Please note:
To view the Spring 2025 Academic Calendar, go to www.sfu.ca/students/calendar/2025/spring.
Contemporary Arts
The doctor of philosophy (PhD) in contemporary arts, offered through the Faculty of Communication, Art, and Technology, is a research-intensive program focused on interdisciplinary approaches to the fine and performing arts. Students will be given the option to undertake comparative approaches to visual culture, media arts, sound studies, and performance studies, culminating in a substantial written thesis, or to pursue a mix of studio, curatorial, and community-based research, resulting in the creation of an original artwork or a public presentation supplemented by a substantial written body of work incorporating students’ reflection and commentary.
Admission Requirements
Applicants must satisfy the University admission requirements as stated in Graduate General Regulation 1.3 in the SFU Calendar. Students will normally hold a master of arts (MA), master of fine arts (MFA), or equivalent degree, with high standing, from a recognized university and a solid grounding in studies of contemporary art and/or an established professional artistic, curatorial, or programming practice. To fill any academic gaps, extra undergraduate or graduate courses may be required. Before accepting a student into the program, the department will consider the proposed research in relation to faculty resources in the field.
Program Requirements
The program consists of course work, qualifying examinations, a thesis prospectus, and a thesis, for a minimum of 38 units.
Students complete
and
and at least three additional CA or other graduate courses selected in consultation with the supervisor or graduate program chair
and qualifying examinations
and a thesis prospectus
and a thesis
Program Length
Students are expected to complete the program requirements in 12-15 terms (4-5 years).
Other Information
Supervision
Each student is matched with a potential supervisor, normally upon admission, and the supervisory committee should be formed during the first year and no later than the beginning of the qualifying examinations. Student and supervisor are encouraged to meet regularly throughout the duration of the program.
Qualifying Examinations
Students enroll in their qualifying examinations following the completion of their course work, at the start of their third doctoral term, normally coinciding with their first summer term in the program. They will complete their second qualifying examination by the end of their sixth doctoral term (normally their second summer term in the program).
Examinations will be graded “satisfactory” or “unsatisfactory”. A student who receives a grade of “unsatisfactory” on any part of the examinations will be permitted to rewrite or resubmit work, normally within the following academic term. A second grade of “unsatisfactory” will require a review of the student’s progress and likely withdrawal from the program, as per Graduate General Regulations 1.8.2.
Thesis Prospectus
Students will submit to their supervisory committee a thesis prospectus that outlines: their research topic and methodology; a timeline to completion; the proposed form for their completed research (e.g. chapter breakdowns, a description of the artwork(s) or public presentation and supplementary written documentation); and any anticipated required resources from the School, including access to equipment and/or studio space.
Thesis
After the completion of the thesis prospectus, candidates will complete a thesis that is written and/or presented by artistic methodologies. For more information, see program website. Both completed thesis options are defended in an oral exam as per GGR 1.10.1, and are submitted to the library along with relevant supplementary documentation.
Academic Requirements within the Graduate General Regulations
All graduate students must satisfy the academic requirements that are specified in the Graduate General Regulations, as well as the specific requirements for the program in which they are enrolled.