04 Jan 2011

Call for applications: Doctorate in Fine Arts

The Finnish Academy of Fine Arts admits new students to the Doctoral Studies Programme

Application period: 15 December 2010 – 28 February 2011.

For further information, please contact
Professor Jan Kaila, Head of Programme
E-mail: firstname.lastname(a)kuva.fi

Henri Wegelius, Amanuensis
tel. +358 9 680 33 234 or +358 45 657 8656 (mobile)
E-mail: firstname.lastname(a)kuva.fi

An application form and instructions for applying can be obtained from the Academy’s website  "http://www.kuva.fi/portal/english/applying/doctoral_studies_2011/", or from the Academy’s information desk at Kaikukatu 4, 00530 Helsinki.

The admission results will be announced on 1 June 2011. The studies will commence in September 2011.


The Finnish Academy of Fine Arts has an internationally acclaimed Doctoral Studies Programme, with pioneering work in artistic research and postgraduate studies. The degree of a Doctorate in Fine Arts was established in 1997. Doctoral studies in the Finnish Academy of Fine Arts are based on artistic research where high-quality artistic work intertwines with theoretical research. Doctoral students are experts in their own field, internationally renowned visual artists who apply research methods to their work.

The aim of the doctoral studies is to give the students a profound understanding of their own field and the ability to produce high-quality artistic work that demonstrates their artistic maturity as well as to engage the students in independent, innovative artistic research in the field of their choice. The primary results of artistic research are artistic productions presented publicly. As another important result of their research, doctoral students produce reflective and theoretical knowledge about their own art works, the process of making and presenting them.

The students admitted to this programme, leading to a Doctorate in Fine Arts, are required to complete the postgraduate studies and successfully defend their dissertation in public. The extent of the degree is 240 credits (ECTS).

There are no tuition fees but the students must be prepared to cover his/her expenses during the study period. Please note that the Academy can´t provide funding for your studies but we can assist in applying for it.

Further information on doctoral studies at the Finnish Academy of Fine Arts can be found at  "http://www.kuva.fi/portal/english/applying/doctoral_studies_2011" and in "http://www.kuva.fi/attachments/projektit/the_artists_knowledge_2.pdf" The Artist’s Knowledge 2, a recent publication of the Department.


Among others the following people have taught at the Doctoral Studies Programme of the Finnish Academy of Fine Arts:

John Aiken (UK), Viktor Alimpiev (Russia), Tiong Ang (Netherlands), Rasheed Araeen (UK), Roy Ascott (UK), Mieke Bal (Netherlands), Kate Bush (UK), Daniel de Chenu (Ireland), Maeve Connolly (Ireland), Tony Conrad (USA), Tacita Dean (UK), Shawn Decker (USA), Ekaterina Degot (Russia), Florian Dombois (Germany), Kathryn Findlay (UK), Catharina Gabrielsson (Sweden), Gerrit Gohlke (Germany), Dan Graham (USA), Boris Groys (Russia), Annika von Haussvolff (Sweden), Hannah Higgins (USA), Philip Hoffman (Canada), Timothy Emlyn Jones (Ireland), Tom Nicholson (Australia), Friedl Kubelka (Austria), Peter Kubelka (Austria), Ray Langenbach (USA/Malaysia), Mats Leidestam (Sweden), Peeter Linnap (Estonia), Ronan MaCCrea (Ireland), Katrin von Maltzahn (Germany), Jenine Marchessault (Canada), Laura Marks (Canada), Robin Minard (Germany), Viktor Misiano (Russia), Roger Palmer (UK), Adrian Piper (USA), Dominic Redfern (Australia), Denise Robinson (UK), Gertrud Sanqvist (Sweden), Henk Slager (Netherlands), Hito Steyerl (Germany), Jan Svenungsson (Sweden), Wolfgang Tillmans (UK /Germany), Sven-Olof Wallenstein (Sweden), Thomas Weski (Germany), Mick Wilson (Ireland).