PhD Opportunities in Art, Media Arts and Design

We invite applications for full-time or part-time self-funded PhD study.  

About the PhD programme 

Research in the Art, Design and Media Research Centre (ADMRC) employs critical and imaginative art, media and design strategies to investigate and problematise social and cultural norms.  In REF2021, 90% of our research was rated as either world leading or internationally excellent and was in the top 10 of UK universities for social, economic, or cultural impact. Explore our people and projects at Culture & Creativity Research Institute’s Impact blog.

Our community includes practice-based research expertise in experimental, fine art and documentary film practice, sculpture, public art, live art, digital arts, painting, drawing, interactive design, social arts, installation practices, curating, art writing, interior design, product design, visual communication, graphic design, fashion, illustration, drawing, multi-media arts, VR, photography, animation, and interdisciplinary terrains.

We are particularly interested to receive applications relating to:

Social, Cultural and Philosophical Narratives

• Archives and institutions to contest official histories and heritage, challenge colonising processes, reveal the suppressed and illuminate social challenges
• Threat, crisis, conflict, risk, and empathy
• Global contexts, challenging representation, and influencing policy development
• Publics, inclusion, space, and place
• Gendered experience

Creative Practices in Health and Wellbeing

• Design for the One Hundred Year Life
• The Future Home 

Physical and Digital Making:

• Net-zero sustainability
• Frugal making
• Digital materiality
• Future of design education
• International collaboration for sustainable development  

You will join a vibrant PhD programme with excellent student satisfaction scores in the Postgraduate Research Experience Survey. Our study environment draws together an art school emphasis on practice, studio models of self-organising, outward-facing exhibition-making, interdisciplinary and University-level training, and innovative postgraduate research conferences on the topics of research METHOD and research IMPACT. A high number of our PhD projects have been in partnerships with museums, galleries, and heritage organisations. Read more about the PhD community and past and current PhD projects here.

Scholarship Opportunities

GTA and Sheffield Hallam Scholarships (without GTA) are available as part of SHU schemes that address the underrepresentation of UK Black, Asian and Ethic Minority candidates in doctoral education.   Graduate Teaching Assistant scholarships provide an excellent opportunity to combine PhD study with professional development to gain practical experience in learning, teaching and assessment in Higher Education.  You will be able to work towards Associate Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy and as part of your training will be expected to support teaching related activities in the Department of Art and Design up to a maximum of 180 hours per academic year.  For more information please see PhD scholarships.   GTA scholarships can’t be offered on a distance learning basis.   

Funding and Eligibility 

Scholarships are available for 3.5 years (full-time) or 6 years (part-time) and include:  

Tuition fees at the Home student rate 

A maintenance bursary at the standard Sheffield Hallam PhD stipend rate.  This is aligned with the net Real Living Wage; the current rate for full time study in academic year 2023/24 is £19,722 per annum.  Part-time is paid at 50% 

Open to Home candidates only  

How to apply  

See ‘How to Apply’ for guidance and the prospectus entry for PhD Fine Art & Design course information, entry requirements, tuition fee rates and online application form.  You will also need to upload information about your exhibitions and creative projects and concise documentation (e.g., a pdf portfolio or website link/s) as a separate document or included in the personal statement field of the application form.   

 In the personal statement field of your application, please state which scholarship opportunity you wish to apply for:  

• ‘GTA Scholarship for UK Black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates’    

• ‘Sheffield Hallam PhD Scholarship for Black British researchers’ 

 You can ask to be considered for both GTA and Sheffield Hallam Scholarships.     

 Applications are welcome from all candidates, irrespective of age, pregnancy and maternity, disability, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, belief, or marital or civil partnership status. 

For academic enquiries: Dr Yuen Fong Ling Postgraduate Research Tutor for Art, Media Arts and Design   y.f.ling@shu.ac.uk  

For all enquiries, please contact the Culture & Creativity Research Institute (CCRI) Postgraduate Research Team by email to culture-creativity-admissions@shu.ac.uk 

The application deadline for GTA scholarship is 12.00 Noon on 27th April   

Interviews are scheduled for week beginning 20th May, by videoconference.