Art and Design Research Degrees
Create lasting solutions to real-world problems with ground-breaking research, utilising the expertise and facilities at our School of Art and Design
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Viewing course details for 2024 year of entry
- Attendance
- Full-time, Part-time
- Start
- October 2024
- Fees
- See Fees and Funding tab for details
- Study mode
- On campus
- Location
- Hendon campus
Why study an Art and Design Research Degree at Middlesex University?
As a research student at Middlesex you will be in a working atmosphere where creative practice and creative thinking is encouraged and will be working with and learning from high profile academics in curating, fine art, communication arts, architecture and design. You will have opportunities to gain work experience in curating, lecturing, events organisation and publishing with a range of organisations including the ICA, National Maritime Museum, Sir John Soane's Museum, Bloomsbury Publishing and Tate
Course highlights
- A programme of University wide training, regular training events with the School of Media and Performing Arts, tailor made school research seminars and dedicated subject specific reading groups
- Support to attend conferences to present papers
- Access to workshops
- Base room in the new Grove
- Your own new laptop for the course of your studies
- Building with tea and coffee making facilities, lockers, PCs, telephones
- A vibrant group of over 40 research students who provide a supportive peer group
Course content
What will you study on an Art and Design Research degree?
We offer the following research degrees:
MA by Research
We offer an MA by Research, which involves writing and researching a thesis. You'll need knowledge and understanding of existing research or scholarship in a chosen field – and its clear presentation in a dissertation. The taught elements of this course are integral to the degree and your progression will be dependent on satisfactory progress.
This programme is offered full-time or part-time
You can study this degree in one of two ways:
- Wholly by thesis (30,000 words max)
- Partly in non-written form (15,000 words max)
MPhil and PhD
The difference between an MPhil and PhD, in essence, relates to the contribution you make to existing knowledge on the research topic that you've selected. A PhD contributes new knowledge beyond what's currently available. An MPhil contributes new understanding of existing knowledge, by way of a critical review or evaluation.
The taught elements of this course are integral to the degree and your progression will be dependent on satisfactory progress.
This programme is offered full-time or part-time
The MPhil/PhD programme allows for two routes:
- Text-based research project - the figures are 40,000 and 80,000 maximum
- Mixed mode, visual research/textual research project - you'll need an appropriate presentation of visual research and a text of up to 20,000 words (MPhil) or 40,000 (PhD).
Please note that all of our PhD students initially enrol on an MPhil and then transfer to a PhD degree.
If you have any further questions regarding the MPhil and PhD programmes in the Faculty of Arts and Creative Industries, please contact Professor Vida Midgelow.
ArtsM and ArtsD
We offer an ArtsM and ArtsD qualification, designed for practitioners of advanced standing to allow them to create a piece of work at the cutting edge of practice – with a text of up to 10,000 words for ArtsM level and 20,000 words for Arts D level.
This is a validated programme and research training is integral to the programme.
This course is usually completed part-time.
PhD by Public Works
The Doctor of Philosophy by Public Works, which allows a researcher who has made a significant contribution to knowledge through their own work to gain recognition by means of the award of PhD.
This course is offered full-time and part-time but is usually completed part-time.
You may need research methods or other training to write your context statement.
Register your interest
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Teaching
How is an Art and Design Research Degree taught?
Academic support and guidance is constantly available, whether you work individually or as part of a team. There are regular research tutorials, plus seminars and meetings with research students, staff and guest speakers.
Expert supervision
Two supervisors are allocated to each research student. Projects sometimes have three supervisors – particularly if they're interdisciplinary or joint visual/textual projects.
Your supervisors will act as personal tutors, helping you to clarify your initial objectives, structure your research and develop supplementary skills. They also advise on subject reading, relevant taught courses, research seminars and workshops.
There may be a choice of supervisors but this will be discussed with you before you enrol. It's important that both you and the School are happy about the supervisory arrangements – and that we feel we are able to supervise the research as well as it can be.
We won't accept a project if we don't feel that we have the appropriate expertise to offer in that area and we may have to turn down projects if the appropriate supervisors are fully committed with existing students.
The student/supervisor relationship is important, and normally discussions are necessary between you and the intended supervisors before the proposals are finally accepted – or otherwise.
Find out more about the research interests and areas of expertise our supervisors.
Collaborations with external partners
If you're working in partnership with an external organisation, you may be jointly supervised by academics from Middlesex University and the collaborating partner.
Where collaboration is involved, you should ensure that from the outset the responsibilities for provision of fees, equipment and any other resources are fully understood and accepted by the partners.
Entry requirements
Qualifications
Please see below for the entry requirements for each of the research degrees we offer:
| MA by Research | We normally require a second class honours degree 2:2 or above |
| MPhil | We normally require a second class honours degree 2:2 or above |
| PhD | You will need to first need to enrol onto the MPhil and then transfer to a PhD once you've made enough progress with your research. This is typically after 18-24 months |
| ArtsM | We normally require a second class honours degree 2:2 or above or equivalent professional experience. You must also have current professional practice in the arts |
| ArtsD | We normally require a Masters degree or equivalent professional experience and recognition |
Eligibility
UK and international students are eligible to apply for this course.
Interviews, entrance tests, portfolios and auditions
Entry onto this course does not require an interview, portfolio or audition.
Qualifications
We accept the equivalent of the below qualifications from a recognised overseas qualification:
| MA by Research | We normally require a second class honours degree 2:2 or above |
| MPhil | We normally require a second class honours degree 2:2 or above |
| PhD | You will need to first need to enrol onto the MPhil and then transfer to a PhD once you've made enough progress with your research. This is typically after 18-24 months |
| ArtsM | We normally require a second class honours degree 2:2 or above or equivalent professional experience. You must also have current professional practice in the arts |
| ArtsD | We normally require a Masters degree or equivalent professional experience and recognition |
To find out more about the qualifications we accept from your country please visit the relevant support in your country page. If you are unsure about the suitability of your qualifications or would like help with your application, please contact your nearest regional office for support.
Visas and immigration
You will not need a visa to study in the UK if you are a citizen of the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland. If you are a national of any other country you may need a visa to study in the UK. Please see our visas and immigration page for further information.
International students who require a Tier 4 Student Visa to progress on a course at Middlesex University must apply for study on a full-time basis. However, this course is offered part-time so you are eligible to apply on a part-time basis.
Part-time study
Changes to the Immigration Rules introduced in January 2018 now allows international applicants apply for Student route (formerly tier 4) visas for part-time postgraduate study (courses leading to a qualification at RQF level 7 or SCQF level 11 and above).
Tier 4 students studying part-time are subject to certain restrictions:
- no work (paid or unpaid)
- no work placements as part of the programme
- no dependants
- no extending under Tier 4 in the UK. This includes Tier 4 applications to work as a Students' Union Sabbatical Officer or for the Foundation Programme for postgraduate doctors and dentists
- not eligible for the Tier 4 Doctorate Extension Scheme
*Please note that, if the course of your choice involves work experience, unpaid work, placements or internships, we will be unable to sponsor you to study a part- time course under the Student route (formerly tier 4) visa.
English language requirements for international students
You must have competence in English language to study with us. The most commonly accepted evidence of English language ability is IELTS 6.5 (with minimum 6.0 in all components). We also normally require Grade C GCSE or an equivalent qualification. Visit our English language requirements page for a full list of accepted tests and qualifications.
If you don't meet our minimum English language requirements, we offer an intensive pre-sessional English course.
Interviews, entrance tests, portfolios and auditions
Entry onto this course does not require an interview, portfolio or audition.
Please visit our help with your application page for more information and to apply online for this course using our Applicant Portal.
Fees and funding
The fees below refer to the 2023/24 academic year unless otherwise stated.
UK students starting in January 20241
If you start in January 2024, you will pay the same fees as students who started in October 2023.
| Course | Full-time | Part-time |
|---|---|---|
| MA by Research* | £6,300 per year | £3,150 per year |
| MPhil/ PhD/ ArtsM/ ArtsD* | £6,300 per year | £3,150 per year |
| PhD by Public Works* | £6,300 per year | £3,150 per year |
International students starting in January 20242
If you start in January 2024, you will pay the same fees as students who started in October 2023
| Course | Full-time | Part-time |
|---|---|---|
| MA by Research* | £15,700 per year | £7,850 per year |
| MPhil/ PhD/ ArtsM/ ArtsD* | £15,700 per year | £7,850 per year |
| PhD by Public Works* | £15,700 per year | £7,850 per year |
Additional fees
Some programmes also require an additional annual studio/bench/laboratory fee.
Funding
Funding or studentships for research degrees are limited, and most research degree students are expected to pay their own fees and subsistence costs.
Fees disclaimers
1. UK fees: The university reserves the right to increase postgraduate tuition fees in line with changes to legislation, regulation and any government guidance or decisions. The tuition fees for part-time UK study are subject to annual review and we reserve the right to increase the fees each academic year by no more than the level of inflation.
2. International fees: Tuition fees are subject to annual review and we reserve the right to increase the fees each academic year by no more than the level of inflation.
Any annual increase in tuition fees as provided for above will be notified to students at the earliest opportunity in advance of the academic year to which any applicable inflationary rise may apply.