Postgraduate Research Study in Art, Design and Architecture

The international multi award-winning School of Arts and Humanities at the University of Huddersfield aims to foster the next generation of creative researchers, and boasts a dynamic and interactive learning community that will enable postgraduate research students to nurture, develop and exploit their talents. 

We offer the following research programmes:

• MA by Research - Architecture and the Built Environment (Full-time and part-time)
• MA by Research - Art and Design (Full-time and part-time)
• MA by Research - Fashion and Textiles (Full-time and part-time)
• MSc by Research - Architecture and the Built Environment (Full-time and part-time)
• MSc by Research - Art and Design (Full-time and part-time)
• MSc by Research - Fashion and Textiles (Full-time and part-time)
• PhD - Architecture and the Built Environment (Full-time and part-time)
• PhD - Art and Design (Full-time and part-time)
• PhD - Fashion and Textiles (Full-time and part-time)

You will find listed on the course pages several ‘research topics’ which have been designed by experienced supervisors. It may be that you are interested in pursuing an aspect of one of these projects, so do please consider approaching the named academic to discuss your ideas in further detail.

You may also want to design a project of your own. We very much welcome applications in the following broad research areas:

As a research student in the School of Arts and Humanities, you will be attached to one or more of the research centres below.

Application process

If applying to study for a research degree you will need to enclose a research proposal of approximately 2000 words. This should be attached to the research application form and should be word processed and written in good English. Particular attention will be paid to clarity of expression and also the structure, coherence and flow of argument. The following provides guidance on what to include:

• Topic/theme/question/general area of investigation - Please provide a working title
• Introduction - The introductory section serves to delineate the general area within which the research is to be undertaken, to outline the manner in which the proposal is to be developed and, hopefully, to stimulate the reader’s interest
• Review of existing sources/research related to your field/area of investigation - Provide a review of previous research/existing precedents relevant to the area. We suggest a minimum of 12 sources, correctly cited and referenced. Explain how and why they are relevant to your topic/theme/area of investigation. Outline your reasons for wishing to undertake the research.
• Aims and objectives - What are you going to explore and how might you go about doing it? For your aims, provide a simple statement of what the research is seeking to achieve. For your objectives, provide a number of bullet points of objectives to help you meet the aims of your research.
• What types of methods/approaches/processes do you propose to use? - Outline the methodological approaches you might want to use/apply/invent to undertake your research. If your proposal has a picture element, please outline the specific nature of the practice and how you propose to undertake research-through-practice. There are a range of different methodologies suited to different subject disciplines. It is encouraged that you reference methodological sources to help explain your proposed approach.
• References - You should provide a reference list citing all the materials used in the preparation of the proposal.
• Portfolio of Practice - If you proposal is research-through-practice, please provide a PDF appendix to accompany your proposal showcasing previous projects/work/elements of practice.

For additional help and guidance on the application process, please contact: sah.research@hud.ac.uk