Doctoral Programme in Fine Arts: Guidelines for supervision

Doctoral Studies

The Doctor of Fine Arts degree comprises 240 ECTS credits, which corresponds to four years of full-time studies. A doctoral thesis project in fine arts may include art exhibitions, exhibition curating, individual artworks, artistic processes or experimental arrangements as well as the articulation, conceptualisation and theorisation of these elements.

Typically, a doctoral thesis project consists of one or several visual art components as well as a written component. In addition, the doctoral researcher must compile an electronically archivable documentation of the body of works included in the doctoral thesis project. The artistic components are public artistic research outputs. The written component runs parallel to the visual art components and justifies the research approach and goals in relation to other research and practices within the field. On a discretionary basis, the doctoral thesis project can also consist exclusively of research in written form.

The doctoral thesis project must demonstrate that the doctoral researcher has a profound understanding of their field and the ability to analyse, articulate and contextualise artistic research designs critically. Doctoral researchers pursue studies according to approved plans. If a doctoral researcher changes their research topic, they must compile a new research plan and consult their coordinating supervisor when doing so.

Doctoral supervisors

Besides being assigned a coordinating supervisor who is part of Uniarts Helsinki’s staff, each doctoral researcher is assigned one external supervisor, possible other supervisors and, if needed, also external experts. The coordinating supervisor has a discussion with each doctoral researcher about the selection of an external supervisor, possible other supervisors and external experts. The coordinating supervisor is also tasked with coordinating the activities of the supervisor team. The head of the doctoral programme assigns each doctoral researcher a coordinating supervisor who is part of Uniarts Helsinki’s staff as well as an external supervisor.

The most important duty of a doctoral supervisor is to support the doctoral researcher and to deepen the doctoral researcher’s knowledge of practice-led research with the focus on art. The doctoral supervisor monitors the progress of all aspects of the doctoral researcher’s thesis project and gives feedback to the doctoral researcher, considers the relations of the components with each other and reflects on whether the components serve the research plan and the doctoral researcher’s goals. The doctoral supervisor recommends the preliminary examination of the components of the doctoral thesis project and goes through the preliminary examination statements, along with possible editing suggestions, together with the doctoral researcher.

Doctoral supervisors must observe the provisions on disqualification in the Administrative Procedure Act, comply with the research integrity and code of conduct of their field and monitor, together with the coordinating supervisor, that these regulations are adhered to in the doctoral thesis project. The coordinating supervisor and the doctoral supervisors support the doctoral researcher in the implementation of the funding plan, give advice in the preparations of publications, presentations and exhibition arrangements and help them in building networks in the research and art community.

Coordinating supervisor

• An internal employee of Uniarts Helsinki
• Goes through the doctoral researcher’s study plan (which includes a plan for completing the research work) on a yearly basis and monitors the progress of the doctoral researcher’s studies and research work on a regular basis
• Recommends that the head of the doctoral programme grant the permission for preliminary examination and examination of the doctoral thesis project
• Coordinates the activities of the supervisor team
• Checks the Turnitin report concerning the doctoral thesis project and signs the report
• Approves studies organised by some other teaching provider than Uniarts Helsinki as part of the degree

Doctoral supervisor

• A minimum of one supervisor
• Signs the “commitment to supervision” form together with the doctoral researcher and the doctoral researcher delivers it to the planning officer for doctoral education
• The doctoral supervisor is chosen during the doctoral researcher’s first year of studies. If no supervisor has been selected, the coordinating supervisor is the supervisor
• If necessary, participates in the updating of the research plan together with the coordinating supervisor
• The doctoral supervisor relationship lasts the entire duration of the doctoral researcher’s studies until they have completed their degree
• Scope of supervision: the goal is the supervision of the entire doctoral thesis project.
• The supervisor must be artistically and theoretically as versatile and distinguished an artist/theorist as possible
• Recommends the preliminary examination of the components of the doctoral thesis project and goes through the preliminary examination statements, along with possible editing suggestions, together with the doctoral researcher
• In consensus with the coordinating supervisor, the doctoral supervisor recommends that the head of the doctoral programme grant the permission for thesis project examination

External expert

• There may be several external experts
• An external expert may be selected at any given time during the doctoral researcher’s studies. The permission for this is granted by the head of the doctoral programme after hearing the doctoral researcher and the coordinating supervisor.
• The supervision relationship may last the entire duration of studies or be short-term, in which case it may be linked to a specific set of studies, a specific stage of studies or a specific topic, for example
• The supervision relationship is based on the doctoral researcher’s need and on the remuneration agreement between the degree programme and the supervisor
• Scope of supervision: provision of supervision, when required by specific technical or theoretical topics

Modes of supervision

• Regular meetings in the doctoral researcher’s studio, exhibition contexts etc. initiated by the doctoral researcher, at least once per academic year
• The doctoral researcher keeps the supervisor updated also about the progress of artistic production components and their public exhibition
• It is recommended that the supervisor attends the doctoral researcher’s research seminars and preferably, the public defence of the doctoral researcher’s doctoral thesis project
• The doctoral researcher requests possible statements for funding applications and for the permission for preliminary examination in good time

Commitment to supervision

By signing the commitment to supervision form, the doctoral researcher agrees on supervision practices and schedules together with the supervisor and confirms them with the coordinating supervisor.

Remunreation

When it comes to remuneration, the Academy of Fine Arts follows the university’s decision on remuneration. The recommended number of supervision hours is ten (10) hours at most within the academic year per supervisor or an additional number of hours to be agreed separately with the doctoral programme. Usually, the number of supervision hours received by the doctoral researcher does not exceed 20 hours per year.

The doctoral programme may, if possible, reimburse travel expenses incurred from supervision in a separately agreed manner. The payment of remuneration requires that the supervisor fills in a form with their personal data and then returns it to the degree programme’s staff.

When agreeing on the supervision relationship, the supervisor is sent the commitment to supervision form, updated guidelines for supervisors, degree requirements, the doctoral researcher’s research plan and forms required for payment.

More information:

• General guidelines for studies at the Academy of Fine Arts
• Valid curricula in the Doctoral Programme in Fine Arts and guidelines concerning studies and the thesis process
• Uniarts Helsinki’s Code of Conduct