PhD in creation
The ENSP has offered the «Practice and theory in literary and artistic creation» PhD since 2013, in conjunction with Aix-Marseille University (AMU). This multidisciplinary project aims to allow PhD students to develop a research project in photography and to combine theoretical and epistemological reflection with their artistic practice.
The ENSP is a higher education institution under the supervision of the French Ministry of Culture. The school’s principal mission is to provide creative training and expertise in the artistic, technical, historical and theoretical domains related to images. The ENSP benefits from a broad international network of professionals, structures and partner institutions specialized in the above areas.
Aix-Marseille, with 80 000 students, 1 100 national and university diplomas and 9 federated structures with links to the most important research organisations in France (the CNRS, INSERM etc) offers considerable resources in the service of doctoral projects.
Jointly supervised by an artist practitioner and an academic, the doctoral students enrolled on the ‘Practice and theory of artistic and literary creation’ PhD programme must meet both artistic and academic requirements. Through the three years, the ENSP-AMU doctoral students are engaged in bilateral research leading to the production of both creative work and a defense of their thesis.
→ Artistic work related to photography or the area of images more generally, problematizing the completed research.
→ A written thesis of a minimum of 200 000 characters (including spaces, not including the bibliography) developing rigorous problematized thinking in close relation to their artistic practice.
Doctorate students are able to integrate the ENSP and one of the eight research units of the Doctorate School 354 of the Aix-Marseille University. During the research period, the PhD student is autonomous in the conduct of his/her/their research but is in regular contact with his/her/their co-supervisors who have shared responsibility for the programme.
At the ENSP doctoral supervision is personalized and takes the form of regular individual sessions with the artist/teacher co-supervising the thesis. The doctoral student also participates in a number of doctoral seminars organized throughout the year to which they are closely associated in terms of organisation.
For information regarding research directors at the AMU :
→« futur doctorant », followed by « trouver un directeur ou une directrice »
Doctoral students at the ENSP benefit from a research grant of ten thousand euros per year, for a maximum of three years, on condition that the enrollment procedures and commitments are met with regard to the two structures concerned – the ENSP and the AMU.
Enrollment on the «Practice and theory in literary and artistic creation» programme is not a given : candidates must present an application dossier which will be evaluated by the doctoral staff at the ENSP and a selection committee made up of academics empowered to conduct research (HDR) alongside personalities from literary and artistic domains.
Since its creation, they obtained their PhD :
→ Lila Neutre
→ Mezli Vega Osorno
→ Nina Ferrer Gleize
→ Sergio Valenzuela-Escobedo
→ Alejandro Leon-Cannock
→ Fanny Terno
1/ The Doctoral Research Grant:
Doctoral students at the ENSP benefit from a 10,000-euro annual research grant for a maximum of three years, subject to compliance with the enrollment procedures and commitments at both institutions – ENSP and AMU.
2/ The AMU/ENSP Targeted Biennial Doctoral Contract:
. This is a biennial funding scheme offered in odd-numbered years. It was first awarded to Sylvain Couzinet-Jacques in 2023 for a duration of three years:
https://www.ensp-arles.fr/les-formations/le-doctorat/les-doctorants/sylvain-couzinet-jacques/
. It is awarded through the same selection process as the ENSP doctoral research grant.
. Please note: this is a distinct procedure from the standard doctoral contract of ED 354:
https://ecole-doctorale-354.univ-amu.fr/fr/futur-doctorant/financement
The PhD program is open to artists holding a Master 2 diploma (or equivalent) for at least two years, with no age limit. The project must prioritize artistic creation, and particular attention will be given to candidates who can demonstrate a recognized artistic career in France and/or internationally. By applying, candidates express their desire to integrate their artistic practice around images with theoretical and epistemological reflection.
Applications for the PhD program must be submitted via the ENSP application platform by May 16, 2025, and must include:
→ A portfolio of previous artistic projects and works
→ A detailed PhD proposal (approximately 10,000 characters), written and illustrated where necessary, meeting academic standards and accompanied by a bibliography. The proposal must include:
The corpus and period studied, The list of sources and archives used, The problematic, The contextualization of the research within the field, The contribution of the research to existing knowledge, The theoretical framework, The methodology, Any planned research stays
For the artistic component: which aesthetic approaches and mediums the candidate will prioritize and which works or types of works they intend to produce for the PhD.
→ A short statement explaining the candidate’s interest in obtaining a PhD and its relevance to their artistic career. Candidates are advised to specify in this short text that they wish to apply both for the ENSP doctoral research grant and for the targeted biennial ENSP/AMU doctoral contract, which is available every odd-numbered year.
→ A detailed CV summarizing academic background, professional and artistic experience, and any publications
→ Identification of an AMU + ENSP research director
Here is the list of artist-professors who are eligible to supervise PhD projects:
Caroline BERNARD
Mabe BETHÔNICO
Nicolas GIRAUD
Tadashi ONO
Gilles SAUSSIER
Fabien VALLOS
Selection Criteria
Applications are evaluated based on the following criteria:
✔ Uniqueness of the artistic approach
✔ Ability to situate their practice within contemporary artistic fields
✔ Relevance of artistic references
✔ Clarity and precision of the written proposal, ensuring a well-defined research methodology
✔ Contextualization of the relationship between theory and artistic practice
✔ Structuring of a research and creative problematic
✔ Originality of the research and its contribution to contemporary artistic creation
Selection Process & Final Enrollment
Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed (in person or via videoconference) by the ENSP doctoral team, and results will be announced by the end of June.
Selected candidates must complete their specific pre-registration file for the “Practice and Theory in Literary and Artistic Creation” program before September 2025:
→ https://ecole-doctorale-354.univ-amu.fr/fr/futur-doctorant/sinscrire
Applications approved by the ENSP will be reviewed and validated by a final selection committee composed of art professionals and university faculty members. If the project is jointly approved by ENSP and AMU, the candidate must proceed with administrative enrollment at both institutions.
Doctoral students benefit from the documentary and technical resources of both institutions. Shared workspaces are available at ENSP and the Maison de la Recherche (MDR) in Aix-en-Provence.
Final Administrative Enrollment
Final enrollment is carried out with the University’s administrative services (contact: Isabelle Fine or Jeannine Pottiez-Ronceray, educational services department, for tuition fees and social security) and then with ENSP (contact: Laurence Canaux).
The Contribution to Student and Campus Life (CVEC) is only paid once, to either of the two institutions. Doctoral students must finalize their administrative enrollment at both institutions according to the academic calendar.
