The doctor is in: Why are artists doing PhDs?

Is a doctoral degree really useful for a career in the arts or are artists using higher degrees to buy studio time and avoid the reality check of life after uni?
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Source: Diane Hamilton wordpress.  

The number of people undertaking a research degree in Australia has increased by 41% over the past ten years and not just in science and business. An increasing number of artists are doing PhDs, sometimes producing visual arts portfolios like Danielle Hobbs’ Art for the ‘Bad Mother’ or music compositions or fiction instead of a traditional research thesis.

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Gina Fairley is ArtsHub's National Visual Arts Editor. For a decade she worked as a freelance writer and curator across Southeast Asia and was previously the Regional Contributing Editor for Hong Kong based magazines Asian Art News and World Sculpture News. Prior to writing she worked as an arts manager in America and Australia for 14 years, including the regional gallery, biennale and commercial sectors. She is based in Mittagong, regional NSW. Twitter: @ginafairley Instagram: fairleygina