Program Overview

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PhD Curating

Overview

The University of Essex offers a practice-based PhD in curating, allowing students to conduct sustained, innovative research about an issue from the field of visual culture. This degree culminates in a major, research-based exhibition and a complementary thesis of approximately 40,000 words.

Course Details

• Course: PhD Curating
• Start date: April 2026, October 2026, January 2027, April 2027
• Study mode: Part-time
• Duration: 6-8 years
• Location: Colchester Campus
• Based in: Philosophical, Historical, and Interdisciplinary Studies (School of)

Entry Requirements

UK Entry Requirements

• A good Masters degree or equivalent in a related subject
• A well-developed research proposal (approximately 2,000 words)
• May require an interview/Skype interview for acceptance
• Acceptance is subject to research expertise in the department

International & EU Entry Requirements

• A wide range of qualifications from applicants studying in the EU and other countries are accepted
• Contact the Graduate Admissions team for specific requirements

English Language Requirements

• IELTS 7.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each component (if English is not the first language)

Structure

Course Structure

• A research degree with the chance to investigate a chosen topic in real depth
• Develop new high-level skills, enhance professional development, and build new networks

Assessment

• Supervision by regular individual tutorials
• Award of a research degree depends solely on the merits of the final research output (thesis and exhibition)
• Development of the research project is supported and monitored via Supervisory Boards

Fees and Funding

Home/UK Fee

• Ł2,503 per year

International Fee

• Ł9,825 per year

Scholarships and Financial Support

• May be available to help with the cost of the course

What's Next

Open Days

• Held for all applicants throughout the year
• Opportunity to tour the campus and accommodation, find out more about courses, and meet students and staff

Applying

• Apply online
• Check the necessary documents required as part of the application
• Preliminary enquiry directly to a potential supervisor or the Graduate Administrator is encouraged

Visit Colchester Campus

• Set within 200 acres of award-winning parkland
• Located two miles from the historic city centre of Colchester
• Easily reached from London and Stansted Airport in under one hour

Our Expert Staff

• A dynamic group of art historians investigating the production and reception of images and built environment across cultures and media
• Research interests include activist art, modernist art and totalitarianism, the relationship between art and science, and more

Specialist Facilities

• The Essex Collection of Art from Latin America (ESCALA)
• Onsite gallery Art Exchange
• Colchester's iconic firstsite gallery

Your Future

• Most successful graduates work in academic institutions, museums, galleries, or other arts-related professions
• Some graduates are now Professors in leading art history departments or have worked as curators at high-profile museums