PhD: Intermedia Art, Writing and Performance
Program Requirements
IAWP is currently not accepting applications and will not be accepting applications for the Fall 2024 cycle.
Doctoral students in the IAWP PhD program take 30 credit hours of required coursework in the first two years of the program followed by 30 dissertation credit hours for a total of 60 hours. At the end of their second year, students will take their General Examination. Once they have passed the General Examination, their research will focus on the creation of an original and substantial project centered on practice-based research. The final outcome of their research will result in a creative work accompanied by a written dissertation.
The required coursework will include an interdisciplinary set of IAWP classes that introduces students to collaborative, practice-based research processes in the digital arts and humanities. The course work includes an Introduction to Practice-Based Research, Intermedia Collaboratory, Theory and Practice of Doing, and the Intermedia Seminar. Students are also encouraged to take approved courses located across departments inside and outside the College of Media, Communication and Information.
Students are expected to complete the program and their practice-based research project in four years.
Applicants to the PhD program in Intermedia Art, Writing and Performance are expected to hold a Master's degree (MFA or MA preferred) or its equivalent from an accredited college or university and provide transcripts from every institution attended. In exceptional cases, applicants without a master’s degree may be considered for admission.
We encourage applications from interdisciplinary digital artists and/or humanists who have already started developing experimental modes of practice-based research in contemporary forms of artistic expression. Domestic applications must be received by the program no later than Jan. 15 prior to the fall semester for which entrance is sought. International applications should be submitted by Dec. 15. Late applications may be considered under special circumstances.
Successful applications typically meet or exceed the following criteria:
- Provide transcripts from all institutions the applicant has attended as an undergraduate and graduate.
- Have an undergraduate cumulative GPA of at least 3.2 and a cumulative GPA of at least 3.5 in previous graduate work.
- Provide three letters of recommendation.
- Provide a 1000 word artist statement and proposal for a practice-based research project.
- Provide a resume or CV that includes academic and employment experience.
- Provide a portfolio of intermedia artwork such as Internet art sites, electronic literature, video and/or film work, sound works, digital humanities projects, creative writing, mobile and web applications, etc. Format preference is web-based and could include links to Vimeo, Soundcloud, online publication and/or exhibition sites, PDFs, personal websites, etc. Please include a link to your online portfolio in your personal statement and CV.
- International applicants must have a TOEFL score of at least 537 (IBT 75).

Meeting these criteria does not guarantee acceptance into the program. Because we accept relatively few new doctoral students each fall, we may have more qualified applicants than available openings.
For review and decision purposes you are required to upload an unofficial copy of your transcript(s) in the online application. We require one copy of the scanned transcript from each undergraduate and graduate institution that you attended. This includes community colleges, summer sessions, and extension programs. While credits from one institution may appear on the transcript of a second institution, unofficial transcripts must be submitted from each institution, regardless of the length of attendance, and whether or not courses were completed.
Failure to list and submit transcripts from all institutions previously attended is considered to be a violation of academic ethics and may result in the cancellation of your admission or dismissal from the university.
ONLY after you are recommended for admission will you need to provide official transcripts.
Instructions for Uploading Unofficial Transcripts to Your Application (scroll to 'Uploading Unofficial Transcripts in the Application')
Resources
FAQ | Online Application | International Students Online Application
Expenses and Housing
Funding | | | Bill Estimator |
Research or teaching assistantships, including a tuition waiver and stipend, as well as fellowships, are available. PhD students may receive assistantships for a maximum of four years.