Philosophical, Historical, and Interdisciplinary Studies

Research degrees

Questioning conventional wisdom, and creating new knowledge

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Laying the foundation for your future in research

Welcome to our friendly, engaged, and interconnected scholarly community where you'll embrace the unfamiliar, and stimulate your hunger to explore as you lay the foundation for your future in research.

As a postgraduate research student in our School, you'll join a welcoming research community which is interdisciplinary at its heart. You'll have the opportunity to work alongside our internationally renowned experts who thrive on exploring, challenging, questioning, and pushing boundaries in their work.

Find out how to apply for postgraduate study.

 

Explore our postgraduate research degrees
Our research recognition
  • 7th in UK for impact in philosophy (Grade Point Average, Research Excellence Framework 2021)
  • 100% of our research environment is world-leading or internationally excellent (Research Excellence Framework 2021)
  • 3rd in UK for research outputs in art history (Grade Point Average, Research Excellence Framework 2021)

Postgraduate Research Degrees


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Our areas of expertise


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Postgraduate Research Leads

Dr Michael Tymkiw

Art History Lead

Philosophical, Historical, and Interdisciplinary Studies, Essex

How do artworks, buildings, and other forms of visual culture address the bodies and minds of spectators? This is the core issue that animates all my research and research-led teaching. How, for example, does the rough texture of a painting, the angled walls of a corridor or the expanse of wet sand under our feet in an installation artwork shape our experiences of not just a particular artwork or building but also the world in which we live? Ultimately at stake in such questions is a more nuanced understanding of how forms of visual culture speak to audiences and make them think more critically about the socio-political issues that (re)define the environments that we inhabit.

Get your questions answered

Contact our Postgraduate Research Director about research study in our school, whether that's finding a supervisor, applying for a course, personal statements, advice on applying for funding, or learning more about our research expertise.