Announcement

Applications Open: IDSVA Low-Residency PhD Program for Artists and Creative Thinkers

Begin your PhD journey in summer 2027 with residencies in Rome, Spannocchia Castle, Arezzo, and Siena.

Institute for Doctoral Studies in the Visual Arts (IDSVA)

September 15, 2026 — 2 min read

IDSVA students in Siena with visiting faculty, Franca Marini (left), and core faculty, Simonetta Moro (fourth from left). Photo by Jeanne Moore.

The Institute for Doctoral Studies in the Visual Arts (IDSVA) offers a research-based, low-residency PhD in Visual Arts: Philosophy, Aesthetics, and Art Theory designed for artists, curators, writers, and creative thinkers. Through close mentorship with distinguished faculty and a globally engaged curriculum, students explore, question, and challenge how we understand art, culture, and human experience. Earn your PhD with three years of coursework (60 credits) followed by a dissertation.

As a nomadic institution without a traditional campus, IDSVA brings together a global community of artists, scholars, and creative practitioners through a pioneering educational model that combines interactive online seminars with immersive residencies in locations around the world, such as Rome, Spannocchia Castle in Tuscany, Siena, Venice, Berlin, Marrakech, Mexico City, and New York City. This innovative approach enables you to pursue rigorous doctoral study while continuing your career, creative practice, and personal commitments.

IDSVA students at Spannocchia Castle. (Photo by Christopher Andrew)

IDSVA students at the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin in front of Yoko Ono’s *Wish Tree For Berlin*. (Photo by Jessie Keating)

“What drew me to this program was the fact that it felt really nimble and I would not have to disrupt my career path. I could do it simultaneously while studying.” —Terrence Phearse, Driskell Fellow, Cohort ’21

“It has truly felt so natural coming in; the staff, the assistants, and the administration have been so welcoming. It really made me feel like I belong here. I am really glad that I was given this opportunity.” —Natania Lyson, BA enrollee, Cohort ’26

IDSVA students in Rome with visiting faculty, Shara Wasserman (center, front). (Photo by Stephanie Inabinett)

IDSVA students at Spannocchia with visiting faculty, Jordana Moore Saggese, Director of the David C. Driskell Center. (Photo by Molly Davis)

Qualified holders of a BA or BFA are invited to apply. Students entering the program with an MA in art, philosophy, or related disciplines or an MFA may be eligible to transfer up to 5 credits toward the PhD, determined on a case-by-case basis.

International Applicants: IDSVA is based in the United States. Students outside of the US are encouraged to apply and complete their doctoral studies from their home country. IDSVA can issue F-1 visas to international students for a one-week residency in the US, but these visas do not grant full-time residence in the US.

Applications for Summer and Fall 2027 are now open.

Interested applicants can schedule a conversation with the Director of Admissions, Dr. Amy Schuessler.

To learn more visit IDSVA.edu or contact info@idsva.edu.