Course Summary
Every year NCAD recruits a small number of research students who, working closely with their supervisors, develop and then follow bespoke programmes of study. They join a community of c. 20 full time and part time doctoral (PhD) students exploring different aspects of the history, theory and practice of art and design, as well as studies into different faces of art and design education.
College Link
Career Sectors
This course prepares you for working in the Career Sectors below. Follow the links to get a fuller understanding of the sectors you are preparing for.
Entry Requirements
Application Details
Thinking about applying to NCAD for Postgraduate Research?
If you have a subject / approach that you wish to explore with the team at NCAD, please answer contact us by email answering the following questions (a page or two will be sufficient) and supply a CV.
What is my research field and/or questions? And why is NCAD a good place to pursue this topic?
What is the state of thinking and / or research in that field? In other words, what will make your research original?
What will my approach to research be?
What sources will be required? (either facilities at NCAD or elsewhere, such as archives, etc.)
This will allow us to establish whether your interests connect with those of the college and whether we have sufficient staff expertise to support your work.
Please note that NCAD has a limited number of scholarships to support doctoral studies. They cover the cost of fees and are awarded on the basis of academic merit. Maintenance funding (i.e. to meet the costs of living) is not available from the College.
Please send this material to this [email protected] making sure to include a CV
Fees
We welcome informal approaches before receiving a formal application.
We often encourage potential applicants to come in to NCAD / or talk on the phone/skype before applying. This allows us to understand the subject and also to establish whether we have the right expertise to support you.
If you would like to talk about your ideas before applying, it is helpful if you draft some notes in answer to the following questions
What is my research field and/or questions?
What is the state of thinking and / or research in that field? (it is important to demonstrate an awareness of the work of others in order to show ‘originality’)
What will my approach to research be? (will you be using a body of theory or conducting interviews?)
What sources will be required and do I have access to them? (For instance, do you plan to work with archives?)
Please send these notes to the Visual Culture office [email protected] - and a member of staff will respond.
We also recommend that you read some PhD work prior making an application to understand the challenges involved. We keep copies of existing PhD work in the library at NCAD.
The Student
Career Interests
This course is typically suited for people with the following Career Interests. If these interests do not describe you, this course may prepare you for work you may not find satisfying.
Creative
Creative people are drawn to careers and activities that enable them to take responsibility for the design, layout or sensory impact of something (visual, auditory etc). They may be atrracted to the traditional artistic pursuits such as painting, sculpture, singing, or music. Or they may show more interest in design activities, such as architecture, animation, or craft areas, such as pottery and ceramics.
Creative people use their personal understanding of people and the world they live in to guide their work. Creative people like to work in unstructured workplaces, enjoy taking risks and prefer a minimum of routine.
Investigative
The Investigative person will usually find a particular area of science to be of interest. They are inclined toward intellectual and analytical activities and enjoy observation and theory. They may prefer thought to action, and enjoy the challenge of solving problems with sophiscticated technology. These types prefer mentally stimulating environments and often pay close attention to developments in their chosen field.