Doctor of Philosophy in Creative Arts and Media

Overview

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Creative Arts and Media provides students with an opportunity to carry out interdisciplinary research at an advanced level. Graduates of this programme will be well-positioned to become leading figures in fields related to the School of Arts.

Programme Key Points

  • Students may opt for a conceptual or research-creation path.
  • The programme offers students the opportunity to develop their work through artistic or academic forms. 
  • Students may integrate creative arts practice and the creation of artworks or other artefacts as part of their research. 
  • The programme welcomes historical, theoretical or philosophical approaches along with analytical interpretative inquiry into the works and practices of the creative arts and media.
Intakes
Rolling Intake
Duration
3 Years (full-time)
4 Years (part-time)
Career Prospects
  • Creative Industries
  • Academia
  • Arts and Culture
Estimated Total Course Fee
  • RM53,020
    for Malaysian students
  • USD12,817
    for international students
International students must pay their fees in RM equivalent. The USD here is just an indicative/estimation and subject to the prevalent exchange rate

Programme Structure

The programme is research-based culminating in a thesis (which may include a practical creative arts component, where applicable) that demonstrates mastery of the advanced points, craft and discipline of the area of research. 

Module

The student is required to complete one taught module – Research Methods – before proceeding to the Proposal Defence. This core module introduces students to the fundamentals of academic research and methodologies at the postgraduate level to conduct an independent research project. 

Class Schedule for Research Methods

This is an intensive course. Classes are spread over eight weeks (12 to 15 hours per week) for Full-time or Part-time students. These classes are followed by tutorials when the students conduct their research projects. Weekly schedules may vary from one year to another.

Thesis

During the course of their studies, the students will independently design and carry out an extensive research project with the assistance of the supervisor. The emphasis between theory and practice will vary according to the project. Students will develop significant research outcomes that are of national and international significance, and publicly disseminate these results to engage with the scholarly community. 

Areas of Research

The school has a broad range of supervision expertise (not limited) to the following areas:

Digital Worlds and Media

Digital Humanities, VR, Digital Content Creation, Media Studies, Broadcasting, Social Media, New Media Creation.

Culture and Heritage

History of Cultures and Art, Crafts, Material Cultures, Music Traditions and Popular Music, Gender Studies, Southeast Asian Films, Sustainable Cultures, Eastern and Western Cultures.

Performance and Creation

Music and Theatre Performance, Graphic Design, Visual Arts, Fine Art.

Cities

History of the City and Urbanisation, Architecture, Cities in the South and Southeast Region, Cities in the West, Liveable Cities, Green Cities, Smart Cities, Touristic Cities. 

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Student studying

Entry Requirements

  • A Master’s degree in the relevant field or its equivalent with a minimum CGPA of 3.00; OR
  • Any other qualifications will be considered on a case-to-case basis, as accepted by the University Senate; AND
  • Interview: Candidates are to pass an interview conducted by a panel from the School of Arts. This is to assess the candidate’s communication abilities and interest in research.

English Language Requirements

  • IELTS 6.0 or equivalent

Application Procedure

Candidates are requested to send the completed Sunway Postgraduate Application Form with the following supporting documents to @email:

Kindly email the following documents for an eligibility check:

  • Curriculum Vitae
  • Bachelor's/ Master’s degree transcript
  • Completion certificate

After passing the eligibility check, the school administrator will brief the student further regarding the application process and other documents (Statement of Research Interest; Portfolio) that are required.

Statement of Research Interest

The statement of research interest should comprise a maximum of 1,000 words and covers the following structure:

  • Working Title
  • Nature of the research that interests you and why
  • References to anything you have read relevant to this research are

Portfolio
(for candidates with aim of creative outputs)
A portfolio should contain 5 – 15 examples of your own original creative work; any form of media is acceptable.

  • Media work: link to streaming sites such as Vimeo, YouTube or SoundCloud
  • Video files: H.264 QuickTime files
  • Audio files: MP3 format
  • Photographs, drawings and 3D work will be accepted as digital photographs
  • Games/Other applications must be playable on one of the contemporary versions of MacOS, Windows, IOS or Android

     

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Contact Information

For more information, please email:

Programme Leader 
Prof. Bradley Freeman
Email: @email

Programme Administrator 
Carolyn Maria Lee May Ling
Email: @email

General Inquiries
@email

Scholarships and Financial Aid

Scholarship Available

Eligibility Criteria for Bursary or Scholarship

Bursary

Programme: Master by Research and PhD   
Mode of study: Full-time   
Financial Support:


  • Master by Research: 30% tuition fee waiver 
  • PhD: 50% tuition fee waiver 

Award Criteria: Sunway graduates who are meeting the entry requirement for the Master by Research or PhD programmes


Scholarship

Programme: Master by Research and PhD   
Mode of study: Full-time   
Financial Support:

  • Master by Research: 60% tuition fee waiver 
  • PhD: 100% tuition fee waiver 

Award Criteria: Sunway graduates who are meeting the entry requirement for the Master by Research or PhD programmes. CGPA >= 3.5 or Merit (or equivalent)


Studentship


Programme: Master by Research and PhD   
Mode of study: Full-time   
Financial Support:

  • Master by Research: Not eligible
  • PhD: 100% tuition fee waiver including registration and resource fees. Cost of living allowance of RM3,000 per month for 36 months

Award Criteria: Sunway graduates who are meeting the entry requirement for the PhD programmes.   
CGPA >= 3.5 or Merit (or equivalent). One (1) published journal article indexed in WOS/Scopus as first or corresponding author. Eligible applicants will be interviewed, and Studentship awards will be given on a competitive basis

*Bursary is only offered to Sunway graduates from Sunway Education Group higher education institutions.   
**Scholarship is open to Sunway and non-Sunway graduates

 

For more information about the scholarships and financial aid, please visit the SEG Scholarships website.

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