Doctoral studies

Application requirements for full-time History and Theory of Arts doctoral studies 2026 academic year

Dates and Deadlines

Required documents

• 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 scientists (in the field of humanities)(2026);
• CV and description of scientific and creative  activity;
• Scientific research project (in English or Lithuanian languages about 40000 characters); Dissertation project should be related to scientific researches carried out in Academy of Arts; The project must be assigned to one or two main research fields in order of priority (The list of topics and potential supervisors will be published in spring 2026. For now, you can check out THE LIST of research fields for 2025);
• List and copies of scientific publications (in the field of humanities);
• 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 admission fee;
• Consent regarding processing of personal data.

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

The competition grade is the average of the research project (Mtp), the interview (Pk) and the quality of scientific publications (Mpb).

Ʃ - competition grade
Ʃ = 0,5Mtp + 0,3Pk + 0,2Mpb

Structure of the competition grade

The Admissions Committee uses a ten-point system to assess the candidate's submissions: research project, scientific publications, and suitability for research, motivation to pursue the chosen research problem, and research experience, as revealed during the interview. If the candidates have the same score, preference will be given to the letters of recommendation provided. Only applicants with a competition score of at least 7 may apply for the PhD programme.

Scientific publication - a publication published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal. Its quality is assessed by a score from 1 to 10. The overall quality of scientific publications is obtained by taking the arithmetic mean of the scores awarded by the members of the Admissions Committee for the quality of the publication.

Admission meeting procedure

The meeting takes place in person or, if the applicant is unable to attend in person, remotely. The applicant arrives at the meeting at the appointed time or joins the meeting remotely using the remote meeting link sent in advance. The meeting is held in Lithuanian; if the applicant is a foreigner, the meeting is held in English.

The applicant presents the novelty and relevance of their research and their readiness to conduct scientific research. The presentation lasts 5 to 10 minutes.

The members of the admissions committee ask the applicant questions related to their research project and their readiness to conduct scientific research, to which the applicant responds. The interview lasts up to 10 minutes.

Procedure for submitting and hearing appeals

The applicant has the right to appeal against a violation of the admission meeting procedure. The appeal must be substantiated with reasons why the established admission meeting procedure has been violated. Unsubstantiated appeals shall be left unexamined by decision of the Appeals Commission. It is not possible to appeal against the scores awarded by the Admissions Commission or to resubmit appeals that have already been examined.  

Appeals shall be submitted in writing to the Art History and Theory Doctoral Program Admission Committee at doktorantura@vda.lt no later than the date specified in these admission rules. The Appeals Committee shall examine the appeal no later than within 2 working days of its receipt. The applicant shall be informed of the decision of the Appeals Committee no later than within 2 working days after the meeting of the Appeals Committee. The decisions of the Appeals Committee shall be taken at a meeting, which, depending on the availability of the committee members, shall be held in person or remotely, or by the committee members submitting their opinions on the appeal received to other committee members in writing (by e-mail). The method of appeal examination (in a meeting or in writing) is determined by the chair of the Appeals Committee, taking into account the availability of the committee members. The decision taken by the committee is recorded in the minutes, which are prepared by the Doctoral Studies Department and signed by the chair of the Appeals Committee. If violations of the admission procedure are found, a repeat meeting of the admissions committee shall be organized within two days, to which the person who submitted the appeal shall be invited.

The Appeals Committee consists of at least five members. The members of the Appeals Committee are from all institutions offering doctoral studies in art history and theory at the joint Vilnius Academy of Arts (VDA), Lithuanian Cultural Research Institute (LKTI), and Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre (LMTA): VDA Vice-Rector for Science and Art (chair of the committee); Vice-Rector for Art and Science of the LMTA, Director of the LKTI, Head of the Doctoral Studies in Art History and Theory, and one member of the Doctoral Committee in Art History and Theory Studies. The decisions of the Appeals Committee are made by a simple majority of votes. If the votes of the committee members are evenly divided, the chair of the committee has the casting vote.

If it is necessary to summon the applicant during the appeal proceedings, the time and place of the appeal proceedings shall be announced to the applicant in advance. The applicant may not be represented by another person.

The decision of the Appeals Commission is final and not subject to appeal.

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 16 872 EUR to 19 536 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 12 680 EUR per year.

Start of studies

1st October 2026.

Documents are submitted and information is provided

doktorantura@vda.lt