PhD/MPhil Research Degrees/History of Art and/or Archaeology

Undertaking a research degree is an intense and personally rewarding experience.  A full-time doctoral student has three years to complete a full draft of their thesis and then a further one year for writing up (known as a 3+1 degree). The department offers a dynamic and collegiate atmosphere to support research students in all dimensions of their work – from developing the individual thought process, to information-sharing on archives or conferences, to refining presentation skills, to building social and professional networks. Research degrees are generally undertaken by individuals who aim to become professionals in the field of art history and/or archaeology, whether as academics who carry out research and teach in universities or as curators or educators in museums, libraries or archives, or in any number of other related areas such as academic publishing or even the commercial art world. Embarking on a research degree is not just about the qualification but also about developing as a person and a professional so as to be able to contribute to the multitude of discourses in, and perhaps also far beyond, the discipline. 

Beyond the distinctive intellectual environment of SOAS, doctoral researchers are generally drawn to work with an individual supervisor who is an expert in a particular field and often known for a particular critical approach. Many of our current students completed MA degrees at SOAS during which time they took courses with and got to know members of academic staff in the department, experiences that encouraged them to consider a research degree. Prospective applicants may wish to browse through the staff profiles for updated biographies and publications. Some supervisors prefer their research students to have trained under them at MA level even if they have an MA in art history or archaeology from elsewhere. Our department generally makes about 10-20 offers each year. Our programme has one of the highest completion rates at SOAS and indeed in the sector: we graduate about 0.7 doctorates each year, within the 3+1 year framework, per full time member of staff.