Gaining a PhD immediately establishes you as a leader in your field and can be a big career boost. It gives you the opportunity to publish papers and speak at conferences, nationally and internationally, raising your profile across the sector. And a doctorate is almost a basic requirement if you want to pursue a career as an arts academic. Completed over three to four years of intensive research and concentrated arts practice, a PhD also offers immense creative stimulation and intellectual satisfaction. Are you ready to take the leap?
Defining your topic
Perhaps the most difficult aspect of applying for a PhD is defining your topic. A PhD is all about undertaking research that creates new knowledge. This is sometimes just an incremental addition to the understanding in the field, or it may be something entirely new, but you must be able to articulate this point of difference in your research proposal. Being able to clearly define your research question and identify the contribution to knowledge – often referred to as ‘the knowledge gap’ – are the biggest challenges in preparing a strong PhD proposal.
Adelaide artist Stephen Richardson is undertaking his PhD entitled Neo Post-Object Art: Theory and Praxis at Central Queensland University (CQU) in Rockhampton.
‘Creating new knowledge is what excites me most,’ said Richardson. ‘Doing your PhD is like being an explorer. You spend a very long time travelling to the edge of the known world and then trying to stand on new territory where no one has stood before. That’s a very exciting proposition, as both an artist and an arts theorist. You’re not just doing experimental work – you also have to understand how and why it’s experimental.’
– Stephen Richardson
Always be cognisant that once you’re accepted, you will be devoting three to four years of your life to the topic, so be sure it’s something you’re really passionate about. If you get bored by your topic, you can guarantee your examiners will be bored too!
PhD students in most fields produce a major thesis at the end of their research of 100,000 words or more. Some arts PhD students will produce a full-length thesis, especially if they are researching arts theory, but there are also more flexible options on offer in the arts. There are practice-based PhDs for the arts at some universities, and others offer a PhD by creative artefact or publication. So you may be able to gain your PhD whilst producing visual artworks, writing a poetry collection, or exploring new forms of theatre. These creative outputs will be accompanied by an exegesis, basically a shorter thesis of 30,000 – 50,000 words, detailing the practice-based research techniques and demonstrating the ‘new knowledge’ produced by the works.
Basic requirements
Most universities will require you to have a relevant Masters degree or a Bachelors degree with Honours 1 or Honours 2A along with substantial professional experience or equivalent arts practice at a high level. This could be an exhibition portfolio as a visual artist, significant arts management experience, or a publishing record as a writer.
Your degree should have a strong research component; if not, you may have to do a bridging course in research methods before your PhD candidature is confirmed.
Some universities require PhD candidates to have a Distinction average (75% – 80%) to be accepted.
It is possible to be accepted purely on the basis of your professional arts practice but you will need a very strong record of arts outputs.
A PhD usually takes three years of full-time study, and pro-rata for part time up to around seven years in total. The application process alone can take an additional six to twelve months of defining your topic, writing up your proposal, identifying potential universities and supervisors, and completing the various entry requirements.
It’s all about the art
Not all universities are created equal when it comes to higher degrees in the arts, so you need to do your research to find one that has a creative arts focus. Stephen Richardson was attracted to CQU because of their Creative Arts Research Training Academy (CARTA), a specialised institute within the university designed to foster research and collaboration in the arts. CARTA was established to support students undertaking research about the creative arts within our society. This can include projects founded in both creative practice methodologies and more traditional and applied research methods.
‘CARTA brings students together across broad disciplines, including creative practice research methodologies, for research intensive events and extra support including networking with peers and industry stakeholders,’ said Susan Kinnear, Dean of the School of Graduate Research at CQU.
‘If there are people in the arts community who are keen to consider a PhD with an early 2021 start, then we’d certainly welcome hearing from them.’
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At RMIT there is a dedicated PhD Art stream that provides the framework, the focus and the discipline necessary to conduct speculative inquiry in the field of art. This project-based PhD offers a rigorous, supportive, and dynamic environment where the investigation of ideas and material practice pertinent to artistic research informs the production of art. The PhD Art offers a balance of studio practice and the conceptual and theoretical concerns that underpin artistic research. PhD Art candidates undertake a major project that culminates in an exhibition, performance, or presentation of work for assessment, accompanied by an exegesis that may include visual and sonic documentation of the creative research.
The National Art School in Sydney now offers doctoral studies in Art. Their Doctor of Fine Art (DFA) requires the completion and presentation of a significant body of art work that represents an original contribution to knowledge, along with professional expertise in the field of visual art studio practice. This is presented with an accompanying exegesis of 20,000-40,000 words that critically contextualises the studio work within the project’s field of research and knowledge.
Many universities across the country have specialised art PhD streams, so spend some time researching the options.
Let’s talk money
A PhD is one of the few degrees you can do at university in Australia without paying fees or incurring a large HECS debt; the full cost of your degree is paid to the university by the Federal Government under the Research Training Program (RTP). There are strict time limits on RTP funded places, so you must finish your PhD in the allotted time; after that, the student must pay the bills.
There are a few exceptions to this where PhD students can self-fund their degree. One example is the National Art School where the DFA is a fee-paying course. The 2019 DFA tuition fee for full-time domestic students was $13,239 per year.
Most universities also offer some scholarships to PhD students as a living allowance. A full-time PhD student at the Australian National University, for example, may receive a scholarship of around $29,000 per annum. Be aware that a scholarship is not guaranteed, and they are based on a competitive application, so you may need to support yourself to get your PhD. There are other benefits available to students, such as allowances for interstate and overseas travel and to fund your general study expenses.
The application process
There are two key aspects to the process: completing the university’s application forms and finding a PhD supervisor. The initial application is usually completed online (see UNISA’s application guide as an example) and will include details of your academic record and professional arts practice to establish your suitability for doctoral level study. It will also ask for the background to your proposed research and the specific research question to be investigated; the anticipated significance or impact of your research, to demonstrate the contribution to knowledge; and your chosen research methods. Together, these may require some 1500 – 2000 words about your chosen topic.
The second important aspect is finding a suitable supervisor. Once accepted, you may have two supervisors, or even a supervisory panel, but initially you need to find a principal supervisor who will accept you as a candidate. This can be a lengthy and frustrating process, but it is worth persevering to find the right supervisor. There are around 40 universities in Australia and many offer PhDs by distance, so you can apply far and wide to find your place.
Most university websites identify the academics in each discipline who are available as PhD supervisors. Study their bios carefully to find someone whose own research interests align with your proposed topic. Your supervisor will be your mentor and friend, your critic and your devil’s advocate for the next few years, so finding the right person is critically important. You can make a direct approach to a suitable academic, or go through the research office on campus for an introduction.
Good Luck!
Once you’re accepted into a PhD program, you may find your candidature is probationary until you have completed your Confirmation of Candidature (CoC). For Stephen Richardson, this meant months of work doing literature reviews and interrogating his topic.
‘It is incredibly rewarding to be creating new knowledge,’ he told ArtsHub. ‘What could be more exciting than that?!’
Dr Diana Carroll completed her Doctorate entitled Talking to the Dead: An ethnographic study of contemporary Spiritualism in Australia at the University of South Australia in 2013.
