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Victorian College of the Arts

After reading through the PhD Handbook, please visit the Graduate Applications webpage for further information and to download the RHD Application Form. 

All PhD applications for the VCA must be accompanied by a research proposal.  The research proposal (2000 words) of the proposed research project must include:

• Title;
• Statement of the project’s central concern(s) or ‘Research Question”;
• Explanation of the conceptual framework of the project and/or summary of the research methods to be used;
• An argument for the relevance and importance of the study;
• Description of the nature of the final submission – the form that the body of creative work will take and how it will be presented; the nature of the dissertation and its relationship to the body of creative work;
• Methodology/Approach

This section should outline the approaches you intend to take and what you intend to do. For example:

• Identify whether the research is qualitative, quantitative or practice-led research;
• In practice-led research, identify the specific techniques / technologies and approaches that are central to the research;
• Identify if the research involves analysis of primary works (including a list of the works and performances);
•  Bibliography – identify some of the key literature, artworks and performances etc that inform your proposed work.

School of Art
School of Film and Television
School of Performing Arts
Centre for Cultural Partnerships
Centre for Ideas
Contemporary Music

School of Art 

Please note that there is an application deadline for the School of Art ONLY of 31^st October (in the year preceding commencement of studies).

Please submit a folio containing 10 images in a Powerpoint or a DVD as supporting material for your application. 

Interviews will be arranged for all applicants to the PhD. The interview will be scheduled for 30 minutes. In the interview, we view the work first, ask you to speak to it and then discuss aspects of the work and the proposal with you. A panel of 2-3 members of senior academic staff from the School of Art normally does the interview, including the PhD graduate coordinator.

Following the interviews, your application will be considered by a panel of staff including potential supervisors who will recommend that the School:
supports the application and the submission of a formal application;
or
offers the applicant assistance to further develop the proposal with a view to submission of a formal application;
or
does not support the application.

Applicants will be informed in writing of the outcome of this process.

A decision by the School of Art to support an application results in your application being sent to the Dean with a letter of recommendation to offer you a place in the PhD program. This application will be then sent to MSGR who will formally offer you a position in the program.

School of Film and Television

No additional requirements.

School of Performing Arts

1. Demonstration of your previous relevant creative work in portfolio and/or digital form.
   Please identify each segment clearly as to your role and relationship to the work.
2. If invited to an interview, the applicant should be prepared to discuss their research proposal and portfolio.

The Selection Committee will conduct interviews for short-listed applicants. Interviews will be scheduled by arrangement with VCA. Short-listed applicants will be contacted after closing date to arrange a time.

If you are unable to attend an interview in person, your application and supporting material as outlined above, will provide the basis for an online/telephone interview.

Applicants will be notified by email of the outcome of application.

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Centre for Cultural Partnerships 

No additional requirements.

Centre for Ideas

Applicants for the Doctor of Philosophy in the Centre for Ideas must supply a selection of DVDs and/or CDs including Powerpoint presentations (no more than 30 images),  films (up to 10 minutes will be viewed) , music recordings,  as well as relevant printed materials including samples of writing, publications,  exhibition and performance catalogues, and reviews.  Applicants are also welcome to bring in visual journals and small folios of 2D and 3D work.

Contemporary Music

Audition
All Contemporary Music PhD applicants will need to attend an audition of approximately 30 minutes.  The audition will be used to ascertain the scope of the intended research project, and the ability of the applicant to successfully realise the intended project within a practice-led research environment.

Applicants will need to:

1. demonstrate a very high standard of artistic ability within Contemporary Music Performance and/or Interactive Composition via a live performance and/or folio of original works or live performance recordings (see note on folio below).
2. frame their work within a Contemporary Music research context and demonstrate how their proposed  project illuminates innovation in Contemporary Music

IMPORTANT NOTE: All applicants must provide their own accompanists. 
Equipment available for applicants includes: piano, drum kit (without cymbals) bass/guitar amplifiers and basic CD player.

Presentation of a composition folio at the audition. The folio must contain recordings of 3 or 4 of your original compositions. This can include recordings of your original music from any source such as: pop songs, concert music, band music, laptop performance, hip hop rapping, music theatre music, film music, or music for dance or other media, such as music for games, advertising and web use. If appropriate include music scores and/or charts depending on your background. The folio will be evaluated on the level of compositional craft and creativity, and suitability for Interactive Composition and /or Contemporary Music Performance research.

If you wish to submit additional materials such as DVDs or music scores of your creative work, please mail or deliver these in person directly to:

VCA-MCM Research Office
Faculty of VCA and MCM, Elisabeth Murdoch Building, The University of Melbourne,
234 St Kilda Road, Southbank, Victoria Australia 3006.

Your name and the course you are applying for must be clearly labelled on any additional materials.

The major scholarships available for Australian graduate researchers are the Australian Postgraduate Awards (APA) and the Melbourne Research Scholarships (MRS).  The deadline for both the APA and MRS scholarships is 31 October. 

International graduate researchers can apply for the Endeavour International Postgraduate Research Scholarships (EIPRS), the Melbourne International Research Scholarships (MIRS) and the Melbourne International Fee Remission Scholarships (MIFRS).  The EIPRS is due on 31 August, while the MIRS and MIFRS are both due by 31 October.

Applicants indicate on their application form which scholarships they wish to apply for, if any. 

Many scholarships require additional materials to accompany applications, so please see Scholarships for scholarship information.

Melbourne Scholarships Office
3rd Floor, John Smyth Building
Gate No. 6, Swanston Street
Telephone: + 61 3 8344 8747
Facsimile: +613 9349 1740