Doctoral Program
Doctoral Program in Art, Design and Transdisciplinary Studies
Overview
The goal of the Doctoral program at Srishti Manipal Institute of Art, Design and Technology (SMI) is to develop competency in high-quality and rigorous research in art, design and transdisciplinary studies with the view of making original contributions to these disciplines. The program encompasses a range of scholarly research, design, and creative production. It aims to build capacities for design, design education, art and art education that address problems and opportunities of contemporary society and are cognizant of India’s rich tangible and intangible heritage.
Program Structure
The 3.5-Year Doctoral Programme at SMI is a Full time program. The Part time program is for a duration of 4.5 years and open to working professionals. In both the instances, there is a requirement of Course Work to the tune of 12 to 18 credits depending on the candidate’s eligibility for a UG entry (with a 4-or-5-year UG degree) or a PG entry (with a 3+2 or 4+1 PG degree).
For both Full time or Part time options, the program offers two tracks of study that go through a University Committee’s approval. A candidate can choose any one track based on her/his interest and their proposed topic of enquiry.
- Regular Track
- Practice Research (PR) Track
Regular Track
This involves the conventional mode of working on a proposal, further research, and writing of thesis substantially. Both Full time and Part time candidates can opt for this.
Practice Research (PR) Track
The Practice Research mode is to enable creating an experimental, embodied and innovative space in Indian academia that questions, challenges and reframes the epistemology and ontology of what is considered ‘knowledge’ or ‘new knowledge’ in doctoral research. Our PR framework aims to approach the idea of ‘knowledge’ through the lens of ‘Practice’. The focus is on the fields of art and design, and on inquiries from diverse disciplines or fields that intersect with art and design.
In Practice Research at SMI, here are two modes of PhD by Practice Research:
- PhD by Thesis (PR1)
- PhD by Artefact and Exegesis (PR2)
PR1 is attuned to the conventional mode of PhD research involving submission for examination of a written thesis of seventy to eighty thousand words. This could be in a range of topics related to art and design and connected to the fields of humanities, philosophy, history, architecture and planning, cultural studies, media studies, social sciences, the sciences, etc. However, the focus here is on the deliberation of knowledge generated around practice and practitioners.
PR2 accepts the component of practice as artefact along with a written exegesis of about thirty to forty thousand words. The difference in the expected word limit of the written exegesis does not indicate a compromise on the quality and academic rigor of research expected in the writing. PR2 is necessary only when the research questions need answering through practice, and/or the creation of artefacts.
Stages of completion:
The doctoral programme is organized approximately into three stages:
Stage One: Introductory, exploratory and open ended in nature, consists of course work and independent study. At the end of Stage One—of six months to a year—the doctoral research proposal should be finalised and approved.
Stage Two: This period of approximately two years, is one of research and practice: involves working in studios, archives, or in the field gathering data, engaging in practice, analysing texts and reflecting on the notes. It is also a time when connections are made between the readings, literature and independent study in Stage One and the formal research inquiry that is part of Stage Two.
The full scope and sequence of the research is completed in this phase, allowing the doctoral aspirant to understand and express clearly the significance and value of their inquiry and the insights generated. Writing up reflections and analysis in peer reviewed journals, presenting work-in-progress as exhibitions or seminars are all a necessary part of this stage of inquiry.
Stage Three: The final and culminating stage of six months to a year, is one of writing up the research in the form of a thesis and defending it. Creative artefacts associated with research need to be completed within this period. The Doctoral Program closes with an Open Synopsis Presentation and the Viva Voce.
LEVEL
Doctoral Degree
AWARD
PhD
DURATION
Full-time 3.5 years/Part time 4.5 years
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Events and Outreach
All Doctoral Scholars are encouraged to actively participate in and contribute to the events at SMI including:
- Graduate Symposia (as and when they are organised)
- Graduate Research Conferences (as and when they are organised)
- Interlude/Interim (of a period of one month – which takes place as per SMI calendar year)
In addition to this, Doctoral Scholars contribute to conferences, exhibitions and other events either organised by SMI, by MAHE or by any of our partners. This contribution will include teaching opportunities as well.
Certified Guides, Co-guides and DAC members
The certified guides in the PhD Program add great value to bringing their areas of expertise to building doctoral scholarship in areas such as arts and visual culture, social sciences, humanities, design, pedagogy, architecture and ecology and media studies.
Co-guides and Doctoral Advisory Committee members include academics and scholars from national and international universities. In addition, nationally and internationally reputed designers, architects, scholars, and artists join these committees contributing to the mentorship and building of a multi-cultural space for exchange of ideas around scholarship and practice.
For More Information write to : phd.smi@manipal.edu
The SMI PhD Team of Certified Guides
Dr Anwesha Das
Anwesha Das supervises doctoral scholars in the fields of literature, history and political theory. Her areas of interest include African studies, migration, and public policy.
Dr Asmita Sarkar
Asmita Sarkar’s research interests include contemporary drawing and painting, art-science collaboration, phenomenological aesthetics, visual and spatial thinking, and the philosophy of New Materialism. She is interested in guiding doctoral candidates in contemporary art and media.
Dr Deepta Sateesh
Deepta Sateesh is interested in supervising doctoral candidates working in the areas of climate change, sustainable development and conservation, city and regional planning, environmental law and policy, the Anthropocene and decolonization, and living heritage and environmental education.
Dr Farhat Ara
Farhat Ara is interested in supervising doctoral students in the areas of educational research, creative and innovative pedagogical methods in science and design education and STEAM learning. Her interests extend to teacher education, science, technology, and society (STS) studies and the field of biomimicry.
Dr Gururaja K V
Gururaja KV mentors doctoral scholars researching in the areas of landscape, soundscape and urban ecology, ecological complexity, statistical and agent-based modelling, biodiversity and conservation, natural history studies and citizen science.
Dr Jyothsna Belliappa
Jyothsna Belliappa supervises researchers in gender studies with a focus on work, education, identities, family and personal life. She has a deep interest in qualitative research methods and in women’s safety in public and professional spaces
Dr Keya Chakraborty
Keya Chakraborty guides Doctoral scholars researching in the areas of transitions studies, sustainable and inequality studies, issues related to environment and climate change, socio-economic-human development, public policy and governance.
Dr Kiranmayi Indraganti
Kiranmayi Indraganti guides research in film practice, visual culture, performance and politics, technology and culture, methodologies of oral history and archives and film industry production processes.
Dr Kush Patel
Kush Patel welcomes doctoral candidates who are interested in pursuing research in the areas of queer-feminist technology and cultural studies; critical digital humanities praxis and pedagogy; community archives and public history; architecture, infrastructure, and the city with a focus on gender, participatory politics, and social production of space.
Dr Mamta Sagar
Mamta Sagar supervises doctoral scholars in the areas of comparative literature, translation studies, feminism, postcolonial and cultural studies, nationalism and identity politics, literary histories, literature and literary expressions, women’s writing in India, Kannada literature, poetry and performance.
Dr Naveen Bagalkot
Naveen Bagalkot supervises research in and across the areas of human-computer interaction, participatory & social and speculative & critical design, feminist ethics in technology and design, and science and technology studies.
Dr Partha Sarathi Mishra
Partha Sarathi is interested in guiding doctoral candidates in human and more-than-human relationships through field research, animal behaviour studies, wildlife biology, and conservation using a transdisciplinary approach.
Dr Pithamber R. Polsani
Pithamber R. Polsani mentors doctoral research in the areas of modernism and modernity, decoloniality, philosophy, architecture, art and design discourses, literature and literary expressions.
Dr Priya Joseph
Priya Joseph is interested in supervising doctoral students in the areas of material culture, architectural history, urbanism, materiality in architecture, art and design in the city.
Dr Sanjukta Ghosh
Sanjukta Ghosh supervises doctoral scholars researching in sentiment analysis through various classification models and deep learning techniques. Her research practices lie in the field of human behaviour, innovation through creative cognition, design thinking and multi disciplinarity, traditional knowledge and local economy, mental well-being and quality of life through effective empowerment.
Dr Srisrividhiya Kalyanasundaram
Srivi Kalyan is interested in guiding doctoral candidates in the areas of artistic research, ecological consciousness, Indian ecological aesthetics, eco-philosophy, creative practice & philosophy, art & design pedagogies, and transition studies.
