UCA Doctoral College, located close to our Canterbury campus at Rochester House, is UCA’s new home for creative PhD study, and takes the University's already prestigious research status to a new level.

Acting as a base for students, academic and support staff, UCA Doctoral College offers a distinctive model of excellence and leadership in contemporary arts doctoral studies provision. It is focused on practice-based research projects, supervised across all our schools, rooted in intellectually rigorous preparation, topical critical and creative themes, and key research skills.

As a full or part-time research student at UCA, you’ll have the option to choose a traditional or practice-based route for your studies. Whichever you choose, you’ll develop an original written thesis, and practice-based candidates will need to produce accompanying creative work.

At the UCA Doctoral College, students are undertaking PhD's in a variety of creative subjects, from exploring cultural hybridity in Nigerian film, to interpreting the behaviour of ants through fine art. 

If you're interested in studying a postgraduate research degree at UCA, click the link below to find out more.

Research Degrees

Studying a creative research degree at UCA means joining a vibrant and progressive top ten research community with a wealth of specialist resources for creative research and practice.

Find out more

Studying at the UCA
Doctoral College

The UCA Doctoral College is your base for PhD study and offers a warm, connected community for you to realise your research aims.

At the Doctoral College you meet other PhD students – something which can be difficult when studying a research degree – and have the chance to build a network of fellow research students. Meanwhile, our team of staff – both teaching and administrative – are always available should you have any issues or questions and are always happy to have a chat.

The Doctoral College building is newly appointed and offers you a range of spaces, depending on your needs: quiet study areas, a range of breakout rooms for group work, a bank of Macs to work at, along with several social spaces for get togethers over lunch or a coffee.

The Doctoral College is here for you to utilise and benefit from – you can arrange supervision meetings here, and host events that support your study.

Elihu Salazar Espinosa

“The warmth and passion of the lecturers and administrators is contagious. And I have no words to describe the nice community that has been formed with the other PhD students, a super highlight. Lots of support, laughs and interesting and challenging points of view.”

Elihu Salazar Espinosa PhD student

Facilities

Rochester House provides multiple spaces to learn and host events. It includes a bookable exhibition space, a large main room for events and a smaller seminar room for 10-15 people, both of which have a large screen with filming and audio facilities. There are also one-to-one spaces, social seating and a PhD lab with 20 Macs. 

Rochester House has spaces to learn with filming and audio facilities.

Learning spaces accommodate large groups through to one-to-ones

There are also social spaces for students

Finding us

UCA Doctoral College is easily accessible – it's close to our Canterbury campus just off the M2 by road, and close to cross-Channel services and two major train stations with links to London. It's also served by bus.

UCA Doctoral College,
Rochester House,
St George’s Place,
Canterbury
CT1 1UT.

Get directions

For any Doctoral College enquiries, please contact Chris Hill at researchdegrees@uca.ac.uk.