Philosophy

The program is built on the concept that research in architecture, art, design and visual culture generally, is in the visual practice - the creative outcome is the research, and this builds bridges between professional practice and university research.

The research contribution of visual culture has been overlooked for too long even though its products surround us everywhere. The entire constructed environment and its content represent studio research, the products of creative imagination in art, design, architecture and their related activities. These achievements have been recognized for their aesthetic qualities, but not considered as research, when like any other academic discipline, they are dependent on knowledge and experience systematically applied to outcomes relevant to the discipline, in this case, the development of visual form. The outcome is a product of creativity and imagination, but it is also, to quote the OECD's definition of research, "creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase the stock of knowledge"; it is just that the ‘stock of knowledge' in the case of visual disciplines is visual and contributes to culture.

The Monash Studio PhD recognizes that systematically developed visual outcomes constitute research and advance the stock of visual knowledge; they contribute to and enhance the visual environment. The PhD strengthens the status of the visual and reinforces the link between art and knowledge development in its cultural form. The thesis in disciplines such as fine/visual art, design, multimedia & architecture is the visual work contextualized by a document, or exegesis, which discusses the nature of how the work builds on the visual context it addresses.

The great strength of the Monash program is its structure and inter-disciplinary relationships. The range and number of candidates offers a dynamic, creative environment where ideas and imagery feed and enrich the research experience in an academy of creative scholars, intent on building high quality art.

Principal areas of research include architecture, curatorial practice, fine arts/visual arts, design, multimedia and digital arts, and Art History & Theory. Candidates can undertake the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in either of two research modes:

• By Studio/Project Research
• By Thesis

All candidates must undertake the three Coursework Subjects:

• Research Methods
• Theory Workshop
• Documentation Studies

The minimum qualifications for admission to PhD enrolment are:

• a bachelor's degree requiring at least four years of full-time study in a relevant field, and which normally includes a research component in the fourth year, leading to an honours 1 or 2A in a relevant field;
• a course leading to a level rated by the relevant department, faculty and committee as equivalent to an honours 1 or 2A in a relevant field;
• a master's degree that entails work, normally including a significant research component, including at least 25% of one full time equivalent year of work, including a thesis. It is normally expected that a grade of honours 2A has been obtained for the research thesis or project. Where ungraded, examiners' reports will be taken into account; or
• have qualifications which in the opinion of GRC are deemed equivalent.

All international students studying in Australia are required to pay full fees and be enrolled on a full-fee basis. Course fees are not fixed for the duration of the course and may increase depending on determinations in relation to the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

International students on student visa are also required to have Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC).

Students who are accompanied to Australia by dependants must have family rate cover for OSHC.

Graduate scholarships

Graduate research scholarships are available for full-time research at graduate level for study at one of Monash University's Australian campuses. Over 300 living allowance or stipend scholarships are offered at the main central selection round, which closes on 31 October each year. Approximately 70 international scholarship awardees are also offered scholarships to meet their tuition costs. 

A mid-year scholarship round is held each year which closes on 31 May. Approximately 70 living allowance or stipend scholarships and 15 tuition-paying scholarships are offered. In addition, some faculties offer scholarships to a number of applicants who miss out on a central scholarship offer.