Admission to FINE ARTS doctoral studies (position with research subject) 2025 academic year
The Doctoral Department of the Vilnius Academy of Arts invites applications to four-year doctoral studies in art on the topic “Artistic Practice as a Form of Articulating Conflicting Values in Democratic Society”. The creative part will be supervised by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Eglė Grėbliauskaitė, and the research part will be supervised by Dr. Lina Michelkevičė.
In contemporary society, conflicts between incompatible values, identities, and narratives of collective memory are becoming increasingly apparent, further exacerbated by geopolitical tensions. Traditional forms of public discourse are often unable to cover emotionally and historically sensitive topics. Meanwhile, artistic practice—especially in public spaces or at the intersection of institutions—can take on not only an aesthetic but also a political function as a means of articulating social conflicts, highlighting tensions, questioning dominant narratives, and proposing unconventional solutions.
Given the paradoxes of democracy, the dissonance of moral norms, the impact of cultural policy, and geopolitical instability, it is particularly important to use art as an agonistic space where disagreements can become the basis for productive dialogue. The doctoral candidate will be invited to use artistic research tools to reflect on these conflicts by conducting relevant case studies selected by themself and using appropriate means of artistic practice.
Such research is particularly necessary in the context of Lithuania and Eastern Europe, where art can become a means of revealing unspoken topics, responding to political tensions, and initiating public reflection. We hope that the research will contribute to the development of artistic research, provide new insights into the field of art, politics, and society, encourage interdisciplinary discussion, and offer creative tools for articulating social tensions.
Dates and Deadlines
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Application documents must be submitted. |
25 August - 4 September 2025 Admission documents are submitted in one pdf. by e-mail (doktorantura@vda.lt) |
| Assessment of Creative Work and Professional Development - Review. Announcement of participants invited for an interview with the admission committee. | 11 September 2025 |
| Admission commission meeting (applicant’s participation is obligatory). | 17 September 2025 |
| The list of invited applicants to doctoral studies will be announced. | 17 September 2025 |
| Reception and analysis of appeals. | 18 September 2025 |
| The announcement of the list of the admitted to doctoral studies. | 19 September 2025 |
Required documents (have to be submitted in one pdf. by e-mail doktorantura@vda.lt)
- Application to the VAA rector;
- A copy of Master diploma and diploma supplement in the original language, with the certified translation to English or Lithuanian (Documents issued in English or Lithuanian do not require a translation).
Please be advised that applicants with foreign qualifications, acquired outside Lithuania, will undergo mandatory academic recognition of these qualifications. Detailed procedure and requirements can be found in Academic recognition section.
Vilnius Academy of Arts (VAA) has been granted the right by the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports of the Republic of Lithuania to recognize foreign qualifications of its international applicants for the purposes of further studies at VAA. Recognition of foreign qualifications at VAA is accomplished by the International Relations Office. - Letters of recommendation of two recognized artists (2025);
- Portfolio (Creative works) and CV (Professional development);
- Art project proposal and an outline of the study plan (3000 - 5000 words). GUIDELINES;
- A copy of ID or passport;
- A copy of a document certifying the change of name and/or surname if not all the documents submitted are under the same name and/or surname;
- Receipt of the admission fee;
- Consent regarding processing of personal data.
Please use as a reference regulations and check Previously defended art projects.
REGULATIONS FOR DOCTORAL STUDIES IN ART
Admission fee payment, account requisites
Admission fee is 50 EUR
Vilniaus dailės akademija
Legal entity (VAA) code 111950439
Swedbank AB
Account no. LT44 7300 0100 0245 5498
Bank code 73000
SWIFT: HABALT22
The title of the entrance fee should be: stojamoji imoka i doktorantura+applicant’s name.
In case admission fee is paid not to VAA account the application is not considered. If an applicant withdraws the documents, the admission fee is not refunded.
Competition grade formula
Competition grade consists of the portfolio (Prt), description of the art research project (Mtpa), interview (Pk).
Ʃ - competition grade
Ʃ = 0,25Prt + 0,5Mtpa + 0,25Pk
Structure of the competition grade
The admissions competition takes place in two phases. The first stage is an assessment of creative work and professional training - a review. The admissions commission reviews the documents of the candidates, reference letters from recognized artists, their portfolios, CVs and the descriptions of their art projects. If the admissions commission decides that the artistic level of the candidate’s creative work and his/her professional training are insufficient or that his/her competences are inadequate for the doctoral programme offered by the VAA, he/she no longer participates in the competition. The second stage is presentation of the description of the art project to be developed and an interview. During the interview, the applicants make an oral presentation to the Admissions Committee of their intended artistic project, both the creative and the research parts of it. The applicants formulate the problem of the future art project, outline the expected directions of their activities, present their previous creative activities and their most significant creative achievements. The portfolio, the description of the art project and the interview are evaluated using a ten-point system. The sum of the scores constitutes the competition score. In the event of a tie, the recommendations of recognised artists are taken into account. Only applicants with a competition score of at least 7 may apply for the PhD programme.
Procedure for submitting and hearing appeals
The applicant has the right to appeal against a breach of the admission procedures. The appeal must contain a reasoned justification for the breach of the established admission procedures. The marks awarded by the Admissions Committee cannot be appealed.
Appeals shall be submitted in writing to the Admissions Committee of the Fine Arts, Design and Architecture doctoral programme at doktorantura@vda.lt, no later than the date indicated under "Admission dates and deadlines". The Appeals Committee shall consider the appeal within 2 working days of receipt. The decisions of the Board of Appeal shall be recorded in minutes and signed by the Chairperson of the Board of Appeal. In the event of irregularities in the admission procedure, a re-meeting of the Admission Board shall be announced.
The Appeals Board shall be composed of at least 5 members. The members of the Appeals Board for Fine Arts, Design and Architecture are: the Vice-Rector for Arts and Science of the VDA, the Vice-Rector for Studies of the VDA, the Chairperson of the relevant Doctoral Programme Committee, and the two members of the relevant Doctoral Programme Committee.
Scholarships
Students admitted to state-funded places of doctoral studies receive a scholarship of the amount established by the Government of the Republic of Lithuania during the period of studies from 15 960 EUR to 18 480 EUR per year.
Tuition fee
Students admitted to state-funded positions are exempted of the tuition fee. Self-funded doctoral students pay the tuition fee that is 12 449 euros per year.
Start of studies
1st October 2025.
