How would I do a PhD in the Art History department?

First, you need to consider what kind of PhD you want to do. Are you going to be full-time or part-time? Do you want to follow the distance learning path or do you want to be an ordinary research student, with a closer connection to the OU campus?

Here, it is helpful to know that the academics who work with you on your project are known as your ‘supervisors’. This is rather different to the role of an undergraduate tutor; in a doctoral programme, you are expected to be highly self-directed in how you develop and refine your research, so we don’t tutor you, but we do read, comment and advise on your work as you produce it. Distance learners normally work with their supervisors on-line; ordinary research students have to see their supervisors in person for a mandatory number of meetings across each academic year.

As this suggests, your primary relationships are with your supervisors (usually two academics) within your department. We expect to meet with you, online or face to face, at least once a month (full-time), so you are not left alone. You will be asked to write as you go along, particularly across your first year (or first two years, if you are part-time).

PhD theses in art, architecture and design history and in visual, sensorial and material cultures require a wide range of scholarly resources. The OU library comes with an excellent set of resources, including databases and online publications. Yet you are strongly advised to consider how you can use your nearest university library as well, gaining access through the SCONUL scheme. This is important for Arts and Humanities research, where a substantial amount of research literature is still in print-only form. You may also need to travel in order to visit relevant research materials in archives, museums and galleries, as well as specialist library collections; your key sources and their locations will need to be identified in your research proposal, so this also needs to be feasible for you. All OU PhD candidates have an annual expenditure allowance to support their research and travel. 

Finally, you will be part of the wider OU research degrees community. Particularly in your first year (full-time) or first two years (part-time), you will be expected to identify and develop any skills necessary to conduct your research by joining the OU training sessions offered across the year. This might include technical training on specific IT needs, or support on developing your own voice within the standard formats of academic writing. You will have full access to the online OU Graduate School Network, which is your ‘one stop shop’ for support and guidance. 

Find out more about 'How to apply for a PhD in Art History'.