Postgraduate research in the School of Art, Edinburgh College of Art, is internationally renowned, interdisciplinary and publicly engaged. Our research creates, embodies and responds to new registers of contemporary art and culture, whilst rearticulating processes and practices associated with established artistic media.

We are an intellectually vibrant, ambitious and supportive community where research produced by staff and students – both individually and collectively – is disseminated nationally and internationally. Collaboration, experimentation and an outlook beyond the University are central to this. We aim for our research to constitute social and cultural impact within and beyond the University.

Both MPhil and PhD programmes in the School of Art allow for either a purely theoretical project or for a combined practice-and-theory approach to artistic research. The PhD by Practice programme is designed for applicants who have established a well-developed creative practice beyond their previous HE degrees that is strongly connected to their proposed research. 

MPhil and PhD candidates are supported by individually tailored supervisory arrangements made within the School of Art and ECA, as well as across the University of Edinburgh as a whole. PGR students are further supported through a broad portfolio of training events run through the University.

• Use the People Directory to identify potential supervisors in the School of Art

Through engaging with fellows and postdoctoral researchers at the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities (IASH) events at the University of Edinburgh, PhD students can join an interdisciplinary community of early career and established researchers within an international network.

Through the Careers Service doctoral students can apply for tutor training and apply for tutoring opportunities within their subject area or via internal University-wide adverts.

We operate a gathered field approach to PhD/MPhil applications, followed by an interview process for shortlisted applications.

If you'd like to study on a postgraduate programme at Edinburgh College of Art, you must apply through EUCLID, the University's online application system. You can find out how to do this on the University of Edinburgh website, where you'll also be able to:

• see detailed entrance requirements for each programme on the Degree Finder
• get information on what to expect after you apply
• find out about study modes, start dates and fees
• find out if, and how, you need to submit a portfolio, showreel or research proposal
• find out where to go for further advice and guidance.

Preparing your application

Common to all research programmes are a set of research aims, a research context, a research process and a research product/outcome. The research proposal should include reference to all of these elements. All applicants for postgraduate research programmes must submit a research proposal.

Portfolios or writing samples are also required for some research degrees.

People Directory | Edinburgh College of Art

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