Organizer Information
The Basel Academy of Art and Design FHNW (HGK Basel) is part of the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland and is the only Swiss institution offering the full range of art and design disciplines, including Visual Communication, Interior Design and Scenography, Fashion Design, Industrial Design, and Art and Design Education. Around 1,000 students, teachers, and staff work across its institutes, and the school positions itself as a hub for socially relevant discourse in art and design theory and practice. The MAKE/SENSE PhD is hosted within the Academy's Critical Media Lab and delivered jointly with the University of Arts Linz (Austria), combining supervision and infrastructure from both institutions.
Programme Description
MAKE/SENSE brings together researchers from Art, Design, media, and technology in a collaborative, transdisciplinary environment, with a curriculum grounded in critical and experimental methods. Research is approached as a process that responds to social, political, infrastructural, and technological questions of the present. Candidates develop situated, socially engaged approaches, and projects may take the form of artistic interventions, activist media, software critique, fieldwork, or other practice-based experiments questioning how knowledge is produced and shared. Doctoral training spans three structured years (with an extension option), combining individual and group supervision in Basel and Linz, monthly colloquia, a yearly assembly, and public events with external partners. Research outcomes may include exhibitions, Performance, Installation, or publications.
Key Information
- Official Program Title: MAKE/SENSE PhD Programme
- Program Type: PhD (Doctorate)
- Institution Name: Basel Academy of Art and Design FHNW, in partnership with University of Arts Linz
- Country / City: Basel, Switzerland, and Linz, Austria
- Academic Field: Art, Design, Media, Curating, Interdisciplinary Arts (Research-based)
- Application Period: 1st round opens now, through September 27, 2026
- Second Phase Remote Interviews Date: Mid-January 2027 (Week 2/3), following the 2nd round full proposal
- Announcement of Admissions Result Date: Mid-November 2026 (1st round results); final admissions timing not otherwise specified
- Tuition: Study fees set by the University of Arts Linz (see kunstuni-linz.at); no additional study fees at FHNW
Field of Study & Eligible Disciplines
- Accepted Academic Backgrounds: Art, Curatorial, publishing, Design, and cultural organizing
- Preferred Disciplines: Artistic practice combined with critical theory and political inquiry, spanning Art, Design, media, Performance, and Curatorial work
- Interdisciplinary Acceptance Rules: Explicitly transdisciplinary — the programme welcomes practitioners working at the intersection of artistic practice, critical theory, and political inquiry
- Portfolio Relevance: Portfolio of art/design/curatorial/writing samples required as part of the pre-proposal submission
General Eligibility
- Who Can Apply: International and domestic applicants (not restricted by nationality in the source)
- Professional vs Academic Eligibility: Open to practitioners across Art, Design, media, Performance, or Curatorial work committed to practice-based research
- Portfolio-Based Eligibility Conditions: A portfolio of relevant samples is required alongside academic qualifications
Educational Background
- Required Minimum Degree: MA degree (120 ECTS) or equivalent qualification
- Accepted Fields of Study: Art, Curatorial studies, publishing, Design, cultural organizing
- Equivalent Professional Experience Acceptance: Not specified in the source
- Excluded or Non-Eligible Backgrounds: Not specified in the source
Language Proficiency Requirement
- Required Language(s): Not specified in the source
- Minimum Test Scores: Not specified in the source
- Waiver Conditions: Not specified in the source
- Portfolio or Degree-Based Exemptions: Not specified in the source
Additional Eligibility Conditions
- Nationality Restrictions: None stated in the source
- Work or Research Experience Requirements: Not specified beyond the MA-level qualification and portfolio
- Portfolio / Research Proposal Expectations: A project outline (2–3 pages) is required at pre-proposal stage, covering research question, brief state of the art, relevance, proposed methods, and proposed outcomes
- Visa or Institutional Constraints: Not specified in the source
Tuition
- Annual Tuition Fee: Not specified in the source; determined by the University of Arts Linz's current fee schedule (see kunstuni-linz.at)
Funding & Financial Support
- Scholarships: The programme is not funded by FHNW or University of Arts Linz; candidates are directed to external funding sources, including FHNW funding information, University of Arts Linz funding information, the Austrian Academy of Sciences DOC Fellowship, and other PhD funding opportunities collected by fundingZ
University Services & Academic Support
- Studio / Lab Access: Access to the infrastructure of both the Basel Academy of Art and Design FHNW and the University of Arts Linz
- Research Supervision: Joint individual and group supervision in Basel and Linz, across FHNW institutes including Experimental Design and Media Cultures (IXDM), Arts and Design Education (IADE), Art Gender Nature (IAGN), Digital Communication Environments (IDCE), and Contemporary Design Practices (ICDP)
- Mentorship Programs: Monthly colloquia and close mentorship as part of the Critical Media Lab structure
- Career Services: Not specified in the source
- Exhibition / Residency Opportunities: A yearly assembly and regular public events organized with external partners; research outcomes may include exhibitions, performances, and installations
- Library / Archive Access: Not specified in the source
- International Student Support Services: Not specified in the source
Application Requirements (Pre-Proposal, Round 1)
- Motivation letter listing two preferred supervisors and rationale, plus plans for financing the PhD, including any need for support with external funding applications (2 pages, A4)
- Project outline (2–3 pages, A4, excluding references): research question, short state of the art, relevance and topicality regarding at least one area of concern, proposed methods, and proposed outcomes
- Curriculum Vitae
- Portfolio (art/design/curatorial/writing samples)
- MA and BA diplomas, including transcripts
How to Apply?
Online Application
Deadline & Timeline
- Application Deadline (1st Round, Pre-Proposals): 27 September 2026
- Notification Date (1st Round Results): Mid-November 2026
- Application Deadline (2nd Round, Full Proposal): 18 December 2026
- Second Phase Remote Interviews Date: Mid-January 2027 (Week 2/3)
Location
Basel, Switzerland, and Linz, Austria
Additional Details
The PhD is explicitly unfunded — applicants are expected to independently pursue external funding through sources such as FHNW and University of Arts Linz funding pages, the Austrian Academy of Sciences DOC Fellowship, or listings collected by fundingZ. Study fees are set by the University of Arts Linz (with none additional at FHNW), and full details on admission requirements, the supervisor agreement, and study plan regulations are available on the University of Arts Linz website. Current supervisors include Prof. Dr. Dr. Aylin Yildirim Tschoepe, Prof. Dr. Chus Martínez, Prof. Dr. Dorothée King, Prof. Dr. Helen V. Pritchard, Prof. Dr. Ines Kleesattel, Prof. Dr. Lucie Kolb, Prof. Matthias Böttger, Prof. Dr. Sarah Owens, and Dr. Yvonne Volkart.