Program Overview

Fine Art Prof Doc

Overview

The Professional Doctorate in Fine Art has been running at UEL for over 20 years. It is designed for artists working across a range of media and methodologies who wish to make their practice the basis for doctoral study.

Unlike a PhD, an exhibition of artworks replaces the thesis as the main evidence of research, supported by a 15,000 - 20,000-word written report. The programme is designed for artists from the UK and abroad and is undertaken 3 years full-time and 5 years part-time.

Students are engaged in any of the forms of contemporary art, including painting, printmaking, sculpture, film, installation, photography, text-based and digital work. They arrive with a creative practice to be analysed and developed rather than a research question or a project to be carried out. Work-in-progress seminars are the backbone of the programme, building critical, creative and presentational skills and peer support.

Along with twice-yearly exhibitions within and outside of the University, students are given the support to develop their creative practice, professional practice and theoretical research to a doctoral standard.

Course Options

• Professional Doctorate
  • Start date: September 2025
  • Duration: 3 years full-time, 5 years part-time

Entry Requirements

• Academic Requirements
  • Master of Arts Degree (MA) in Fine Art or a related discipline, an established creative and professional practice and excellent knowledge of contemporary art.
• International Qualifications
  • We accept a wide range of European and international qualifications in addition to A-levels, the International Baccalaureate and BTEC qualifications.
• English Language Requirements
  • Overall IELTS 7.0 with a minimum of 6.5 in Writing, Speaking, Reading and Listening (or recognised equivalent).
• Portfolio Requirements
  • A portfolio is required and should be relevant to this course. It should include a wide range of work that shows your creativity, technical competence and understanding of the subject area.
• Interview
  • An interview is required with a member of the academic teaching team.

Fees, Funding and Additional Costs

• Fees
  • Home Applicant (Full-time): £6,320 per year
  • Home Applicant (Part-time): £3,160 per year
  • International Applicant (Full-time): £16,900 per year
• Funding
  • Postgraduate Loans Scheme: up to £10,906
  • Postgraduate Scholarship: 50% discount on tuition fees
  • Alumni Discount: up to 15% fee waiver
  • Early Payment Discount: 5% fee waiver
  • Asylum Seekers scholarship: 100% fee waiver
  • Civic Engagement: £1,000
  • Hardship Bursary: up to £2,000
  • Sport Scholarships: up to £6,000
• Additional Costs
  • Textbooks
  • Computer equipment
  • Printing
  • Travel
  • Personal laptops and other personal devices
  • Personal copies of books
  • Optional study visits and field trips
  • Costs of participating in external events, exhibitions, performances etc.

What Makes This Course Different

• Industry Experts
  • You will study on an increasingly prestigious course under the supervision of some of the country leading fine artists and theorists.
• Career Prospects
  • Our doctorate has helped develop the work of internationally acclaimed artists.
• Work Exposure
  • You will have excellent opportunities to exhibit your work and take advantage of our close relationships with many galleries and our regular engagement with professional venues and practices.

Course Modules

• Research Methodologies and Professional Development - FA8000 (60 credits)
  • Core Module
• Research (480 credits)
  • Core Module

What We're Researching

• Reader Michael Pinsky
  • A British artist whose international projects have created innovative and challenging works in galleries and public spaces.
• DFA Programme Leader Karen Raney
  • An academic, former editor, painter and writer whose novel was published in the US and UK, translated into five languages, and was shortlisted for a Costa Book Award 2020.
• Debra Benita Shaw
  • A Reader in Cultural Theory and co-director of the Centre for Cultural Studies Research.
• Antigoni Memou
  • The author of Photography and Social Movements (2013).

Your Future Career

• Job Roles
  • Many doctoral students are already in employment as academics, teachers, curators or artists, and the DFA often leads to an extension of their professional roles or to new employment.
• Career Support
  • We offer dedicated careers support, and further opportunities to thrive, such as volunteering and industry networking.

How We Support Your Career Ambitions

• Career Zone
  • Our dedicated and award-winning team provide you with careers and employability resources.
• Mental Wealth Programme
  • Our Professional Fitness and Mental Wealth programme which issues you with a Careers Passport to track the skills you’ve mastered.

How You'll Learn

• Guided Independent Study
  • After writing and registering their proposal, students work with allocated supervisors, and a core staff team provides continuity and integration.
• Academic Support
  • Our academic support team provides help in a range of areas - including learning and disability support.
• Dedicated Personal Tutor
  • As a researcher, your personal tutors are the programme team and two, or sometimes three, doctoral supervisors.

How You'll Be Assessed

• Knowledge
  • Creation of a doctoral proposal accepted for registration
  • Work in progress presentations
  • Supervisory tutorials
  • Annual review process
  • Viva examination
• Thinking Skills
  • Creation of a successfully registered doctoral proposal
  • Work in progress presentations
  • Supervisory tutorials
  • Annual review process
  • Viva examination
• Practical Skills
  • Work in progress presentations
  • Supervisory tutorials
  • Annual review process
  • Viva examination
• Skills for Life and Work (General Skills)
  • Work in progress presentations
  • Supervisory tutorials
  • Annual review process
  • Viva examination

Campus and Facilities

• Docklands Campus, London, E16 2RD
  • Our waterfront campus in the historic Royal Docks provides a modern, well-equipped learning environment.

Who Teaches This Course

• Course Leader
  • Karen J Raney
  • Debra Benita Shaw
  • Antigoni Memou
  • Michael Pinsky
  • Christian Groothuizen
  • Keith Winter
  • Sharone Lifschitz
  • Garry Doherty

Related Courses

• MA Fine Art
• MA/MFA Filmmaking
• Architecture, Computing and Engineering MPhil PhD