Doctoral programme in performing arts
Deepen your expertise in the Theatre Academy’s doctoral programme as an artist-researcher specialising in performing arts or writing.
Why study here?
The Theatre Academy awards Doctor of Arts (Theatre and Drama), Doctor of Arts (Dance) and Doctor of Arts (Art and Design) degrees. Our doctoral candidates are called doctoral researchers, and they have a home base in the Doctoral Programme in Performing Arts. The programme is acclaimed for promoting multidisciplinary approaches, a strong sense of community, high-quality teaching and a close connection to bachelor’s and master’s programmes in the arts.
Our doctoral researchers are usually professional artists in one of the fields represented by the Theatre Academy. You can apply to our doctoral programme if you work in the field of acting, directing, dramaturgy and playwriting, lighting design, sound design, scenography, dance, choreography, performance art, live art, theatre pedagogy, dance pedagogy or writing.
The title of your degree will be determined based on the content of your research.
If you are considering applying to the programme, we recommend that you read about the approaches and focus areas of research carried out at the Theatre Academy.
Content and objective of the programme
Doctoral researchers completing a degree in our programme carry out an artistic research project on a topic of their choosing and acquire the skills and knowledge of an artist-researcher.
The first-hand experience in artistic activities is the starting point for our doctoral researchers’ research projects; often it is also the method and one of the prominent information sources, too. Usually, doctoral thesis projects consist of both artistic and written components. Besides working professionally in the arts, a doctoral researcher is required to have academic skills, be capable of critical thinking and observe standard research practices.
The doctoral graduates in the programme work in the fields of performing arts, literature and socially engaged art in positions that involve teaching, research or administration, for example.
Structure of the degree
The programme applies Uniarts Helsinki’s standard degree structure (effective from 1.8.2027), which consists of 40 credits of studies as well as a doctoral thesis project comprising 200 credits.
The doctoral degree comprises artistic processes and outcomes, as well as their articulation, conceptualisation and theorisation.
During their doctoral studies, doctoral candidates apply and develop their expertise as artists, researchers, educators, and experts. As specialists in their fields, artist-researchers produce knowledge and skills based on artistic practices, the benefits of which can be applied in the arts as well as other sectors of society. They engage in diverse and critical dialogue with the arts community, art education, and other societal actors.
The artistic components of a doctoral thesis may take the form of performances, demonstrations, written or staged experiments, workshops, or other types of performative or pedagogical arrangements through which the research problem is addressed. They must demonstrate a profound understanding of the research topic and the ability to develop and innovate artistic practice, research, and teaching. The artistic components must be documented in a manner that serves the research setting.
The monograph, or the peer-reviewed research articles and the written summary, must demonstrate ability to contextualise, critically analyse, articulate, conceptualise and theorise artistic/pedagogical research frameworks. The research publications may take the form of printed publications or audiovisual multimedia.
The doctoral publications must clearly set out the research objectives, methods, structure, and results.
Doctoral research must adhere to good research ethics practices, based on the general guidelines of the Finnish Advisory Board on Research Integrity (TENK) applicable to all fields of research, as well as legislation concerning copyright and data protection.
At the start of their studies, the doctoral researcher compiles a personal study plan with their supervisor to support their research project.
Doctoral studies consist of studies in transferable skills, which all doctoral researchers at Uniarts Helsinki complete, as well as field-specific studies (10–30 cr) that support the doctoral researcher’s personal research. There are only few compulsory studies. The doctoral researcher chooses their studies together with their supervisor based on what best serves their research project.
Some of the courses are arranged during seminar weeks (6 per year), while some are arranged either as intensive periods or as regularly scheduled meetings. Most of the teaching is organised as in-person instruction, but sometimes remote participation may be an option. Most of the courses are arranged in English.
Doctoral researchers in the programme engage in a close dialogue with bachelor’s and master’s programmes and with researchers of the other two academies. A large share of the teaching for doctoral researchers is organised in cooperation with the Academy of Fine Arts and Sibelius Academy.
Doctoral thesis project
The doctoral thesis project comprises 200 cr. The doctoral thesis project may be a monograph-format publication or consist of 1–3 components as well as an overview that summarises the whole. The components may entail artistic, pedagogical or applied activities, which are pre-examined separately, or peer-reviewed research articles.
In the artistic components, the doctoral researcher explores their research topic and related questions through practical work and personal experiences. In connection with the pre-examination of a component, they must clarify, justify and assess their chosen methods in writing, too.
Each doctoral researcher is usually assigned two supervisors who represent the highest expertise in their fields.
Funding of doctoral studies
Doctoral studies at Uniarts Helsinki can be completed either as a full-time or as a part-time student. The university offers a certain number of salaried doctoral researcher positions, and there may be some research projects that employ doctoral researchers. Open paid positions are advertised through the University of the Arts Helsinki’s open vacancies. Many students fund their studies through grants, their own work or other sources of income. Applicants need a realistic plan on how to fund their studies and research or artistic work.
Uniarts Helsinki doesn’t charge tuition fees from doctoral researchers, and completing a degree is free of charge. However, as a rule, the university is not responsible for the costs of an individual doctoral thesis and does not automatically provide funding for carrying out research or artistic work.
Doctoral researchers are personally responsible for their living and housing costs. The general cost of living in the Helsinki metropolitan area is relatively high by international standards, so applicants should ensure that they have sufficient financial resources to support themselves throughout the planned duration of their studies.
Applicants should also consider the possible costs of their prospective research or artistic activities. These may include costs related to materials, equipment, software, data acquisition, exhibitions, performances, productions, travel, recording and documentation services or other expenses related to carrying out the project.
Funding from foundations
Grants are a central source of funding for many doctoral researchers. Various foundations provide support for artistic and scientific research in Finland and abroad. Applicants are encouraged to look into funding opportunities already before starting their studies and continue being aware of their options during their studies.
More information on receiving funding from foundations is available here:
Grant-funded doctoral researchers should note that a grant doesn’t form an employment relationship with Uniarts Helsinki. Therefore, rights, services and benefits related to an employment contract do not apply to grant-funded researchers.
Before starting studies, international applicants should make sure that they have sufficient funding that covers their living expenses and possible study-related costs in Finland. A realistic funding plan supports the smooth progress of studies and enables sustained focus on long-term research and artistic work.
We recommend that you check whether your home country offers funding for completing a doctoral degree abroad.
Other funding
Doctoral studies may be completed alongside artistic or other professional work or by relying on other personal funding. In some cases, doctoral studies may entitle the student to receive student financial aid. Up-to-date information on financial aid for doctoral students is available on the Kela website.
Usually, part-time doctoral studies require a commitment of several years and careful planning, time management and budgeting. If you are pursuing your degree alongside work, you should assess in advance how much time you can dedicate to your studies and to your research or artistic practice, as well as what opportunities you have to arrange more intensive periods of work through study leave, grants or other forms of funding.
We ask for our applicants to compile a realistic plan on both their livelihood and the resources needed for their doctoral thesis already before embarking on doctoral studies.
Doctoral researchers at Theatre Academy can receive partial financial support for artistic productions and conference travel. Doctoral researchers are advised to apply for additional financial support independently from various sources.
Teachers and students
Our teachers are some of the best experts in their respective fields. In addition to the permanent teaching staff, the programme welcomes international top experts as guests on a regular basis.
How to apply to the doctoral programme
Next application period is in January 2027.
Target degree and length of study
Doctor of Arts (Dance), Doctor of Arts (Theatre and Drama), Doctor of Arts (Art and Design)
Application period
Next application period is in January 2027.
Degree language
English, Finnish, Swedish
Read more about the language skill requirements
Tuition fee
There are no tuition fees in the doctoral programme.
Unit
Theatre Academy
Ask about applying
Max catalogue: students and alumni
Why study here?
The Theatre Academy awards Doctor of Arts (Theatre and Drama), Doctor of Arts (Dance) and Doctor of Arts (Art and Design) degrees. Our doctoral candidates are called doctoral researchers, and they have a home base in the Doctoral Programme in Performing Arts. The programme is acclaimed for promoting multidisciplinary approaches, a strong sense of community, high-quality teaching and a close connection to bachelor’s and master’s programmes in the arts.
Our doctoral researchers are usually professional artists in one of the fields represented by the Theatre Academy. You can apply to our doctoral programme if you work in the field of acting, directing, dramaturgy and playwriting, lighting design, sound design, scenography, dance, choreography, performance art, live art, theatre pedagogy, dance pedagogy or writing.
The title of your degree will be determined based on the content of your research.
If you are considering applying to the programme, we recommend that you read about the approaches and focus areas of research carried out at the Theatre Academy.
Content and objective of the programme
Doctoral researchers completing a degree in our programme carry out an artistic research project on a topic of their choosing and acquire the skills and knowledge of an artist-researcher.
The first-hand experience in artistic activities is the starting point for our doctoral researchers’ research projects; often it is also the method and one of the prominent information sources, too. Usually, doctoral thesis projects consist of both artistic and written components. Besides working professionally in the arts, a doctoral researcher is required to have academic skills, be capable of critical thinking and observe standard research practices.
The doctoral graduates in the programme work in the fields of performing arts, literature and socially engaged art in positions that involve teaching, research or administration, for example.
Structure of the degree
The programme applies Uniarts Helsinki’s standard degree structure (effective from 1.8.2027), which consists of 40 credits of studies as well as a doctoral thesis project comprising 200 credits.
The doctoral degree comprises artistic processes and outcomes, as well as their articulation, conceptualisation and theorisation.
During their doctoral studies, doctoral candidates apply and develop their expertise as artists, researchers, educators, and experts. As specialists in their fields, artist-researchers produce knowledge and skills based on artistic practices, the benefits of which can be applied in the arts as well as other sectors of society. They engage in diverse and critical dialogue with the arts community, art education, and other societal actors.
The artistic components of a doctoral thesis may take the form of performances, demonstrations, written or staged experiments, workshops, or other types of performative or pedagogical arrangements through which the research problem is addressed. They must demonstrate a profound understanding of the research topic and the ability to develop and innovate artistic practice, research, and teaching. The artistic components must be documented in a manner that serves the research setting.
The monograph, or the peer-reviewed research articles and the written summary, must demonstrate ability to contextualise, critically analyse, articulate, conceptualise and theorise artistic/pedagogical research frameworks. The research publications may take the form of printed publications or audiovisual multimedia.
The doctoral publications must clearly set out the research objectives, methods, structure, and results.
Doctoral research must adhere to good research ethics practices, based on the general guidelines of the Finnish Advisory Board on Research Integrity (TENK) applicable to all fields of research, as well as legislation concerning copyright and data protection.
At the start of their studies, the doctoral researcher compiles a personal study plan with their supervisor to support their research project.
Doctoral studies consist of studies in transferable skills, which all doctoral researchers at Uniarts Helsinki complete, as well as field-specific studies (10–30 cr) that support the doctoral researcher’s personal research. There are only few compulsory studies. The doctoral researcher chooses their studies together with their supervisor based on what best serves their research project.
Some of the courses are arranged during seminar weeks (6 per year), while some are arranged either as intensive periods or as regularly scheduled meetings. Most of the teaching is organised as in-person instruction, but sometimes remote participation may be an option. Most of the courses are arranged in English.
Doctoral researchers in the programme engage in a close dialogue with bachelor’s and master’s programmes and with researchers of the other two academies. A large share of the teaching for doctoral researchers is organised in cooperation with the Academy of Fine Arts and Sibelius Academy.
Doctoral thesis project
The doctoral thesis project comprises 200 cr. The doctoral thesis project may be a monograph-format publication or consist of 1–3 components as well as an overview that summarises the whole. The components may entail artistic, pedagogical or applied activities, which are pre-examined separately, or peer-reviewed research articles.
In the artistic components, the doctoral researcher explores their research topic and related questions through practical work and personal experiences. In connection with the pre-examination of a component, they must clarify, justify and assess their chosen methods in writing, too.
Each doctoral researcher is usually assigned two supervisors who represent the highest expertise in their fields.
Funding of doctoral studies
Doctoral studies at Uniarts Helsinki can be completed either as a full-time or as a part-time student. The university offers a certain number of salaried doctoral researcher positions, and there may be some research projects that employ doctoral researchers. Open paid positions are advertised through the University of the Arts Helsinki’s open vacancies. Many students fund their studies through grants, their own work or other sources of income. Applicants need a realistic plan on how to fund their studies and research or artistic work.
Uniarts Helsinki doesn’t charge tuition fees from doctoral researchers, and completing a degree is free of charge. However, as a rule, the university is not responsible for the costs of an individual doctoral thesis and does not automatically provide funding for carrying out research or artistic work.
Doctoral researchers are personally responsible for their living and housing costs. The general cost of living in the Helsinki metropolitan area is relatively high by international standards, so applicants should ensure that they have sufficient financial resources to support themselves throughout the planned duration of their studies.
Applicants should also consider the possible costs of their prospective research or artistic activities. These may include costs related to materials, equipment, software, data acquisition, exhibitions, performances, productions, travel, recording and documentation services or other expenses related to carrying out the project.
Funding from foundations
Grants are a central source of funding for many doctoral researchers. Various foundations provide support for artistic and scientific research in Finland and abroad. Applicants are encouraged to look into funding opportunities already before starting their studies and continue being aware of their options during their studies.
More information on receiving funding from foundations is available here:
Grant-funded doctoral researchers should note that a grant doesn’t form an employment relationship with Uniarts Helsinki. Therefore, rights, services and benefits related to an employment contract do not apply to grant-funded researchers.
Before starting studies, international applicants should make sure that they have sufficient funding that covers their living expenses and possible study-related costs in Finland. A realistic funding plan supports the smooth progress of studies and enables sustained focus on long-term research and artistic work.
We recommend that you check whether your home country offers funding for completing a doctoral degree abroad.
Other funding
Doctoral studies may be completed alongside artistic or other professional work or by relying on other personal funding. In some cases, doctoral studies may entitle the student to receive student financial aid. Up-to-date information on financial aid for doctoral students is available on the Kela website.
Usually, part-time doctoral studies require a commitment of several years and careful planning, time management and budgeting. If you are pursuing your degree alongside work, you should assess in advance how much time you can dedicate to your studies and to your research or artistic practice, as well as what opportunities you have to arrange more intensive periods of work through study leave, grants or other forms of funding.
We ask for our applicants to compile a realistic plan on both their livelihood and the resources needed for their doctoral thesis already before embarking on doctoral studies.
Doctoral researchers at Theatre Academy can receive partial financial support for artistic productions and conference travel. Doctoral researchers are advised to apply for additional financial support independently from various sources.
Teachers and students
Our teachers are some of the best experts in their respective fields. In addition to the permanent teaching staff, the programme welcomes international top experts as guests on a regular basis.
How to apply to the doctoral programme
Next application period is in January 2027.