History of Art PhD

Birkbeck, University of London

We are a strong interdisciplinary group in history of art at Birkbeck with multiple research collaborations with museums, galleries and heritage organisations and a ranking in the top four nationally for Art and Design research (REF 2021). Our vibrant postgraduate research community benefits from our proximity to national libraries, collections and archives. Our Gordon Square building – once home to John Maynard Keynes and members of the Bloomsbury Group – houses the Jo Spence Archive and Peltz Gallery and hosts the leading journal History of Photography. Our research centres, including the Centre for Museum Cultures and the Murray Centre for History of Art, Architecture and Photography, play a crucial role in generating and disseminating new knowledge. An MPhil/PhD is an advanced postgraduate research degree that requires original research and the submission of a substantial dissertation. The MPhil thesis is not more than 60,000 words; the PhD thesis is not more than 100,000 words. Requirements for a practice-based project vary according to the nature of the research and can be discussed with the admissions tutor, Suzannah Biernoff. At Birkbeck, you are initially registered on an MPhil and you upgrade to a PhD after satisfactory progress in the first year (full-time) or second year (part-time). We offer research skills training, along with seminars and events specifically designed to meet the needs of our research students. You will need to find a suitable academic supervisor at Birkbeck, who can offer the requisite expertise to guide and support you through your research. Find out more about undertaking a research degree at Birkbeck. We hold open days and evenings for prospective students interested in our programmes throughout the year.