art phd ireland

• Undergraduate Courses
• Postgraduate Taught Courses
• Professional, Part-time and Evening Courses
• PhDs and Research Masters
• Online Courses
• Micro-credentials
• How to Apply
• Fees & Funding
• Modes of Study
• Scholarships

Choosing a course is one of the most important decisions you'll ever make! View our courses and see what our students and lecturers have to say about the courses you are interested in at the links below.

View Courses

• Accommodation Advisory Service
• Campus Activities
• Student Support
• Study Abroad
• International Office
• Mature Students
• Students with Disabilities
• Student Ambassador Programme
• For Parents and Guardians
• Access Student Information
• Life in Galway

University Life

Each year more than 4,000 choose University of Galway as their University of choice. Find out what life at University of Galway is all about here.

Read about life at University of Galway

• News & Events
• Strategy 2020-2025
• Cois Coiribe (Publication)
• University Leadership
• Sustainability - National SDG Champion

About University of Galway

Since 1845, University of Galway has been sharing the highest quality teaching and research with Ireland and the world. Find out what makes our University so special – from our distinguished history to the latest news and campus developments.

About University of Galway

• Adult Learning and Professional Development
• College of Arts, Social Sciences, & Celtic Studies
• College of Business, Public Policy and Law
• College of Medicine, Nursing & Health Sciences
• College of Science and Engineering

Colleges & Schools

University of Galway has earned international recognition as a research-led university with a commitment to top quality teaching across a range of key areas of expertise.

Colleges and Schools

Research Areas

• Research Office
• Innovation Office
• Researcher Development Centre
• Research Community Portal
• Research centres, institutes, and units

Research & Innovation

University of Galway’s vibrant research community take on some of the most pressing challenges of our times.

• Career Development Centre (for Employers)
• Business Innovation Centre
• Conference & Event Centre

Guiding Breakthrough Research at University of Galway

We explore and facilitate commercial opportunities for the research community at University of Galway, as well as facilitating industry partnership.

• Latest News
• Alumni Services
• Cois Coiribe
• Alumni Awards
• Follow our Social Channels
• Update Your Details
• Upcoming Alumni Events
• Previous Alumni Events

Alumni & Friends

There are 128,000 University of Galway alumni worldwide. Stay connected to your alumni community! Join our social networks and update your details online.

• About Engagement
• Learning with Community
• Community Partnerships
• Research with Communities
• University of Sanctuary

Community Engagement

At University of Galway, we believe that the best learning takes place when you apply what you learn in a real world context. That's why many of our courses include work placements or community projects.

Real Learning

Gateway Pages

• Prospective Students
• Current Students
• Ollscoil na Gaillimhe
• A High Contrast
• Registration
• Office 365 (Email)
• Student Registry Helpdesk
• Fees & Grants
• Exam Timetables
• Academic Skills Hub
• Student Services
• Student Volunteering
• Students' Union
• Financial System (Agresso)
• Academic Records
• Human Resources
• Academic Terms Dates
• Information Solutions & Services (IT Services)
• Buildings & Estates
• Service Desk
• Colleges & Schools
• Find a Supervisor/PhD Project
• Choosing a Research Programme
• Structured Programmes
• Non-Structured Programmes
• Research Scholarships

Course Overview

Course fees.

The aim of the three-/four-year full-time (or part-time equivalent) research programme is the generation of a contribution to knowledge and understanding in Fine Art by means of enquiry conducted through original studio research and, where relevant, other research methods.

Students propose a research project including a key research question, and receive training in research methods. Students are also expected to:

• Pursue a defined key research questions through studio research
• Investigate cognate studio research undertaken by others internationally
• Explore the theoretical and historical dimensions of the enquiry through scholarship
• Collaborate with others, as appropriate, to extend the range of the enquiry
• Produce a body of work that embodies new knowledge in answer to the key research question
• Write a 500-word summary of the contribution to knowledge and understanding together with a reflective analysis of the theoretical and historical context of the research and a critical review of the process of the research.

Postgraduate Portfolio Day Ireland

Programmes Available

PhD, full-time; PhD, part-time Duration: 4 years, full-time; 6 years, part-time Apply via  https://www.burrencollege.ie/programmes/phd-in-studio-art/admissions/

Learning Outcomes

Entry requirements.

Bachelors degree with honours in fine art (First Class Honoursor 2.1 or GPA of 3.50 or above [or equivalent international qualification]), or a Masters degree in fine art, or equivalent. An appropriate portfolio and statement of intent including a key research question are also required.

Who’s Suited to This Course

Current research projects.

www.burrencollege.ie

Current funded research opportunity

Work placement, related student organisations, career opportunities, find a supervisor / phd project.

If you are still looking for a potential supervisor or PhD project or would like to identify the key research interests of our academic staff and researchers, you can use our online portal to help in that search

Current Projects

We welcome proposals for studio-based PhD in the following aspects of studio art:

• Drawing as a process of enquiry 
• Creative methods and methodology in art and/or creativity in a wider context than art 
• Digital narrative (in collaboration with the Huston Film School, NUI Galway) 
• Interdisciplinary research that promotes collaboration across academic bountaries (with potentially any department of NUI Galway)

Students may also propose research projects outside these criteria for consideration by the Burren College of Art.

Researcher Profiles

See: www.burrencollege.ie/programmes/phd Also visit:  https://www.burrencollege.ie/about-us/faculty-graduate-mentors/

Extra Information

Contact Burren College of Art .

Dr. Lisa Newman E:   [email protected]   T: 353 (0)65 7077200

Postgraduate Prospectus 2024 PDF (3.3MB)

Manage Cookies

Some features need cookies to work properly. Cookies also let us (a) remember your preferences, (b) collect anonymous usage statistics, and (c) see how well our online ads are working.

No personal data is stored on these cookies but, under EU law, we still need to ask you this every 6 months. To learn more about our use of cookies, view our Privacy Policy .

Founded in 1845, we've been inspiring students for over 175 years. University of Galway has earned international recognition as a research-led university with a commitment to top quality teaching.

University of Galway, University Road, Galway, Ireland H91 TK33 T. +353 91 524411

Get Directions Send Us an Email

Twitter Instagram Facebook YouTube LinkedIn RSS

© 2023 University of Galway. All Rights Reserved. Server AWS University of Galway is a registered charity. RCN 20002107

• Privacy & Cookies
• Contact & Enquiries
• Accessibility

Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin

Trinity Search

Trinity menu.

• Faculties and Schools
• Trinity Courses
• Trinity Research

Department of History of Art and Architecture

You are here Postgraduate > Research Degrees

Research Degrees

Entry Requirements

Normally an Upper Second class mark in the primary degree is the minimum condition for postgraduate registration in the Department of History of Art and Architecture. All research students are examined by thesis only, but successful completion of certain components in the undergraduate programme may be required as a condition of registration.

Funding Opportunities

A variety of funding opportunities are available to research students in the School of Histories and Humanities. Our students have a good track record of securing competitive funding from both College and external sources ( further information may be found here ).

Research Supervision

Research supervision is available in the following areas:

• Republican Latin, esp. Lucilius; the transmission of Latin texts from antiquity to the early modern period; Early Latin language ( Anna Chahoud )
• Archaic and Classical Greek literature and/or philosophy (esp. from the Presocratics to Plato); the anthropology of the ancient Greek world; the reception of ancient Greek thought ( Ashley Clements )
• Greek literature, including epic, tragedy, Hellenistic, Imperial and Late Antique poetry; ancient literary criticism; reception and translation studies ( Martine Cuypers )
• Roman material culture, art and architecture ( Hazel Dodge )
• Latin literature, especially Late Republican/Augustan poetry; Roman Epicureanism; gender and sexuality in Roman culture ( Monica Gale )
• Aegean Bronze Age, including ceramics, art and religion (goddesses, healing/medicine); gender in archaeology; historiography and reception of Minoan Crete; digital technologies in archaeology ( Christine Morris )
• Greek history (Classical and Hellenistic); epigraphy; historiography; Diodorus Siculus; Alexander the Great; ancient empires ( Shane Wallace )

Methods of Study

Candidates are assigned to a supervisor, and it is expected that regular contact will be maintained between them. For topics of an inter-disciplinary nature there is provision for a co-supervisor to be appointed from another Department. Research in the humanities is by definition a somewhat solitary occupation, and the School of Classics strongly encourages the development of an esprit de corps within the Classics graduate body.

See more details on the main courses website

Departmental Postgraduate Awards

The ferrar memorial studentship in ancient philology.

The Ferrar Memorial Studentship will be awarded for research in the field of ancient philology (for example, Latin, Greek, Historical Linguistics). The studentship is worth €14 000 per annum, and is tenable for a maximum of 4 years, subject to satisfactory progress. Applications should be made by 1 May via the online application system , but candidates are strongly advised to contact the Head of Classics, Professor Monica Gale ([email protected]), to indicate their wish to be considered for the award and ensure that their proposed project is suitable under the terms of the award. Applications will be assessed by the Head of the Discipline of Classics in consultation with the intended supervisor and the Professor of Greek and/or Latin, as appropriate. The Studentship may be used in part to meet annual fees at EU or non-EU rate, as applicable.

• Start Date: September 2018
• Duration: 4 years
• Features: Opportunities to study abroad

Compulsory Components (50 ECTS)

• CL7004 Classics Research and Methods (20 ECTS)
• HH7000 Dissertation (30 ECTS)

Taught Module Options (40 ECTS)

Students take 40 credits comprised of EITHER one elementary ancient language (20 ECTS over 2 semesters) plus one taught module (10 ECTS) per semester OR Two taught modules (2 x 10 ECTS) per semester OR Three taught modules (3 x 10 ECTS, two in one semester, one in the other semester), plus Modern Greek for beginners (10 ECTS over 2 semesters)

a) Language Courses (20 ECTS) – all year

• CL7051 Elementary Greek I (10 ECTS)
• CL7052 Elementary Greek II (5 ECTS)
• CL7053 Elementary Greek III (5 ECTS)
• CL7071 PG Elementary Latin (10 ECTS)
• CL7072 PG Reading Latin (5 ECTS)
• CL7073 PG Latin Language (5 ECTS)
• Modern Greek (10 ECTS)

For students who have previously studied Greek and/or Latin, a range of author- and topic-based 10 ECTS modules will also be available. In 2016-17 such modules will (subject to final confirmation) include: Greek Tragedy; Plato; Appian; Hellenistic Poetry; Latin Comedy; Latin Letters; Informal Latin; Latin Didactic Poetry. Students are permitted to choose a maximum of three such language modules, or one language module (10 ECTS) and one year-long Beginner’s language module (20 ECTS), but they must choose at least one taught Seminar topic (10 ECTS) from the list below.

b) Seminar Topics (10 ECTS) – one term

• CL7021 Curiosity and Crisis in the Late-fifth Century: Receptions of the Sophists (Dr Ashley Clements)
• CL7034 Greeks and Barbarians (Dr Shane Wallace)
• CL7040 The Art of Editing (Prof Anna Chahoud and Dr Boris Kayachev)
• CL7020 The Eternal City: the Archaeology of the City of Rome (Dr Hazel Dodge)
• CL7023 Classics and European Identity (Selected staff from the Classics Department)
• CL7042 The Argonautic Tradition: Mythography, Poetry, History and Art (Dr Martine Cuypers)
• CL7030 Gender and Genre in Augustan poetry (Prof Monica Gale)
• CL7041 The Usable Past: Imagining and Consuming the Aegean Bronze Age (Dr Christine Morris)
• Postgraduate Handbook (pdf)
• Current Research Students
• Recently Completed Dissertations

• For Students
• Find a Course
• Undergraduate
• Postgraduate
• Professional Development
• Springboard+
• International Students
• Micro-credentials
• Apprenticeships
• Contact Admissions
• Support for Researchers
• Postgraduate Research
• Partnering with Us
• Communities
• The TU Dublin Foundation
• Technology Services
• Virtual Learning Environment
• Oifig na Gaeilge
• Campus & Estates
• About the University
• Faculties and Schools
• Our Campuses
• University Calendar
• Policies and Forms
• Governance and Compliance
• Data Protection

Uh-oh! Internet Explorer is out of date.

You are currently running an old version of Internet Explorer that does not support some of the features on this site. For a better experience upgrade to Microsoft Edge.

Or try an alternative browser:

• Faculty of Arts and Humanities

School of Art and Design

Grangegorman.

• Portfolios & Interviews
• Erasmus & International Exchange
• Student Work
• PhD & Research Masters
• Research Groups
• Research Projects
• Publications
• Conferences
• International
• Public Engagement
• Partner with Us
• Academic Staff
• School Management Team
• Administrative Staff
• Technical Staff
• Exhibitions

Current Students

Welcome to the TU Dublin School of Art and Design

Find out more

Find out about the work of our current students

Portfolio Submission

Find out more about the portfolio requirements for our Design and Fine Art programmes

Portfolio information for new students

Find out about the portfolio requirements for applicants for the Design and Fine Art programmes at the School of Art and Design

Study at the TU Dublin School of Art and Design

Find out about our Undergraduate and Postgraduate Design and Fine Art programmes

PhD & Research Masters Programmes

Find out about our PhD and Research Masters opportunities

View all stories

Published: 4 March, 2024

Product Design Year 1 Lighting Project

Published: 26 January, 2024

2024 Portfolio Webinar

Published: 8 January, 2024

Book of Invasions

Emmy Nomination for TU Dublin School of Art and Design Graduate

Follow us on social.

Create profile

Like courses

Apply direct

Create your IDP profile

To continue your research, create your profile with IDP. Your profile allows you to:

• Apply direct to courses and receive a response within the same day
• Shortlist and save courses
• Get the AI course recomendations
• Access our cost of living calculator

Match with universities

Now create a profile

Create a profile and start liking courses. We’ll show you recommendations that match what you’re looking for.

Your password must include

• One upper case letter
• One lower case letter
• One special character
• At least 8 characters
• IDP Education
• Art and Design Courses
• Doctorate Art and Design Courses
• Art and Design in Ireland

Doctorate Art and Design courses in Ireland

• IELTS score (low to high)
• IELTS score (high to low)
• Course name (A-Z)
• Course name (Z-A)
• THE World University Rankings
• Next starting
• Course fee (low to high)
• Course fee (high to low)

Filter courses (3) Start a new search

Subject area, specific subject area any.

• Graphic and Design Studies 
• Creative Arts 
• Visual arts 

Study Level 1 selected

• Undergraduate 
• Postgraduate 
• Doctorate 
• Pre-Degree & Vocational 

Study destination 1 selected

Study mode any.

• On campus study 

Course fee range

• Limerick 
• Belfield 
• Athlone 
• Dublin 
• Galway 

Institution Any

• University College Dublin 
• University of Limerick 
• Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest 
• University of Galway 
• Maynooth University 

Select subject area Selecting a new subject will reset your search and filters

• Agriculture Sciences
• All Accounting
• All Geography
• All Human Welfare Studies And Services
• All Pharmacy
• Art and Design
• Biological and life Sciences
• Building and Architecture
• Computing and IT
• Engineering
• Environmental Science
• Health and Medicine
• Hospitality and Tourism
• Information Science and Librarianship
• Language and Culture
• Law and Legal Studies
• Marketing, Media and Communication
• Performing Arts and Music
• Political and Social Sciences
• Teaching and Education

PhD Studio Art

Galway , Ireland

THE world university rank:  301

Course qualification

Entry score

Total course fee

AUD 98,249 ? EUR  59,000 Program fees are indicative only. Speak to your IDP study counsellor to get up-to-date course prices.

Doctor of Philosophy in Inclusive Design and Creative Technology Innovatio...

Belfield , Ireland

THE world university rank:  201

AUD 73,437 ? EUR  44,100 Program fees are indicative only. Speak to your IDP study counsellor to get up-to-date course prices.

PhD Design Innovation

Dublin , Ireland

THE world university rank:  401

MA and PhD by Research in Art and Design

Limerick , Ireland

AUD 64,444 ? EUR  38,700 Program fees are indicative only. Speak to your IDP study counsellor to get up-to-date course prices.

Doctorate of Philosophy in Design and Technology Education

Athlone , Ireland

Doctor of Philosophy in Creative Writing

AUD 65,344 ? EUR  39,240 Program fees are indicative only. Speak to your IDP study counsellor to get up-to-date course prices.

Structured PhD Arts Practice

AUD 83,275 ? EUR  50,008 Program fees are indicative only. Speak to your IDP study counsellor to get up-to-date course prices.

Structured PhD Programmes - PhD in Design

AUD 96,317 ? EUR  57,840 Program fees are indicative only. Speak to your IDP study counsellor to get up-to-date course prices.

How does IDP FastLane work?

With the FastLane 'Offer in Principle', you'll know in minutes if you'll be accepted!

Consumer behavior has shown that people react more positively towards visual content than other formats such audio or text. Thi...

Want to deliver riveting stories that grab viewer attention?. ThisDigital production is an ideal field of study for those looki...

Do you have a penchant for creativity? Do you find yourself inspired by historical narratives? Then an Art and History degree i...

To find out more about the information shown here – read about How we collect and display course information . IDP assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions in the content of this site. We always recommend that you speak to an IDP counsellor to get the latest and most accurate advice.

• Doctorate Graphic and Design Studies courses in Ireland
• Doctorate Creative Arts courses in Ireland
• Doctorate Visual arts courses in Ireland

• Undergraduate Art and Design courses in Ireland
• Postgraduate Art and Design courses in Ireland
• Pre-Degree & Vocational Art and Design courses in Ireland

• Doctorate Art and Design courses in United Kingdom
• Doctorate Art and Design courses in Australia
• Doctorate Art and Design courses in United States
• Doctorate Art and Design courses in Canada
• Doctorate Art and Design courses in New Zealand
• Search for courses
• Find a university
• Find a scholarship

Please select a level of study

Enter subject, choose from the list or hit search

Start typing, choose from the list or hit search

Enter subject, choose from the list or or hit search

Please type and select an institution

Type 3 characters of a university name and select from the list

Enter a university or school name and select from the list

Got any ideal countries in mind?

No Event Found.

Let’s get started

Sign up or login in with one click, sign up or login to save your courses, let's get started with "shortlist".

Your profile page will have the liked courses.

has been saved to your shortlist

View your shortlist or close this box to continue researching.

• Courses for you

• Undergraduate
• Postgraduate
• Springboard Courses
• Certificate
• Part Time Courses
• Study at IADT
• For Students
• Research + Industry
• On Show 2024
• First Year Focus

Create your future

• IADT Stories
• News + Events
• Discover our Research
• CAO Applications
• Portfolio Submission
• Deferring your place on a Programme
• How to Apply

Creative Futures Academy

• Placement Programme
• International Students
• Sport Scholarships
• College Life
• For Guidance Counsellors
• Open Learning
• About the Institute
• National Film School
• Public Design Lab
• Your Rights + Entitlements
• Health + Safety
• Teaching & Learning
• Campus Info
• IADT Policies + Procedures
• Staff Directory
• Human Resources
• Equality, Diversity + Inclusion
• Final Year Matters
• On Show Online 2024
• Student Services
• Fees + Grants
• Accommodation
• Student Policies + Procedures
• Registration Information – Academic Year 2023/24
• Exams + Assessments
• Conferring 2024
• Campus Parking
• Information Services
• Student Ambassadors
• Important Dates 2023/24
• Student Handbooks
• Online Services
• Online Payments
• Academic + Student Affairs
• Research Portal
• Enterprise + Innovation
• Strategic Engagement
• International Office
• Email Login
• Student Self Service
• Faculty Self Service
• Wifi Access
• Important Dates
• The Hub [Blackboard]
• Class Timetables
• Staff Intranet

CAO Courses

Postgraduate courses.

IADT is a leader in higher education with a specialist focus on the development of future makers, shapers, technologists, thinkers, storytellers and creators who lead and innovate in a changing digital world. Explore what's on offer and start your IADT future today.

You + IADT for your CAO choice

Award iadt sports scholarships, study creative futures academy.

Variety names the National Film School one of the top worldwide film schools of 2020.

business graduate success Flying Elephant – Max & Michael

2500+ students enrolled

Countries represented in our student body

IADT hosts 30+ companies annually through enterprise + innovation programmes

Centre of Excellence Home to the National Film School

Oscar, BAFTA, EMMY and IFTA-winning alumni

Global Recognition Variety’s Top Film Schools

Top 10 Animation school in Europe

92% of graduates employed within a year of graduating

Explore our courses

From full-time undergraduate and postgraduate programmes to accredited part time courses, IADT has earned the reputation as Ireland’s leading creative, cultural and technological institute by consistently providing innovative, relevant and future-facing courses.

Art + Design

Design for Film

Graphic Design

Business + Digital Technology

Business Management

Digital Marketing

Arts Management

English + Equality Studies

English + Media Studies

New Media Studies

Film + Media

3D Animation

Creative Music Production

Immersive Media Production

Photography + Visual Media

Technology + Psychology

Applied Psychology

Creative Computing

User Experience Design (MSc)

Design for Change

Postgraduate Diploma in User Experience Design

Fundamentals of User Experience Design

Critical Research (Foundation, Futures + Skills)

Data Visualisation (Certificate)

Design Thinking

Art + Research Collaboration

Private: 3D Animation

Broadcast Production

Creative Production + Screen Finance

Screenwriting for Film + Television

Multi Camera Television

Production Management for Animation

Radio + Podcast Production

Single Camera Factual Production

Writing Television Drama

Research Methods for the Creative Practices

Master of Business in Equality, Diversity + Inclusion

Master of Business in Cultural Event Management

Master of Business in Digital Entrepreneurship

Postgraduate Diploma in Business in Equality, Diversity + Inclusion

Cultural Event Management

Applied Digital Business

Cyberpsychology (MSc)

Certificate in Cyberpsychology

Sport + Performance Psychology

Masters by Research

IADT's Masters by Research programme offers you the opportunity to conduct your research and academic study with a dedicated supervisory team of internationally recognised experts. IADT welcomes applications for Masters by Research on a rolling basis, applicants can submit their expression of interest to [email protected]

Keep up to date

To keep up to date on our exciting range of award-winning, courses, open days, event and important deadlines enter your name and email and area of interest below.

Please provide your full name and email address. By clicking ‘Sign Up’ in you consent to IADT contacting you by email in relation to upcoming events, activities and courses.

The second I came here I knew I needed to give into instinct, because this is the type of place that you have to engage with.  You have to let every moment feed your work.  – Iilesha Khandelwal, Individual Undergraduate Study Abroad, Massachusetts College of Art and Design

FEATURED PROGRAMS

May 3-week residencies, apply now for our spring 2025 undergraduate study abroad program, study abroad in the burren spring 2025.

Sign up now for one of our week-long Summer Workshops.  Offered in May and August.

Workshops at Burren College of Art

Our summer workshops programme offers something for everyone’s taste, allowing more participants to join and more courses to take place. Over four weeks  – two consecutive weeks in May and two more in August – artists  can choose to paint with Conor McGrady , Trevor Geoghegan , Hazel Walker & Celia Reisman ; draw with prof Timothy Emlyn Jones or Ida Mitrani ; take stunning photographs with Ruby Wallis , discover the magic of black & white photography with Tom Flanagan ; make beautiful prints with Jennifer Cunningham or design  their own splendid books with Eilis Murphy .

Introduction to Studying Abroad at Burren College of Art

Burren College of Art is a small, independent art school situated on the Wild Atlantic Way on the northwest coast of County Clare in Ireland. It is located in the Burren, a region famous for its natural beauty and unique ecosystem. We are an internationally recognized Irish non-profit college specializing in undergraduate, postgraduate and alternative approaches to fine art education.

Faculty and Student Work

UCC University College Cork

English department roinn an bhéarla.

• Visited Pages
• Current Students
• Registration
• Job Vacancies
• Examinations
• Programme and Course Descriptions
• Undergraduate
• Postgraduate
• International Office
• Adult Continuing Education
• Online Courses
• Continuing Professional Development
• Micro-credentials
• Scholarships and Prizes
• Transition-In Programme
• Graduate Attributes
• Incoming First Year Students
• Apply to UCC
• Upcoming Events in UCC
• Parents and Guardians Information
• Apprenticeships
• UCC Innovation
• UCC Futures
• UCC in the world university rankings
• News and Views
• Leadership and Strategy
• Campus Life
• World's First Green Campus
• Cork City and Region
• UCC Arboretum
• Together with Community
• Academic Schools and Departments
• Support and Service Departments
• Work with UCC Students
• Recruit UCC Graduates
• Executive Education
• Centre for Continuing Professional Development
• Research and Innovation
• Entrepreneurship Resources
• Meet People
• Make an Impact
• Discover our Alumni
• Explore Benefits
• Register for UCC Alumni Online
• Make a Gift

You should be seeing some content in this space that is currently blocked due to cookie settings. Open the Cookie Management Tool to change your settings.

• About the Department
• Undergraduate Study
• MA Programmes
• Higher Diploma
• International
• Student Perspectives
• Conferences, Seminars and Workshops
• Research Projects
• Staff Publications
• School of English Research Seminar
• World-Tree Project
• Digital Edgeworth Network
• School Welcome Event 2016
• Edmund Spenser in Cork - School of English UCC
• Frank O'Connor: A man of many voices
• Mary Breen: Pride and Prejudice
• MA in Irish Writing and Film
• Ann Coughlan: The Irish Influence on America's Greatest Abolitionist
• MA in Modernities: Romanticism, Modernism, Postmodernism
• MA in American Literature and Film
• MA in English Texts and Contexts: Medieval to Renaissance
• PhD in English
• Prof. Claire Connolly
• Tonio Colona - PhD in the School of English, UCC
• Prof Patricia Coughlan
• Mike Waldron - PhD in the School of English
• Ken Rooney and Heather Laird Book Launch
• School Welcome Event September 2014
• Contemporary American Trauma Narratives Book Launch
• Staged Transgressions in Shakespeare's England
• Seamus Heaney Memorial Event September 2013
• Creative Writing
• Career Advice for Current Students
• Student Achievements
• What is DH?
• Study DH at UCC
• Staff & Fellows
• Department Projects
• Staff Book Publications

Save to Favourites

• English & Digital Humanities
• Postgraduate Study

On this page

Phd applications, phd admission procedures.

To be eligible for consideration to enter on a programme of study and research for the Degree of PhD, a candidate must have obtained a standard of at least Second Class Honours, Grade I, in an approved primary degree.  It is increasingly the case that applicants for a PhD will have completed an MA prior to embarking on PhD research. 

Before making an application, we advise you to consult the research profiles of our staff and contact a staff member who has expertise in the area in which you are interested and who may be willing to act as your supervisor.  All applications for a PhD in English (and in the College of Arts more generally) must include a Research Proposal, which your prospective supervisor will want to read before you submit a formal application.  You may receive some guidance on improving your proposal before the formal application.  If you would like to make a general enquiry about the posibility of doing research on a particular topic, please contact the Chair of the Graduate Studies Committee, currently Dr Maureen O'Connor:  [email protected]  

All applications (whether EU or Non-EU) are made online through  UCC's application system

Once your application is received by UCC via PAC, it will be forwarded to the Department of English, and approved by the named supervisor(s) and the Head of Department.   It must then be approved by the College of CASSS. The process, from initial enquiry to final approval, can take several months, so do be sure to plan well in advance.  There are 4 recognised start dates for PhD students in UCC: October, January, April and July.  

In the case of the College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences, all successful applicants are registered as "PhD track" (i.e. provisional registration for a PhD) in the first instance. Students will be subject to a review within 12 to 18 months from the date of registration and will be required to demonstrate progress in the form of 10,000 words minimum written work, as well as defending their work at interview. Students may then, on the recommendation of the Head of Department and the Supervisor(s) and with the approval of the College/Faculty, transfer to the PhD. 

For further guidance on application procedures, fees and entrance requirements please consult the following links:

Study@UCC: Postgraduate Students

Studyabroad@UCC (International Students)

PhD Scholarships

Information about the PhD Excellence Scholarships provided by the College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences PhD Excellence Scholarships is published on the  CACSSS Graduate School website .

PhD students are also encouraged to apply to the IRC's Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship Programme. More information on deadlines for the Irish Research Council scholarships can be found IRC website .

Scholarships & Awards

The graduate students and postgraduate researchers of the Department of English have an excellent track record in securing scholarships and research funding, in what is an increasingly competitive environment.  The various awards made are listed here by year:

IRC POSTGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP

Sarah McCreedy "The Resurgence of American Literary Naturalism in the Neoliberal 21st Century"

Kieran Nee "Solastalgic America: Literature of the environmental psyche"

Ciaran Kavanagh "Reading Postmodernism: Indeterminacy, Instability and the Changing Role of the Modern Reader"

Fiona Whyte "On Lindisfarne: A Novel"

Loretta Goff  "Hyphenating Ireland and America: Examining the Construction of Contemporary Hybrid Identities in Film and Screen Media 1990-2015"

Patricia O'Connor "Retrieving the Textual Environment of the "Old English Bede": A Digital Remediation of Cambridge, Corpus Christi College 41"

Sean Travers "Innovative Representations of Trauma in Contemporary Literature, Postmodernism and Popular Culture"

Eoin O'Callaghan "Submerged Stories: The Evolution of William Faulkner's Short Fiction"

Martin McConigley "The Border in Contemporary Irish Fiction 1970-2014: Interrogating the lines that continue to separate"

Niamh Kehoe "Vernacular Saints' Lives in England 900-1300: Humour, Gender, and Violence.

Yen-Chi Wu "Temporalities in the Novels of John McGahern: "Against the Tide"

Kathy D'Arcy "A Poetic Heteroglossia Re-Articulating 1930s Irish Women's Poetry: Weighted Silences"

Rebecca Graham "An Ecofeminist Reading of Identity, Place, and Language in Éilís Ní Dhuibne's Fiction" 

David Roy "The Unity of Edmund Spenser's  Complaints

Dan O'Brien "The Intertwining Fiction of Philip Roth and Edna O'Brien: 'A Piece of Fine Meshwork'"

M urphy Irish Exchange Fellowship (University of Notre Dame)

Dan O’Brien  "The Intertwining Fiction of Philip Roth and Edna O'Brien: 'A Piece of Fine Meshwork'"

UCC CACSSS 2013/14 PhD SCHOLARSHIP

Rebecca Graham "An Ecofeminist Reading of Identity, Place, and Language in Éilís Ní Dhuibhne's Fiction"

Eoin O'Callaghan "William Faulkner's 'Snopes' Trilogy"

IRC POSTGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP

Donna Alexander"Women in the Borderlands in the Writings of Gloria Anzaldúa and Lorna Dee Cervantes"

Gwendolen Aoife Boyle "Autobiography and Fiction in the Work of Thomas Wolfe"

Mark Kirwan "Banville as Writer: The Discursive Practices of John Banville"

Laura Pomeroy "Mary Devenport O'Neill: Writing the Free State"

James Cummins "'I shall / be in my segments': Dissecting and Reassessing Raworth's Oeuvre through a Multitude of Influences"

Siobhan Higgins "Britain's Bourse: Cultural and Intellectual Transmissions between the Low Countries and Britain in the Early Modern Era"

Edel Mulcahy "Travel, Pilgrimage and the Family in Middle English Writing"

Niamh O'Mahony "Poetic Epistemology and Philosophical Fact"

Michael Waldron  "Verbal Painting: Elizabeth Bowen and the Art of Visuality"

FULBRIGHT SCHOLARSHIP

UCC COLLEGE OF ARTS, CELTIC STUDIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES PHD SCHOLARSHIP

Donna Alexander "Women in the Borderlands in the Writings of Gloria Anzaldúa and Lorna Dee Cervantes"

IRCHSS POSTGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP 

Coirle Mooney "Infected Vision in the Works of Thomas Middleton"

WILLIAM J. LEEN AWARD (UCC)

IRCHSS CARA POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP

Dr. Carrie Griffin  "Learning and Information in the English Middle Ages and Early Modern Period: An Analysis of Textual Genres, Material Structures and Reorganisation"

UCC DOCTORAL SHOWCASE

Michael Waldron (2nd Place)

IRCHSS POSTGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP

Adrian Goodwin  “The Language of Space”: The Influence of Twentieth Century Irish Gay and Lesbian Narrative on the “Post-Gay” moment in Irish Literature.

Colin Lahive    "Milton and Romance: Vernacular Romance and Chivalric Traditions in Paradise"

Cian O'Mahony    “A King for the Queene”: Samuel Sheppard’s The Faerie King and his reception of Spenser’s epic authority.

Bairbre Anne Walsh "Claude McKay and the Transnational Novel"

Alan Foley, "The Objects of Laughter:  A Poetics of Humour in Old and Middle English Literaure".

Sarah Kate Hayden, "Resonances of the Radical in the Female Modernist Poetic"

IRCHSS POSTGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIPS

Richard A. Hawtree, "Vox Meditans:  Studies in the Anglo-Saxon Liturgical Imagination and the Unity of Old English Poetic ManAuscripts.

Victoria Kennefick, "Lonely Voices of the South:  Exploring the Transatlantic dialogue of Frank O'Connor and Flannery O'Connor"

IRCHSS POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP

David Coughlan, "Ghosts of American Writing"

NUI POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP

Liam Lenihan

UCC COLLEGE OF ARTS, CELTIC STUDIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES PRESIDENT'S SCHOLARSHIP

Katherine D'Arcy

IRCHSS RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP

Dr Andrew King, "Mirrors Of British Kingship: The Galfridian Tradition in Early Modern Drama"

Sarah Louise Melnyk, “The Arthurian Legend in Scottish and English Literature”  

Mary O’Connell,  “Truth from the bookseller”:  Murray, Moore and the manufacturing of Byron

Louise Denmead,  “Representations of ‘Blackness’ and the Female Foreigner in Aemilia Lanyer and Elizabeth Cary.”

Sorcha Fogarty, In Memoriam:  Jacques Derrida, The Working of Mourning, and the Regeneration of Responsibility.

Dr Mary Pierse, “George Moore and Early Literary Impressionism” 

Emma Bidwell, "Female Performance of Masculinity." 

Siobhan Collins, "Discourses of sexuality in the poetry of John Donne"

Eileen Forristal, "The sublime in Virginia Wolf"

Kalene Nix-Kenefick,  "Una Troy (1910-1993)"

Dr Tina O’Toole, “Narrating the new woman: the feminist fictions of Sarah Grand and George Egerton."

Dr Jason King, "Refugee narratives in Irish historical and contemporary perspective"

Dr Lee Jenkins, "The language of Caribbean poetry" 

Dr Margaret Connolly,  “An Index of Middle English Prose in the Main Manuscript Collection of Cambridge University Library”.

SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP

Professor Patricia Coughlan,  "Gender, sexuality and social change in Irish literature 1960-2000"

Susan Burke, “The Presence of Wollstonecraft in the Work of Mary Shelley.”

Ruth Connolly, “Subjectivity in the Writings of Mary Boyle Rich and Katherine Boyle Jones.”

Brendan Kavanagh, “W.B. Yeats and Eastern Mysticism”

Catherine MacHale, “Infinity in Language and Literature.”

Eleanor Neff, “A Comparative Study of Beowulf and the Tain Bo Cuailnge”  (Department of Celtic Civilisation and Department of English).

Paul O’Connor,  “Sensibility & Romanticism:  The Poetics of Modernity.”

Michael O’Sullivan, “Where is the Ethics in Ethical Criticism?”

Mary Pierse, “Rattling the Railings:  George Moore’s Creative Literary Resistance to Late Victorian Society.”

IRCHSS POSTGRADUTE SCHOLARSHIP

Kenneth Rooney, “Timor Mortis: Aspects of the Macabre in Late Middle English Narrative.”

PhD Theses since 2000

English department, roinn an bhéarla.

O'Rahilly Building, University College Cork, Cork. Ireland

• [email protected]
• +353 (0)21 490 2664/2241/3677
• /en/english/

The visual arts practice PhD in Ireland: an interpretative phenomenological analysis

First supervisor, second supervisor, department or school.

• School of Education

Usage metrics

Jump to navigation

• About the Academy
• Organisational structure
• Executive director
• Annual review
• Young Academy Ireland
• Application Process
• About Young Academies
• Young Academy Charter
• RIA Careers
• Support the Academy
• Our Supporters
• Corporate Friends
• Contact/Find us
• Department contact details
• Groups visits

Your shopping cart

THE ROYAL IRISH ACADEMY IS IRELAND'S LEADING BODY OF EXPERTS IN THE SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES

The Royal Irish Academy/Acadamh Ríoga na hÉireann champions research. We identify and recognise Ireland’s world class researchers. We support scholarship and promote awareness of how science and the humanities enrich our lives and benefit society. We believe that good research needs to be promoted, sustained and communicated. The Academy is run by a Council of its members. Membership is by election and considered the highest academic honour in Ireland.

• Research Programmes Archive
• Digital Arts and Humanities (DAH) Structured...

Digital Arts and Humanities Structured PhD

The Digital Arts and Humanities (DAH) Structured PhD was a four-year (2011-2016) structured doctoral research-training programme designed to enable students to carry out research in the arts and humanities at the highest level using new media and computer technologies. The programme was a collaboration between National University of Ireland, Galway, National University of Ireland, Maynooth, Queen's University Belfast, Royal Irish Academy, Trinity College Dublin, University College Cork, and University of Ulster.

The Digital Repository of Ireland (DRI) was the Royal Irish Academy's co-ordinating body in Ireland's collaborative PhD program in Digital Arts and Humanities (DAH).

An archive of key DAH PhD events.

Students who took part in the DAH PhD programme

Staff from partner institutions who supported the DAH PhD programme

Watch CBS News

"The Portal" art installation connecting NYC to Dublin, Ireland has been shut down. Here's why.

By Katie Houlis , Ali Bauman

Updated on: May 15, 2024 / 5:05 AM EDT / CBS New York

NEW YORK -- "The Portal" art installation in New York City has been temporarily shut down.

The sculpture, located at a plaza next to the Flatiron Building, is identical to one located on the streets of Dublin, Ireland. The installations allow New Yorkers and people in Dublin to see and connect with each other in real time through a livestream video feed.

The New York installation was unveiled on May 8 and attracted tens of thousands of visitors in its first week.

Why is "The Portal" shut down in New York City?

Since "The Portal" opened, some videos have gone viral of people flashing the screen and holding up disturbing images, with culprits in both New York and Dublin.

In a statement Tuesday, a spokesperson for the Flatiron NoMad Partnership said, "Instances of inappropriate behavior have come from a very small minority of Portal visitors and have been amplified on social media."

The spokesperson said the bad behavior has occurred despite the New York installation having 24/7 on-site security and barriers in place since its launch.

As a result, "The Portal" was turned off at 5 p.m. Tuesday.

How long will "The Portal" be closed in NYC?

According to the partnership, teams in both New York and Dublin are trying to come up with solutions to prevent inappropriate behavior from appearing on the livestream, and New York's "Portal" is expected to be back on by the end of the week.

People visiting the installation Tuesday told CBS New York they hope visitors will behave appropriately once the livestream is turned back on.

"Keep it calm and and cool so we can have this stuff around. It's actually nice," New Yorker Stanley Velasco said.

"Everybody says that it's a New York problem, but it's everywhere in the world. So it doesn't matter what city you're gonna put it in, there's gonna be some sort of idiot being stupid ... It's a universal language," Irish-American Christopher Collins said.

"I hope that while 'the Portal''s down, we all take a moment to reflect on why it needed to shut down for a bit, and hopefully, when it comes back, people will use it as it was intended," New Yorker Gillian Mulder said.

In a statement, the partnership said, "The overwhelming majority of visitors to the Portal have behaved appropriately and experienced the sense of joy and connectedness that this work of public art invites people to have."

"The Portal" will remain at Flatiron Plaza through fall 2024.

• New York City

Katie Houlis is a digital producer with the CBS New York web team.

Featured Local Savings

More from cbs news.

NYC wants to revitalize 120 acres of waterfront in Brooklyn

Exclusive video shows Steve Buscemi moments before random attack in NYC

Dash-cam video shows NYC livery driver being shot at by passenger

Northern lights may be visible in New York for one more night

Department of the History of Art

Congratulations to phd student ella gonzalez on upcoming publication.

The Department of the History of Art at Johns Hopkins proudly congratulates Ella Gonzalez, a graduate student in the program, on her forthcoming publication (co-edited with Cynthia Coburn and Ellen Caldwell), titled   Gender Violence, Art, and the Viewer: An Intervention . The book is set to be released by Penn State University Press and is currently available for pre-order.

“We extend our warmest congratulations to Ella Gonzalez on this remarkable achievement,” said Mitch Merback, chair of History of Art at Johns Hopkins. “Her dedication to critical scholarship and her contributions to this important field of study are truly commendable. We are proud to have her as a member of our academic community.”

Ella Gonzalez is currently pursuing her graduate studies in the History of Art program at Johns Hopkins University. Her research interests include Art and archaeology of Ancient Greece and the Mediterranean world.

For more information about Ella Gonzalez and her forthcoming publication, please visit Penn State University Press .

Explore UCD

• (opens in a new window) University Strategy
• University Governance
• President's Office
• Equality, Diversity & Inclusion
• Campus Development
• Study at UCD
• Current Students
• Campus Accommodation
• International Student Experience
• Access & Lifelong Learning
• Careers Network
• Sports Clubs
• (opens in a new window) Student Societies

Research & Innovation

• Innovation at NovaUCD
• Graduate Studies
• Support for Researchers
• (opens in a new window) Find a UCD Researcher
• UCD College of Arts and Humanities
• UCD College of Business
• UCD College of Engineering and Architecture
• UCD College of Health and Agricultural Sciences
• UCD College of Science
• UCD College of Social Sciences and Law
• All Colleges and Schools
• News & Opinion
• Work at UCD
• UCD in the Community
• Global Partnerships
• (opens in a new window) UCD Foundation
• University Relations

Key Services

• Staff Directory
• Sport & Fitness
• IT Services
• (opens in a new window) Commuting
• (opens in a new window) UCD Map
• (opens in a new window)

Welcome to the School of Art History and Cultural Policy! We are proud to offer the longest-running programmes in Ireland in our two subject areas, and are known for our academic excellence, quality of research, and commitment to our students. Today UCD School of Art History and Cultural Policy is the largest unit of its kind in Ireland with a staff of eleven academics, whose expertise spans a broad range of art history, visual culture, cultural management and policy.

• More about the School
• School Videos

School of Art History and Cultural Policy

UCD School of Art History & Cultural Policy

UCD School of Art History and Cultural Policy

View the School's full-time and part-time undergraduate programmes in Art History...

View the School's dynamic graduate programmes in Art History and Cultural Policy...

Grand Tour Workshop, New Appointment, Spring Research Seminars, New Publications...

'Inappropriate' behavior shuts down Dublin to New York City portal

NEW YORK -- A new art installation in New York City that transports viewers more than 3,000 miles away to Dublin will temporarily shut down Tuesday to address some bad behavior.

The installation, called The Portal, features two identical sculptures with a visual live stream connecting the two cities. It was unveiled last Wednesday next to the famed Flatiron Building.

It allows visitors to watch and interact with each other and has already attracted tens of thousands of visitors.

Although it has been less than a week since its debut, organizers realized there is a problem amid reports of inappropriate behavior such as people flashing body parts or putting curse words on screen.

"The overwhelming majority of visitors have behaved appropriately and experienced the sense of joy and connectedness that this work of public art is intended to evoke," the Flatiron NoMad Partnership said in a statement. "Instances of inappropriate behavior have come from a very small minority of Portal visitors and have been amplified on social media."

Dublin's city council said in a statement it was looking for ways to come up with a solution to the bad behavior while keeping the portal open so the good intentions behind it can continue.

On the New York side, the Flatiron NoMad Partnership said there are a set of protocols in place since the launch, including 24/7 on-site security and barriers to prevent the public from stepping onto The Portal.

"The Portals team and our partners in Dublin are working on additional solutions including software updates to limit such behavior appearing on the livestream; additional on-site staffing; barriers to prevent people from stepping onto the Dublin Portal; and educational tools on how to best interact with the Portal on both sides," the statement went on to say.

In order to implement those solutions, the Portal will be turned off for a few days, starting at 5 p.m. New York City time on Tuesday, and will be back by the end of the week.

The Portals were initially set to remain open 24/7 for the next six months through the fall.

Related Topics

• NEW YORK CITY
• U.S. & WORLD

Top Stories

New general manager at LADWP hired at $750K salary

Biden, Trump agree to presidential debates in June, September

Massive search launched after gunman shoots at deputy in Jurupa Valley

George Takei to serve as 'Icon Grand Marshal' for LA Pride Parade

Cream cheese recalled in 29 states over salmonella concerns

Slovakia prime minister in life-threatening condition after being shot

8 teens treated after ingesting edibles on La Brea Tar Pits field trip

Man who allegedly sent 'So I raped you' message to Pa. woman detained

• International edition
• Australia edition
• Europe edition

Dublin video portal to New York shuts temporarily due to unruly behaviour

Livestream artwork with 2.4m-wide screen allowed people in both cities to see but not hear each other, leading to offensive conduct

Authorities in Dublin are to temporarily shut down the live video portal with New York because of unruly behaviour.

The city council said in a statement on Tuesday it would switch off the interactive webcam at 10pm Irish time while technicians try to tweak – or censor – a project that has brought delight and notoriety.

“The team behind the Portal art sculpture … has been investigating possible technical solutions to inappropriate behaviour by a small minority of people,” the statement said.

“Dublin city council had hoped to have a solution in place today, but unfortunately the preferred solution, which would have involved blurring, was not satisfactory.”

The Portals.org team was investigating other options, said the council. “As a result the Portal will be switched off at 10pm tonight and the team at Portals.org have told us they expect it will be switched back on later this week.”

The art installation has become a global phenomenon and source of controversy since launching on 8 May. Some people on the Irish side have thrown eggs, flashed body parts and displayed images of swastikas and the twin towers burning on 9/11, prompting the New York Post to dub it the “portal to hell”.

Designed by a Lithuanian artist, Benediktas Gylys, each structure has a screen with a diameter of 2.4 metres (8ft) and weighing 3.5 tonnes. The New York portal is at the junction of Broadway, Fifth Avenue and 23rd Street. Its counterpart in Ireland ’s capital is at the corner of North Earl Street and O’Connell Street in the heart of the city.

“It is important to note that the overwhelming majority of people interacting with the Dublin Portal have behaved appropriately,” said the council statement.

That is accurate – most people simply wave and smile at people on the New York side. Some also dance, mime and hold up jokey signs in the sort of fleeting, playful interactions envisaged by authorities when they launched the project as a “bridge to a united planet”.

However those who have mooned, hurled objects or shown provocative images have become viral sensations. The council did not elaborate on its efforts to blur imagery.

“Not even a week in and Dubliners have truly embarrassed us around the world,” Amy Donohoe lamented in an Irish Independent column . “Anyone who goes and stands in front of the portal is representing our little country, but if we’re showing off a drunken culture and being offensive, it could potentially affect tourism in Ireland in the long run. People may not want to come here if this is what they’re seeing.”

Most viewed

• Share full article

For Mormon Missionaries, Some ‘Big, Big Changes’

The church has loosened its strict rules for those evangelizing. And many members of Gen-Z are loving it.

Andres Gonzalez stands in front of a statue of Jesus Christ in Los Angeles as another missionary, Alec Crawley, films him for a video for social media. Credit... Isadora Kosofsky for The New York Times

Supported by

By Lauren Jackson

Lauren attended church in London, Los Angeles and Paris and spoke with current and former missionaries to report this story.

• May 10, 2024

Andres Gonzalez, 19, stands on the balcony of his Los Angeles apartment, his hands in his suit pockets. It is his first week as a missionary, but today, instead of approaching people on the street, he is shooting a video that he will later post to social media.

After about a dozen takes, he is successful. “Hello! If you would like to learn more about Jesus Christ,” he says to the camera in Spanish, “contact me.”

Mr. Gonzalez is the image of the modern missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which has changed many of its practices — from how missionaries preach to how they dress.

The faith, long known for sending tens of thousands of neatly and formally dressed young people across the globe each year to preach door to door, is encouraging new missionaries to spread the gospel on social media and, for some, with acts of community service closer to home.

As a church leader, Dieter F. Uchtdorf, put it, missionaries should feel comfortable sharing their faith in “ normal and natural ways .”

In the last few years, the church has also changed some rules for missionaries themselves — loosening restrictions on dress codes ( women can wear pants ) and how often they can call family members back home ( once a week , not just on Christmas and Mother’s Day).

To outsiders, the adjustments may seem small. But to missionaries who adhere to strict rules while on assignment, the shifts are dramatic.

“We’ve seen a lot of big, big changes,” Jensen Diederich, 23, said. He served his mission in Peru and said it was “monumental” when the church allowed him to call home weekly, instead of just twice a year.

The church believes missionary work is essential for the world’s salvation — that people must be baptized in the faith to get to the highest level of heaven after they die. Missionary work also helps increase the church’s membership, and it deepens many young members’ faith. Many missionaries begin their assignments just after they leave home. Instead of partying on a college campus, they commit themselves to the religion and develop habits that can last a lifetime.

One of those members was Senator Mitt Romney of Utah, who was a missionary in France in the 1960s. He has said the isolation of his mission allowed him to examine his faith without distraction . When asked about the changes, he said, “For young people of my generation, I think the separation from family and friends served us well.”

But he understands times have changed. “With today’s youth in near constant contact with one another, maintaining greater connection during a mission fits their life experience,” he added.

Many young church members say the new rules have made missionary service more attractive and realistic.

Kate Kennington, a 19-year-old with a mission assignment to London, said finding people online and messaging them is a more successful way of approaching potential converts. “It’s how I would want to be contacted,” she said.

“Knocking on doors and approaching people on the street are no longer seen as useful as they once were because of shifts in American culture,” said Matthew Bowman, a professor of religion and history at Claremont Graduate University who holds the chair of Mormon studies. He is also a church member.

For decades, missionaries’ clean-cut suits were signs of prosperity, Mr. Bowman said, and an effective way of appealing to converts. But they now feel “outdated.”

Many of the changes, especially the push to evangelize on social media, were fueled by the pandemic, which shut down in-person church gatherings and forced Latter-day Saints and Jehovah’s Witnesses to find alternatives to door-to-door preaching.

The missionaries use their phones to film videos of themselves promoting the church or sharing messages of faith. In one video , a missionary raps about his faith. In another , two missionaries throw a football and a Frisbee through an obstacle course in a church gym — an object lesson meant to visualize how Jesus Christ can help people overcome challenges.

So far, the changes appear to be working: In the last three years, as pandemic restrictions lifted and young members responded to an appeal from the church’s top leader for them to serve, the number of full-time proselytizing missionaries has risen by around 25 percent , according to church data. At the end of last year, the church had about 72,000 full-time missionaries serving around the world.

The church has just under 17.3 million members globally but has seen growth slow. From 1988 to 1989, during a surge in growth when the church expanded into West Africa , the church grew by about 9 percent . Last year, the church grew by about 1.5 percent .

A tradition of travel

Missionary work is a rite of passage for Latter-day Saints — and has been since the church’s founding in 1830.

The church’s missionaries have traveled the world, growing their faith from a fledgling start-up in upstate New York to a global religion that brings in billions of dollars in revenue .

Church leaders say it is men’s responsibility to become missionaries for two years starting at age 18. Missionary work is optional for women, who serve for 18 months. The church has historically encouraged women to focus on marriage and motherhood. But since 2012, when the church lowered the age women could become missionaries to 19 from 21, more women have been going .

Missionaries leave their families and friends, learn new languages and spend the first years of their adulthood spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ.

While on a mission, they cannot date and must follow the religion’s ban on premarital sex, drinking, smoking, coffee and caffeinated tea. Communication with friends and family back home is restricted. They commit to stay focused on their work, and their proximity to their missionary partner creates a sense of accountability that keeps most from breaking the rules.

Until recently, the experience of young missionaries was similar to that of their parents. They first attended a missionary training center — a religious boot camp of sorts — before then traveling to their missions.

Most missionaries now start their training online at home , where the transition is less jarring. They can adapt to a mission schedule with their family’s support. Being home is also an opportunity for new missionaries to evangelize in their community.

“I’ve had friends who aren’t members of the church,” Tanner Bird, a 19-year-old missionary in Brazil who did part of his training at home in Houston. “And I just get super, super excited and talk to them about the gospel.”

Once deployed, men in some areas are allowed to wear blue shirts and go without ties , while women can wear wrinkle-resistant dress pants in “conservative colors.” Most missionaries now have smartphones and call their families weekly.

Some traditions remain: Young missionaries still do not get to pick their destinations. Many teenagers throw parties to open their assignments, reading their “call letter” aloud for the first time in front of family and friends. Others film elaborate announcement videos — including on ice skates . Some serve close to home (there are 10 missions in Utah). Others go as far as Tahiti or Tokyo.

Mr. Gonzalez, the missionary in Los Angeles, said he first imagined going on a mission when he was a child in Venezuela. His parents, who converted to the faith, often had young missionaries over for meals. After the church helped the family settle in Utah, he said serving as a missionary was part of his “American dream.”

Every morning, he wakes up at 6:30 a.m., the set time for many missionaries, with his “companion,” an assigned missionary partner. They are mandated to “never be alone,” with few exceptions, and each day follow a missionary schedule .

On Facebook, they contact people they have met, including those they have approached on the street in downtown Los Angeles. They also search groups for people who may be open to their message and post videos to generate interest in their faith. They keep track of potential converts’ progress, including lessons they teach. Every Monday, Mr. Gonzalez calls his parents.

Calls are also an opportunity for him to receive support. “It’s a little bit hard,” Mr. Gonzalez said of his mission work, describing people in downtown Los Angeles as “busy.” Still, he remains hopeful: “Some of them, they really are ready. They make time, even just like five minutes.”

The missionary experience is not for everyone. Some people feel isolated, find it difficult to adapt to a location, or struggle with the rules or the pressure to keep their commitment. Some people do leave early; the church does not comment on those who do.

Alex McAlpin, a 23-year-old who went on a mission to Denver, almost did not put in a missionary application. Before her mission, she attended Pepperdine University, where she wrestled with some aspects of church doctrine and history.

Then the church made its dress code change, allowing women to wear pants in 2018.

“That was the first day of my life that I thought maybe I would go” on a mission, Ms. McAlpin said. She saw the new dress code and the church’s other mission changes as a sign the church was evolving and listening to its younger members, many of whom hope their church will modernize in larger ways. “I wanted to be a part of the change.”

Lauren Jackson is an associate editor and writer for The Morning , The Times’s flagship daily newsletter. More about Lauren Jackson

Inside the World of Gen Z

The generation of people born between 1997 and 2012 is changing fashion, culture, politics, the workplace and more..

A younger generation of crossword constructors is using an old form to reflect their identities, language and world. Here’s how Gen Z made the puzzle their own .

For many Gen-Zers without much disposable income, Facebook isn’t a place to socialize online — it’s where they can get deals on items  they wouldn’t normally be able to afford.

Dating apps are struggling to live up to investors’ expectations . Blame the members of Generation Z, who are often not willing to shell out for paid subscriptions.

Young people tend to lean more liberal on issues pertaining to relationship norms. But when it comes to dating, the idea that men should pay in heterosexual courtships  still prevails among Gen Z-ers .

We asked Gen Z-ers to tell us about their living situations and the challenges of keeping a roof over their heads. Here’s what they said .

What is it like to be part of the group that has been called the most diverse generation in U.S. history? Here is what 900 Gen Z-ers had to say .

Advertisement