PhD in Art History and Musicology

Why do this PhD?

The PhD programme in Art History and Musicology has an interdisciplinary research vocation. It is a unique doctoral programme that brings together studies in musicology and art history in a single programme. Our lines of research cover a broad conceptual horizon with all possible areas of knowledge about art and music. Our programme has trained prestigious researchers and investigators in fundamental research on artistic and musical heritage, as well as its management and dissemination. We encourage transdisciplinary studies between different areas of knowledge, which are reflected in an extensive programme of annual training activities. Our international nature in research and training, implemented through co-supervision agreements with European and American universities, museums, and music institutes, must also be highlighted. In 2022 the PhD programme in Art History and Musicology received the Award for excellence from the AQU (Agency for Quality Assurance in the University System of Catalonia).

Professional opportunities

This PhD programme provides the following principal career options:

• Research within the subject areas related to art.
• School, college and university teaching, or teaching in museums and cultural or heritage institutes.
• Dissemination of the visual arts and the artistic heritage.
• Art criticism and documentation.
• Management of museums and cultural institutions: museum curators and assistants, exhibition coordinators
• Cultural Management in the private or public sector.
• Design of activities and cultural programmes (art seminars, film and video cycles, lectures, etc.).
• Curator of exhibitions and cultural events.
• The art market (galleries, auctions, expert appraisal of works of art, etc.) and advice on collections.
• Specialist publications: catalogues, art books, journals, or web pages.
• Heritage conservation (cataloguing objects and buildings of cultural value).
• Urban planning and development (working in multidisciplinary teams to carry out studies, catalogue buildings, draw up protection plans, etc.).

Coordinator

Germán Gan Quesada

Composition of the academic tribunal for the PhD programme

• the coordinator of the PhD programme.
• the director of the Art and Musicology department.
• the coordinator of each of the university master's degrees within the scope of the department.

Administration

Departament of Art and Musicology
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Building B. UAB Campus
Phone: +34 93 581 1370
uisad.art.historia.musicologia.doctorats@uab.cat
Contact person: Montserrat Moreno Garriga

Thesis supervisor/s and academic tutor/s

Thesis supervision and thesis tutoring

Admission application

This PhD programme has, for the 2025-2026 academic year, the following pre-registration periods:

• From October, 1 to October, 31
  • RESOLUTION maximum by the School of Doctorate: November, 20.

Documentation necessary for admission

In addition to the documentation that each programme indicates, two documents (Other documents1 and Other documents2) that serve as a wildcard are attached for each programme so that the interested person can attach other documents that he or she considers appropriate or that the PhD programme indicates.

Admissions before the established period and pre-admissions

The Doctoral School, following the indications of the coordination of the PhD programme, can issue before the start of the term of admission of an academic course, or before the end of the term of resolution, letters of admission so that you can request a scholarship or to do the visa procedures in your country. It is only necessary that you enter your application in the computer application and that you indicate it in the Observations field, where you must indicate that you need a letter of admission and the scholarship to which you are opting. If the computer application is closed, you can contact the coordination of the programme.

If you need a preadmission, the coordination of the programme can issue it if it considers it appropriate. You must contact the coordination of the programme to inform you of the procedure.

On the International Support Service website you can see more information about future foreign students related to residencies in Catalonia, legal procedures and the UAB campus.

Monitoring your application

You can monitor your application using the same page as you made it. Below are the explanations of the different stages:

• Application made by student: your pre-registration has been saved.
• Incomplete application: there are documents missing from the application.
• Validated by the administrative office: the application and attached documents have been checked.
• Admitted: the coordinator has considered the pre-registration and proposed an offer or admission.
• Offer of admission: the Doctoral School has considered the proposals for admission made by the coordinator and has made a definitive offer. The PhD student will also receive an e-mail informing them of this decision. The PhD student must wait to register.
• Waiting list: the coordinator has considered the pre-registration and has agreed on admission but there are no places on the PhD course.
• Application rejected: the coordinator or the Doctoral School have considered the application but do not agree to admission as not all the requirements have been fulfilled.

If you need it, here you will find a complementary information document on PhD studies.

Requirements and selection criteria

General access requirements

Selection criteria

In order to prioritise applications for admission, in the event that the number of applicants exceeds the maximum number of new admissions, the PhD Programme in History of Art and Musicology establishes the following selection criteria:

 - Academic record and affinity of previous studies with the area of art history or musicology.Priority will be given to the possession of specific postgraduate / master's degrees in History of Art and Musicology (35%).

- Obtaining research grants and scholarships (10%).

- Research experience (participation in congresses, publications, membership of research projects) (25 %)

- Accreditation of languages (level B2): English, French and Italian (20%)

- Academic stays abroad (10 %)

In addition, a personal interview may be held as a complementary criterion, if the Academic Committee of the PhD Programme considers it necessary to confirm any aspect of the documentation provided in the application for admission.

Level B1: The student is able to understand the main points of clear texts in standard language if they deal with matters that are familiar to him/her, whether in work, study or leisure situations; when he/she can deal with most situations that may arise during a trip in areas where the language is used; when he/she is able to produce simple and coherent texts on topics that are familiar or in which he/she has a personal interest and when he/she can describe experiences, events, wishes and aspirations, as well as briefly justify his/her opinions or explain his/her plans.

Training supplements

If the need to improve the previous training of incoming students in the fields of History of Art and Musicology is detected, the CAPD of the PhD programme may require the completion of up to 30 credits of specific training complements. These credits will serve to complement training deficits in advanced research in the areas of art history and musicology and are linked to subjects of the two university master's degrees in research linked to the Doctoral Programme, with a specific methodological content. They will be grouped as follows:
A. In 2 subjects for those students whose thesis topic belongs to the field of musicology. In this case, the subjects are the following:
 - Methodology of research in music sciences and interpretative application of research (15 credits).
- Master's thesis (15 credits)
Both are part of the syllabus of the Master's Degree in Musicology, Music Education and Performance of Early Music (UAB).
 B. In 3 subjects for those students whose thesis topic belongs to the field of History of Art. In this case the subjects are the following:
- Artistic heritage: Study paths and analysis techniques (12 credits).
- Art, history and thought (10 credits)
- Master's thesis (9 credits).

These three subjects are part of the syllabus of the Master's Degree in Analysis and Management of Artistic Heritage (UAB).

Registration and fees

Calendar and Registration documents

After the registration

Training activities

Transversal training activities

Mandatory and optional specific activities

For this PhD programme the following training activities are scheduled.
 

Mandatory activities:

• Participation in internal seminars organised by the research group or the department
  Research groups within the Department of Art and Musicology's PhD programme regularly hold seminars in which to present findings, problems to be solved, and other issues relating to their research progress.
  PhD students must take part in the seminars that are closest to the topic of their doctoral thesis, explaining their research process and joining in the debates.
  As well as the seminars to which they are assigned by the thesis tutor and the thesis supervisor, students may attend the internal seminars of any other group.
• Oral presentations or posters at national or international conferences
  Students must give a presentation, under the supervision of the thesis tutor, at a national or international specialist conference, and must provide the corresponding academic certificates.

Optional activities:

• Attendance at seminars or lectures given by experts in the subject area
  The PhD programme in Art History and Musicology organises the "Jornades d'experts en art i musicologia", which lasts a minimum of five hours and includes lectures and a seminar given by experts in art history and musicology. Students may also attend other seminars and lectures related to their research field, at home or abroad, in which case they should provide the corresponding certificates of attendance.


• Research paper sent to a high-impact scientific journal
  As part of their training activities, students may publish a research paper in a high-impact journal, under the direct supervision of their thesis tutor.


• Research stays in public or private centres, at home or abroad
  It is highly recommended to undertake stays at prestigious research centres (research institutes, university departments, conservatories, museums, etc.) at home or abroad. Students must provide official documents to certify this.

Typologies and Research Ethics

Internationalization

Foreign residencies

PhD thesis under joint international supervision

International Doctoral Research Component

Evaluation and annual review

Thesis deposit

If you want to deposit the doctoral thesis in this PhD programme, remember that you must confirm the complete application (DI status) 10 days before the maximum thesis completion date that appears in your academic file.

Look out! If you want to deposit before the end of this academic year and do not have to pay the fees for the next course, you must confirm your deposit request before July 18, 2025.

At the time of making your online deposit, you must attach these documents to your application, in the section "Attach documentation": 

All PhD students

• 01 - Examining board proposal (the signature is not necessary)
• 02 - Examining board: Currículum vitae of the members outside the UAB (single file). Only in the case of members of the examination pannel who do not belong to a Research Center or University.

International Doctoral Research Component: Mandatory documentation if requested

• 09 - International Doctoral Research Component: 1 report of the external member
• 10 - International Doctoral Research Component: 2 report of the external member

Compendium of publications: Mandatory documentation if requested

• 08 - Compendium: Resolution of acceptance by the CAPD

Writing a thesis in a language other than Catalan, Spanish and English: Mandatory documentation if requested

• 11 - Resolution if the thesis is written in other language than Catalan, Spanish or English

Information related to the thesis

Internal Quality Assurance System of the centers

Verification

Evaluation process previous to the implementation of the degree: presentation of a proposal for a new PhD programme for AQU-Catalunya (Agency for the Quality of the University System of Catalonia) to issue the binding evaluation for the Council of Universities (Ministry of Universities), which is the responsible agent for verification.

• Report on the PhD programme
• Resolution on verification by the Spanish Universities Council
• Registry of Universities, Centres and Degrees (RUCT)

Monitoring

Periodic monitoring process of the development and results of the PhD programme: self-evaluation carried out, every 3 years, by themselves.

• Monitoring report on the programme

Modification (from the las accreditation of the programme)

Process of substantial modification of the PhD programme for its improvement.

• 2025-2026 - Modification proposal (pending approval by AQU) [document in Catalan]

Accreditation

Degree implementation renewal process: presentation, every 6 years from the implementation of the programme, of a self-report so that AQU-Catalunya issues the binding evaluation for the Council of Universities, which is the body responsible for accreditation.

• Accreditation self-report
• Accreditation report
• Resolution of accreditation of the Council of Universities
• Register of Universities, centers and degrees (RUCT)

AQU VSMA Framework

Internal Quality Assurance System of the faculty

Set of processes to manage and monitor the different aspects of degrees, with the strategic objective of ensuring continuous improvement

• Internal Quality Assurance System
• Tutoring Action Plan (PAT)
• Standing Committee

Opina UAB

A channel for suggestions, complaints and praise regarding the functioning of the UAB

PhD data

• Satisfaction surveys of Doctors
• Satisfaction surveys of thesis supervisors
• Check here the results of the doctor's job placement survey
• The PhD figures

Recognition and awards

In this link you will find the doctors who have obtained the Special Prize Award in this PhD programme.

You can also consult this document.