PhD programme
The doctoral programme in Art History and Visual Culture is a humanities curriculum designed to provide students with theoretical preparation and practical skills in art history and visual culture at an international level. This means both theoretical preparation in current issues and debates in contemporary art history and practical preparation in research methodology, its philosophical underpinnings and academic writing techniques, practices and ethics. Central to the learning process is the students’ individual research (doctoral thesis) and its planning, execution and completion in dialogue with the supervisor. The role of the curriculum modules is to support and consolidate the completion of the doctoral thesis and, through it, to train independent researchers. General subjects of the doctoral programme ensure the students’ professional skills as researchers; the aim of the doctoral seminar is to broaden the knowledge of the current research issues and methodologies in social sciences and humanities. The individual study is supplemented with intensive seminars by international lecturers; EAA also participates in the Estonian Doctoral School, which offers high-level interdisciplinary lectures and seminars.
General objectives of the curriculum:
– to ensure a theoretical foundation and knowledge in the field of art history corresponding to international standards;
– to ensure appropriate professional skills in regard to methodology and philosophical principles for research activity;
– to develop the skills of academic expression;
– to prepare top-level specialists for work as academic researchers, museum research fellows or teaching staff at higher education institutions.
The head of the Institute of Art History and Visual Culture doctoral programme is professor Andres Kurg.
See also the topics on doctoral students and doctoral dissertations in the field of Art History and Visual Culture Studies.
