United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom research in the arts is largely conducted at faculties of art at universities. Two art school conglomerates (University of the Arts London and the University for the Creative Arts) have independent university status. Often research is brought together in graduate schools (CultureLab, Newcastle; CRD, Brighton; CCW Graduate School, London; Cerenem, Huddersfield; ADRC, Sheffield); the Royal College of Art is an independent postgraduate institution. Scottish and Welsh art schools are under a different legislation.
Fees for PhD research are substantial, around GBP 5000 a year; funding often comes from the AHRC and other Research Councils. Standard duration is 3 years, but the majority of students is part-time (RAE 2008). One reason is that students often already hold a teaching position when they start their PhD; another is that they need to work to pay for their studies.
The United Kingdom is where PhDs in the arts first got institutionalized in the early 1990’s, and as a result the number of PhD students is much higher than anywhere else in Europe.  Also, unlike in other countries, a PhD is increasingly a requirement for a career in higher arts education – the ‘entry level’ for an academic career.


RAE 2008
www.rae.ac.uk

ADIT Art & Design Index to Theses
www3.shu.ac.uk

Overview of institutions and resources
http://artsresearch.brighton.ac.uk/links/practice-led