Handbook

The normal full-time study pattern for Doctoral candidates requires enrolment in 48 credit points per year in accordance with the table below, for a minimum of 4 years. Part-time study is also available in most cases.

Potential candidates should discuss their research plan with the Head Postgraduate Studies of the School of the Art, English and Media, at which time the supervision arrangements of the School will be outlined.

All students must attend and participate in the Module 1 workshops for CREA922 Research Strategies in Creative Practice.

Rules and procedures for Higher Degrees by Research, including the regulations regarding preparation and submission of the thesis, are listed in the Coursework Rules Policy. Doctoral candidates are urged to become familiar with both the Coursework Rules Policy and the Higher Degree Research Supervision and Resources Policy. Current policy documents are located in the UOW Policy Directory.

Submission and Assessment

Candidates for the Doctor of Creative Arts will submit their thesis as a combination of creative work and written exegesis. The submission will normally be by exhibition, performance or publication of creative work in a form relevant to the discipline and will be accompanied by a written exegesis of approximately 30,000 words in length. The exegesis may be supported by other forms as a record or explication of the creative work (for example, music scores, photographs, audiovisual recording).

Assessment for the Doctor of Creative Arts is by two external assessors.

The creative work may be in a single discipline, involve multiple disciplines or interdisciplinary variants, or explore new forms for which there is no established disciplinary base.

The creative work should be of significant scale commensurate with expectations for both the creative field and the scope of a doctoral program. For example, in Creative Writing this might be a novel, poetry collection, or play script;, in Visual and Media arts or Design this might take the form of a major solo exhibition, a series of socially-engaged or iterative works, or a portfolio of practice; while, in Music and related fields, it might include a portfolio of compositions or original recordings, a program of original live performance works, or a series of sound installations. In Performance and theatre, the creative work could include theatre-directing, theatre-making, significant studio dramaturgy, or the candidate might submit a portfolio of performance documentation as the key creative.

These examples are indicative only. In each instance the substance of the creative work will be negotiated with the supervisors and Head of Postgraduate Studies.

The accompanying written component will take the form of an exegesis focusing on such aspects as the origins of the work, structures, techniques or methodologies, lineage, and an analysis of relevant art form theory underpinning the work.

The accompanying written component will be submitted prior to, and no later than the presentation, exhibition or performance of the creative work. In some instances the written component may be submitted up to three months after the presentatation of the creative work.

Research Areas:

Postgraduate research in Creative Practice is continually evolving within broad disciplinary areas. The School is particularly focused on contemporary practice in a multi-disciplinary setting. Research areas for the DCA may include the following: Creative Writing, including poetry, prose, script writing for a range of media and contexts; Contemporary music including digital and electro-acoustic composition, sound design and installation, audio production and music technology; Design and Visual Communication Design including print and publication design in online or convergent media formats; Contemporary Visual Arts including photography, textiles, painting, and sculpture, live art and socially-engaged or community art practices, as well as theatre and performance practices.