Institute for Doctoral Studies in the Visual Arts (IDSVA)

The Institute for Doctoral Studies in the Visual Arts (IDSVA) grants a PhD in Visual Arts: Philosophy, Aesthetics, and Art Theory to artists, architects, curators, educators, philosophers, and creative scholars. Established in 2007, IDSVA is the first program of its kind to offer a philosophy degree to visual artists in the United States. As a true nomadic institution, IDSVA does not have a campus. We exist everywhere our students and faculty are. The IDSVA experience fuses interactive online education with intensive residencies in Rome, Spannocchia Castle (Tuscany), Siena, Florence, Venice, Berlin, Paris, Athens, Madrid, Marrakech, Mexico City, and NYC. Our innovative curriculum explores the deeply intertwined relations between the history of ideas and the history of visual culture and allows working art professionals to pursue rigorous advanced scholarship without having to interrupt or abandon their teaching careers, art practice, or other professional responsibilities.