Doctor of Visual and Performing Arts (DH-VPA)

A person may be a candidate for the degree of Doctor of Visual and Performing Arts who:

• is a graduate of at least seven years standing in the faculty of the Fine Arts and Music (‘faculty’) (or its predecessors);
• holds a degree in this University or in any other university or tertiary educational institution, which is recognised by the faculty pursuant to section 4 of Regulation 11.1.A2 as appropriate for the purposes of this regulation; or
• satisfies the faculty that he or she is a person of distinguished eminence in any one or more of the fields of Visual Art, Film and Television, Drama, Dance, Music Performance or Production or other visual or performing art form.
• this degree is only available to local candidates, international applicants cannot be a candidate for this degree. 

Candidature

• An applicant for candidature for the degree must submit for examination in a form approved by the faculty original work, whether published or unpublished, the subject, scope and character of which have been approved by the faculty as appropriate for submission for this degree.
• An applicant may not submit for assessment work in respect of which the applicant has already qualified for a degree in any university or other tertiary educational institution, or, without the permission of the faculty, work which the applicant has previously presented for any such degree.
• When submitting work for assessment for the degree, the applicant must state generally in a preface and specifically in notes the sources from which the information is derived, the extent to which the applicant has availed himself or herself of the work of others and indicate, in general terms, the portions of the applicant's work for which originality is claimed.
• When an applicant submits for assessment work which has been undertaken in collaboration with another person, the applicant must provide a signed written statement detailing the extent of the applicant's contribution to the planning, carrying out and writing of the account of such work.

Submission of Work

• The faculty must appoint a committee to determine:

1. whether the subject matter and character of the work presented falls within the scope of the visual and performing arts and, if so,
2. whether, in general terms, the quality and quantity of the work presented justifies submitting the work for assessment.

• The faculty may appoint persons who are not members of the faculty to such a committee.
• If the committee decides that an assessment is justified, it must-

1. nominate examiners; and
2. recommend to the faculty that the applicant be admitted to candidature for the degree.

• (d) On the recommendation of such committee, the faculty may admit the applicant to candidature for the degree and forward the names of the examiners to Council.
• (e) Subject to the statutes and regulations of the University, the faculty may give directions for the conduct of the assessment.

A candidate:

• (a) whose work, in the opinion of the examiners:

1. (i) includes a substantial original contribution to knowledge in the visual and performing arts; and
2. (ii) is of a standard which would give the candidate authoritative standing in the candidate's field; and

• (b) who has fulfilled the prescribed conditions;

may be admitted to the degree of doctor of Visual and Performing Arts.