Children's Book Illustration - MPhil, PhD

Program Overview

This PhD in Children's Book Illustration encourages practice-led research that explores aspects of the art form from a high-level perspective. Students utilize personal creative practice as a research tool, combining it with theoretical inquiry to make distinctive contributions to the field. Supervised by experienced staff, students benefit from research forums, seminars, and access to dedicated illustration studios and other facilities. Upon completion, graduates pursue careers that blend professional creative practice with academic endeavors.

Program Outline

The program seeks research proposals that are informed by personal practice and demonstrate an ambition to examine an area or aspect of children's book illustration through a combination of creative and theoretical enquiry.

Teaching:

Students will be supervised and supported by staff who have published and exhibited nationally and internationally. The program provides various research forums that accentuate the discursive and interdisciplinary nature of research, including research clusters that hold regular seminars and informal presentations for postgraduate and research students, as well the Centre for Children's Book Studies.

Careers:

Many research students in this discipline are seeking to combine high-level professional creative practice with academic careers.

Other:

• Completion times:
• MPhil: full-time 1-3 years, part-time 2-4 years.
• PhD via progression from MPhil, including that period: full-time 2.5-5 years, part-time 3.5-6 years.
• PhD: full-time 2-4 years, part-time 3-6 years.
• Students will have access to the Faculty’s PhD room, where all doctoral students can meet up to work and take an active part in the postgraduate student community.
• Students will work within dedicated illustration studios that surround Ruskin Gallery, a unique space that shows a range of work including student shows and touring exhibitions of international standing.
• Students can also make use of other facilities, including printmaking and sculpture workshops, photography dark rooms, life drawing studio, and computer suites for video production and digital imaging, as well as four Mac suites with Adobe Creative Suite software and high-quality 27-inch monitors.

UK students, 2024/25 (per year): £4,786 UK students, 2024/25 (part-time, per year): £2,392 International students, 2024/25 (per year): £15,900 International students, 2024/25 (part-time, per year): £7,950