PhD in the Arts — Call for Applications

Deadline: 28 March 2026

Mozarteum University Salzburg invites applications for its PhD programme in the Arts, a doctoral programme in artistic research. Artists from any field of practice are encouraged to apply, including but not limited to music, the visual arts, theatre, dance, film, digital media and design.

The doctoral programme focuses on the potential of artistic processes to articulate themselves as research, highlighting their capacity for creative and critical reflection. In this context, artistic practice serves as both the subject of investigation and the primary method through which research is conducted.

The PhD in the Arts provides a structured framework for the development of individual projects, encompassing a wide spectrum of formats including one-to-one tuition, seminars, workshops, lectures, excursions and a student-led “open space”. The programme is set within a collaborative research environment that fosters artistic and scholarly exchange and collaboration. It is supported by extensive infrastructure including specialised spaces, equipment, instruments and library resources.

The programme is designed for a minimum of 3 years and conducted in English. All courses take place in monthly gatherings. Residence in Austria is not required, but participants are requested to take part in activities in Salzburg. The University cannot provide internal funding or scholarships. Candidates will be supported in all application processes for external funding.

The PhD in the Arts is hosted at the Institute for Open Arts, an institute committed to connecting diverse artistic media — including music, visual arts, text, theatre, dance, film, and digital media — and to fostering approaches that transcend disciplinary boundaries and engage critically with epistemological and ontological questions regarding art and research.

Application process:

Applicants are admitted to the doctoral programme through a 2-step selection process (proposal and presentation). In addition, knowledge of English (oral and written) must be proven. The online application on Muvac is open from February 1 to March 28 2026. Please upload all documents. For details on the registration process please see the Mozarteum University Salzburg website.

The results of the online application process will be communicated to applicants by mid-May 2026. The on-site interviews will take place from June 22 to 24 2026. For further information please contact: studieninfo@moz.ac.at.

Necessary documents for the online application:

• Master’s certificate (or graduation certificate from an equivalent course of study). If a master’s certificate is not available, an enrollment certificate or official confirmation of the anticipated degree should be uploaded.
• Complete transcript of records for the master’s degree including all subjects taken and grades awarded.
• In case of further previous studies please add all graduation certificates and transcripts of records (list of completed subjects and grades).
• Applicants with foreign documents must provide an official translation in German or English alongside the relevant original.
• Proof of English skills (optional for the application process, but necessary for admission).

The application (compiled into a single PDF file no larger than 5 MB) has to be uploaded online and should include the following:

• a résumé (curriculum vitae)
• a portfolio containing relevant activities (exhibitions, concerts, compositions, publications, conferences, etc.), including links to audio and video files and large images where relevant,
• a written proposal outlining the artistic research project to be developed during the course of the study programme (contextualization of the proposed research, research questions, methods and a provisional timetable for the proposed project, optional: proposals for potential supervisors). The PhD project proposal should consist of 5-10 A4 pages.

Prospective applicants are welcome to attend an info webinar, providing an overview of the programme and the opportunity to ask questions directly to the programme team. Details on the date, time, and registration are available on our website.