IDSVA Offers a Non-Studio PhD in Visual Arts: Philosophy, Aesthetics, and Art Theory

Low-Residency
The Institute for Doctoral Studies in the Visual Arts (IDSVA) has been pioneering and refining blended education since 2007. The PhD program fuses interactive online education with intensive global residencies, allowing working art professionals to pursue rigorous advanced scholarship without having to interrupt or abandon their teaching careers, art practices, or other professional responsibilities. Intensive residencies are held in Rome, Spannocchia Castle (Tuscany), Venice, Berlin, Paris, Athens, Madrid, Marrakech, Mexico City, and NYC.

Community
What may be most surprising about IDSVA is the strong sense of community, even though it’s largely a distance learning program. The intensive residencies create a sense of communal belonging among members of a cohort and their faculty. The shared meals, museum visits, and travels together forge a bond that carries over into virtual seminars and discussions of the online semesters.

Faculty
The IDSVA Faculty, Visiting Faculty, and Special Lecturers bring together major international philosophers, artists, and scholars. These renowned educators join students on residency and lead seminar discussions about the site’s historical, aesthetic, and ideological significance. This impressive list includes Emilia Kabakov, Carmen Boullosa, Mel Edwards, David Webb, Giovanbattista Tusa, Jane Taylor, and Santiago Zabala, to name a few.

Tuition & Scholarships
IDSVA offers generous scholarships, and our low-residency format allows students to keep their jobs while working on their degrees. IDSVA students also qualify for Federally Guaranteed Student Loans that can help with tuition and the cost of living. Learn more about scholarships and tuition.

International Students
IDSVA can issue F-1 Visas to foreign students for residencies held in the United States, but the visa does not provide for full-time residence in the US. More information for international students can be found here.

Book a conversation with Molly Davis, Director of Admissions.

Visit idsva.edu to apply for September 2023. Email info@idsva.edu for more information.