PhD Fine Arts in Reading United Kingdom | University of Reading

Our PhD programs provide an interdisciplinary framework for practice-focused research. Our global community of postgraduate students fosters a dynamic setting for pioneering doctoral studies at the cutting edge of contemporary art, art history, and curation. As a research student in the Reading School of Art, you'll join an energetic international network of doctoral candidates. We create an encouraging, inspiring, and imaginative space to advance your doctoral work, inviting applications from diverse backgrounds across the UK and worldwide. These research initiatives cater to artists and curators seeking to deepen their practice while contributing original critical perspectives to broader cultural dialogues. Our research landscape embraces diversity and cross-disciplinary approaches. By cultivating a nurturing academic atmosphere, we strive to pioneer innovative artistic methodologies and spark public conversations about art. We distinguish ourselves through practice-based, theoretical, and art historical investigations that enrich creative knowledge. Our exemplary research actively shapes our teaching methodologies. The research explores both the creation and interpretation of contemporary art, examining the interconnected roles of artists, curators, and writers, along with evolving concepts of practice, theory, and critique. Central themes encompass exhibition and curatorial work, publishing initiatives, and critical art discourse, all supported by digital technologies as platforms for artistic creation, dissemination, and analysis.

Graduates from our PhD program pursue careers in academia and cultural institutions as curators, gallery educators, and writers, while also establishing themselves as artists and postdoctoral researchers. Many also successfully transition into various other professional fields.