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Architecture, Building & Planning (3) Communication & Media Studies (7) Creative Arts & Design (9)

  Research Degrees at UCA


 

 Funded PhD Programme (Students Worldwide)

About the Programme

Studying a creative research degree at UCA means joining a vibrant and progressive top ten research community with a wealth of specialist resources for creative research and practice.

Joining us for your creative PhD will give you an unparalleled opportunity to delve into an area of research that is relevant to your ambitions and aspirations.

You'll be part of our imaginative, supportive research community at our UCA Doctoral College, where you'll have a regular base to design your own studies, explore your chosen field, make academic connections and develop unique and impressive doctoral work.

For details on our Vice-Chancellor Studentships, click here.

The Application Portal for our PhD intake in September 2025 will open soon. Please note that the application requires you to upload a 2-minute video on your motivation to study (details and instructions are on the application form) and a writing sample of >3,000 words (this can be, but does not have to be, your research proposal). Please note that we do not require a full research proposal but ask for a brief outline of a ‘research idea’ that you will be supported to develop once you enrol with us at UCA

Your options

As a research student at UCA, you have the option of writing a full (80-100,000 word) thesis, or to undertake a thesis of 40-50,000 words combined with creative practice.

You can choose to study either full-time or part-time, however part-time study is not available to international students.

The pathway to PhD begins with enrolment in our Masters by Research degree, which includes an intensive taught course in October that is on site, the successful completion of which results in progression onto our doctoral programme (a further two years plus optional writing up year).

Research supervision

Throughout your studies, you will be supervised by the school who have experience in your area of your research. Your supervisors will not ‘teach’ you, but will act in a mentoring role, providing feedback and encouragement and helping you to develop the research required for a PhD qualification. Please look through our website to see the extensive collections and facilities that you can access during your studies.

Many students collaborate with their supervisors and the wider UCA research community, both during and after their studies.

View our Research Staff Profiles

Our research areas

UCA is a creative university with a range of specialisms. Your study could focus on any of the disciplines, including:

  • Animation
  • Architecture
  • Business for the Creative Industries
  • Computer Arts and Visual Effects
  • Crafts
  • Fashion
  • Film, Television and Media
  • Fine Art and Digital Art
  • Games and Creative Technology
  • Graphic Design and Illustration
  • Interior, Product and Spatial Design
  • Music
  • Performing Arts
  • Photography
  • Visual Communications
  • The history and theory of art, design, architecture, visual culture and material culture

If you have a proposal and are not sure whether we have expertise in this, please get in touch with our office: 


Funding Notes

Some or all of the PhD opportunities in this programme have funding attached. Applications for this programme are welcome from suitably qualified candidates worldwide. Funding may only be available to a limited set of nationalities and you should read the full programme details for further information.

Register your interest for this programme



Where will I study?

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