Doctor of Arts

To satisfy requirements of the PhD degree, candidates must: complete a probationary year and produce an extended thesis proposal or thesis chapter (10,000 to 12,000 words, or equivalent in a practice-led PhD) at the end of their first year of full-time candidature; conduct research on an approved topic; and write a thesis of approximately 60,000 to 80,000 words embodying the results of the research. In the case of a practice-led PhD, candidates submit a substantial piece of creative work and a research component of approximately 40,000 words; for a practice-led PhD in Sydney College of the Arts the creative component will be exhibited.

Applications for a PhD in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences are assessed in two rounds annually. Research Period 2 has a start date of 1 March, with applications due by 30 September of the prior year. Research Period 3 has a start date of 1 July, with applications due by 31 March of the same year. Separate deadlines apply for scholarships.

PhD candidates undertake research in over 40 subject areas based in the faculty's six schools: the Schools of Economics; Languages and Cultures; Art, Communication and English (including Sydney College of the Arts); Humanities; Social and Political Sciences; and the Sydney School of Education and Social Work. Disciplines range across the visual arts and art history, archaeology and classics, various modern languages and their cultures, economics, English language and literature, ancient, medieval and modern history, philosophy, the global political economy and international governance, sociology and cultural studies, media and communications, education and social work.

Yes, it is possible for candidates to conduct a practice-led PhD with the thesis made up of a written component and substantial creative work. For a practice-led PhD, the research component is approximately 40,000 words, and for a practice-led PhD in Sydney College of the Arts the creative component will be exhibited. When applying for a practice-led PhD, such as in the Sydney College of the Arts or Creative Writing, applicants must include a portfolio of recent creative work.

Yes, this course is available as a joint degree via a small number of domestic and international partner institutions. For more information on the Joint PhD program, prospective students can contact joint-degrees.sfs@sydney.edu.au.