PhD or MA by Research in History of Art

Program Overview

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History of Art

PhD or MA by Research

Key Facts

Start Dates

• June 2025
• September 2025
• January 2026
• June 2026
• September 2026

Application Deadline

It typically takes up to four months (five months for International and EU applicants) from application to enrollment on your programme. This is subject to all the necessary documentation being in place.

Location

• Headington

School(s)

• School of Education, Humanities and Languages

Funding Status

• Self-funded

Overview

Staff in History of Art offer supervision across a range of subject areas, and have an excellent track record of supervising PhDs and MAs by Research. We pride ourselves on the quality of our research and the support that we give to our postgraduate students.

The study of History of Art takes place within the School of Education, Humanities and Languages. We are a vibrant and inclusive research community whose work is supported by a variety of research councils, charities and international agencies, among them the Arts and Humanities Research Council, the Leverhulme Trust and the Wellcome Trust.

All of our research students are members of the Faculty’s Doctoral Training Programme and the University’s Graduate College. You will be encouraged to become involved in our research activities and will have the opportunity to work alongside academics who are at the forefront of a number of world-leading research projects.

Research Expertise

We strongly recommend that prior to submitting a full application you identify and make contact directly with a potential Director of Studies. Please look at our research group pages and individual staff profiles to help you identify the appropriate member of staff and to find out whether your proposed research focus is one that we can supervise.

Groups

• History of Art and Visual Culture

Degree Routes

All students enrol as probationer research students. During the first year you will formally register your research proposal for one of the below routes.

The degree for which you register will depend on your academic qualifications and research experience.

MA by Research

These research degrees allow students to critically investigate and evaluate an approved topic and combine the equivalent of up to one semester’s taught programme (focusing on research training) with a major research project. As with other research degrees, they are examined by thesis and viva.

• Thesis: 30,000 words.
• Length of study: 1 year full time or 2 years part time.
• Entry requirement: The minimum entry requirement for the degree of MA, MSc and LLM by Research is a lower second-class UK honours degree or equivalent qualification.

PhD

There are two routes toward obtaining a PhD.

MPhil/PhD Route

By far the most popular and common is the MPhil/PhD route. This entails students initially registering for the degree of MPhil/PhD, before transferring to full PhD status, should sufficient progress have been made with their work. Transfer to full PhD status normally happens after 18 months for full time students and after roughly 24-26 months for part time students.

• Thesis: 80,000 - 100,000 words.
• Length of study: minimum of three years full time and four years part time.
• Entry requirement: the minimum entry requirement for the MPhil/PhD route is:
  • a first-class or upper second-class UK honours degree
  • a relevant master’s qualification
  • or an equivalent qualification.

Applications from those holding qualifications other than the above will be considered on their merits and in relation to the nature and scope of the work proposed.

PhD Direct

The alternative route toward obtaining a PhD is known as a PhD Direct in which the student registers directly to study for a PhD. Accordingly, the student does not need to undergo a formal transfer assessment and the minimum period of study is shorter compared to the MPhil/PhD route.

• Thesis: 80,000 - 100,000 words.
• Length of study: minimum of two years full time and three years part time.
• Entry requirement: This is the same as for the MPhil/PhD route, except that the student must demonstrate an exceptional level of preparedness and aptitude for PhD study, for instance in the form of an MPhil degree or an outstanding performance at Masters level in an area very closely aligned with the PhD.

Research Degree Involving Creative Work

You may undertake a programme of research in which your own creative work or practice forms the most significant part of the intellectual enquiry. They must be undertaken as part of a registered research programme.

• Thesis: for a PhD, 15,000 - 25,000 words. for an MPhil, 8,000 - 10,000 words.
• Length of study: minimum of three years full time and four years part time.
• Entry requirement: a recent master’s degree in a discipline appropriate to the proposed research. The master’s needs to have included research training and a research project.

In exceptional cases, applicants who have a good honours degree (or equivalent) may apply if they have appropriate research or professional experience at postgraduate level which has resulted in published work, written reports or other appropriate evidence of accomplishment.

Research Degree Involving Preparation of an Edition of Works

This allows you to complete a programme of research where the main focus is the preparation of a scholarly edition of:

• a text or texts
• musical or choreographic work
• other original artefacts.

The final submission includes:

• a copy of the edited text(s) or collection of artefact(s)
• appropriate textual and explanatory annotations
• a substantial introduction and critical commentary which set the text in the relevant historical, theoretical or critical context.
• Thesis: for a PhD, 30,000 - 40,000 words. for an MPhil, 15,000 - 20,000 words.
• Length of study: minimum of three years full time and four years part time.
• Entry requirement: a recent master’s degree in a discipline appropriate to the proposed research. The master’s needs to have included research training and a research project.

In exceptional cases, applicants who have a good honours degree (or equivalent) may apply if they have appropriate research or professional experience at postgraduate level which has resulted in published work, written reports or other appropriate evidence of accomplishment.

PhD by Published Work

The degree of PhD on the basis of published work may be awarded to candidates whose submitted work:

• reflects the same academic standards as those which operate for a traditional PhD based upon an approved programme of supervised research
• forms a coherent programme of research
• demonstrates the use of appropriate research methodology
• and makes an original and sufficient contribution to the present state of knowledge in a particular field to the satisfaction of the examiners.
• Thesis/critical appraisal: 7,500 - 15,000 words.
• Length of study: Normally 1 year.
• Entry requirements: Applicants should normally have had a very clear and demonstrable association with Oxford Brookes University (e.g. as a past student or member of staff, as an associate lecturer undertaking regular teaching at Brookes, or as a research collaborator with an established member of staff). The submission for examination comprises the published work on which the application is based, together with a supporting critical appraisal of this work.

Why Oxford Brookes University?

• Each research student in the Faculty will be allocated £700 (£350 for MA by Research students) towards the costs associated with specific research activities during the research programme.
• Close supervision from experts in your chosen research area, including joint supervision across departments for interdisciplinary projects.
• Plentiful opportunities to present your work. Depending on your chosen subject you may have the opportunity to attend:
  • research seminars with presentations from high profile external guest speakers
  • specialist seminars organised by individual research groups and clusters
  • methodology workshops.
• You will also be encouraged to submit publications to leading research journals.
• You may have the opportunity to develop your teaching, mentoring and demonstrating skills by undertaking paid teaching activities for up to six hours a week. You may also be required to attend the Associate Teachers course which is run by the University Oxford Centre for Academic Enhancement and Development.
• As a core part of the Faculty’s Doctoral Training Programme, the School offers also high quality research training and study facilities that can be accessed by both full-time and part-time students. PhD students can also apply for reader access to the Bodleian Library.
• All our research students also become part of the University’s Graduate College, which runs a comprehensive programme of training sessions and workshops.

After You Graduate

Career Prospects

We are passionate about fostering the careers of our researchers and ensure that they gain research skills training, leadership experience and teaching practice as part of the doctoral programmes we offer.

Bespoke careers advice is also embedded into our programme as we think this is a key element of your personal and professional development during your time with us.

As a graduate from the School of Education, Humanities and Languages, you will go on to a range of careers. Recent graduates have gone into professions including:

• IT
• advertising
• publishing
• teaching
• business
• the civil and diplomatic services
• public relations
• law
• sales and marketing
• the heritage industry.

How to Apply

Entry Requirements

Please see the specific entry requirement details in the degree routes section above.

If you choose to study full-time you must be able to devote a minimum of 35 hours per week over a 44-week year to your research. You should not undertake more than 20 hours per week paid employment or other commitments (including a maximum of six hours per week teaching, demonstrating, or other paid work directly related to your research training).

If you choose to study part-time you must be able to devote a minimum of 15 hours per week over a 44-week year to the programme of research.

You must also meet our residence requirements.

English Language Requirements

Applicants whose main language is not English must meet the Faculty’s English language requirements. The minimum IELTS score required for entry to the research degree programme is 6.5–7 overall.

In addition, we require a minimum of 6.5 in each component of the test. We do not accept IELTS certificates that are over two years old.

Application Process

It is essential that you first check whether your specific research interests can be adequately supervised before submitting a full application. To do this please email the Research Administrator your provisional research proposal. This should be 1500–2000 words in length and should include a title and a summary of the proposed subject area.

There is no specific format for research proposals but the following areas are usually covered:

• introduction
• evidence of background reading and knowledge/previous experience of research area
• details of research methods proposed to carry out the project
• the aims of the research project and any proposed hypotheses/outcomes
• literature review
• how your research project will make an original and independent contribution to knowledge.

If your area of research can potentially be supervised you will be encouraged to submit a full application via our online application system.

The Research Administrator will acknowledge receipt of your application by email. We strive to make a decision within one month of receiving your application. Please note, however, decisions may take longer during busier periods of the academic year.

Supporting Documents

Please read through the list of supporting documentation must be uploaded along with your application or emailed separately.

Tuition Fees

2025/26

• Home (UK) full time: £5,106
• Home (UK) part time: £2,553
• International full time: £17,750
• International part time: £8,875

Fees quoted are for the first year only. If you are studying a course that lasts longer than one year, your fees will increase each year.

For International fees the following factors will be taken into account by the University when it is setting the annual fees: inflationary measures such as the retail price indices, projected increases in University costs, changes in the level of funding received from Government sources, admissions statistics and access considerations including the availability of student support.

Home fees are set by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and are released approximately five months before the start of each academic year.

Funding Your Studies

Financial Support and Scholarships

Featured funding opportunities available for this course.

Postgraduate doctoral loans for home students

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