The doctoral program in Art Research and Media Philosophy is designed to train the next generation of scholars in the fields of art history, media theory, and philosophy. The program focuses on the history and theory of art and media within the broader context of cultural history, including the history and theory of technology and the sciences, as well as aesthetic theory and critical theory as subfields of modern philosophy of European and non-European origin.
The Karlsruhe University of Arts and Design (HfG Karlsruhe) has full doctoral authority and confers the academic degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Dr. phil.) in the fields of art research, media theory, or philosophy.

The doctoral program at the HfG Karlsruhe offers doctoral candidates structured support in the form of colloquia and office hours, as well as opportunities for research and collaboration within the HfG and the ZKM.

Admission to the doctoral program does not generally include financial support. Prospective candidates are advised to independently research and apply for individual funding opportunities (e.g., scholarships awarded by funding agencies).

The University of Arts Karlsruhe is fully authorized to award academic doctorates degrees (Dr.phil.) in the areas of art theory, media theory and philosophy. The doctorate is a mark of distinguished ability to work academically, and is based on an independent academic dissertation and an oral examination on the same subject.

General admission for the doctorate requires proof of prior academic studies in art, culture, humanities, media or social studies to a Masters or Magister level (with an overall mark of “good” or 2.0 or more) at a university, educational training college, or art university.

Potential applicants are asked to hand in the following documents in the initial phase

1. A CV (with detailed information on previous academic background) and copies of all previous university degree certificates;

2. A proposal describing your planned dissertation. This should include:

   • The motivational interest for the planned dissertation
   • The theoretical context and the current status of research on the chosen theme – please provide selected literature
   • The innovative nature of the content and/or method of the project

The proposal should be around five to seven standard pages, the usual scope for such purposes, and contain literature references on the research subject as well as a list of own publications (if any).

The Doctoral Committee decides on admission as a doctoral candidate based on a written application and following the conclusion of a doctoral agreement; the process includes an evaluation of the doctoral research proposal.

Applications for admission to the doctoral program and all required documents may be submitted electronically (starting April 1, 2026) via the university’s online application portal – https://h1.hfg-karlsruhe.de. Electronic submission replaces the submission of documents in paper form. An additional postal application is therefore generally not required; however, the university reserves the right to request further documents or signed original documents.

Applications for admission to the doctoral program may be submitted at any time. For applications that are complete by June 15, 2026, a decision on admission or rejection is expected in July 2026. Further dates for the evaluation of doctoral applications will be announced in due course.

For further questions regarding admission requirements, please contact the university examination office. For questions regarding the thematic content of the planned dissertation, please contact the department office.

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