DPhil in Fine Art
- Entry requirements
- Funding and Costs
College preference
- How to Apply
About this course
The DPhil in Fine Art is designed to support research in contemporary art making (through the practice-led DPhil) and contemporary art history and theory (through the DPhil by written thesis only).
The Ruskin School of Art provides an exceptional research environment that enables artists, art historians and art theorists to work closely together in a world-leading, research-intensive university. Its intimate size and its dedication to contemporary art practice and theory within a stimulating and dynamic cross-disciplinary structure allows it to sustain close relations with other academic departments and faculties, distinguishing it from other, larger art schools, and allowing for a wide range of interdisciplinary and collaborative work at DPhil level.
The Ruskin DPhil programme includes two strands: the contemporary art history and theory DPhil (by written thesis only) and the practice-led DPhil (which also includes a substantial written component).
In the case of the contemporary art history and theory DPhil, the Ruskin can offer supervision across a wide range of research projects. These may include aspects of exhibition curating and organisation, as well as the historiography of twentieth-century art and the theorisation of contemporary artistic practices.
In the case of the practice-led DPhil, art work will be undertaken as the central component of the registered research programme, and will be presented in relation to written work that engages with the relevant theoretical, historical, technical, or critical context. The department can offer supervision in most areas of contemporary art practice including moving-image, painting, performance, sculpture, installation and writing.
The two strands of the programme are brought into a productive dialogue, both in a structured way at the regular DPhil research seminars and informally in the studios.
For an indication of the range of practical, historical and theoretical topics that are addressed in the Ruskin School of Art, please see the Ruskin website.
A series of specifically designed Ruskin research seminars complement the students’ independent research by offering an opportunity to present research projects, both studio and theoretical. The research seminars follow a small workshop format in which students can present new research work in innovative and experimental ways. The School also has a regular visiting speaker series in which leading artists, scholars and thinkers discuss their latest work. Ruskin students also participate in the Oxford Centre for Research in the Humanities (TORCH) , which offers a stimulating range of interdisciplinary activities.
The course can be studied full-time or part-time with both modes requiring attendance in Oxford. Full-time students are subject to the University's Residence requirements. Part-time students are required to attend course-related activities in Oxford for a minimum of 30 days each year.
There will be limited flexibility in the dates of attendance, which will be determined by mutual agreement with your supervisor. Attendance will be required during term-time on day(s) each week on dates to be determined by mutual agreement with your supervisor.
You will have the opportunity to tailor your part-time study in liaison with your supervisor and agree your pattern of attendance.
The full-time programme is studied over three to four years. The part-time programme has the same requirements, but is studied over six to eight years.
Resources to support your study
As a graduate student, you will have access to the University's wide range of world-class resources including libraries, museums, galleries, digital resources and IT services.
The Bodleian Libraries is the largest library system in the UK. It includes the main Bodleian Library and libraries across Oxford, including major research libraries and faculty, department and institute libraries. Together, the Libraries hold more than 13 million printed items, provide access to e-journals, and contain outstanding special collections including rare books and manuscripts, classical papyri, maps, music, art and printed ephemera.
The University's IT Services is available to all students to support with core university IT systems and tools, as well as many other services and facilities. IT Services also offers a range of IT learning courses for students, to support with learning and research.
Studio and technical resources
The Ruskin has workshops for specialist training by Ruskin tutors in digital, 2D and 3D media. The project space at the Ruskin's re-developed Bullingdon Road site is equipped for the full breadth of contemporary art practices, from performance and digital installations to painting and sculptural work. The project space opens to the street for maximum public engagement with new work by students and staff. There are also communal spaces to foster dialogue and collaboration across all levels of the Ruskin's undergraduate and graduate programmes.
Museums and galleries
Oxford holds some of the world's richest collections of art and artefacts. The Pitt Rivers Museum, the Museum of Natural History and the Ashmolean Museum are important centres for the research and display of artefacts and artworks within the University of Oxford. Tand the Ruskin has excellent connections with the museums' network of curators, facilities and holdings. Oxford also hosts important exhibitions of modern and contemporary art. For example, Modern Art Oxford has a national and international reputation for the quality of its exhibitions of contemporary art, and for its accompanying community and education programmes. The Ruskin has worked closely with Modern Art Oxford in the provision of its academic courses, and Ruskin students and staff have participated in exhibitions and public presentations at the gallery.
Libraries and archives
A main point of reference for most Ruskin graduate students is the Bodleian Art, Archaeology and Ancient World Library - one of the principal research libraries of the University, which has incorporated the collections of the former Ashmolean Library (Western art), history of art, Eastern art and Classics. Its holdings are in excess of 200,000 volumes, and include monographs, catalogues, periodicals on fine and decorative art, theory, criticism, historiography, as well as the collections of Edgar Wind and Francis Haskell. All books and periodicals are open access. In addition to the Bodleian libraries, the Ruskin has its own specialised in-house library of more than 7,000 volumes, providing both lending and reference collections centred on art history, art theory, art techniques, exhibition catalogues and artists’ monographs. The Ruskin holds around 20 sets of art journals and more than 2,000 art-related pamphlets. The library is fully integrated into the University’s electronic circulation system and a digital archive of the slide collection, comprising 15,000 images, is available on the departmental server. Ruskin library terminals offer full access to the electronic resources of the University of Oxford.
Supervision
The allocation of graduate supervision for this course is the responsibility of the Ruskin School of Art and it is not always possible to accommodate the preferences of incoming graduate students to work with a particular member of staff. Under exceptional circumstances a supervisor may be found outside the Ruskin School of Art.
Most students have the opportunity to meet regularly with their supervisors, and at least once a term.
There are three stages in obtaining the degree of DPhil: Probationer Research Student (PRS) status, DPhil status, and confirmed DPhil status. Transfer (ToS) and Confirmation (CoS) of Status are formal assessment procedures.
Full time PRS students are expected to transfer to full DPhil status in the third or fourth term of their degree. In the case of part-time students, applications for transfer should normally be made by the end of the sixth term. Following transfer to DPhil status, CoS should normally take place in the third year of full-time study or in the fifth/sixth year of part-time study.
Final Submission
The final submission consists of
(A) For the Degree of the contemporary art history and theory DPhil, a thesis of up to 80,000 words, and will involve a viva with both an internal and external examiner.
(B) For the Degree of the practice-led DPhil, a thesis of art practice that makes an original contribution to knowledge and a written component, and will involve a viva with both an internal and external examiner.
Graduate destinations
Many alumni from the Ruskin have pursued careers in the fine arts as practising artists, teachers, curators and gallery professionals in both public and private galleries. Others have gone on to pursue careers in diverse areas such as education, finance, architecture and the film industry.
Changes to this course and your supervision
The University will seek to deliver this course in accordance with the description set out in this course page. However, there may be situations in which it is desirable or necessary for the University to make changes in course provision, either before or after registration. The safety of students, staff and visitors is paramount and major changes to delivery or services may have to be made if a pandemic, epidemic or local health emergency occurs. In addition, in certain circumstances, for example due to visa difficulties or because the health needs of students cannot be met, it may be necessary to make adjustments to course requirements for international study.
Where possible your academic supervisor will not change for the duration of your course. However, it may be necessary to assign a new academic supervisor during the course of study or before registration for reasons which might include illness, sabbatical leave, parental leave or change in employment.
For further information please see our page on changes to courses and the provisions of the student contract regarding changes to courses.
Entry requirements for entry in 2025-26
Proven and potential academic excellence.
The requirements described below are specific to this course and apply only in the year of entry that is shown. You can use our interactive tool to help you evaluate whether your application is likely to be competitive .
Please be aware that any studentships that are linked to this course may have different or additional requirements and you should read any studentship information carefully before applying.
Degree-level qualifications
As a minimum, applicants should hold or be predicted to achieve the following UK qualifications or their equivalent:
- a first-class or strong upper second-class undergraduate degree with honours in fine art, art history or a related subject, depending on the DPhil stream applied to.
However, entrance is very competitive and most successful applicants have a master's degree in fine art, art history or a related subject.
For applicants with a degree from the USA, the minimum overall GPA that is normally required to meet the undergraduate-level requirement is 3.6 out of 4.0. However, selection of candidates also depends on other factors in your application and most successful applicants have achieved higher GPA scores.
If your degree is not from the UK or another country specified above, visit our International Qualifications page for guidance on the qualifications and grades that would usually be considered to meet the University’s minimum entry requirements.
GRE General Test scores
No Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or GMAT scores are sought.
Other qualifications, evidence of excellence and relevant experience
- Details of any publications and/or exhibitions you have held that would be of interest to the assessors should be included in the application.
English language proficiency
This course requires proficiency in English at the University's higher level . If your first language is not English, you may need to provide evidence that you meet this requirement. The minimum scores required to meet the University's higher level are detailed in the table below.
*Previously known as the Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English or Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) † Previously known as the Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English or Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE)
Your test must have been taken no more than two years before the start date of your course. Our Application Guide provides further information about the English language test requirement .
Declaring extenuating circumstances
If your ability to meet the entry requirements has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic (eg you were awarded an unclassified/ungraded degree) or any other exceptional personal circumstance (eg other illness or bereavement), please refer to the guidance on extenuating circumstances in the Application Guide for information about how to declare this so that your application can be considered appropriately.
You will need to register three referees who can give an informed view of your academic ability and suitability for the course. The How to apply section of this page provides details of the types of reference that are required in support of your application for this course and how these will be assessed.
Supporting documents
You will be required to supply supporting documents with your application. The How to apply section of this page provides details of the supporting documents that are required as part of your application for this course and how these will be assessed.
Performance at interview
Interviews are normally held as part of the admissions process.
Although we prefer to conduct interviews in person, in the interest of fairness to overseas candidates or applicants unable to attend, all interviews are held online. In all cases, there will be a minimum of two interviewers. Additional supporting material (such as a further sample of writing or a more extensive portfolio) may be requested before the interview.
Offer conditions for successful applications
If you receive an offer of a place at Oxford, your offer will outline any conditions that you need to satisfy and any actions you need to take, together with any associated deadlines. These may include academic conditions, such as achieving a specific final grade in your current degree course. These conditions will usually depend on your individual academic circumstances and may vary between applicants. Our ' After you apply ' pages provide more information about offers and conditions .
In addition to any academic conditions which are set, you will also be required to meet the following requirements:
Financial Declaration
If you are offered a place, you will be required to complete a Financial Declaration in order to meet your financial condition of admission.
Disclosure of criminal convictions
In accordance with the University’s obligations towards students and staff, we will ask you to declare any relevant, unspent criminal convictions before you can take up a place at Oxford.
Evidence of ability to study for employed part-time applicants
If you are applying for part-time study and are currently employed, you may be asked to provide evidence that your employment will not affect your ability to study and that you can commit sufficient time to fulfil all elements outlined in the course description. You may be asked to provide details about your pattern of employment and provide evidence to show how you will fulfil your commitment to make time available to study, to complete coursework, and attend course and University events and modules.
Other factors governing whether places can be offered
The following factors will also govern whether candidates can be offered places:
- the ability of the University to provide the appropriate supervision for your studies, as outlined under the 'Supervision' heading in the About section of this page;
- the ability of the University to provide appropriate support for your studies (eg through the provision of facilities, resources, teaching and/or research opportunities); and
- minimum and maximum limits to the numbers of students who may be admitted to the University's taught and research programmes.
Ruskin School of Art
Oxford’s Ruskin School of Art provides an exceptional teaching and research environment that enables contemporary artists, art historians and art theorists to work closely together in a world-leading, research-intensive university.
The Ruskin is an intimately-scaled art school (about 130 students) that is home to a closely integrated creative and intellectual culture between graduate and undergraduate courses, students and staff. Its dynamic, inter-disciplinary structure allows you to work closely with some of the UK's leading contemporary artists, writers and art historians, and to respond quickly and flexibly to developments within the contexts of Oxford University, the wider art world, and an increasingly uncertain international climate.
It also supports a wide-ranging portfolio of art making and research activities by its students, staff and visiting scholars in which fine art is prized as a vital component of contemporary culture with a broad range of practical, historical and theoretical references.
The Ruskin remains at the top of the league tables among art schools in the UK and was the UK’s top department for Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF) exercise.
The Ruskin enjoys vibrant relationships with Oxford’s Department of the History of Art, the School of Anatomy, the Department of Engineering Science, the Institute of Archaeology, the Ashmolean Museum, Pitt Rivers Museum, and many other parts of the University. In addition, connection with Modern Art Oxford has enabled Ruskin students to stage exhibitions, performances and screenings in their galleries.
In 2021, following worldwide calls for racial justice, and after one year of intensive external consultation and internal conversations with staff and students, the Ruskin committed to an ongoing series of actions to address systemic racism . Most are now in progress or completed, moving the Ruskin towards its ever-evolving vision of an anti-racist school.
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For entry in the 2025-26 academic year, the collegiate University expects to offer over 1,000 full or partial graduate scholarships across a wide range of graduate courses.
If you apply by the January deadline shown on this page and receive a course offer, your application will then be considered for Oxford scholarships. For the majority of Oxford scholarships, your application will automatically be assessed against the eligibility criteria, without needing to make a separate application. There are further Oxford scholarships available which have additional eligibility criteria and where you are required to submit a separate application. Most scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic merit and/or potential.
To ensure that you are considered for Oxford scholarships that require a separate application, for which you may be eligible, use our fees, funding and scholarship search tool to identify these opportunities and find out how to apply. Alongside Oxford scholarships, you should also consider other opportunities for which you may be eligible including a range of external funding , loan schemes for postgraduate study and any other scholarships which may also still be available after the January deadline as listed on our fees, funding and scholarship search tool .
Details of college-specific funding opportunities can also be found on individual college websites:
Select from the list:
Please refer to the College preference section of this page to identify which of the colleges listed above accept students for this course.
For the majority of college scholarships, it doesn’t matter which college, if any, you state a preference for in your application. If another college is able to offer you a scholarship, your application can be moved to that college if you accept the scholarship. Some college scholarships may require you to state a preference for that college when you apply, so check the eligibility requirements carefully.
Further information about funding opportunities for this course can be found on the school's website.
Annual fees for entry in 2025-26
Full-time study, part-time study, information about course fees.
Course fees are payable each year, for the duration of your fee liability (your fee liability is the length of time for which you are required to pay course fees). For courses lasting longer than one year, please be aware that fees will usually increase annually. For details, please see our guidance on changes to fees and charges .
Course fees cover your teaching as well as other academic services and facilities provided to support your studies. Unless specified in the additional information section below, course fees do not cover your accommodation, residential costs or other living costs. They also don’t cover any additional costs and charges that are outlined in the additional information below.
Continuation charges
Following the period of fee liability , you may also be required to pay a University continuation charge and a college continuation charge. The University and college continuation charges are shown on the Continuation charges page.
Where can I find further information about fees?
The Fees and Funding section of this website provides further information about course fees , including information about fee status and eligibility and your length of fee liability .
Additional information
Students on the theory-based course are unlikely to incur any additional costs over and above the routine costs associated with postgraduate study in Humanities subjects. Those on the practice-based DPhil may incur additional costs in the making of their work (costs being variable, depending on the nature of their practice), and in the staging of their exhibited work for examination. Students may apply to the Ruskin Graduate Studies Committee for grants of up to a combined maximum of £500 in the first three years, together with a further grant of £500 to support the costs of installing work for examination up to the end of the 4th year.
Students on the theory-based course are unlikely to incur any additional costs. Those on the practice-based DPhil may incur additional costs in the making of their work (costs being variable, depending on the nature of their practice), and in the staging of their exhibited work for examination. Part-time students may apply to the Ruskin Graduate Studies Committee for grants of up to a combined maximum of £500 in the first six years, together with a further grant of £500 to support the costs of installing work for examination up to the end of their course.
Please note that you are required to attend in Oxford for a minimum of 30 days each year, and you may incur additional travel and accommodation expenses for this. Also, depending on your choice of research topic and the research required to complete it, you may incur further additional expenses, such as travel expenses, research expenses, and field trips. You will need to meet these additional costs, although you may be able to apply for small grants from your department and/or college to help you cover some of these expenses.
Living costs
In addition to your course fees and any additional course-specific costs, you will need to ensure that you have adequate funds to support your living costs for the duration of your course.
Living costs for full-time study
For the 2025-26 academic year, the range of likely living costs for a single, full-time student is between £1,425 and £2,035 for each month spent in Oxford. We provide the cost per month so you can multiply up by the number of months you expect to live in Oxford. Depending on your circumstances, you may also need to budget for the costs of a student visa and immigration health surcharge and/or living costs for family members or other dependants that you plan to bring with you to Oxford (assuming that dependant visa eligibility criteria are met).
Living costs for part-time study
Your living costs may vary depending on your personal circumstances but you will still need to cover your cost of living on a full-time basis for the duration of your course, even if you will not be based in Oxford throughout your studies. While the range of likely living costs for a single, full-time student living in Oxford is between £1,425 and £2,035 per month, living costs outside Oxford may be different.
Part-time students who are not based in Oxford will need to calculate travel and accommodation costs carefully. Depending on your circumstances and study plans, this may include the cost of a visitor visa to attend for short blocks of time (assuming that visitor visa eligibility criteria are met).
Further information about living costs
The current economic climate and high national rate of inflation make it very hard to estimate potential changes to the cost of living over the next few years. For study in Oxford beyond the 2025-26 academic year, it is suggested that you budget for potential increases in living expenses of around 4% each year – although this rate may vary depending on the national economic situation. For further information, please consult our more detailed information about living costs , which includes a breakdown of likely living costs in Oxford for items such as food, accommodation and study costs.
Students enrolled on this course will belong to both a department/faculty and a college. Please note that ‘college’ and ‘colleges’ refers to all 43 of the University’s colleges, including those designated as societies and permanent private halls (PPHs).
If you apply for a place on this course you will have the option to express a preference for one of the colleges listed below, or you can ask us to find a college for you. Before deciding, we suggest that you read our brief introduction to the college system at Oxford and our advice about expressing a college preference .
If you are a current Oxford student and you would like to remain at your current Oxford college, you should check whether it is listed below. If it is, you should indicate this preference when you apply. If not, you should contact your college office to ask whether they would be willing to make an exception. Further information about staying at your current college can be found in our Application Guide.
The following colleges accept students for full-time study on this course:
- Blackfriars
- Brasenose College
- Campion Hall
- Christ Church
- Exeter College
- Hertford College
- Kellogg College
- Lady Margaret Hall
- Linacre College
- The Queen's College
- Regent's Park College
- Reuben College
- St Anne's College
- St Catherine's College
- St Cross College
- St Edmund Hall
- St Hugh's College
- St John's College
- Wadham College
- Wolfson College
- Wycliffe Hall
The following colleges accept students for part-time study on this course:
Before you apply
Our guide to getting started provides general advice on how to prepare for and start your application. You can use our interactive tool to help you evaluate whether your application is likely to be competitive .
If it is important for you to have your application considered under a particular deadline – eg under the January deadline in order to be considered for Oxford scholarships – we recommend that you aim to complete and submit your application at least two weeks in advance . Check the deadlines on this page and the information about deadlines and when to apply in our Application Guide.
Application fee waivers
An application fee of £20 is payable for each application to this course. Application fee waivers are available for the following applicants who meet the eligibility criteria:
- applicants from low-income countries;
- refugees and displaced persons;
- UK applicants from low-income backgrounds; and
- applicants who applied for our Graduate Access Programmes in the past two years and met the eligibility criteria.
You are encouraged to check whether you're eligible for an application fee waiver before you apply.
Readmission for current Oxford graduate taught students
If you're currently studying for an Oxford graduate taught course and apply to this course with no break in your studies, you may be eligible to apply to this course as a readmission applicant. The application fee will be waived for an eligible application of this type. Check whether you're eligible to apply for readmission .
Do I need to contact anyone before I apply?
You do not need to make contact with the department before you apply but you are encouraged to visit the relevant departmental webpages to read any further information about your chosen course.
Queries about the DPhil programme can be directed to the Ruskin's Graduate Administrator . It is not necessary to contact a potential supervisor before you apply.
Completing your application
You should refer to the information below when completing the application form, paying attention to the specific requirements for the supporting documents .
If any document does not meet the specification, including the stipulated word count, your application may be considered incomplete and not assessed by the academic department. Expand each section to show further details.
Proposed field and title of research project
Under the 'Field and title of research project' please enter your proposed field or area of research if this is known. If the department has advertised a specific research project that you would like to be considered for, please enter the project title here instead.
You should not use this field to type out a full research proposal. You will be able to upload your research supporting materials separately if they are required (as described below).
Proposed supervisor
If known, under 'Proposed supervisor name' enter the name of the academic(s) whom you would like to supervise your research. Otherwise, leave this field blank.
Referees Three overall, of which at least two must be academic
Whilst you must register three referees, the department may start the assessment of your application if two of the three references are submitted by the course deadline and your application is otherwise complete. Please note that you may still be required to ensure your third referee supplies a reference for consideration.
Ideally, you should provide at least two academic references. If you have been out of education for a substantial period of time, you may use up to two professional references relevant to the course.
Your references will support intellectual ability, academic achievement, motivation, ability to work individually and in a group, and in the case of applicants to the practice-led DPhil, artistic achievement and creativity.
Official transcript(s)
Your transcripts should give detailed information of the individual grades received in your university-level qualifications to date. You should only upload official documents issued by your institution and any transcript not in English should be accompanied by a certified translation.
More information about the transcript requirement is available in the Application Guide.
A CV/résumé is compulsory for this course. Most applicants choose to submit a document of one to two pages highlighting their academic achievements and any relevant professional experience.
Research proposal: A maximum of 1,000 words
All applicants (practice-led and written thesis only) should submit a research proposal, comprising a detailed outline of their proposed research written in English.
If possible, please ensure that the word count is clearly displayed on the document.
The word count does not need to include any bibliography or brief footnotes. Please clarify at the top of this document whether you are applying for the ‘Practice-led DPhil’ or the ‘Written-only DPhil’.
Your research proposal should focus on your research rather than on personal achievements, interests and aspirations. It will be normal for your ideas subsequently to change in some ways as you investigate the evidence and develop your project. You should nevertheless make the best effort you can to demonstrate the extent of your research question, sources and method at this moment.
Your research proposal will be assessed for:
- your reasons for applying
- the coherence of the proposal
- the originality of the project
- evidence of motivation for and understanding of the proposed area of study
- the ability to present a reasoned case in English
- the feasibility of successfully completing the project in the time available for the course (a maximum of four years)
- commitment to the subject, beyond the requirements of the degree course
- preliminary knowledge of research techniques
- capacity for sustained and intense work
- reasoning ability
- ability to absorb new ideas, often presented abstractly, at a rapid pace.
Written work (written-only DPhil): One piece of written work of 4,000 to a maximum of 6,000 words
For written-only DPhil applicants, a sample of recent written work is required. This should be preferably but not necessarily related to the proposed topic or area of research, such as an undergraduate or master’s dissertation (or part of it) or a substantial essay.
Extracts from longer pieces are welcome as written work but should be prefaced by a note that puts the writing in context and identifies the part(s) on which assessors should focus.
All written work should be in English. The word count does not need to include any bibliography or brief footnotes.
This will be assessed for clarity in the exposition of ideas; comprehensive understanding of the subject area; and evidence of critical thinking. The writing sample is expected to be a piece of academic writing rather than creative writing or reflections on your artistic practice.
Written work and Portfolio (practice-led DPhil only): One piece of written work of 2,000 to a maximum of 3,000 words and a portfolio
Written work.
For practice-led DPhil applicants, a sample of recent written work is required. This should be preferably but not necessarily related to the proposed topic or area of research, such as an undergraduate or master’s dissertation (or part of it) or a substantial essay.
For practice-led DPhil students, your written work should also contain a page with details of how to access your portfolio (see 'Portfolio' below).
Portfolio
Your digital portfolio should consist of recently-completed studio work documented through up to 15 images and/or 12 minutes of moving image or sound work. You should add one URL linking to your portfolio at the beginning of your written work document. This should occupy a page by itself, with the written work starting on a new page.
Portfolios should be hosted on a website or service that is publicly accessible via the internet, eg via Vimeo, YouTube, Flickr, Google or your own website.
Your portfolio will be assessed for evidence of creative thinking and artistic accomplishment, clarity in the exposition of ideas, and a comprehensive understanding of the subject area. Important things to note:
- Do not upload your portfolio as a file or it will be removed and your application not assessed
- Please avoid ad-heavy platforms and/or password-protection if you can
- It is your responsibility that the link works in January and February 2025
We cannot accept any content other than the requested URL. The department will not accept portfolios submitted via email. If you cannot provide a web-based portfolio, please send an email to [email protected] to discuss alternative arrangements in good time before the deadline.
Start or continue your application
You can start or return to an application using the relevant link below. As you complete the form, please refer to the requirements above and consult our Application Guide for advice .
Apply - Full time Apply - Part time Continue application
After you've submitted your application
Your application (including the supporting documents outlined above) will be assessed against the entry requirements detailed on this course page. Whether or not you have secured funding will not be taken into consideration when your application is assessed. You can find out more about our shortlisting and selection process in our detailed guide to what happens next.
Find out how to manage your application after submission , using our Applicant Self-Service tool.
ADMISSION STATUS
Open to applications for entry in 2025-26
12:00 midday UK time on:
Tuesday 7 January 2025
Latest deadline for most Oxford scholarships Final application deadline for entry in 2025-26
*Three-year average (applications for entry in 2022-23 to 2024-25)
Further information and enquiries
This course is offered by the Ruskin School of Art
- Course page on the school's website
- Funding information from the school
- Academic and research staff
- Ruskin School of Art research
- Humanities Division
- Residence requirements for full-time courses
- Postgraduate applicant privacy policy
Course-related enquiries
Advice about contacting the department can be found in the How to apply section of this page
✉ [email protected] ☎ +44 (0)1865 276941
Application-process enquiries
Application guide
Other courses to consider
You may also wish to consider applying to other courses that are similar or related to this course:
View related courses
Visa eligibility for part-time study
We are unable to sponsor student visas for part-time study on this course. Part-time students may be able to attend on a visitor visa for short blocks of time only (and leave after each visit) and will need to remain based outside the UK.
PhD Fine Art
Winchester School of Art offers an interdisciplinary, research-led environment for full- and part-time postgraduate research students from a range of areas of art, design and global culture. We welcome proposals for PhD in Fine Art, Graphic Arts, Media, Fashion, Textiles and Art and Design Management. As part of a vibrant research-intensive University, cross-disciplinary engagement is encouraged and many of our PhD students extend their research across academic disciplines and collaborate with researchers in related areas of the creative arts, and in fields as diverse as archaeology, psychology, biomedical sciences, nanoscience, economic, social and political sciences, and sound engineering.
4 Years, following standard progression for a FT student.
7 years, following standard progression for a PT student
Programme Overview
Entry requirements, programme structure, fees & funding.
The University of Southampton offers a PhD programme for both practice and non-practice-based Fine Art and Design research at the Winchester School of Art (WSA) campus in Winchester. The School is recognised as an International Centre for research in global art and design, culture and communication and enjoys a reputation as a world leader in research. PhD candidates at the School work with Faculty engaged in creative and critical practices across a wide range of research interests and who disseminate their work through internationally recognised publications and exhibitions. The School’s postgraduate researchers engage in both material and intellectual practices as specific ways and means of thinking in order to produce critical knowledge and innovative objects. The School is proud to be a hub for collaborative projects and public events, offering a vibrant venue for artists, designers and intellectuals to debate the key issues of the 21st century. The School’s Centre for Global Futures in Art, Design and Media provides an overarching vision for researchers at the School. Its activities are focused on creating and sustaining mutually beneficial and interactive professional associations with a range of public organisations. These include galleries, museums, arts and community centres, publishers and online sources whose activities may benefit diverse social groups locally, nationally and around the world.
Career opportunities are wide ranging and varied within the arts, culture, curation and publishing realms. Opportunities exist to engage with and contribute to wider research in academia, leading to future leadership positions within an academic context. The nature of the generic and discipline-specific skills obtained during your study make your experience and skills attractive to a range of organisations post qualification.
View the doctoral programme profile for this course
Doctoral Programme Director:
Dr Jo Turney Associate Professor Art Design and Fashion Winchester School of Art email: [email protected]
Typical entry requirements
Second class Honours degree and Master of Arts in a relevant subject. You may also need to show your portfolio of work.
Other qualifications are considered on an individual basis for all programmes and pathways.
Work experience in a related field considered.
English language entry requirements: IELTS 6.5 overall, with a minimum of 6.0 in all components, or an equivalent standard in other qualifications approved by the University.
Selection process
Online application and interview
This page contains specific entry requirements for this course. Find out about equivalent entry requirements and qualifications for your country.
Typical course content
Tuition fees.
Scholarships, bursaries, sponsorships or grants may be available to support you through your course. Funding opportunities available to you are linked to your subject area and/or your country of origin. These can be from the University of Southampton or other sources.
Study locations
The City of Winchester
Winchester is a historical and vibrant city located just twelve miles ... Find out more
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