PhD Admissions

Advisors
Application
FAQ
Process
Program
Timeline

REQUIREMENTS
A master’s degree in a related field, with an MFA strongly preferred.

TUITION
PhD Studies
Tuition PhD: $13,650* per semester (minimum of six)
Write-up year: $3,250 per semester
All other fees included in semester tuition
* based on current exchange rate

APPLICATION PROCESS
First, complete the online PhD application form
which can be found here.
Deadline: October 1 for start with the Transart winter residency December.
Deadline: June 1 for start with the Transart summer residency July.

Note: You will be given a blog where you should additionally post your portfolio and proposal.

1. A project proposal (view sample proposal here) *
The purpose of the MPhil proposal is to frame an open question in which the artistic practice functions as the vehicle for finding out the answer/s rather than asking a question for which your artwork will illustrate a pre-defined answer.

The initial proposal should be 600-1200 words long and as a minimum address the following:
- Your research question/s: What is the basic focus of the proposed work?
- The project’s relevance: What is the broader context for the proposed work?
- Your research methods and the larger framework of your methodology: How will you be creating the work and how will this reflect your theoretical interests?
- An initial list of sources (written materials, examples, prior works by others and/or yourself)

In a practice-based PhD, the art making is the research and research is broadly defined ”as a process of investigation leading to new insights, effectively shared.”

Methods can be (amongst others):
- experiential, e.g in phenomenology
- experimental, e.g in physics
- opinion based, e.g. interview, questionaire
- hermeneutical, e.g. text analysis, quantitative/qualitative content analysis
- observational: e.g. case study, participant observation in Anthropology

2. Documentation of or link to your creative work. (2MB max. per file)

3. Artist statement
What are themes and interests which guide your practice? How you would like it to develop? How do you see it in relation to contemporary culture? (300-600 words)

4. Curriculum vitae
5. Academic transcripts or diplomas
6. A copy of your master thesis (PDF, max. 2MB)
7. Outline of your funding. Please bear in mind that there are no FAFSA loans for the PhD, only Sallie Mae private student loans.
8. Names of two references. The references should be individuals who have worked with you in a professional context.

Interview
Upon completion of the application, a Skype or phone interview will be scheduled with two members of the admissions board. Interviews last approximately thirty minutes. You should be prepared to discuss your initial proposal. This is an opportunity to ask questions about the program as well. The admissions board consists of four faculty including at least one UoP liaison.

Outcome
Applicants will receive notification by email no later than two weeks after the interview.

ADMISSIONS PROCESS
Acceptance into the Transart MPhil/PhD program is provisionary pending offer letters from Transart Institute and Plymouth University. The steps are:

1. Acceptance to Transart residency
Candidate pays deposit $3250 for summer, $1850 for winter residency.
The Transart first advisor is agreed upon before the residency.
First advisory meetings take place at the residency

An initial artistic research reading list.