The processes and parameters of fine art PhD examination

The merger of art schools into academic institutions and the consequent proliferation of higher degree courses in the visual arts has created pressure for these courses to justify that their research content ‘measures up’ to more traditional research practices. This study aimed to identify the parameters for PhD examination and research practices in the field of Fine Art through interviews with Fine Art examiners as well as an analysis of written PhD examination reports. A comparison of PhD examination reports across disciplines revealed that there were similarities as well as some significant differences between the type of feedback provided by Fine Art examiners and feedback by examiners from other disciplines. Interviews with 15 Fine Art examiners from 11 Australian institutions provided information about the expectations, standards and models of evaluation in the Fine Art field as well as how examiners perceive their role and what constraints are evident in current examination processes.