PhD Fine Arts is a research based doctoral course which focuses on the various aspects of Fine Arts including Painting, Drawing, Handicrafts, Sculptures etc. The minimum duration of this course is 3 years, but it can be extended upto a duration of 5 years.
The course will include a coursework followed by a research program. Some of the popular subjects in PhD Fine Arts course include Art History, Art Criticism, Fine Arts Techniques etc. The candidate will have to perform research on any one of the topics and submit the thesis at the end of the course.
The candidates must complete Master’s in Fine Arts or related discipline to be eligible for PhD Fine Arts course. The candidates must score minimum 55% or above in the masters level to be eligible for admission.
The admission to PhD Fine Arts course is generally given on the basis of Entrance Exams followed by Personal Interview. The candidates will have to explain their research idea during the personal interview. Some colleges may also take a small Fine Arts test to check the skills of the candidates.
The average annual fees for PhD Fine Arts course ranges between INR 25,000 and 75,000. However, the fees may vary depending on the institute providing the course.
The PhD Fine Arts candidates generally get jobs as Teachers and Professors, Art Designers, Painters, Interior Decorators etc. They can also start their own art gallery and become self employed.
The Average Annual Salary for PhD Fine Arts candidates generally ranges between INR 4,00,000 and 6,00,000, but the salary is expected to increase depending on the skills and expertise of the candidates.
If students wish to do further research, they can become independent researchers and publish their research papers. They can also earn a DSc (Doctor of Science) degree in the related domain in future.
PhD Fine Arts: Course Highlights
The major highlights of the PhD Fine Arts Course are tabulated in the table below:
| Course Level | Doctoral |
| Full-Form | Doctor of Philosophy in Fine Arts |
| Duration | 3-5 years |
| Examination type | Semester- Wise |
| Eligibility | Master’s degree in Fine Arts with minimum 55% aggregate score |
| Admission Process | Entrance-Based |
| Average Fee | INR 25,000 to 75,000 |
| Average Salary | INR 4,00,000 to 6,00,000 |
| Top Recruiting Areas | Film Industry, Theatres, Television Industry, Fashion Industry, among others. |
| Job Positions | Teachers and Professors, Art Designers, Painters, Interior Decorators etc. |
PhD Fine Arts: What is it All About?
The PhD Fine Arts Course is one of the highest degrees in the field of Fine Arts. The below given points explain what it is all about.
- The PhD Fine Arts course involves advanced level coursework and research on any one of the major Fine Arts subjects.
- It includes all the major disciplines of Fine Arts like Painting, Drawing, Designing, Handicrafts, Sculpture, Calligraphy, Mosaic etc.
- The subjects taught during the coursework of PhD Fine Arts generally include Art History, Art Criticism, Proper Art Techniques, Different Forms of Arts, Research Techniques etc.
- After the completion of coursework, the candidates will have to perform a detailed research on their research proposal.
- After the completion of the research, the candidates will need to submit their research thesis for evaluation.
- The candidates will also have to go through viva voce on the basis of their research.
- The course will prepare the candidates to take on advanced level research based Art Projects in future.
Why Study PhD Fine Arts?
PhD Fine Arts course has numerous advantages, some of them are discussed below.
- The demand for Fine Arts usually remains high, especially in sectors like designing, film and advertising industry. So, these candidates will easily get hired after completing PhD Fine Arts course.
- The candidates who complete this course will learn to do advanced level art works, after which the candidates may open their own art gallery as well.
- The candidates may also get recruited in various handlooms, cottage handicrafts industries and fashion companies with High Salary.
- The average annual starting salary offered to PhD Fine Arts candidates ranges between INR 4,00,000 to INR 6,00,000.
- The candidates after completing their PhD can also work as Professors and lecturers in various colleges and universities.
- They can also start their own art schools and institutions.
- The candidates with high skillets may also get opportunities to do artworks abroad.
What is the Admission Process for a PhD Fine Arts Course?
Most of the colleges offer admission to PhD Fine Arts course on the basis of Entrance Exams. After the entrance exam, the candidates are generally called for a personal interview where they are asked about their research ideas and art skills. The general admission process followed by most of the colleges is discussed below.
- Step 1: Application Process: The candidates will need to apply separately for both the colleges and entrance exams. The colleges generally release the forms online on their website. The application form for entrance exams are available in the websites of the conducting bodies.
- Step 2: Entrance Exams: Most of the PhD Fine Arts Exams are conducted online but some entrance exams may be conducted offline if they include sections where the candidates will actually need to draw something. The exams are usually conducted in May.
- Step 3: Results, Cutoffs and Merit Lists: The entrance exam results will be released by the conducting body. Based on the results, the universities will release cutoff marks and merit lists.
- Step 4: Personal Interview: The shortlisted candidates will be called for Personal Interview, during which, the candidates will have to explain their research idea to the interview panel.
- Step 5: Document Verification: After a personal interview, if the interview panel is impressed, then the candidates will have to submit their documents for document verification.
- Step 6: Enrolment: After the document verification, if the candidate is found eligible, he/she will be given admission to the course.
Some of the important documents that need to be presented during document verification are listed below:
- Bachelor level and Master\’s level transcripts.
- Birth Certificate
- Migration Certificate
- Photo ID
- Passport Size Photographs
- Research Proposal
What is the Eligibility Criteria for Admission to PhD Fine Arts Course?
The candidates who wish to get admission to PhD Fine Arts course will have to qualify certain eligibility criteria, some of which are listed below.
- The candidates will have to complete their MFA or Master degree in Fine Arts or other related disciplines from a recognized university.
- The candidates will have to attain minimum 55% marks to be eligible for admission.
- The candidates should have a valid research proposal.
- The candidates should have good fine arts skills which may be tested during the interview.
Which are the Top Entrance Exams for PhD Fine Arts Course?
While the majority of colleges accept national level exams like UGC-NET etc, some colleges like VELS University, Aligarh Muslim University etc. conduct their own entrance exams. Some of the important entrance exams for PhD Fine Arts course are discussed below.
- UGC-NET: National Eligibility Test is a national level entrance exam conducted by the National Testing Agency to select candidates for PhD courses, JRF and faculty positions in colleges and universities. It is generally conducted twice a year, once in December and the other in May-June.
- CSIR-UGC-NET: This is also a national level entrance exam conducted by NTA. The main purpose of this exam is to shortlist candidates for Junior Research Fellowships and lectureship in reputed science and technology colleges in India including the IITs. This exam is conducted twice a year.
- AMU Entrance Exam: AMUEE is conducted by Aligarh Muslim University for admission to various courses offered by the University and its colleges.
Some important dates related to these entrance exams are tabulated below.
| Exam Name | Exam Date |
|---|---|
| UGC-NET (June Session) | June 10-21, 2024 (Expected) |
| CSIR-UGC-NET | To be announced |
| AMUEE | To be announced |
How to Prepare for PhD Fine Arts Entrance Exams?
To prepare well for PhD Fine Arts Entrance Exams, the candidates need to clearly know the syllabus and topics that need to be covered. The exam pattern and important topics are discussed below.
Exam Pattern – The Question paper of common PhD Entrance Exams like UGC-NET is divided into two sections, one general section which is common for all, and one subject specific sections which have questions related to the specialisation subject.
The question pattern for UGC-NET is discussed in the table below.
| Parameters | Paper I | Paper II |
|---|---|---|
| Question topic | General (Common for All) | Subject Specific |
| Question type | MCQ | MCQ |
| Number of Questions | 50 | 100 |
Important Subjects – The subject specific section generally includes questions from the topics covered in masters level. Some important topics are tabulated below.
| Art History, Art Criticism and Art Theory | Philosophy of Art |
|---|---|
| Prehistoric to Modern Art | Indian Folk Art |
| Contemporary Art | Various techniques of Fine Arts |
| Postmodern Art | Principles of Art |
Important Points to keep in Mind
Some of the important tips that will help you prepare effectively for the exam are discussed below.
- Try to complete the entire syllabus of the entrance exam at least 1 month before the exam date. This will help you get ample time for revision.
- Be thorough with the syllabus and important topics to cover so that no topic is left out.
- Practice as many sample papers as you can. Try to solve them within a stipulated time period in the exam environment.
- After solving the sample papers, check your scores and note them down. This will help you in tracking your daily progress and recognising the areas for improvement.
- For performing better in the general knowledge section, read newspapers daily.
How to get admission in a top PhD Fine Arts Colleges?
Students need to keep in mind the following points to get admission in a good PhD Fine Arts college.
- The candidates will need to score good marks in the entrance examination, so that they can clear the cutoffs for top colleges.
- If the entrance exam has negative marking, avoid giving rash answers. This will help you avoid unnecessary loss of marks.
- The candidates will have to work on their Fine Arts skills properly as it may be tested during the interview.
- The candidates will also have to prepare their research proposal carefully so that they can impress the panel.
- Fill the application form carefully, so that it does not have any errors. Errors in application may lead to cancellation of the candidature.
PhD Fine Arts vs PhD Visual Arts
PhD Fine Arts and PhD Visual Arts are very similar courses which deal with similar topics like Art History, Art Criticism, etc but they have many major differences as well. The two courses have been compared below.
| Parameters | PhD Fine Arts | PhD Visual Arts |
|---|---|---|
| Full Form | Doctor of Philosophy in Fine Arts | Doctor of Philosophy in Visual Arts |
| Overview | PhD Fine Arts mainly covers the topics related to painting, sculpture, drawing, mosaic, and other art and craft. It generally does not include topics related to animation, dance and theatre. | PhD Visual Arts courses generally include Painting, Designing, Mosaic, Calligraphy along with Animation, Graphics, Embroidery, etc. |
| Admission Process | Entrance Based | Entrance Based |
| Eligibility Criteria | Masters with minimum 55% aggregate | Masters with minimum 55% aggregate |
| Top Colleges | Savitribai Phule Pune University, Aligarh Muslim University, Jamia Millia Islamia, Amity University, University of Lucknow, etc. | Jawaharlal Nehru University, Assam University, Banasthali Vidyapith, Maharshi Dayanand University, etc. |
| Average Annual Fees | INR 25,000 to 75,000 | INR 30,000 to 1,00,000 |
| Major Employment Area | Film Industry, Theatres, Television Industry, Fashion Industry, among others. | Film Industry, Animation Studios, Graphic Studios, Fashion Industry, etc. |
| Average Annual Salary | INR 4,00,000 to 6,00,000 | INR 5,00,000 to 8,00,000 |
Which are the Top colleges for studying PhD Fine Arts?
Many top colleges in India offer PhD Fine Arts course. Recently, some reputed IITs like IIT Kanpur, IIT Roorkee, etc have also started offering Fine Arts courses. Some of the top colleges providing PhD Fine Arts are listed in the table below.
| Name of the College/ University | Average Annual Fees | Average Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|
| SPPU, Pune | INR 8,000 | INR 6,50,000 |
| AMU, Aligarh | INR 9,285 | INR 5,20,000 |
| Amity University, Noida | INR 1,20,000 | INR 3,00,000 |
| VELS Institute of Science, Technology and Advanced Studies, Chennai | INR 28,500 | INR 3,87,000 |
| University of Lucknow , Lucknow | INR 10,000 | INR 4,50,000 |
| MGKVP, Varanasi | INR 15,000 | INR 3,28,000 |
| Royal Global University, Guwahati | INR 1,41,000 | INR 4,00,000 |
| Singhania University, Jhunjhunu | INR 66,500 | INR 5,30,000 |
| NIU, Greater Noida | INR 1,02,000 | INR 3,45,000 |
PhD Fine Arts College Comparison
The top three universities offering PhD Fine Arts have been compared on the basis of parameters like Admission Process, Average Annual Fees, Average Annual Salary etc.
| Parameters | Savitribai Phule Pune University | Aligarh Muslim University | Amity University |
|---|---|---|---|
| Location | Pune | Aligarh | Greater Noida |
| Overview | Savitribai Phule Pune University is one of the most reputed public universities in India. It has been consistently ranked by NIRF as one of the top Universities in the country. It has more than 500 affiliated colleges and more than 40 academic divisions. It provides UG, PG and Doctorate level courses in both Regular and distance modes. | Aligarh Muslim University is one of the best and oldest minority universities in India. It is known to offer a plethora of high quality courses across all the major disciplines including Medical, Engineering, AYUSH, Nursing, Management, Science, Arts, Fine Arts, among others. | Amity University is a private deemed university with campuses in many cities including Noida, Mumbai, Kolkata, Jaipur, among others. It also has a specialised fine arts institute called Amity School of Fine Arts under its shed. It provides UG, PG and PhD courses in many disciplines. |
| NIRF University Ranking 2020 | 9 | 17 | 37 |
| Admission Process | Entrance-Based | Entrance-Based | Entrance-Based |
| Eligibility Criteria | Minimum 55% aggregate in master’s degree | Minimum 55% aggregate in master’s degree | Minimum 55% aggregate in master’s degree. |
| Average Annual Fees | INR 8,000 | INR 9,285 | INR 1,20,000 |
| Average Annual Salary | INR 6,50,000 | INR 5,20,000 | INR 3,00,000 |
| Top Recruiters | Reliance Jio Infocomm, Altos, Volkswagen etc. | Honda, JP Cement, Hyundai etc. | Accenture, Capgemini, L&T Infotech etc. |
PhD Fine Arts Syllabus
PhD Fine Arts course involves coursework followed by a research program. The coursework involves study of different topics and subjects required to prepare the candidates for the research. Some of the subjects taught during the coursework are listed below.
| Semester I | Semester II |
|---|---|
| History of Western Art | History of Indian Sculptures |
| History of Indian Art | Aesthetics |
| Modern Art | History of Western Sculpture |
| Contemporary Art | History of Indian Handicrafts |
| Research Methods | Indian Tribal Art |
| Art Criticism | Indian Folk Art |
| Style of writing a Thesis | Art Management and Marketing |
| Fine Arts Techniques | Stylistic Development in Western Paintings and Sculpture |
| Pre-Modern Art | Principles of Art Theory |
PhD Fine Arts Job Profiles and Salary Trends
PhD Fine Arts candidates can find job opportunities in a wide variety of fields. They can be Educators, Artists or self employed individuals.
- After completing PhD Fine Arts course, candidates can work as Teachers and Professors, Art Designers, Painters, Interior Decorators etc.
- The major industries which generally employ PhD Fine Arts candidates include Film Industry, Theatres, Television Industry, Fashion Industry among others.
- The candidates can also write their own art blogs and start their own art studio.
Some of the major job profiles along with salary trends for PhD Fine Arts candidates are discussed below.
| Job Profile | Job Description | Average Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 3D Artist | 3D Artists are experts in doing three dimensional paintings which are expected to be as real as possible. These artists can make pictures which look like a replica of the real world. | INR 3,48,000 |
| Art Director | Art directors look after the overall art and craft related work of an organisation, movie company, or production house. | INR 6,71,000 |
| Creative Director | The creative directors innovate and produce new creative things and for an organisation. They also work on improving the level of already existing art and crafts. | INR 10,00,000 |
| Graphic Designer | Graphic designers design the graphics for a website, webpage, application software, or an animation studio. | INR 3,03,000 |
| Interior Designer | The interior designers design and decorate the entire interior look and setting of a building. They work on every aspect of the rooms including colour, furniture and styling. | INR 3,16,000 |
| Concept Artist | Concept artist is a concept driven art professional who works for different types of organisations and produces concept driven art works for them depending on their demand. | INR 4,20,000 |
| Painter | Painters are professionals who do paintings either for an organisation or for their own art gallery. They can also paint for newspapers and magazines. | INR 3,30,000 |
| Sculptor | Sculptors are professionals who make different statues and monuments either for any organisation, authority, company or for their own art gallery. | INR 3,50,000 |
PhD Fine Arts Future Scope
After completing PhD Fine Arts, a candidate can work as a fine arts professional or go for further research.
- The candidates can work as Professors and lecturers of Fine Arts in colleges and universities after completing PhD Fine Arts course.
- The candidates can also start their own Art Gallery and Studio and become self employed.
- The candidates can continue with their research work and publish their research papers in various Art journals.
- Students can also opt for a DSc (Doctor of Science) degree in any related field.
- They can also do various certification courses on advanced art topics from reputed foreign universities.