Doctorate at the Faculty of Fine Arts (FFA)

Is it worth it?

The aim of the doctoral programme at the Faculty of Fine Arts, Brno University of Technology is to provide highly specialised artistic and academic education to graduates of art schools and faculties, as well as to graduates of non-art disciplines focusing on the issues of contemporary art operations in various aspects (curatorship, gallery operations, cultural management, art criticism and the history of contemporary art). This high level of specialisation of accepted candidates presupposes that the study is highly individualised – supervisors and expert consultants primarily assist students with feedback and guidance on the relevant issues, resources, institutions, and people. Nonetheless, the programme also includes a core curriculum of compulsory subjects for all students. While art graduates are thus guided towards further deepening their knowledge of art theory and/or contemporary art and design, graduates of non-art fields gain a deeper insight into artistic research and current artistic practice. Research that involves artistic thinking (or artistic competence) is called artistic research.

See more at the "Florence Principles" on the Doctorate in the Arts [Doctoral programmes in the arts aim to develop artistic competencies, generate new knowledge, and advance artistic research. (...) The doctoral thesis (or doctoral project), carried out during doctoral study in the arts, involves the creation of an original and specific artistic research project. This project employs artistic methods and techniques, producing original insights and knowledge. The project consists of an original artwork(s) and includes a discursive component that critically reflects and documents the research process. Internationality, interdisciplinarity, and interculturality are implicitly embedded in many artistic processes, and doctoral programmes in the arts further support this direction], or Doctoral Studies in Fine Arts: Nonsense or Opportunity? [The criterion for earning a doctorate is the successful defence of the doctoral thesis, which has two parts – practical and textual (neither is evaluated independently). These two parts are guided by two strands of study: practical and theoretical. The goal of the practical part, which takes place under the guidance of the head in the studio, department, or faculty, is the realisation of a long-term and systematically prepared artistic work/project or a new technological process. The goal of the theoretical part, overseen by consultants and common theoretical teaching provided by the Department of Art Theory and History, is to teach visual artists self-reflection on their own work, the reception of more complex texts, and the ability to write longer academic texts about their work, or to communicate the results of their research in the educational process], or see the current call by the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic [vedavyzkum.cz: Art as Part of Research and Innovation or Could Rudolf II Have Enjoyed the ETA Programme?].

Recommended literature: Wilson, M. & van Ruiten, S. (2013): SHARE Handbook for Artistic Research Education; Cotter, L. (2019): Reclaiming Artistic Research; Smith, M. (2020): Research: Practitioner / Curator / Educator; The Vienna Declaration on Artistic Research (2020); Cramer, F. & Terpsma, N. (2021): What Is Wrong with the Vienna Declaration on Artistic Research?

What do I need to accomplish?

A doctorate (4-year doctoral programme at FFA, BUT) is the highest level of university education, and it involves study. Doctoral studies consist of two parts that complement each other: the study part (completed by passing the state doctoral exam) and the creative part (completed by defending the doctoral thesis). Unlike the qualifying theses at the bachelor's and master's levels, much greater emphasis is placed here on independent artistic and/or academic research activity. The doctoral student works with their supervisor and, together, chooses a research task. Under the supervisor’s guidance (and, if necessary, with the help of consultants), the student conducts research throughout the study that should aim to fulfil the set task. This process and its results are documented in the doctoral thesis, which is defended before a committee at the end of the study. During the study, the student must also pass the state doctoral exam. Defending the thesis and passing the state doctoral exam are not the only conditions for earning a doctorate. Another requirement is the successful completion of compulsory courses. Other obligations include reporting one's artistic and/or academic activities (usually exhibition activities, realised designs, publishing academic articles, and conference participation). Doctoral students in full-time study must also complete a certain amount of teaching activity during their two years of study.

What is the difference between full-time and part-time study?

In the part-time study format, students are not required to complete unpaid teaching practice in the second and third years of study, but they are also not entitled to a regular monthly doctoral stipend for the standard duration of the study. The obligation to complete at least one month of foreign internship applies to both full-time and part-time students, which must be completed before applying for the state doctoral exam. Part-time students also do not usually have the opportunity to be the principal investigators of certain types of grants.

Who can I contact with further questions?

The doctoral study agenda is handled by study officer Jana Janečková, tel. 541146803, janeckova@favu.vut.cz. Her office is located on the third floor, left side of building U2 (FFA, BUT, Údolní 53, 602 00 Brno). Conceptual questions can be addressed directly to the Chair of the Doctoral Board, the Doctoral Studies Coordinator.

Admissions

What are the requirements for admission to the doctoral programme? How does the interview work? Will I need to speak English during the interview?

The student must have completed a master's degree or be close to completing it (so that the master's degree is completed before enrolment in the doctoral programme). The dissertation topic must be agreed upon with a supervisor beforehand (the list of potential supervisors is published at least four months before the application deadline here). The student must be able to communicate in English, as part of the interview will be conducted in English. The evaluation focuses primarily on how well the student has thought through the process and overall logic of the dissertation project. The personal interview (in exceptional cases, via videoconference) with members of the committee will not only concern the submitted doctoral project but will also focus on the candidate's previous practice in the field of art, their results, and their reception. The concept of the dissertation project must be formulated and/or visualised in the prescribed form.

Can I work full-time elsewhere while doing a doctorate? How demanding is the study in terms of time?

It is possible to work while studying. Each year, doctoral students' activities are evaluated, so it depends on how much the job affects their progress. Naturally, full-time students have greater obligations (participating in studio consultations, etc.; see also the answer above to the question "What is the difference between full-time and part-time study?"). We try to aggregate the compulsory courses into a few teaching blocks each year – typically 4–5 Tuesdays per semester in recent years – and, in agreement with the supervisor, the individual study plan can be handled flexibly, allowing the study to be combined with work and family life. The current academic year's schedule can be found here.

Financial Matters

What is the amount of the regular monthly stipend?

All full-time doctoral students receive a regular monthly stipend of 12,000 CZK from the start of their studies. (This is a tax-free income paid monthly to the account of the doctoral student in accordance with § 91 paragraph 4 of the Higher Education Act). FFA does not use the strategy of gradually increasing the stipend depending on the year of study. Students in part-time study do not receive a regular monthly stipend.

How long will I receive the monthly stipend?

The regular doctoral stipend is granted for the standard period of study. For the doctoral programme at FFA, this means the first four years of full-time study. However, note that you will receive the regular doctoral stipend only if the total duration of your doctoral study (not just at FFA) does not exceed the standard period of study set for the relevant programme (four years at FFA). Periods of previous doctoral studies that were not successfully completed (i.e., not concluded with a successful defence of the dissertation) count towards the total duration of doctoral study. In other words: if you have already studied for a doctorate elsewhere but did not complete it, you will receive the doctoral stipend at FFA for x years, where x = 4 – number of years of doctoral study elsewhere (in the Czech Republic).

What other scholarships and financial support can I expect during my studies?

In addition to the regular monthly stipend for full-time doctoral students (12,000 CZK), students can apply for support for their own creative and/or teaching activities. An overview of scholarships can be found here and here. Doctoral students can also compete for Specific University Research funds (within the faculty and interfaculty university projects, with each grant amounting to 50–200 thousand CZK/year), and they can also compete for faculty funds for artistic activities together with academics for realisation support in the arts (up to 30 thousand CZK per project). Institutional support funds are available for publication activities (up to 500 thousand CZK per publication), and funding for pedagogical work can also be awarded through an internal competition. Based on the results recorded in the Register of Artistic Outputs (RUV) and the BUT Information System (RIV), doctoral students receive an annual extraordinary stipend in November/December (up to 85 thousand CZK per student). At the university level, there are other grant opportunities, such as KInG BUT from the OP VVV funds (in 2021, FFA succeeded with two of the three submitted projects: a one-year project with a budget of 480 thousand CZK and a two-year project with 960 thousand CZK in funding). FFA doctoral students have also been successful applicants for projects funded by the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic (TA ČR): Decentralised Collection, Analysis, Visualisation, and Interpretation of Large Datasets in Artistic Practice, 1 March 2018 – 31 March 2021; Institute of Forensic Interdisciplinary Research, Socially Emancipatory Design, and Architecture; 1 April 2020 – 31 March 2022.

Are there any non-financial benefits?

Of course, doctoral students have access to discounted phone services (BUT mobile), unlimited cloud services (Google, Microsoft, Cesnet), university-wide software, and faculty ICOM cards (free entry to cultural institutions in the Czech Republic and abroad). They can also use the faculty-wide facilities (library, wood and metal workshops, bookbinding workshop, laminating and painting rooms, computer lab, video studio, sound studio, video editing rooms, 3D studio , etc.). The same rules apply to borrowing A/V equipment and reserving production spaces as for bachelor's and master's students. For more information, see www.favu.vut.cz/en/phd#facilities. 

Study Process

What courses must I complete during my studies?

The courses in the doctoral programme at FFA are compulsory. Courses such as Sociological Aspects of Contemporary Art, Operational System of Contemporary Art, Theory of Contemporary Art, Digital Culture, Research by Artistic Creation, and Foreign Language for Doctoral Studies are concluded with a doctoral exam. Common Theoretical Teaching and Doctoral Colloquium are completed by a colloquium. Courses such as Methodology of Scientific Work and Qualitative Research Methods, Seminar on Dissertation Work, and Foreign Internship are completed by a credit. For a detailed schedule (over time), see the table. 

Do I have to go abroad during my studies?

The study regulations expect the student (in both full-time and part-time study) to gain international experience during the study, for a period of at least one month. The one-month stay can be divided into several shorter stays, each lasting at least 14 days. Most doctoral students undertake an internship abroad during their studies (usually in the 5th semester) for one semester (i.e., 4–6 months) through Erasmus+ practical and/or study internships, although some spend an entire year abroad. We strongly encourage students to participate in relevant international conferences and symposia, finances permitting. This broadens research experience and should help ensure the successful completion of studies. Completing internships and actively participating in conferences is also considered during the annual evaluation by the Doctoral Board. Basic statistics on doctoral mobility at the faculty can be found here.

How long can I study for a doctorate?

The maximum duration of study at BUT is twice the standard period of study, which means 8 years for the 4-year doctoral programme at FFA. This period includes all interruptions except those due to serious health reasons, pregnancy, childbirth, or parenting, or in connection with taking custody of a child in substitute care.

What are the responsibilities of a supervisor? Are they required to secure funding for my project and ensure I have adequate resources? What can I do if they don't fulfil their responsibilities?

Doctoral studies are designed as individual studies, with the professional relationship between the supervisor and the student being crucial. This relationship is expressed through the implementation of the individual study plan. The role of the supervisor is therefore irreplaceable in doctoral studies. The supervisor is responsible for the quality of the doctoral project and for providing expert guidance on the dissertation. Students and their supervisors should have a professional and personal understanding, with the ability to provide mutual feedback. The supervisor is responsible for guiding the student to complete the dissertation project on time and at an appropriate level. The supervisor should also advise on how to secure funding for the dissertation project (which the supervisor is responsible for). The supervisor is also obliged to provide the doctoral student with basic resources at the training workplace, based on mutual agreement, if shared spaces – doctoral workrooms (rooms 333 and 334, building U2, third floor on the right, 30+35 m²) and the doctoral studio (building U1, ground floor, 110 m²) – are insufficient. If the supervisor does not fulfil their responsibilities, the supervisor can be changed officially: based on a written request, which is reviewed by the Doctoral Board and approved by the Dean of the faculty. Disagreements between students and supervisors are usually resolved by the programme director (Chair of the Doctoral Board). Of course, students can also approach the Faculty Ombudsperson (see also the Counselling page).

How do I apply for the state doctoral exam?

In the third year of study, it is necessary to pass the state doctoral exam, for which the doctoral student submits (at least a 20-page) dissertation project proposal (i.e., 36,000 characters including spaces). The student applies for the exam by submitting a written application including the required attachments (see the second page of the application). The proposal must meet the formal requirements specified in the Rules for the Organisation of Studies in the Doctoral Programme [Article 10: The dissertation project proposal must be submitted in 2 printed and bound copies, as well as in an electronic version in PDF format, 20–30 numbered A4 pages in Czech (or Slovak) or English. The proposal must include a critical assessment of the state of knowledge in the field and a summary of the doctoral student's progress to date. The proposal must contain the following: a) the title of the dissertation in Czech (or Slovak) and English, b) keywords in Czech and English, c) an abstract of the dissertation in Czech and English, d) the objectives of the dissertation in Czech or English, e) a description of the chosen methods in Czech or English, f) a critical review of the state of knowledge in Czech or English, g) a list of literature and other sources in Czech or English, h) concise information about the planned practical output – artwork (its concept and form), exhibition, curatorial project or other activities to be the practical output of the doctoral study, in Czech or English.]  The official assignment of the dissertation is entered into the university information system (BUT IS) on the day the state doctoral exam is passed. The dissertation topic is proposed by the doctoral student in the project proposal, which serves as a basis for discussion during the state doctoral exam. The assignment, once refined based on the state doctoral exam protocol (and approved by the Dean), will be entered into the BUT IS by the faculty's study department (i.e., the final thesis title indicated in the protocol will be assigned to the doctoral student). The dissertation assignment cannot be changed thereafter. The State Doctoral Exam Committee may also recommend a consultant for the theoretical and/or practical part of the dissertation. After passing the state doctoral exam, only one step remains to complete the doctoral studies – submission and defence of the dissertation (usually in the fourth or fifth year of study). See also www.favu.vut.cz/dsp/sdz-pojednani.

Can I apply for the state doctoral exam before completing all the study requirements included in my approved individual study plan (ISP)?

No, or only in serious cases (e.g., postponing the completion of the Foreign Internship course due to a pandemic situation, or Pedagogical Practice by agreement with the supervisor, etc.), and it would require an update to the ISP, which can be done during the annual ISP update in the BUT Information System (Apollo). Always consult the programme director (Chair of the Doctoral Board) and your supervisor beforehand.

How does the state doctoral exam work?

The procedure for the state doctoral exam is as follows: the chair opens the exam, introduces the doctoral student, states the dissertation topic, and presents the committee with an overview of the student’s activities. The doctoral student delivers a 15-minute presentation summarising the main ideas of the dissertation project, presents the results achieved so far and the planned approach to the dissertation. The supervisor presents their view on the dissertation project and the student’s work to date. A selected member of the committee gives their (opponent’s) opinion on the project, to which the doctoral student responds. The chair then opens a general discussion, in which all present may participate, and the student answers questions, which are recorded in the protocol. The protocol is usually prepared by the doctoral studies coordinator. During the state doctoral exam, standard presentation technology is available to the student – a projector, a computer with internet access, and sound equipment.

Completion of Studies (Dissertation Defence)

How does the dissertation defence work (presentation length, language, etc.)?

By the end of the maximum study period, the doctoral student must complete the dissertation defence; they apply for the defence by submitting a written application including attachments (see the second page of the application) at least 3 months before the end of the maximum study period. The dissertation defence is a professional discussion between the doctoral student and the opponents, members of the Dissertation Defence Committee, and other participants. The dissertation at FFA, BUT is understood as a bound volume containing: an overview of the current state of the topic; the aim of the dissertation; the results of the dissertation, with an indication of new knowledge; their analysis and their significance for implementation in practice or for further development of the field; a list of references used; a list of the student's own works related to the dissertation topic; documentation and an abstract of the realised creative doctoral project (the practical output of the doctoral study). There is no minimum number of pages required for the dissertation. The dissertation may also consist of a thematically arranged set of published texts and works accepted for publication (see Article 42, paragraph 1b of BUT Study and Examination Regulations); in this case, the submission of documentation and an abstract of the practical output of the doctoral study is also required. The dissertation can be submitted in Czech, English, or Slovak. ––– The defence itself proceeds as follows: the chair opens the defence, introduces the doctoral student, states the dissertation topic, and presents the committee with an overview of the student’s activities during their studies (publications, created artworks, etc.), the doctoral student presents the main content and key results of their dissertation (usually a 30-minute presentation), the supervisor presents their view on the doctoral student and the dissertation, (two) opponents present the main content of their reports, the doctoral student responds totheir reports, especially to any objections, comments, and questions. The chair opens a discussion. Finally, the committee discusses the course of the defence privately and decides by secret ballot whether the student has successfully defended the dissertation or not. The result is announced to the student immediately (after the private session of the committee). The defence usually does not take longer than two hours. The defence is public and may be conducted in English if the dissertation was submitted in English and/or if foreign opponents or committee members are present, and the committee agrees to conduct the defence in English. The protocol of the defence is usually prepared by the doctoral studies coordinator.

Do I need the consent of co-authors of publications, manuscripts, or artworks that I want to include in my dissertation?

Explicit consent from all co-authors is not required in the dissertation. However, the contribution of the dissertation author to each work must be declared. This should be confirmed by one of the main co-authors. A declaration of authorship can either be part of the dissertation or submitted as a separate document.

What about "declarations" in dissertations? Some people state that they have worked on their own :), while others acknowledge important team members. Do these declarations have to be part of the dissertation? What formatting principles should I follow?

Declarations must be part of the dissertation, and they should be truthful. The wording depends to a large extent on the author. A recommended declaration might read (or its Czech equivalent): “I declare that this thesis has not been submitted for the purpose of obtaining the same or any other academic degree earlier or at another institution. My involvement in the research presented in this thesis is expressed through the authorship order of the included artworks, publications and manuscripts. All literature sources I used when writing this thesis have been properly cited.” (...) “I declare that I have worked on this dissertation independently, using only the cited literature, information, and sources, and that this dissertation has not been submitted for any previous degree. All sources I have consulted are properly cited in the work and listed in the bibliography and works cited. (The work includes excerpts from my own texts previously published, see the bibliographical record...) I agree that the work may be stored in the university's electronic archive and made available for study purposes in the faculty library. I, the undersigned student, hereby declare that the printed version of the submitted work is identical to the electronic version uploaded to the university's final thesis database.”

To achieve a standard format of texts (in the field of art), we recommend following the guidelines for text formatting published in the journal *Umění* or Sešit pro umění, teorii a příbuzné zóny (*Art, Theory, and Related Zones*) (i.e., we follow a system of citing sources using footnotes – with full citations for the first occurrence, followed by shortened citations, and a bibliography at the end, divided into sources, monographs, periodicals, online sources, etc.).

Counselling and Social Safety

Information on counselling for mental health issues and other topics can be found on the page: www.favu.vut.cz/en/students/counselling. The Dean's Directive on Social Safety at the Faculty of Fine Arts also establishes binding rules to ensure social safety, overseen by the Ombudsperson. The Ombudsperson of the Faculty of Fine Arts, BUT, is an independent individual who creates space for dialogue and confidential support for students, faculty members, and staff, particularly in matters of ethics, workplace culture, and preventing abuse of power.