The application deadline for the docARTES programme is always 15 January.
If your application is successful, you will start the programme in September of the same year.
You need a Master’s degree in music or a related field. A strong artistic profile and a well-developed research proposal that is both artistically and academically relevant are essential. See also: Handbook p. 27–28 – Student Profile.
Yes, applicants with non-European degrees are welcome. Your degree must be equivalent to a European Master’s degree in music or a related field. This is assessed on a case-by-case basis by the degree awarding university.
You submit an online application via the docARTES website. The application includes your CV, a motivation letter, and a research proposal. An entrance committee reviews your file. See also: Application Guidelines Part 1 & 2 (pp. 3–4)
The docARTES application form and guidelines can be downloaded here.
Yes! If you already have a project idea or a draft proposal, you’re welcome to request an informal orientation meeting. This helps determine whether your project fits the docARTES profile and get early feedback.
No. It is not necessary to secure a supervising director or specialist before admission to the program. If you have not spoken directly to docARTES or its partners at the time of application, simply leave that particular application question blank.
Yes. Candidates who submitted an application and were not offered admission may re-apply but not for the same academic year.
No public examples are available. However, if you already have a project idea or a draft proposal, you’re welcome to request an informal orientation meeting. This allows you to check whether your project fits the docARTES profile and receive early feedback.
The Application Guidelines will guide you in finding the required structure for your proposal.
docARTES broadly covers the field of artistic research in music. Topics may range from classical/contemporary performance and composition to electronic music, vocal or pedagogical research, or even intersections of language and music and other interdisciplinary fields, as long as they are artistically and methodologically well-grounded.
A strong research proposal is central to your application and should demonstrate both artistic depth and research potential. It typically includes the following key components:
Define your research field – What artistic practice or domain are you working in?
Formulate one or more clear research questions – What do you want to explore or understand? Be sure to situate your questions within a relevant context of artistic and academic work (research, literature, and practice).
Outline a practice-based methodology – How will you approach your research in and through artistic practice?
Explain your intended contribution – What new knowledge, insight, or artistic understanding do you hope to bring to the field?
Part 2 of the docARTES Application Guidelines (pp. 3–4)
The Orpheus MOOC on Artistic Research in Music is a valuable introduction to key concepts in the field.
Research events organised by Orpheus Instituut and docARTES partners provide great opportunities to test your ideas, get peer feedback, and meet experienced researchers.
Consider having your draft reviewed by colleagues or a (potential) supervisor. If you are unsure who might be a relevant supervisor, consult the websites of docARTES partner institutions or contact the programme via the addresses listed in the docARTES handbook (pp. 4–7).
Yes, every student should have attended 8 intro sessions and 8 focus or event sessions at the end of the doctoral curriculum. Only 1 absence is allowed
The required curriculum and research work for a PhD takes four years. The performance of thesis research, and defense of the final thesis usually take 12 to 18 months at a minimum. It is reasonable to expect to take four to five years to complete the PhD.
Doctoral students come from a variety of backgrounds. Their most important distinguishing features are an eagerness to discover new things and an aptitude for research methods, experiments and writing. More than half of the students are international. The number of first-year students is small and select. New students interact with doctoral students in all years and also with researchers at the Orpheus Research Centre with common interests.
Yes, absolutely. docARTES is designed with international researchers and active artists in mind.
In the first year, you are expected to attend eight mandatory seminar sessions, usually spread over monthly blocks of 2 to 3 days in Ghent.
From the second year onwards, there are again eight sessions to follow in Ghent, but with more flexibility in scheduling.
In between seminars, you work independently, and online meetings with supervisors are common. You can arrange these sessions in consultation with your supervisory team.
The programme is structured to allow for a parallel artistic career and is compatible with living and working outside Belgium—provided you can attend the required sessions in person.
Because docARTES consists of short seminar blocks (usually 2–3 days per month during the first year), a long-stay visa is generally not required. Most students attend these sessions in person and work remotely in between.
Depending on your country of residence, you may need a short-stay Schengen visa (Type C), which allows stays of up to 90 days within a 180-day period. This is usually sufficient for the limited on-site presence the programme requires.
Citizens of certain countries (e.g. USA, Canada, Japan, South Korea) can enter the Schengen area without a visa for up to 90 days. However, this is not valid for long-term residence or formal enrolment at a university.
Always check the visa requirements for your nationality and situation. We recommend contacting:
The Belgian embassy or consulate in your country
The international office of your partner university
No, as your attendance is only required at the compulsory sessions (8 sessions in the intro year and 8 sessions in the following focus years).
docARTES is designed to be flexible. You’ll take part in structured seminar sessions and residencies (8 sessions in the 1st year and 8 event/focus sessions in year 2-4) in Ghent, but outside those moments, you’ll work independently on your research. This setup allows you to combine the programme with other professional activities, including an international artistic career.
DocARTES is a doctoral programme in artistic research, combining practice and reflection. Your doctorate is embedded in an academic context (e.g. Leiden University) and an artistic research centre (e.g. Orpheus Instituut).
You’re not required to contact a supervisor or promotor when you apply. You’re welcome to share your ideas or preferences regarding supervision in your application, and we’ll do our best to see how we can respond to them.
DocARTES does not provide a fixed list of supervisors or artistic advisors. All supervision must come from the pool of partner institutions; which are also the degree-awarding universities, and is arranged in consultation with the institution where you will be enrolled, after you have been accepted following the entrance examination.
To explore suitable supervisors:
Contact the partner universities directly to discuss your research topic and possible supervision. Use the contact persons listed in the docARTES handbook (pp. 4–7).
Visit the websites of the partner institutions to explore the profiles of researchers active in your field
Meet potential supervisors at research events organised by docARTES or its partners
You’ll pay a tuition fee of €2,500 to Orpheus Instituut:
€1,250 in the first year
€1,250 in the second year
In addition, you’ll need to pay enrolment fees at your partner university (e.g. Leiden University, LUCA School of Arts, University of Antwerp). These vary by institution and must be paid directly to the university.
For precise information about the university-specific fees and requirements, contact the institutional representatives listed in the docARTES handbook (pp. 4–7).
No, the docARTES programme itself does not provide scholarships. You are strongly encouraged to look for external funding through your partner university, national funding bodies, or international foundations.
Financial support for international students may be possible in the form of a contribution to accommodation and travel costs related to the sessions in Ghent. This must be discussed and agreed upon with Orpheus Instituut at the start of the doctoral programme.
There are no standard teaching or assistantship positions within the docARTES programme or at Orpheus Instituut. However:
You may explore teaching or research opportunities at your host university. These depend on availability and your department's needs.
Orpheus Instituut occasionally publishes calls for doctoral researchers linked to specific research clusters or externally funded projects. These are not part of the regular docARTES track, but may offer paid research involvement.
Keep an eye on the Orpheus website for open calls, and evaluate whether your expertise matches the required profile.
Additionally, participation in research events in the framework of the docARTES curriculum may come with coverage of travel/lodging costs (see questions about Scholarships).