Doctor of Fine Art (DFA) and Doctor of Design (DDes)

The Professional Doctorate in Design (DDes) is aimed at academic staff in architecture and design broadly understood, in universities and institutes of higher education.

It is a structured doctorate that can be undertaken part-time using a virtual research environment to deliver study materials and supervision. It is therefore ideal for candidates based overseas.

The course directly addresses the international debate concerning the nature of research in creative disciplines and will equip successful candidates with a range of conceptual and practical tools with which to demonstrate leadership in this debate in their own fields.

The course begins with a series of study and research skills, which provide a thorough grounding in the philosophical and theoretical issues surrounding notions of practice-led research and the relationship between academic and professional values. Once this phase has been completed, the candidate then undertakes an individual supervised research project in his or her own professional discipline.

After successfully completing the doctorate the candidate will have the knowledge and skills necessary to pursue research and to contribute to the development of institutional and national structures for research in creative areas in their home countries.