MPhil & PhD Art
Full-time or part-time; see Starting your research studies.
With your application you include a statement of your research project outlining your research topic and methodology, together with a short bibliography. If you are applying for practice-based research please provide examples of your recent work in an appropriately documented form. You should explain how the written component of your thesis will exemplify and locate the ideas you hope to develop in conjunction with your practice. Please make sure that your slides and other supporting material are clearly labelled with your name and address; Goldsmiths cannot accept responsibility for any loss or damage. Please see Returning your work.
Please see How to apply.
Normally an MA in an appropriate subject; in exceptional circumstances, other qualifications or professional experience may be considered as equivalent.
AHRC
Students have been successful in many fields including media, museums, galleries, education, the music business and academia. Many have continued to be successful, practising artists long after graduating, and have won major prizes and exhibited around the world. The Turner Prize shortlist has consistently included at least one of our former graduates. Six of the prize winners have studied here – Grenville Davey, Antony Gormley, Damien Hirst, Gillian Wearing, Steve McQueen and Mark Wallinger.
Our Art programmes aim to equip you with the necessary skills to develop independent thought and confidence in your practice. In addition, these skills are of use in other career paths you may wish to follow.
Please see Tuition fees.
Art
Our unique research programmes in fine art are designed for appropriately qualified professionals who would like to explore and develop their understanding of their established practice, and in so doing to contribute to the wider cultural context through original critical work.
You can register either for research based on practice and a written element, or for research by written thesis only. However, the generative and reflexive activity of practice is central to the Department’s research culture, and it sees the first category of research as reflecting its academic strengths. In this case, practice is seen as primary. It must exemplify and locate the ideas developed in conjunction with the written part of the thesis. At research level, the Department’s aim is to support reflection upon its central concern with practice, both within the contexts of contemporary art and within the academic environment.
As a research student, you should be concerned to contextualise your practice in relation to other cultural production. Empirical research is understood as essential to innovative practice. You will need to record the practice which you undertake as part of your thesis, and retainable documentation of the practice – slides, photographs, video, and other appropriate visual material – must form part of your final submission.
We provide full-time practice-based research students with studio or office accommodation as appropriate within the postgraduate centre; we expect part-time students to have their own studio or office as appropriate, which is subject to the same conditions as for part-time MFA students (MFA in Art Practice and MFA in Art Writing).
Please see Research degrees for information about starting your research, upgrading to PhD registration, and submitting your thesis.
Assessment
Thesis, including practice; viva voce.
Or: thesis and viva voce.
Application enquiries
Please see how to apply for information on applying to this programme.