PHD STUDIES

>>  Application

>>  FAQs

>>  Members

>>  Process

INTRODUCTION

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) 

Transart Institute, through the School of Art & Media and the Graduate School at University of Plymouth is offering a low-residency PhD degree for advanced studio art and scholarly study. 

MPhil/PhD

A three to four year full time degree program with an average work commitment of 30 hours per week. Registration is initially for the MPhil stage, with students transferring to PhD registration at the end of the first year. The Degree is only offered for practice-based research (creative work) accompanied by a written thesis with a word count to be agreed upon with advisors, generally 40,000-80,000 words. 

Proposals

Transart is particularly keen on encouraging proposals that in the widest sense explore space and inhabitation of space, the archive, documentary art making, language/image, software studies, network culture, performance and the role of art in peace, mediation and international relations. The proposal should demonstrate systematic study, independence, critical competence and originality. It should include a record of the 'practice' element and also serve to contextualize the practice intellectually while clearly demonstrating its contribution to knowledge.

Advanced standing 

Applicants with a Transart MFA degree (or equivalent course of study and degree) with a well developed proposal can expect to complete the MPhil stage at an accelerated pace. Professional experience can not be considered for advanced standing.

Goals

The course of studies at Transart Institute aims to create a space for students of all disciplines to interact with a wide range of artists, scientists, theorists, media practitioners and visionaries. Students investigate their work independently in both a cultural and studio context. The a-disciplinary model at Transart Institute is designed to enrich students’ praxis; foster change; facilitate a connection between group and personal work; provide the means for contextualizing work in the wider world; and develop interaction strategies with audiences. PhD research is expected to contribute significantly to the current creative cultural dialogue through informed, published, exhibited or performed work and documentation thereof.

PhD project and thesis

The PhD builds on the achievements of student’s Masters level work, by developing a creative project of significant and relevant practice-based research which represent an original contribution to the fields of art and culture. The specifics of each practice-based PhD project are particular to the goals and interests of the candidate. The thesis will show systematic study, independence, critical competence, originality and will be capable of publication in whole or in part. It will include a record of the ‘practice’ element and also serve to contextualise the practice intellectually while clearly demonstrating its contribution to knowledge. The relationship between the studio-based work and the written work as practice-based research activities share a common set of resources. Therefore studio and written components of the PhD project are to be conceived of as a whole.

PhD project presentation 

Students experiment with exhibition and presentation possibilities at the penultimate summer residency in preparation for the PhD project presentation the following summer at the Transartfest. As appropriate to the nature of the PhD project, students have the option to exhibit, perform or document their projects.  

Location 

Transart Institute is an international program. Summer residencies take place in cooperation with arts organizations in Europe. Winter residencies take place in New York at various arts initiatives and galleries or University of Plymouth. Transart Institute provides a range of accommodation listings and arranges a special group rate at a student hotel each summer as well as student travel and city guides. Most students prefer to stay together but students make their own arrangements for travel, accommodations and meals during the residencies so many options are available. Travel info can be found >> here.  

Language  

The on-site part of the program takes place in English. Many languages are spoken but courses, critiques and lectures all take place in English. Students must have excellent command of spoken English. Student off-site semester work can take place in any language that the student and his/her advisors have in common. Research projects must include a synopsis in English. All administrative paper work (including student and faculty evaluations) must be in English. If English is not a first language, students may be required to provide a TOEFL with a score (iBT) of 88 or better.

STRUCTURE OF STUDIES

MPHIL AND PHD

YEAR 1 MPhil

Summer residency research training and support study sessions

Enrolment

Week 1: Elected studio topical workshop

Week 2: Elected cultural studies topical seminar

Week 3: Seminar “Research Methoologies 1”, planning sessions, group and individual critiques, lectures (Hindley, Cox)

Offsite: Develop proposal, critique group meetings and individual supervision.

September: Registration with UoP

Winter residency

Complete RDC.1 (project approval incl. 500 word project proposal)

First possibility to submit RDC.1 to School Graduate Committee

Residency support studies: research presentations, group and individual critiques, lectures

Weekend: Seminar “Research Methodologies 2” (Bennett)

YEAR 2 PhD

Summer residency research training and support study sessions

First possible transfer to PhD registration from MPhil by submission of RDC.2 (confirmation of route)

Last possibility to submit RDC.1 (project approval)

Week 1: PhD research proposal presentation

Week 2: Seminar “Art as Research, Research as Art”, critiques, lectures (Cox, Bennett)

Offsite: Development of practice-based research project, critique group meetings and individual supervision

Winter residency support studies: research presentations, group and individual critiques, lectures

Submit RDC.2 (Confirmation of route)

YEAR 3 PhD

Summer residency research training and support study sessions

Week 1: PhD research presentation

Week 2: Seminar “Framing a Practice 2”, critiques, lectures (Subramaniam)

Offsite: Completion of practice-based research project, critique group meetings and individual supervision

Winter residency support studies: research presentations, group and individual critiques, lectures

Faculty to submit RDC.3 (Examination arrangements) to Graduate Committee for consideration

YEAR 4-7 Additional thesis write-up year(s) or

RDC.3S Candidate submits thesis to Graduate School

Viva voce: Director of Studies to arrange date, location and time of examination

FINAL SUMMER RESIDENCY

Week 1: Research result presentations, viva voce, pedagogical praxis seminar, lectures

(Fall: PhD award letters)

RESEARCH SUPPORT

Summer residencies 

The summer residencies are both milestones and resources, taking place every summer. Residency begins with an examination of the research proposal or research progress, through oral presentation, critique and input. Workshops, seminars, guest lectures, faculty lectures, artist and curator talks as well as individual meetings with advisors take place each week in support of the student’s research. The thesis presentation (exhibition, performance, etc.) with vernissage, submission of the thesis, and vive voce take place in the final summer.

Winter residencies 

Three day residencies take place at the end of each fall semester. The focus is on presentations, critiques, input and the sharing of resources mid-way through each year. In the first year research proposals are presented and discussed. In the second year research presentation, input and assessment take place.

Students exhibit and perform work in conjunction with the project presentation in order to test and explore exhibition and documentation possibilities in anticipation of the final thesis presentation in the third winter residency. Guest artist talks, screenings and practical topical workshops (i.e. the art of the artist talk, professional development, teaching application, funding and grant writing, and technical studio courses) complete the residency. This winter's schedule can be found in the calendar.

Presentations  

Students participate in presentations and critiques in three formats: in the plenum with advisors and summer faculty, in year-long peer groups, and in individual advisor sessions, getting the benefits of many different perspectives on their work. Issues of delivery, content, aesthetics, technique, audience, media, genre, gender, culture and process are discussed, resources are shared. 30 minute presentations are followed by 30 minute student lead discussion periods. The viva voce is attended by the two advisors, a Programme Leader, the External Examiner and the UoP liaison.

Research proposal

Students begin to prepare their research proposals with input from advisors, students and summer faculty in meetings throughout their first residency as their ideas develop, submitting a PhD proposal plan for approval at the end of the second summer residency.

Seminars  

Students partake in one elected topical cultural studies seminar in the first summer residency. Students learn to put their work in context and find ways to inform their research while also getting practice articulating new ideas, exploring new ways of thinking and making connections through discussions and critiques. Topics are viewed through the lens of media studies, literature, sociology, philosophy and art history demonstrating new ways for students to explore their own topics. Advanced writing and research seminars offering academic enrichment, wider research possibilities and opening up new approaches to the traditional thesis take place in the second summer residency. A pedagogy seminar challenges students to consider their future contribution to the educational landscape, analyzing contemporary approaches and models in the third summer.

Workshops  

Students participate in an elected topical studio workshop in the first residency. Workshops are not intended to further technical virtuosity but to enhance creativity by exposing students to new approaches to working in various genres. The third summer workshop gives students an opportunity to find ways to represent their work through artist talks and prepare for the viva voce. The fourth summer workshop explores presentation and exhibition issues as students determine how they will present their thesis projects. The following summer students experiment and test these approaches in anticipation of their final summer thesis presentations.

Off-site critique groups 

Student critique groups formed at the summer residency continue through the semesters either in person or through virtual channels. Each student receives a thirty minute critique twice a semester from their group and participates in four thirty minute group critique every first Sunday of the month. Students rotate as facilitators. In addition to the individual critique sessions with their advisors, students receive two faculty-lead critiques in their summer student critique groups. Together with a range of views from a geographically and culturally diverse group of artists, curators, and theorists, as well as the varied dynamics created by the different size, format and make up of the critique participants, students gain essential perspectives for assessing their work’s communicative effectiveness with regard to audience and intent.

Community 

Alumni continue to have the opportunity to participate in residencies after finishing the program as program advisors, by giving and receiving critiques, exhibiting, and as members of the Transart International Exhibition Collective.