Doctoral Programme in Fine Arts

Why study here?

Come and conduct research at the Academy of Fine Arts, where art and the artist are the focal points. Research subjects – whether embodied in the research question or the method, material or objective of research – cover the meaning, practices, techniques and methods of art, as well as the arrangements that determine the production, reception, training and application of art.

About the studies

The doctoral programme offers a collegial environment for carrying out independent and creative artistic research. Artistic research is multidisciplinary research grounded in the artists and their art. Artist-researchers graduating from the programme develop and renew the field of contemporary art in terms of art practice, research, curating, teaching, and societal engagement. They engage in diverse and critical discourse with various societal actors. As specialists in their field, they make art and produce knowledge, skills, and understanding based on artistic principles that can be utilised in arts as well as other areas of society.

Doctoral education in University of the Arts Helsinki promotes the ability of artist-researchers to apply the skills they have developed as artists, researchers, curators, pedagogues, and specialists.

New doctoral students are admitted into the programme every other year.  Doctoral students are expected to seek funding for their research from relevant bodies. The Academy of Fine Arts does not offer personal workspaces for doctoral students.

Structure of the degree

The Doctor of Fine Arts (DFA) degree comprises of 240 ECTS study credits, which corresponds to four years of full-time studies. The degree includes doctoral studies (60 ECTS) and the doctoral thesis in fine arts (180 ECTS).

Teaching of the academic year is focused on seven intensive seminar weeks, organised partly together with the other doctoral programmes of Uniarts Helsinki.

Please refer to the study guide to see the curriculum, course information and full description of the doctoral thesis.

Thesis project

The doctoral thesis project in fine arts can include art exhibitions, exhibition curating, individual artworks, artistic processes or experimental arrangements and their articulation, conceptualisation and theorisation. Typically, a doctoral thesis project consists of one or several visual art components (a maximum total of 140 cr) as well as a written component (30-170 cr). In addition, the thesis project must be available as an electronically archivable documentation. The artistic components are public artistic research findings. The written component runs parallel to the visual art components and justifies the research approach and goals in relation to other research and practices within the field. On a discretionary basis, the doctoral thesis project can also consist exclusively of research in written form.

The artistic components can include art exhibitions, exhibition curating, individual artworks, artistic processes or experimental arrangements and their articulation, conceptualisation and theorisation. The artistic components have to be pre-examined and displayed in public.

Contact information for the doctoral programme

Further information about the admission process

kuva.admissions@uniarts.fi

Other inquiries concerning doctoral education and research at the Academy of Fine Arts

Ella Anttila
Planning officer (doctoral education)
ella.anttila@uniarts.fi
tel. +358 50 434 3517

Michaela Bränn
Specialist (research)
michaela.brann@uniarts.fi
tel. +358 40 63 13 553

More about the research and study activities