Structure and modules of the artistic doctoral programme

The exposé serves to confirm the indispensable artistic and research competencies as well as the concretisation of the artistic research project, and should be prepared by the end of the second semester. The exposé includes the objectives of the artistic research project, hypotheses, research questions and themes, and indicates the artistic research methods, context, and existing literature in the chosen research field, through which means it may be ascertained that the doctoral student is capable of embarking on the corresponding dissertation. An oral presentation or lecture performance with a subsequent discussion of the artistic research project before the examinations commission completes the module.

As part of the doctoral programme, students must complete doctoral studies seminars, courses, special activities, and projects amounting to 30 ECTS in consultation with their supervisor and co-supervisor. The chosen courses should relate to the dissertation topic or complement the methodological approach, and are to be agreed upon with supervisors. Included are such lectures and seminars as “Foundations and Concepts of Artistic Research”, “Methods of Artistic Research”, “Privatissimum”, “doctoral collegium”, and special activities such as subject-related courses, active and passive participation in conferences, artistic presentations, etc.

The artistic research dissertation consists of two components:

• Artistic component

This component consists of proof of artistic projects related to the dissertation. Meaningful and copyright permissible documentation is to be submitted to the two supervisors. Composers may submit notated scores after consultation with the supervisors.

•  Academic component

The written component of the dissertation must consist of at least 80–100 pages (approximately 160,000 characters, excluding images, musical examples, bibliography, and appendices), the content of which must correspond with the artistic component of the dissertation.

The dissertation is to be written in German, however, with the agreement of both supervisors, may be written in English. All copyright laws must be observed in the writing of the dissertation.

The defence consists of two sections:

• An independent artistic presentation.
• A presentation of the results of the written dissertation.

The supervisors then pose questions to the student on the content of the dissertation with the aim of evaluating the mastery of the subject and the ability to create larger connections to the subject area. Members of the examinations commission as well as members of the audience may subsequently pose questions to the doctoral candidate, under the moderation of the chair of the examinations commission. The duration of the defence is max. 90 minutes.

The defence is public and held before an examinations commission