida, MFA in Studio Art

(Tampa, FL): Every current graduate student in the School of Art & Art History receives a full tuition waiver plus either a scholarship OR a graduate assistantship. The USF School of Art & Art History offers two graduate degree programs: Master of Arts in Art History and Master of Fine Arts in Studio Art.

13. University of Oregon, MFA in Art

The Department of Art provides generous funding for MFA Candidates during their three years of study. All students in good standing are given free tuition through a combination of Graduate Employee Fellowship support and tuition remissions.

Choosing the right graduate program is important and involves multiple factors. As a next step, we recommend that you read How To Choose The Right Graduate Program .

© Victoria Johnson 2020, all rights reserved.

Related Posts:

• Fully Funded MA and MFA in Graphic Design
• Fully Funded Master's Programs in Anthropology
• Fully Funded PhD Programs in Mathematics
• Fully Funded PhD Programs in School Psychology
• Fully Funded PhD Programs in Political Science

Fully Funded PhD Programs

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PhD in Art Education

The Doctor of Philosophy in Art Education degree is designed for students who want to make a scholarly contribution to the Art Education field.

Allison Rowe, PhD (2021). “Work Like a River” (participatory lecture, 2017). Photo by Larissa Issler

PhD Art Education

At the University of Illinois, faculty and graduate students build a vibrant community of inquiry within the context of a Research 1 university. This community, including faculty whose breadth of interests span topics including contemporary art and visual culture in education, formal and informal learning, cultural policy and urban studies, and teacher training and identity, provides an intellectually stimulating environment for graduate students to stretch themselves intellectually and become world authorities on the particular topic of their dissertation.

Some doctoral students receive funding and support as teaching assistants for 4 years, and this funding is conditional upon academic standing. This funding includes a tuition waiver, a salary, health insurance, annual conference funding, plus many opportunities to gain competitive grants. Students complete coursework, consisting of 5 courses in art education, courses in research methodology and writing, courses in a minor that complements individual student interest, and courses that prepare students for the qualifying exam (taken after one year of full-time study) and the preliminary exam (at the conclusion of coursework). Examples of minors include Asian Studies, Art History, New Media, Museum Studies, and Women’s Studies. Following the conclusion of coursework, students write a dissertation that contributes new knowledge to the field of art education. Finally, students defend their dissertation.

During this course of study, there are numerous resources available to graduate students in Art Education, both within our program and across the University of Illinois:

• At our major comprehensive research university, students have access to the broadest possible range of elective courses.
• Visual Arts Research is a scholarly, refereed journal and has been published through the Art Education program for over 40 years. It is edited by Art Education faculty.
• The Everyday Arts Lab offers an excellent local site for graduate research for those interested in arts and social practice.
• With a total of 14 million titles the University of Illinois Library houses the largest collection of any public university in the world. The Ricker Library of Architecture and Art has 120,000 titles and 33,00 serials.
• The Unit for Criticism and Interpretive Theory is a program that promote conversations among a range of departments in the humanities, social sciences, and performing arts by organizing lectures, panel discussions, and conferences, as well as the Modern Critical Theory lecture series.
• The Krannert Art Museum includes an archive of over 8,000 works of art and rotating exhibitions of traditional and innovative art works.
• The Spurlock Museum highlights the diversity of cultures around the globe.
• Illinois is host to the  International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry , which brings a large contingent of art education scholars to campus.
• Regular visiting speakers from other institutions including Kevin Tavin, Amelia Kraehe, David Darts, Olivia Gude, Luis Camnitzer, Matthew Goulish, Marjorie Manifold, and Stephanie Springgay.
• Devoted room for Art Education PhD students including carrels for your use.

Faculty Interests

• Arts-based research
• Community arts education
• Conceptual art practices and theory
• Creative cities
• Cultural globalization
• Emerging curriculum theory
• Performance studies
• Psychoanalysis
• Social practice
• Socially engaged art
• Teacher identity
• Urban education
• Visual culture
• Youth studies

Ask Us a Question

Ellen de Waard  

Laura Hetrick  

Sarah Travis  

Doctoral Program Admissions

How to apply:.

The GradCAS application for admissions will be available in December 2024 until February 28. Click Here .

Application Checklist:

All prospective PhD researchers must submit an online application that includes:

• A Personal Statement
• Samples of Work
• Three letters of recommendation
• Official transcripts
• TOEFL/IELTS scores where applicable (Scores must be less than two years old. Or the Duolingo online English proficiency exam for students (scores from the July 2020 updated version)
• Application fee

Detailed information about each component of your application:

Describe your reasons for wishing to undertake a PhD in Transition Design, and how your unique personal and professional experiences have led you to this moment. Explain how your work overlaps with the Transition Design approach, and why this intersection could provide fertile ground for doctoral research. Tell us about what drives your work and the key research questions you are currently grappling with. We are not looking for a “research proposal.” Our program is fairly unique in that we develop this after the first year of study. Your statement should be around 12,500 characters in length.

We are interested in seeing examples of your recent work. This could be anything from a design portfolio or curriculum you have developed, to a collection of short articles you have written or descriptions of community-based projects you have been involved with. Whatever you decide to share with us, it should be supported by annotations clearly describing each piece. You can upload samples of your work as a single PDF, or include a link to a personal website. We typically like to see around five or six pieces of work.

This should include your academic qualifications, work experience, and list of notable research and/or professional outputs.

Provide names and contact information (including email addresses) for three people you have chosen to write letters of recommendation on your behalf. These are people who can write a compelling, thoughtful letter about your approach to work, and readiness for doctoral study.

In the GradCAS Academic History section, please request an official electronic transcript from U.S. schools you attended. Select the appropriate electronic transcript vendor and follow the instructions for Sending Transcripts Electronically to GradCAS, as found in the GradCAS Help Center . GradCAS accepts electronic transcripts from Credentials Solutions, Parchment, and National Student Clearinghouse.

International transcript(s) that cannot be sent electronically using Credential Solutions, Parchment, and National Student Clearinghouse must include a foreign evaluation of the academic record. WES and ECE can be ordered directly through the application. Original documents should be sent directly to GradCAS at the listed address below. The School of Design does not accept transcripts or evaluations through email or postal service.

GradCAS Transcript Processing Center PO Box 9217 Watertown, MA 02471

If English is not your native language and you are not a U.S. citizen of an exempt country you must submit one valid English proficiency score from one of the following administrators: TOEFL ( Test of English as a Foreign Language), IELTS ( International English Language Testing System), or the Duolingo with individual subscores. All applicants must submit their highest test score by the application deadline. TOEFL/IELTS scores must be less than two years old. If you are submitting the Duolingo test, which can be taken online, please verify that you are administered a 2020 or later version with individual subscores. 

• TOEFL-Please upload an unofficial score report via the Documents tab in the Program Materials Section and send official scores to GradCAS using code: B886. Our minimum TOEFL composite score is 100, with minimum subscores of 25. In addition to single test date TOEFL iBT scores, the School of Design also accepts MyBest Scores for TOEFL iBT. 
• IELTS- The School of Design is registered to receive IELTS scores electronically through GradCAS. Applicants must contact the IELTS test center where the IELTS test was taken to request the official Test Report Form be sent electronically to the GradCAS E-Delivery account, thereby granting permission to share test results with CAS services. We do not accept unofficial copies of IELTS Test Report Forms from applicants. An institution code is NOT required. The minimum composite score is 7.5.
• DuoLingo- Please upload an unofficial individual score report via the Document tab in the Program Materials section. The official scores will be sent electronically to "Carnegie Mellon University- School of Design" by DuoLingo. Our recommended DuoLingo score is 130 total. Individual subscore minimums: Literacy: 115, Conversation: 120, Comprehension: 125, Production: 110. 

Each applicant must submit a $75 application fee.

When You May Apply:

Offers are made after all applications have been reviewed, usually around the end of March.

Further Information

Please feel free to write to [email protected] with any questions. You can also check out our FAQs page. As this is a relatively new program, insufficient data exists to provide helpful transparency statistics. This will be shared as it becomes available.

Academic Catalog 2024-2025

Interdisciplinary design and media, phd.

The PhD provides a rigorous, globally aware, practice-based, and human-centered approach to advanced scholarship. It aims to cultivate researcher-designers with a versatile repertoire of methods and a passion for applying those skills to the emerging epistemic perspective of integrated human, technological, and data frameworks within creative collaboration across disciplinary boundaries. The degree is designed to attract entrepreneurial self-starters who seek to break ground and invent new fields through hybrid and integrated approaches to knowledge creation.

The PhD emphasizes four pillars of excellence within a research culture:

• Engaging with the nature of human experience through innovative, interdisciplinary approaches to design
• Investigating new forms of digital media and data-driven communication across diverse disciplines
• Articulating how creativity can embrace connections between artistic practices, innovation, entrepreneurship, and research
• Connecting with changing forms of technology and media to foster shared experiences and exchange within local and global communities

The PhD is unique in its focus on practice-based research or scholarship applied to or conducted through making or creation. This is an emerging area that has been applied internationally to a wide range of creative fields and industries, many of which are represented within the College of Arts, Media and Design: music, theatre, design, studio art, games, architecture, journalism, and others. It differs from other forms of knowledge creation in that it rigorously cultivates the creation of artifacts as a mode of producing new knowledge, theories, and methodologies. Practice-based research integrates fields such as creativity and cognition or human-computer interaction to understand how practice operates, to enact that knowledge in practical applications, and to use the acts of creation themselves as a research methodology. PhD students will be encouraged to conduct their research in—and in some cases create—"living labs” embedded in real-world contexts and through on- and off-campus research partnerships.

The PhD degree program is composed of a common core and pathways of specialization. The core is centered around three areas: design research, which provides a methodology for understanding the ways design and media touch every aspect of daily life at every level of society; ethical practice, which engages with the humanistic concerns of design and cultural production; and experiential learning, which offers students the opportunity to produce research and conduct fieldwork with partner organizations.

Specialized pathways, customized according to the program of study as approved by the PhD advisors and vetted by external experts, include:

• Information design and visualization
• Design research
• Creative research

Degree Requirements

Postbaccalaureate entry.

The PhD degree requires completion of at least 48 semester credit hours beyond a bachelor’s degree. Students who enter with an undergraduate degree will typically need five years to complete the program.

Advanced Entry

Students can petition for an advanced entry, which requires completion of at least 28 semester hours. Advanced entry requires an advanced degree (MS, MA, MFA, etc.) or extensive experience aligned with the research direction of the candidate. While students can qualify for advanced entry upon acceptance, the decision for students to continue in the advanced program is made after the first year, where they have to demonstrate that they do not need additional coursework and can complete the program in four years.

Qualifying Examination

The qualifying exam is a written and/or oral examination in the primary and secondary research fields that ensures the student is intimately familiar with the relevant scholarly work in their area of concentration. The pedagogical role is not in the examination itself but in the rigorous preparation of the primary and secondary fields by the student, approved by the advisor. Prior to the qualifying exam, the student prepares a document that outlines the selected primary and secondary fields, provides an overview of the current state of research, and assembles a list of relevant literature that will serve as the basis for the examination. The emphasis of the examination (for example, short essays, a lecture presenting a scholarly argument) is to be useful for the dissertation research. Typically, the student takes the qualifying examination during the second year.

Dissertation Proposal Defense

To ensure students complete satisfactory dissertations that are appropriate for their focus area(s), all students are required to submit and defend a dissertation proposal prior to advancing to candidacy. The dissertation proposal is a detailed document outlining the scholarly context, methods, arguments, and activities underpinning the dissertation. It will include a detailed research plan and timeline and is to be approved by the student’s dissertation committee, which the student has to assemble in advance. The student then defends the accepted dissertation proposal in the context of the research seminar, inviting feedback from faculty and other students. The dissertation proposal defense is open to the entire CAMD PhD community and constitutes the last step before degree candidacy.

Degree Candidacy

A student is considered a PhD degree candidate after:

• Successfully completing core and specialization courses with a minimum of a 3.000 cumulative GPA and no grades lower than a B in core courses
• Passing the qualifying exam
• Submitting and successfully defending the dissertation proposal

Advising and Committee Formation

Each entering student will be assigned to a faculty advisor based on their interests who will guide students in completing their core requirements of their degree. Ideally, this person will also serve as their thesis committee chair, but they may transition to another committee chair as they transition into ABD status. As part of this process, in addition to their thesis committee chair, they will also be expected to identify two other readers representing their secondary and, if applicable, tertiary discipline areas. The advisory committee will be responsible for guiding the students through their individual research proposal process, helping them to develop a robust research methodology and clear plan for completion. The advisory committee will also be responsible for identifying an appropriate external expert to consult at key stages of degree progression. The advisors will also guide the students through the thesis project and its written component. Where applicable, committee members will also mentor and support the student through funded research.

Dissertation Defense

Each student will, with the aid of their advisor and committee, define the final product. The research component will typically consist of empirical and/or theoretical scholarship created using a methodology appropriate for the topic and field that is fully integrated with the practice component. The synergy between creative practice and research can take the form of knowledge production through a variety of potential means: production of digital and physical artifacts, software and hardware applications, games, paintings, documentaries, comics, exhibitions, design projects or products, theatrical productions, musical compositions, performances, or other formats. The work will include a written dissertation that can also be paired with other modes of conveyance, such as a documentary, demonstration, performance, or exhibition. A key function of the dissertation will be to contextualize the practical work in contemporary scholarship and discourse, clearly articulating its rationale and contribution to the field. Over the course of their studies, students are expected to produce peer-reviewed submissions based on their work.

The dissertation defense follows a similar format to the proposal defense. Acceptable dissertation models may include long-form (book-style) dissertations, multiple publishable papers, a system build-evaluate model, or other creative formats enumerated above.

• Concentrations and course offerings may vary by campus and/or by program modality.  Please consult with your advisor or admissions coach for the course availability each term at your campus or within your program modality.  
• Certain options within the program may be  required  at certain campuses or for certain program modalities.  Please consult with your advisor or admissions coach for requirements at your campus or for your program modality. 

Annual review  Individual path (including advisors) Teaching requirement  Qualifying examination Dissertation proposal       Dissertation committee Dissertation defense

Required Coursework

Discipline-Specific Coursework

Program Credit/GPA Requirements

A minimum of 48 semester hours of coursework beyond the undergraduate degree is required. A minimum 3.000 cumulative GPA and no grades lower than a B in core courses are required.

Program Credit/GPA Requirement

A minimum of 28 semester hours of coursework beyond the graduate degree is required. A minimum 3.000 cumulative GPA and no grades lower than a B in core courses are required.

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School of Art

• Graduate Programs
• Ph.D. in Fine Arts

School of Art Fine Arts Doctoral Program (Art)

Fine arts doctoral program (art).

The Art track of the Fine Arts Doctoral Program centers on art praxis, which we define as theoretically informed action aimed at creating change in academic, social, and community contexts. We have chosen the word "praxis" instead of "practice" to signal a different relationship to theory than assumed by the theory-practice binary, and to indicate a fundamental difference between MFA programs in studio practice and the PhD. For Aristotle, praxis meant an action that is valuable in itself, as opposed to that which leads to creation, and for scholars of modernity from Marx to Lefebvre, praxis was, and remains, infused with an ethical and political imperative, and designated a more grounded and intentional mode of social and political transformation.

The Art track is part of a College-wide Fine Arts Doctoral Program , which includes students focusing on music, theatre, dance, and visual art. All areas of the Fine Arts Doctoral Program require a series of core courses that bring together students from across the College for innovative interdisciplinary and collaborative inquiry. These core courses support the art area's commitment to blurring disciplinary boundaries through original modes of investigation.

Students conduct interdisciplinary research integrating methodologies from a home discipline related to Art with methodologies from disciplines of Music, Theatre, and Dance housed at other Schools in the J.T. & Margaret Talkington College of Visual and Performing Arts or the University at large. Such interdisciplinarity is not simply additive, but transformative, blurring the chosen disciplines and even fundamentally altering them.

This program is for

• studio artists who want to transform their approach to making into a methodology for research,
• scholars who want to intervene in their home discipline by proposing novel ways of conducting research,
• curators and cultural practitioners who want to do community-engaged projects, and
• educators who want to rethink inquiry and develop meaningful practices organized around art and images that transform engagement through interdisciplinary initiatives.

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How to apply.

Interested candidates applying for admission to the Fine Arts Doctoral Program can do so through the Texas Tech University Graduate School portal.

A complete application - via the Graduate School application portal - will include the following:

• Official transcripts of all previous college-level study
• Official G.R.E. score report (The GRE score requirement has been waived for Fall 2024-entering applicants)
• 3 letters of recommendation
• Current resumé or curriculum vitae
• A scholarly writing sample (10-30 pages of academic writing)
• Art portfolio (optional)
• Statement of intent (800 words maximum; see tips on writing statements of intent). Please indicate in your statement the faculty members in the FADP(Art) program (see below) with whom you would like to work.
• For international students: passport and additional documents that prove your eligibility to study in the United States
• Registration fee

ENTRANCE QUALIFICATIONS

For acceptance into the doctoral program, the applicant must have completed a master's degree, or its equivalent, with emphasis in some area of the visual arts. Every effort is made to select candidates who show strong scholarship and professional competence.  Applicants who have not taken at least 15 hours of art history, art criticism, art education, arts administration, aesthetics, and/or visual culture courses at the college level may be required to meet the 15-hour minimum in the form of leveling courses taken here at TTU, which will not count toward the 60-hour minimum in the doctoral degree plan.

While the Fine Arts Doctoral Program (Art) takes applications year-round, please take into consideration the following dates:

JANUARY 15th for Fall semester entry, with full financial consideration.

OCTOBER 15th for Spring semester entry, with available/limited financial consideration.

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Degree handbook.

• PhD Handbook

ONLINE CATALOG INFORMATION

Student success, school of art alumni.

Class of 2012

Sara Peso White

Class of 2015

Bryan Wheeler, dissertation: “Painting ‘Section’ or Painting Texas: Negotiating Modernity and Identity in the Texas New Deal Post Office Murals.” Lecturer in the School of Art and College of Media and Communication.

Class of 2016

Yuan-Ta Hsu

Lina Kattan, dissertation: “Conflicted Living Beings: The Performative Aspect of Female Bodies' Representations in Saudi Painting and Photography.” Associate Professor of Visual and Performing Arts, University of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Class of 2017

Norah Alqabba, dissertation: “Globalization and the Role of the Sharjah Biennale in the Transformation of Saudi Contemporary Sculpture”

Class of 2019

Kimberly Jones, dissertation: “Women in Contemporary Israeli Cinema”

Katharine Scherff, dissertation: “The Virtual Liturgy: An Examination of Medieval and Early Modern Ritual Objects as Media Technology.” Full-time Lecturer at TTU, Art History and Global Art Program, Affiliated Faculty Medieval and Renaissance Studies Center.

Jared Stanley, dissertation: “Working Through Grief: Continuing Bonds in the New Golden Age of American Television.” Division Chair, Division of Art and Design, School of Fine Arts and Communication, Bob Jones University.

Class of 2020 

Niloofar Gholamrezaei, dissertation: “Photographic Images, Distanced Realism, and the State of Being Modern in the Works of Mohammad Ghaffari and Otto Dix.” Assistant Professor of Visual Arts and General Education, Regis College.

Class of 2021

Ahmad Rafiei, dissertation: “Objects in Motion: Global Interactions and Cross-Cultural Exchange from Safavid to Twentieth-Century Iran.” Curatorial Fellow, Toledo Museum of Art, 2021-2024.

Sylvia Weintraub, dissertation: “Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Online: Why Making Matters on Pinterest.”

Assistant Professor of Art Education in the department of Visual and Theatre Arts at the University of Tennessee at Martin.

Class of 2022

Corina Carmona, dissertation: “Re-membering a Coyolxauhqui Pedagogy: Creative and Cultural Praxis at the Intersection of Ethnic Studies and Fine Art”

Deepika Dhiman, dissertation: “Using Autoethnography and Visual Storytelling to Examine How Identity is Informed by Social Normative Behavior in India and the United States”

Class of 2023

Kathryn Kelley: “Creatives Engage with Spontaneous Self-Affirmation as a Part of Their Writing Practices”

Quest ions?

Contact the interim coordinator.

Andrés Peralta, PhD Interim FADP Coordinator

Fine Arts- Art Doctoral Program Faculty

Klinton Burgio-Ericson, PhD

Kevin Chua, PhD

Theresa Flanigan, PhD

Rina Little, PhD

Jorgelina Orfila, PhD

Andrés Peralta, PhD

Maia Toteva, PhD

Heather Warren-Crow, PhD

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Art Education, Ph.D.

Ph.D. in Art Education (+Dual Ph.D.)

TODO FIXME : DRAFT : WORK IN PROGRESS

Elevate your scholarship and the art education profession..

The Ph.D. in Art Education prepares students to become innovative researchers, informed educators, and leaders in higher education, schools, communities, and museums. At Penn State, you’ll enjoy all the resources of a large research university within a close-knit, collegial environment of faculty and fellow students committed to making an impact on the field of art education.

Program Application Deadline

The deadline for applications for AY 2025–26 is January 15, 2025.

To be assured full consideration, please review all details on program and admission requirements, and ensure that you apply by this deadline.

Earn a Ph.D. in Art Education at Penn State

Take your experience and research in art education to the next level. Penn State’s Ph.D. in Art Education–including unique dual-title options that incorporate African American and Diaspora Studies or Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies –is ideal if you want to build on your experience in the field through original research projects that make significant contributions to art education theory and practice.

Coursework in art education and related disciplines such as philosophy, curriculum and instruction, sociology, anthropology, and other fields provides necessary theoretical and methodological background for dissertation research. Doctoral students are required to complete 32 credits of graduate coursework (20 of which are to be completed in art education), pass their Qualifying Examination, English Competency Examination, Comprehensive Examination, Final Examination, and submit a dissertation.

Faculty bring a range of teaching, research, and administrative experience from across the country and around the world. The international student body provides students with insight into a range of art teaching practices. You’ll benefit from all the resources of a large research university while studying as part of the collaborative, close-knit community within the Penn State School of Visual Arts.

Applicants apply for admission to the program via the Graduate School application for admission . Requirements listed here are in addition to Graduate Council policies listed under GCAC-300 Admissions Policies .

The language of instruction at Penn State is English. English proficiency test scores (TOEFL/IELTS) may be required for international applicants. See GCAC-305 Admission Requirements for International Students for more information.

Students who seek admission to the graduate program must make formal application to The Graduate School and admissions committee of the Art Education program. To be admitted without deficiencies, the student is expected to have completed either a baccalaureate degree in art education or a program considered by the admissions committee to provide an appropriate background for the application’s degree objectives. Related programs include work in studio art, art history, art education, education, museum education, etc. Deficiencies may be made up by course work that is not counted as credit toward an advanced degree. Students pursuing graduate degrees may simultaneously take course work leading to teaching certification and art supervisory certification. The students who plan to teach art education at the college level should note that some institutions require professors to hold a public school art teaching certificate and to have had public school teaching experience.

Students with a minimum 3.00 junior/senior grade-point average (on a 4.00 scale) and with appropriate course backgrounds will be considered for admission. The most qualified applicants will be accepted up to the number of spaces that are available for new students. Exceptions to the minimum 3.00 average may be made for students with special backgrounds, abilities, and interests. Transcripts should indicate high attainment in appropriate academic and creative work. Letters of recommendation should attest to scholarship and ability to work independently. In addition to the above requirements, there are specific requirements for each degree program:

M.S. and Ph.D. Application Materials

• Completed official Penn State Graduate School Application for Admission .
• professional objectives
• how these objectives would be furthered by graduate study,
• the areas in which research and creative work are planned,
• what the applicant hopes to do with the graduate degree he or she is seeking to attain, and
• evidence that the applicant is prepared to undertake graduate level work.
• Submit an example of scholarly writing.
• Submit three (3) letters of recommendation. Letters of recommendation should attest to the applicant’s scholarship and ability to work independently.
• Submit official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended .
• Submit a Portfolio (optional). Applicants may submit images of their creative works that represent arts-based research or images that illustrate their conception of art.
• Indicate in your Statement of Professional Intent if you would like to be considered for an Assistantship/Fellowship.

M.P.S. Application Materials

• Statement of purpose in pursuing the M.P.S. in Art Education.
• Three letters of recommendation.
• Teaching portfolio to include teaching philosophy and a sample of curricular materials developed by the applicant.
• A critical reflective written response to an article provided in the GRADS application site. The response should outline the key arguments made by the author(s), a critical evaluation of the logic and assumptions in the article, and a connection to the applicant’s own instructional or professional experience.
• Curriculum vitae with evidence of professional leadership and service.
• Official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended , including official military transcripts (if applicable). (All college or university transcripts are required regardless of the length of time that has passed, the grades earned, or the accreditation of the institutions attended.)
• International applicants whose first language is not English or who have received a baccalaureate or master’s degree from an institution in which the language of instruction is not English, please refer to GCAC-305 Admission Requirements for International Students .

https://bulletins.psu.edu

Ph.D. in Art Education Handbook

Graduate courses carry numbers from 500 to 699 and 800 to 899. Advanced undergraduate courses numbered between 400 and 499 may be used to meet some graduate degree requirements when taken by graduate students. Courses below the 400 level may not. A graduate student may register for or audit these courses in order to make up deficiencies or to fill in gaps in previous education but not to meet requirements for an advanced degree.

Art Education (AED) Course List

Graduate assistantships available to students in this program and other forms of student aid are described in the Tuition & Funding section of The Graduate School’s website. Students on graduate assistantships must adhere to the course load limits set by The Graduate School.

Current Cohort Bios

Dissertations

Aaron Knochel

• Associate Professor of Art Education

[email protected]

814.863.7309

Is the Ph.D. in Art Education right for you?

The Ph.D. in Art Education is for scholars who want to delve deeper into art education research topics. Students in the program conduct original research with the potential to impact art education theory and practice.

The program fosters collaboration, collegiality, and innovation within a close-knit environment where students also enjoy all the resources of a large research university.

Degree Options

Penn State’s Art Education program offers the opportunity to pursue one of two extraordinary dual-title Ph.D. degree options – Art Education + African American and Diaspora Studies, or Art Education + Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Either of these novel, interdisciplinary options will position you to make a lasting impact on the art education profession.

Dual Ph.D. and Diaspora Studies

This dual-title Ph.D. is for scholars who want to delve deeper into art education research topics with a focus on African American life, art, and visual culture. Students in the program conduct original research with the potential to impact art education theory and practice, as well as the field of African American and diaspora studies.

In addition to art education and African American and diaspora studies, course work covers related disciplines such as philosophy, curriculum and instruction, sociology, anthropology, and other fields, providing the necessary theoretical and methodological background for a dissertation. Students must complete 47 credits.

Faculty bring a range of teaching, research, and administrative experience from across the country and around the world. The international student body provides students with insight into a range of art teaching and research practices.

Graduate Bulletin Links

• African American and Diaspora Studies Bulletin page.
• Graduate Studies information related to the dual-title Ph.D. in Art Education + African American and Diaspora Studies.

Dual Ph.D. and Gender Studies

The dual-title graduate degree in Art Education + Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies is for students who want to focus on feminist and non-binary perspectives and pedagogy in their art education research.

Coursework in art education, gender and sexuality studies, and related disciplines such as philosophy, curriculum and instruction, sociology, anthropology, and other fields provides necessary theoretical and methodological background for thesis and dissertation research.

Faculty for the dual-title degree program bring a range of teaching, research, and administrative experience from across the country and around the world. The international student body provides students with insight into a range of teaching practices.

• Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Bulletin page .
• Graduate Studies information related to the dual-title Ph.D. in Art Education + Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies.

Guides + Resources

• Art Education Ph. D. Handbook
• The Graduate School At Penn State

Considering the Ph.D. in Art Education? Consider this.

You’ll make an impact on the discipline through your research.

• Faculty bring experience from across the country and the world.
• Dual-title Ph.D. options layer diverse, interdisciplinary perspectives with Art Ed scholarship.
• Enjoy SoVA’s close-knit environment, along with all the resources of a major research university.
• Program fosters collaboration, collegiality, and innovation.
• Penn State has sponsored the annual Graduate Research in Art Education (GRAE) conference since 2005.

Legal Statements

• Non-Discrimination
• Equal Opportunity
• Accessibility
• The Pennsylvania State University © 2024

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Course type

Qualification, university name, phd degrees in art and design.

18 degrees at 15 universities in the UK.

Customise your search

Select the start date, qualification, and how you want to study

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• Course title (A-Z)
• Course title (Z-A)
• Price: high - low
• Price: low - high

PhD Research Degrees in Art & Design

Nottingham trent university.

Our Art and Design research is dynamic and imaginative. We have an outward looking research culture, with a strong focus on art and design Read more...

• 2 years Full time degree: £4,786 per year (UK)
• 4 years Part time degree: £2,393 per year (UK)

MPhil/PhD at UCA

University for the creative arts.

MPhil/PhD at UCA at UCA A PhD is an advanced postgraduate qualification that will require you to plan and complete your own focused Read more...

• 3 years Full time degree: £5,670 per year (UK)

PhD Postgraduate research opportunities in Art and Design

Liverpool john moores university.

Excellent research opportunities await at the Liverpool School of Art and Design, enabling you to work at the forefront of developments Read more...

• 4 years Full time degree: £4,786 per year (UK)
• 7 years Part time degree: £2,393 per year (UK)

PhD Postgraduate Research in Art and Design

University of wolverhampton.

Thank you for your interest in pursuing a research degree with the Faculty of Arts. We will be delighted to discuss your area of interest Read more...

• 8 years Part time degree: £2,393 per year (UK)

Art and Design PhD

Anglia ruskin university.

Explore your research interests in art and design - from computer games art, to illustration and photography - supported by the expertise Read more...

• 2.5 years Full time degree: £4,786 per year (UK)
• 3 years Part time degree: £2,392 per year (UK)
• 3.5 years Part time degree: £2,392 per year (UK)

Architecture, Art and Design PhDs and MPhil

University of portsmouth.

If you're looking to take your skills into postgraduate research, our research degree programmes can help you achieve your ambitions. Our Read more...

• 3 years Full time degree: £4,786 per year (UK)
• 6 years Part time degree: £2,393 per year (UK)

History of design PhD

University of brighton.

The University of Brighton has an established reputation for pioneering research into art, design and material culture and is a recognised Read more...

• 3 years Full time degree: £4,796 per year (UK)
• 7 years Part time degree: £2,398 per year (UK)

Art and Design MPhil/PhD

University of worcester.

We welcome applications to undertake research towards MPhil and PhD degrees in Art and Design. Research at Worcester has grown Read more...

• 3 years Full time degree: £4,950 per year (UK)
• 5 years Part time degree: £2,475 per year (UK)

PhD Fine Art and Design

Sheffield hallam university.

Course summary Undertake doctoral research in an approved fine art and design topic. Join the vibrant research community in the Culture Read more...

MPhil/PhD Art and Design

University of chester.

The Department of Art and Design provides a supportive environment for students who wish to undertake postgraduate research leading to Read more...

Architecture, Art and Design PhDs (Distance Learning)

If you want to take your expertise in Architecture, Interiors and Urbanism into a postgraduate research degree, Portsmouth is the perfect Read more...

• 6 years Distance without attendance degree: £2,393 per year (UK)
• 3 years Distance without attendance degree: £2,393 per year (UK)

University of Derby

We welcome applications for PhD artistic research study in practice and theory. We can offer you an intellectually stimulating environment Read more...

• 3 years Full time degree: £4,712 per year (UK)
• 6 years Part time degree: £2,356 per year (UK)

Art and Design Existing Published or Creative Work PhD

University of sunderland.

A PhD by Published or Creative Work is designed for individuals with an existing portfolio of published work addressing a central Read more...

• 6 months Part time degree: £6,000 per year (UK)

PhD (Direct) Art and Design (Centre for Enrichment of Culture and Identity)

Buckinghamshire new university.

BNU welcomes applications for research degrees across a wide range of disciplines, including Nursing, health and wellbeing; Art, design, Read more...

• 24 months Full time degree: £4,800 per year (UK)
• 48 months Part time degree: £2,800 per year (UK)

Art and Design - PhD

Birmingham city university.

A PhD in Art and Design will help you create opportunities to develop research skills that support professional practice, research and/or Read more...

Ulster University

The Belfast School of Art has established the most mature Art and Design research environment on the Island of Ireland, which REF2021 Read more...

• 6 years Part time degree: £2,390 per year (UK)

A PhD is “probably the most internationally transferable qualification” according to the Higher Education Policy Institute. You will Read more...

• 6 years Distance without attendance degree: £3,681 per year (UK)
• 4 years Distance without attendance degree: £3,681 per year (UK)
• 4 years Full time degree: £4,600 per year (UK)
• 6 years Part time degree: £3,681 per year (UK)

PhD Art and Design (Centre for Enrichment of Culture and Identity)

• 30 months Full time degree: £4,800 per year (UK)
• 60 months Part time degree: £2,800 per year (UK)

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Graduate Programs

Find your program.

The Roski School offers three degrees, plus a joint MA degree with the Price School of Public Policy. As a USC Roski graduate, you’re free to practice across disciplines within art or design, as well as take USC courses outside of your field.

MFA Art Degree

Mfa design degree, performance studies certificate, the usc advantage.

Studying art at a major university has many benefits, including interdisciplinary freedom, extensive course offerings and cultural programming across campus. You can take electives outside of Roski starting in your first semester, and we encourage you to delve into not only art, design and critical studies offerings, but also graduate-level courses in disciplines like film, comparative literature, philosophy, gender studies, communications and the sciences. 

Roski Talks

This lecture series features presentations by prominent artists, designers and scholars working across a range of art, performance and curatorial disciplines. Talks end in group discussions, giving you a chance to raise questions and share ideas. As a first-year MFA Art or Design, or MA student, you’ll also attend closed-session seminars with the featured guests.

Graduate Exhibitions

As a capstone to an MFA Art degree, you’ll mount a solo thesis exhibition in the spring of your second year. Shows take place in the Graduate Gallery, a 2,000-square-foot space with professionally constructed moveable walls, a lighting grid, and a high-resolution video projector; located in the Los Angeles Arts District. 

All USC Roski Exhibition Spaces

“…a perpetual sunrise”: Sophia Alana Stevenson MFA Thesis Exhibition (2022)

Unending Beginnings : MA Curatorial Practices exhibition (2021)

We Are Close In Distance : MA Curatorial Practices exhibition (2022)

Present Myth, Future Fantasy : Jessica Taylor Bellamy MFA thesis exhibition (2022)

Journey to the End of the Cul-de-Sac : Erin Eleniak MFA thesis exhibition (2022)

Our Masters Students

Every year, the Roski School selects a small cohort to be candidates in our Masters programs. Students form a tight-knit group within the larger Roski community. Emerging artists, curators and designers have come from across the U.S. and the globe to immerse themselves in their evolving practices and be part of this alliance.

Questions? Contact Us

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Your Next Step

• Roski Admissions
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• Ready to Apply?

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Graduate Laboratory Instructor (Up to 25 positions) - Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering

$27.00 per hour, plus 4% vacation pay, as per PSAC Local 86000

January 6 – April 11, 2025

The Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering is seeking applications for Graduate Laboratory Instructors in various undergraduate engineering courses, for the Winter 2025 semester. Graduate Laboratory Instructors may be needed in the following possible course options, depending on need and enrollment.

ENGN-1220 Engineering Analysis

ENGN-1310 Computer Programming

ENGN-1250 Materials Science

ENGN-1340 Engineering Mechanics II: Dynamics

ENGN-2130 Statistics for Engineering Applications

ENGN-2220 Engineering Projects II

ENGN-2360 Materials, Mechanics, and Manufacturing

ENGN-2620 Thermo Fluids II: Fluid Mechanics

ENGN-2830 Digital Logic Design

ENGN-3270 Machines and Automatic Control

ENGN-3720 Project-Based Professional Practice II

ENGN-3430 Technology Management and Entrepreneurship

ENGN-3820 System Dynamics with Simulation

ENGN-4470 Micro Grids

ENGN-4510 Geoinformatics in Bioresources

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Graduate Laboratory Instructors will support individual instructors in various duties:

• Assist the instructor with teaching support, lab support, and marking support. 
• Assist the instructor with the supervision of students in undergraduate laboratories
• Provide pre-lab instruction and guidance to students for completion of undergraduate labs 
• Work with the instructor and lab technician to ensure that all students are aware of safe laboratory procedures and comply with the same 
• Assist the instructor in supporting students in the various activities associated with the Design clinics 
• Provide assistance and guidance to students regarding the design process, CAD, and fabrication in the shop
• Assist the instructor with grading of assignments, tests and other materials as assigned 
• Maintain records of grades for students 
• Assist instructor with student evaluation as required 
• Hold office hours to answer student questions

QUALIFICATIONS:

• UPEI Graduate Student in good standing. 
• Students must be available to participate during labs
• Applicants will have successfully completed the course for which the position applies or have relevant alternative experience
• Previous experience in supporting FSDE courses is preferred
• Other teaching support experience and excellent communication skills will be considered assets

This position is covered by a Collective Agreement between the Public Service Alliance of Canada and the University of Prince Edward Island. Priority will be given to University of Prince Edward Island students.

Please submit electronically an  application form , a cover letter, quoting the competition number, and a resume to be received no later than the closing date via the link posted on the UPEI Human Resources website (www.upei.ca/hr/). Applications will not be accepted via email.

If you are unable to apply online, you can drop off your resume to the Human Resources Department, Kelley Building, University of Prince Edward Island, 550 University Avenue, Charlottetown, PEI C1A 4P3, Fax Number (902) 894-2895.

UPEI is committed to equity, diversity, inclusion, and reconciliation and believes in providing a positive learning and working environment where every person feels empowered to contribute. UPEI is committed to the principle of equity in employment and encourages applications from underrepresented groups including women, Indigenous peoples, visible minorities, persons with disabilities, persons of any sexual orientation or gender identity, and others with the skills and knowledge to productively engage with diverse communities. If you require accommodation in any part of the process, please direct your inquiries, in confidence, to our HR Officer,  [email protected] .

Only those applicants who are invited to an interview will be acknowledged.

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California Institute of the Arts

Mfa: stage management.

School of Theater

New forms and voices take the stage

With an emphasis on artistic collaboration and creative leadership, CalArts’ three-year MFA in Stage Management—a specialization within the Experience Design and Production (XDP) program—emphasizes the development of new voices and forms as it provides the foundation for a career as a creative manager in a range of professional performance environments. As graduate students, you and your peers work as stage managers and assistant stage managers on projects, performances, and workshops presented by the School of Theater and the CalArts Center for New Performance (CNP) each semester, gaining hands-on experience as you begin to build your lifelong creative network.

Backstage magazine

in the School of Theater

2025  Niche rankings

Artistic collaboration, creative leadership

MFA Stage Management

As a graduate student in Stage Management, you’ll hone your individual management style while working in close partnership with colleagues—faculty and students alike—across the spectrum of Performance and Experience Design and Production metiers in the School of Theater.

Related programs

• BFA: Acting
• BFA: Experience Design and Production
• MFA: Acting
• MFA: Directing
• MFA: Costume Design
• MFA: Interactive Media for Performance
• MFA: Lighting Design
• MFA: Producing
• MFA: Scene Design
• MFA: Sound Design
• MFA: Technical Direction

Let’s connect

You’ll also benefit from unique opportunities to collaborate with artists, designers, performers, musicians, writers, dancers, and others at the only accredited arts college in the United States that gathers the full range of visual and performing arts under one roof. Students work on projects, performances, and workshops presented by the School of Theater and the CalArts Center for New Performance (CNP), and your mentor and other faculty will encourage you  to seek collaborations with your peers throughout the Institute.

The specialization’s emphasis on developing new voices and new forms gives you the opportunity to invent and reinvent yourself as a stage manager as you approach each project, honing your skills and refining your vision as you prepare to enter—and transform—the field.

The core Stage Management curriculum includes seminars in specialized stage management skills, textual and performance analysis, production management, producing, score reading, directing, management theory, and design. Based on each student’s interests, studies may be augmented with electives in themed entertainment, producing for film, and entrepreneurship—all the while cultivating your leadership, interpersonal skills, and ability to nourish creativity in yourself and others.

All MFA Stage Management students are required to pass a mid-residence and graduation review in order to complete the program and earn the degree.

Admission requirements

To be considered for the MFA Stage Management specialization, you must complete an application and all program-specific requirements, including a self-recorded video introduction, an artist statement, a portfolio of your work, and an interview. Before applying, please familiarize yourself with the detailed application requirements and resources available to assist you in this important process.

Application requirements

Degree requirements

Stage Management is a specialization within the Experience Design and Production (XDP) MFA program.

The MFA requires three years of full-time study, focusing on developing leadership, collaboration, communication, practical stage-management skills, and creative problem-solving, with coursework designed to prepare students for professional environments through hands-on production experience and theoretical study.

MFA XDP Specialization in Stage Management academic requirements

Interdisciplinary opportunities

In addition to CalArts’ naturally collaborative atmosphere, the Institute provides several programs of study that can be pursued concurrently with a student’s chosen metier, such as a concentration in Arts Education or Integrated Media.

MFA concentrations

Courses you might take

What courses would you take as an MFA Stage Management student? Browse the courses offered in the School of Theater, one of the preeminent theater training grounds in the US.

School of Theater courses

Meet the faculty

At CalArts, faculty and students are collaborators, teaching, learning, and working together as members of our community of artists. 

• All Stage Management faculty

Melissa Ruge

Maria Oliveira

Ellen McCartney

Shannon Scrofano

Notable School of Theater alumni

Tonys, Obies, and Ovation Awards aren’t the only things distinguishing our alumni—it’s the way they’re collectively changing their industries through their creative practice.   

What will you create?

Student projects

Browse the portfolios of CalArts Stage Management students, whose work spans the range of performance environments.

• Meet our students

An Experiment with an Air Pump , 2024. 

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Want to learn more?

We got you. Our Admissions team is all about providing the information you need to decide if CalArts is right for you. We’re excited to connect with you for a tour of our legendary campus, a virtual info session, or at one of our admissions events across the country or around the world. Take the next step—we’re here to help. 

• Request information
• Visit CalArts