art history phd cost

PhD Program

The UCLA Department of Art History offers a two-stage graduate program toward the PhD. Students are not admitted for a terminal master’s (MA) degree. The MA is awarded in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the PhD and is granted with the successful completion of the first stage of the program, typically at the end of the second year, 6th quarter, in residence. Normative time to degree for the PhD is seven years from the term of admission. For students entering with a MA in hand, the normative time to degree is five years from the term of admission.

All students are required to complete the M.A. requirements in the department. The Graduate Review Committee may waive the M.A. requirements, at the time of admission, for students matriculating with a M.A. degree in Art History or adjacent discipline from another institution. Following Academic Senate policy on duplication of degrees, a student who enters the program with a M.A. degree in Art History from another institution is not eligible to receive a second M.A. degree in Art History from UCLA.

Please see here for the official UCLA Art History Graduate Program Requirements published on the Graduate Division website.

• The student is assigned a faculty mentor upon admission to the program. The mentor is responsible for the student’s course of study and must be consulted at least once each quarter. A change of faculty supervision and/or change in field(s) must be approved by the Graduate Review Committee.
• The Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) offers intellectual guidance, approves any exceptions to the program requirements, and adjudicates disputes between a student and his/her faculty mentor. The DGS further serves as Chair of the Graduate Review Committee, which governs the admissions process.
• The Student Affairs Officer (SAO) assists students with all the administrative aspects of moving through the program.
• Each spring quarter, the entire faculty reviews the status of each graduate student to ensure appropriate time-to-degree progress.

Toward the MA

Requirements for the MA

• Satisfaction of the first language requirement.
• Successful completion of AH 200 with a grade of “B+” or better.
• Nine graduate and upper division courses (36 units) completed while in the program. At least six of those courses (24 units) must be at the graduate level, including four graduate seminars. AH 200 may be counted towards the required six courses.
• Successful completion of a qualifying paper (approximately 30 pages) according to the standards and procedures outlined below.

* Typically the above requirements are completed within the first two years of study (6 quarters).

Distribution of Coursework

The nine required courses must include at least two courses from Group A and two courses from Group B noted below.

Qualifying Paper for the MA

• The qualifying paper is a revised and expanded version of a paper written for a class from the first year of coursework. It should be approximately 30 pages in length (excluding footnotes, images, and bibliography) and should demonstrate the student’s ability 1) to formulate a thesis, 2) to present an extended argument, and 3) to conduct original research. Quality of the writing will also be evaluated.
• By the end of the fall quarter of the second year, student selects a class paper from the first year in consultation with his or her advisor to revise and expand as the qualifying paper.
• In the following winter quarter, student enrolls for 4 units of 598 (RSRCH-MASTER THESIS) to work on the paper under the supervision of advisor.
• Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) will contact each student during the winter quarter (usually early February) to appoint a committee of three faculty readers for the qualifying paper, one of which is the student’s advisor. At least one of the faculty readers will have had no classroom contact with the student. All students may suggest potential readers; however, the DGS will balance the student’s request against equity of faculty workload.
• On the first day of instruction of the spring quarter, students submits three copies of the qualifying paper to the Student Affairs Officer (SAO) along with a list of the three readers assigned to review the paper.
• The qualifying papers will be distributed to the three assigned faculty readers and each reader will complete an evaluation form and submit it to the SAO within three weeks of receipt of the paper.
• By the fourth week of the spring quarter, the SAO will make available the papers with reader’s comments to the student and these papers will be added to the student’s permanent file.
• The Graduate Review Committee, taking into consideration the faculty reader evaluations, will determine whether the student will be awarded the MA and permitted to proceed into the PhDprogram. In some cases, the Committee may recommend that the student receive the MA degree but discontinue further graduate study. It is also possible (although very rare) that the student’s work may not be judged adequate to receive the MA.

Completion of the MA

• Prior to the third week of the spring quarter in the second year, the student should complete the “Petition for Advancement to Candidacy for the Master’s Degree” (provided by and returned to the SAO).
• Once the Department has accepted the qualifying paper, the student must file it with Graduate Division by the Monday of the tenth week of the spring quarter, formatted as a thesis.
• Graduate Division guidelines for formatting MA theses are available  here . Workshops on thesis formatting are offered at the beginning of each fall and winter quarters. See the Grad Division website for more information.
• Following the Department’s annual spring review of graduate students, the student must submit a completed form for transfer from the MA to the PhD program (provided by and returned to the SAO).

Toward the PhD

Upon the completion of the MA or starting with a MA from another institution, the student begins the PhD program having chosen a major field of study within art history, often known at the time of application. By the end of the second quarter of residence at the PhD stage, the student also selects a minor field, which may be outside the department (e.g. Architecture, History, Anthropology, Comparative Literature, Archaeology, etc.). The major and minor advisors are responsible for the student’s course of study and completion of requirements within the selected field. Graduate Review Committee must approve any change of advisor(s) or the major and minor fields.

Requirements for the PhD

• Satisfaction of language requirements (minimum 2, including 1 from MA stage; more may be required depending on field of study)
• Completion of 8 graduate and upper division courses (32 units)
• Written comprehensive exams in major and minor fields
• Dissertation prospectus and oral qualifying exam
• Doctoral dissertation

• A total of 8 graduate and upper division courses are required, of which at least 4 must be art history courses at the graduate level.
• Of the nine courses (36 units) required for the MA, students may use a maximum of two of these (8 units) to count towards Ph.D. coursework. Students may also apply courses taken in excess of MA requirements towards fulfilling Ph.D. course requirements. (This does not apply to students who received their MA from other institutions/departments.)
• 5 courses in one field are required to claim it as the major field; 3 courses in one field are required to claim it as the minor field. The minor can also be from outside the department (e.g. Architecture, History, Anthropology, Comparative Literature, Archaeology, etc.).
• Students entering the PhD stage deficient in Art History 200 (Art Historical Theories and Methodologies) or its equivalent must add this to the total requirements. In some cases, Art History 201 (Topics in Historiography of Art History) may be required by faculty/advisor recommendation. Any additional coursework required by the Graduate Review Committee at time of admission must be completed during the first two quarters of residence and may not count toward the minimum course requirements for either the MA or PhD degree.

Written Comprehensive Examinations

• Upon completion of coursework and fulfillment of language requirements, the student takes the PhD written comprehensive examinations in the major and minor fields of study, designed and evaluated by the student’s major and minor advisors respectively.
• The purpose of the examinations is to test the student’s breadth and depth of knowledge in his/her fields of study. If a student fails to pass the examination or part thereof, the failed portion may be repeated once no later than the subsequent quarter of residence. No further repetition will be allowed. The written comprehensive examinations may be taken during any two-week period of the Fall, Winter, and Spring quarters. Typically, students take these exams during the winter quarter of the second year in residence, 5th quarter, in the PhD program.
• The Department offers two formats for the major and minor written exams, the details of which must be worked out in advance between the student and the examiner. Format A: Take-home. 2-3 essay questions to be completed in 1 week (for the minor exam, 1-2 questions to be completed in 3 days). Format B: Sit-down. 2-3 essay questions to be completed in 6 hours (for the minor exam, 1-2 questions to be completed in 3 hours). Many faculty incorporate designing of a syllabus as an exam question and the formats above do not preclude this possibility. Such an assignment would count as one question/essay.
• The specific format and dates for the major and minor exams must be submitted to the Student Affairs Officer at least three weeks in advance using the appropriate departmental form.

Doctoral Committee

• Upon passing the written comprehensive examinations in major and minor fields of study, the student selects a dissertation topic and nominates the members of his/her Doctoral Committee in consultation with his/her advisor.
• This committee minimally consists of the major advisor, now serving as committee chair, two additional members of the art history faculty (normally, but not necessarily, including the student’s minor advisor), and one member from another UCLA department. For details on the acceptable status of these members and for minimum university standards of the doctoral committee,  please see page 14-17 in the Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study manual .
• The student and committee chair must agree on all committee members. Any changes in committee constitution after formal nomination must be reported to and approved by the Graduate Division; replacing the committee chair can only occur by consent or if the faculty member leaves UCLA.
• Please note that the Graduate Division generally approves Committee nominations within 2-3 weeks, and the oral qualifying exam may not be taken before official approval has been received.

Dissertation Prospectus and Oral Qualifying Examination

• The dissertation topic should be identified in discussions with the advisor. These discussions usually evolve organically through the course of study and are highly individualized. Typically, the oral examination is scheduled during the quarter following the successful completion of the written examinations.
• Once the Doctoral Committee has been officially approved by Graduate Division, and after having conducted considerable exploratory research and preparation for his/her dissertation, the student submits to each member of the Doctoral Committee a dissertation prospectus. The prospectus should not be distributed to the full committee without the approval of the student’s committee chair.
• The dissertation prospectus should not exceed 20 pages and include a statement of purpose regarding the art historical topic/problem being addressed (what is at stake in the study), tentative chapter outlines, working bibliography, research plan, methodological strategies, and preliminary schedule for completion.
• Students should submit the prospectus to committee members 2-3 weeks before the oral examination date to allow sufficient time for the prospectus to be reviewed. If any member of the Doctoral Committee finds the prospectus inadequate, he or she must notify the committee chair at least one week prior to the oral examination date. In some cases, the prospectus must be revised and/or the examination date postponed.
• The student is responsible for scheduling the oral exam, consulting with committee members well in advance regarding the date and time of availability of each faculty member. The SAO helps the student reserve an appropriate space for the exam.
• The purpose of the oral examination is to assess the validity and feasibility of the proposed dissertation topic and its methodologies, as well as the soundness of the student’s projected approach to completing the project.
• At the end of the examination, each committee member reports the examination as “passed” or “not passed.” A student may not pass and may not be advanced to candidacy if more than one member votes “not passed” regardless of the size of the committee, or if the major advisor so votes. Upon majority vote of the committee, the oral qualifying examination may be repeated once. Students upon passing the oral examination are formally advanced to candidacy by the Graduate Division.
• At the time of the exam, the Doctoral Committee decides, by unanimous agreement, whether or not to waive the final oral examination (not normally required) and selects, again by unanimous agreement, a minimum of three members, two from the art history faculty and one from an outside department, who will read, approve, and certify the final draft of the dissertation. For details regarding the acceptable status of these certifying members, consult the publication, Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA.
• Upon passing the oral examination, the student is officially Advanced to Candidacy (ATC).

Dissertation and Final Oral Examination (if required)

• After advancing to candidacy, the student works on the dissertation in consultation with his/her advisor, committee chair, as well as Doctoral Committee certifying members according to the rules laid out in the above named publication. Upon completion of the dissertation or individual chapters thereof, and with  approval  of the committee chair, the student circulates a copy of the dissertation  in Week 1 of the quarter  for comments and suggestions from the certifying members of the Doctoral Committee.  Each  reader is allowed  four  weeks in which to read it and make corrections and comments, and the student is allowed  three  weeks in which to respond and revise the dissertation. It is incumbent upon the student to communicate in a timely manner with all certifying members of the Doctoral Committee to ensure adequate time for review. Committee members must be consulted as each reader may require more time.  PLEASE REVIEW the timeline for dissertation completion  which clearly outlines the schedule for submission during the student’s final quarter.
• After incorporating into the final draft of the dissertation the recommended changes, the student will circulate the dissertation again among the certifying members of the Doctoral Committee. This draft should be circulated sufficiently in advance of the deadline for filing the dissertation so that each reader is allowed at least two weeks in which to reread it (see quarterly Schedule of Classes for filing deadlines).
• Each certifying member of the committee then decides whether or not to approve the dissertation. In cases where less than the entire committee acts as certifying members, approval of the dissertation must be unanimous. If the entire committee acts as certifying members, the dissertation is considered approved with one negative decision so long as that negative decision is not that of the committee chair. After final approval by the Dean of the Graduate Division, the student files the required number of copies of the dissertation with the Manuscript Advisor of the Office of University Archives. Deadlines for filing the dissertation fall approximately two weeks before the date the degree is to be awarded.
• Note: A final oral examination is not normally required for Art History, but in some cases it may be requested by the Doctoral Committee (determined at the oral qualifying exam), and is held prior to filing the dissertation. All members of the committee must attend and vote. A student may pass with one negative vote so long as that vote is not that of the committee chair. In case of failure, the Doctoral Committee decides, by unanimous agreement, whether or not the candidate may be re-examined.
• Upon filing the dissertation, the student receives the Ph.D.

Language Requirements

The completion of the PhD requires reading knowledge of a minimum of two foreign languages relevant to the student’s field of study (more than two may be required in some cases and must be determined in consultation with the faculty advisor). Applicants are expected to already possess reading proficiency in at least one of the two languages for which they will be responsible. New students shall sit for at least one language exam upon arrival at UCLA.

Students at the MA stage are expected to satisfy their first foreign language requirement by the end of the 3rd quarter in residence. It is highly recommended that they complete the second language requirement by the end of the 6th quarter in residence.

Students at the PhD stage are expected to satisfy their second foreign language requirement by the end of the 1st quarter and any additional languages by the end of the 3rd quarter in residence (or in consultation with the major advisor).

Fulfilling the Language Requirement

Option 1: Pass the Departmental Foreign Language Exam.

The language exam consists of translation of a text of 300-700 words chosen by the examiner to be translated into English in three hours (use of a non-electronic dictionary is allowed). Specific qualities of the language and expected level of proficiency in the field will impact the choice and length of the selected text. The Department expects accurate rendition in English rather than a strict translation, word for word, and values the quality of the translation over the completion of the exam.

Language exams are scheduled four times a year, approximately three weeks prior to finals week during the regular academic quarters. Entering students must sit for the first language exam in the first week of the fall quarter. Exam results will be sent out by email within three weeks of the exam date. If feedback on the exam is desired after the results have been announced, students are welcome to contact the examiner. If a student fails the exam and wants to appeal, he or she should contact the Chair of the Language Committee or Director of Graduate Studies.

Option 2: Complete UCLA courses  French 6, German 6, Italian 6, Spanish 25, or other relevant language classes with a minimum grade of “B”.

The following is a general guideline for language requirements in relation to specific fields of study. The final selection and number of languages is to be determined in consultation with the primary advisor.

African Indigenous African languages, Arabic, French, German, Portuguese Ancient/Mediterranean/Near East Akkadian, Sumerian, Egyptian, Greek, Latin Chinese/Korean/Japanese Two East Asian languages, for pre-modern studies additionally literary Chinese or Japanese Byzantine/Western Medieval French, German, Greek, Latin, Italian, Slavic Languages, Turkish, Spanish Indigenous Americas One European language, one indigenous language (e.g., Quechua, Nahuatl, Maya), one other language (depending on topic) Islamic Arabic, Turkish/Ottoman, Persian, French, German Latin America Spanish (mandatory), French, German, Portuguese Modern & Contemporary Europe & America French, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian Renaissance/Baroque/Early Modern Italian, French, Spanish, German, Latin, Dutch, Slavic Languages, Latin and/or Greek (depending on topic) South Asia Sanskrit, Hindi/Urdu, Persian Southeast Asia Thai, Vietnamese, Indonesian

MA or PhD in Art History

Virtual Open House For Prospective Applicants

November 1, 2024 12–1pm CT Zoom

• Learn more about the program, the department, and the university.
• Meet faculty, staff, and students.
• Ask questions about the program and application process.

The graduate Art History programs at UT, comprising the MA in Art History and the PhD in Art History, are among the nation’s largest and most distinguished, with nearly twenty full-time faculty members who are leading scholars in their fields and represent a diversity of critical and methodological outlooks. Students in Art History are regularly honored with prestigious awards and fellowships, and alumni from this program lead successful careers at colleges, universities, and museums worldwide.

The programs’ expansive scope comprises courses covering a wide range of periods and cultures of art, while areas of special concentration are represented by several active research centers. Interdisciplinary study and collaboration play a vital role in the program. Additionally, research is enhanced by access to the many resources available across campus including the Blanton Museum of Art, one of the country’s leading university art museums; the university’s notable library system; and cultural archives such as the Harry Ransom Center.

Eligibility

Applicants to the Master of Arts Program are expected to have completed a broad range of undergraduate coursework in art history (18 hours in art history are recommended) and related fields. MA students will be required to demonstrate proficiency in reading/translating one contemporary language other than English prior to beginning the fourth semester in residence.

Program Tracks

Four MA tracks are offered:

• General (allows students to cover diverse historical areas of art history)
• Ancient (Western and Non-Western)
• Medieval to Early Modern

Program of Work — General Track

Program of Work — Specialized Track

Specialized tracks.

• Modern    

Example Program Plan

Language Requirement

MA students must have reading/translation competence in at least one modern language in addition to English. The additional language will be relevant to the student’s areas of study and will allow the student to understand the scholarship of their field. The language will be determined in consultation with the Graduate Adviser and the choice is subject to ratification by the Graduate Studies Committee.

The choice of language is flexible but must be decided in consultation with one’s advisor/committee chair or the Graduate Adviser if an advisor has not yet been selected. Language courses cannot count toward fulfillment of the requirement for six hours of coursework taken outside the department (supporting work or Minor).

The language exam requirement must be fulfilled in one of the following ways:

• 4 semesters of college-level language courses passed at grade B or above. Advanced placement credit can count towards the required number of courses.
• Departmental exam to test translation proficiency in French, Spanish, Italian, German, and Portuguese (and other languages as petitioned by students) administered 3 times each year (beginning and end of fall semester, and once during spring semester). Exams are graded by at least 2 faculty members. Language exams will be administered to students who wish take it in a given semester. The exam proceeds simultaneously, in a single location and time that works for all. This requirement can be fulfilled in one of the following ways, and must be satisfied by the end of the third long semester in residence.
• To compensate for the exceptional difficulty involved, students who plan on qualifying in a language other than the traditional European languages may be allowed to do so. Permission may be granted after consultation with the Graduate Adviser and after petitioning the faculty to substitute an instructional course in that language in place of a supporting (i.e. out-of-department) course.

Thesis Colloquium

During the semester of enrollment in Thesis research (ARH 698A, 3 hours), usually in the third semester of residence and after the completion of 18 hours of coursework, the student presents a topic for faculty approval in a Thesis Colloquium. Enrollment in ARH 698B Thesis (3 hours) may take place only after an approved presentation.

• In the first year, no later than the end of the Spring semester, the student will contact an Art History faculty member about supervising the thesis and initiate a discussion about possible topics.
• Students are encouraged to interview faculty in their area of specialization in order to find a faculty supervisor/committee chair. Students and supervisors must be in alignment to accommodate their professional goals. Failing to find a supervisor will result in termination from the program.
• The wise Art History Master’s student will take advantage of the summer following the first year to develop and research a topic or possible topics with the goal of being ready to schedule the colloquium in the early part of the Fall semester.
• If the colloquium is not held, a grade of Incomplete is assigned; a final grade will be assigned when the colloquium is held during the next long semester.

Refer to the handbook for details regarding the processes involved with submitting the final thesis and applying for graduation.

Program Handbook

Applicants to the Doctoral Program must have an MA in art history or an MA in a related field with substantial coursework in art history at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Applicants completing the second year of a Master’s program are also eligible to apply.

Program of Work

The Doctor of Philosophy degree requires at least thirty hours of coursework beyond the MA degree. Course requirements include:

• A minimum of five graduate seminars in at least two of the department’s chronological groupings of western and non-western art: Ancient; Medieval to Early Modern; and Modern
• Nine hours of supporting work, normally consisting of two graduate seminars outside the Department of Art and Art History in areas related to the major field, and one graduate reading course outside the Department of Art and Art History often taken in the context of preparation for the qualifying examination. All of these courses must be taken for a letter grade.
• A minimum of six hours of dissertation research and writing

Further requirements include reading/translation competence in at least two contemporary languages in addition to English, a dissertation colloquium, written and oral qualifying examinations that admit the student to doctoral candidacy, the dissertation, and the oral defense of the dissertation. PhD students who are employed as Teaching Assistants must enroll for one term in ARH 398T Supervised Teaching in Art History , a pedagogy seminar that meets one hour per week. This course does not count toward completion of the degree.

Doctoral students must have reading/translation competence in at least 2 modern languages in addition to English. These languages will be relevant to students’ areas of study and will allow individuals to undertake primary research and understand the scholarship of their chosen field.

Language courses cannot count toward fulfillment of the requirement for 9 hours of coursework taken outside the department (supporting work or minor). Each language requirement can be fulfilled in one of the following ways, and must be satisfied before advancing to doctoral candidacy:

• Four semesters of college-level language courses passed at grade B or above. Advanced Placement credit can count towards the required number of courses.
• Departmental exam to test translation proficiency in French, Spanish, Italian, German, and Portuguese (and other languages as petitioned by students) administered twice per semester. Exams are graded by at least two faculty members. Language exams will be administered to students who wish take it in a given semester. The exam proceeds simultaneously, in a single location and time that works for all. The choice of language is flexible but must be decided in consultation with one’s adviser.
• Confirmation of completion of a modern language requirement from the student’s Master’s program.

To compensate for the exceptional difficulty involved, students who plan on qualifying in a language other than the traditional European languages may be allowed, after consultation with the graduate advisor and after petitioning the faculty, to substitute an instructional course in that language in place of a supporting (i.e. out-of-department) course.

Dissertation Colloquium

The Colloquium is intended to be an informal conversation with the faculty concerning the topic, its feasibility, and potential pitfalls that might affect the student’s ability to complete it successfully.

The Dissertation Colloquium is held during the third or fourth term of the student’s residence and after the completion of at least 18 hours of coursework. A week before the scheduled Dissertation Colloquium, the student presents to the Graduate Adviser for Art History and the faculty a written prospectus, prepared with the help of the dissertation adviser.

The topics for the qualifying examination are also set at the Colloquium, and the examining committee is determined. At this time, the composition of the dissertation committee is also discussed. The student must complete the Qualifying Examination by the end of the next long semester following the Colloquium.

Qualifying Examination

The student will be examined in four areas: at least two broad areas of expertise and one or two focused areas with the possibility of one area being directed by a faculty member outside the Department. All of these exams will be written and must be completed within a one-week period. In consultation with each faculty member on their examination committee, students will schedule three-hour time periods during which they will take the written exams.

At least two weeks before the examination, the student will confirm with the Graduate Coordinator the date and time of each examination and the name and email address of any examiner not on the Art History faculty. The student will determine the order of the questions. The Graduate Coordinator will solicit questions from each examiner.

Within several days of the completion of the last written examination, a two-hour oral examination on the same topics will follow with the entire examining committee. During this exam the examining committee will question the student about the exam questions. To schedule the oral examination, please use the same process used for scheduling the Colloquium. The student's performance on these exams will be ranked "Pass" or "Failure." For additional details and procedures, please refer to the Graduate Handbook.

Once the student has completed all program requirements and passed the qualifying exams, the committee supervising the dissertation is formalized in the doctoral candidacy application process.

Learn more about completing the Application for Doctoral Candidacy →

• After admission to Candidacy for the doctoral degree, the student must stay in continuous enrollment in dissertation hours each spring and fall until the degree is completed.
• Students doing research abroad while in doctoral candidacy may be eligible for Independent Study and Research status.

Example Topics

Below are examples of past qualifying examinations topics. Please note that these can include both general subjects and topics related to a particular student’s dissertation research:

Medieval Art

• Northern Renaissance Art
• French Court Culture and Patronage (possibly an outside the Department question)
• Fourteenth-Century Manuscript Illumination

Modern/Contemporary European Art

• European Art, 1890–1945
• Art of the United States, 1945–1985
• Art and Philosophy of Language (Examiner: Art History Dept.)
• Little Magazines and Literary Modernism (Examiner: English Dept.)

Dissertation

The dissertation must make an original contribution to scholarship. It normally requires fieldwork of at least a year’s duration. The Dissertation Committee directs the student during the completion of the dissertation. Defense of the dissertation (Final Oral Examination) before at least four members of the Dissertation Committee is a University requirement; the dissertation supervisor must be physically present for the defense to take place.

Learn more about submitting the request for the Final Oral Examination →

Refer to the handbook for details regarding the processes involved with submitting the final draft, defending, and applying for graduation.

• Current Graduate Students

Funding resources at the MA level, such as scholarships and in-state tuition waivers, are limited and awarded on a case-by-case basis. Each semester, MA students may apply for positions as a Grader for a large introductory/survey or upper-division class. Once assigned to grade for a course, the Grader must attend all lectures and grade all exams and assignments for the course. The number of Grader positions varies each year, and the salary is based on the number of students in the class. A few MA students also may be awarded Teaching Assistant positions, when these are available, again on a case-by-case basis.

The faculty’s goal is to support all admitted PhD students with a combination of Teaching Assistantships, Assistant Instructor positions, Graduate Research Assistant positions and scholarship funds so they can earn their degree with as little outside cost as possible.

A limited number of Graduate Research Assistant positions may be available each semester to both MA and PhD students.

All applicants are considered for financial support; it is not necessary to apply or request separately.

FAQ Visit Apply

Program Contacts

Rowan Howe Graduate Program Coordinator

Dr. Nassos Papalexandrou   Graduate Advisor

• University of Pennsylvania
• School of Arts and Sciences
• Penn Calendar

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The doctoral program at the University of Pennsylvania provides students with broad training in the history of art and its critical approaches, yet also focused training in their selected fields.  Students completing the Ph.D. are well prepared for teaching positions at the university and college level and for curatorial positions in museums and galleries.  Faculty work closely with Ph.D. students to outline an appropriate course of study and mentor students while preparing them for assistantships, curatorial internships, and other career orientations.

Admission to the program is by application to the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, which administers full fellowship packages to all admitted students.  (See the "Admissions" page on this site.)  Both B.A. and M.A. students are eligible to apply.  Students normally pursue coursework over their first three years and, once admitted to Ph.D. candidacy (following their area exams), devote their time thereafter to dissertation research and writing.  Students entering the program with an M.A. may chose to accelerate their coursework at Penn to gain candidacy to the Ph.D. more quickly.

Students generally take three seminars in each semester; some of that coursework includes also pedagogical instruction when the student serves as a Teaching Assistant. To ensure a broad understanding of art's history, the Department asks students to take three seminars focusing on periods prior to 1750 and three after.

Further details regarding the graduate program may be found in the  Graduate Bulletin .

DEPARTMENT OF ART HISTORY

The Graduate Program in Art History offers a full-time Ph.D. that is designed to prepare our graduates for academic research and teaching, work in museums and beyond, and other careers in the visual arts. Areas in which we currently offer coursework and advising are: Global Modern and Contemporary, African American and African Diaspora, Caribbean, Early Modern, Asian, and Ancient and Medieval.

We are a mid-size department, with ten full-time faculty members,1 full-time Weinberg College Fellow, several visiting lecturers who expand the department's disciplinary offerings, and several affiliated faculty. Our Department's comparative and cross-disciplinary orientation offers ample opportunity for interdisciplinary work, which is amplified by programs and clusters across  Weinberg College  and within The Graduate School .

Our highly ranked program is intellectually rigorous and committed to supporting students throughout their training. Roughly 35 graduate students enjoy close interaction with faculty members of worldwide renown who maintain active research and publishing profiles. Our curriculum is designed to make the most of our local resources, from courses at the  University of Chicago  to holdings at the  Newberry Library . Our graduate students also have the opportunity to garner experience working within departments at the  Art Institute of Chicago , the  Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago , and our own  Block Museum of Art .

Generously supported by  The Graduate School  and the  Weinberg College , the department provides its Ph.D. students with full financial aid for five years as well as travel grants for conference presentations and archival research. In addition, the summer before the beginning of their second year, graduates in our program travel abroad—Beijing, Beirut, and Madrid have been recent destinations—for an intensive two-week faculty-led seminar. Such experiences are one part of the extensive scholarly training, mentorship, pedagogical guidance, and assistance on the job market that we provide for our graduate students. We are proud of our placement record and of our record of national and international fellowships for predoctoral study.

PhD Art History Admission

The Department welcomes graduate applications from individuals with a broad range of life experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds who would contribute to our community of scholars. Review of applications is holistic and individualized, considering each applicant’s academic record and accomplishments, letters of recommendation, and admissions essays in order to understand how an applicant’s life experiences have shaped their past and potential contributions to their field.

University Application Materials

The application for admission as well as general information about applying is available from the Graduate Admissions website; please visit  Graduate Admissions  to apply. Prior to applying you must first determine if you are eligible -  application eligibility (undergraduate degree requirements) . International applicants, please also see  Bechtel International Center  and Graduate Admissions  International Applicants  for more information and any additional application requirements. Prospective students may apply beginning in late September (please verify the precise date on the  Graduate Admissions  website). The following documents are required by the university and can not be waived; please click on the links for more detailed information about each:

Letters of Recommendation : Three letters of recommendation are required. The department does not accept applicant recommendation via a letter service (i.e. Interfolio or other service). It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that letters are submitted to the electronic application by the published deadline. Please only submit three letters.

Transcripts : Upload a scanned copy of your official transcript(s) with the online application. Applicants must upload transcripts from every post-secondary institution attended as a full-time student and for at least one academic year. Transcripts from current degree programs also need to be submitted.

Statement of Purpose : You must indicate in the first sentence of your SOP the name of the program to which you are applying and the area you wish to study (e.g. PhD in Art History – Modern). The Statement of Purpose should describe succinctly your reasons for applying to the proposed program at Stanford, your preparation for this field of study, research interests, future career plans, and other aspects of your background and interests which may aid the admissions committee in evaluating your aptitude and motivation for graduate study. Applicants can include and mention faculty members, with overlapping research interests whom they would like to work with and why, in their statement of purpose. The Statement of Purpose must be: 1,000 words or less; single-spaced; formatted with 1-inch margins and 12-point, Times New Roman font.

Application Fee : The application fee $125, is non-refundable, and must be received by the application deadline (fee waivers are available to eligible students. Please see  Graduate Fee Waivers  for more information). The Department does not offer fee waivers outside of the process at the Graduate Fee Waivers page. Please do not contact the department requesting to waive the application fee.

GRE Scores: Graduate Record Exam (GRE) General Test is no longer required for admission to the Department of Art & Art History.

TOEFL Scores : Required when first language is not English; IELTS is not accepted. Please note that the department can NOT waive the TOEFL requirement. If you wish to submit a request for TOEFL waiver, please see  GRE and TOEFL Requirements . It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that the scores are submitted to the electronic application by the published deadline.  (Note: To bypass the entry of TOEFL scores in the application, enter a future test date. You can add in the additional information section of the application that you have received a waiver from Graduate Admissions.)

Online Application

* Please note all application materials, once submitted as part of your application, become the property of Stanford University. Materials will not be returned and copies will not be provided for applicants nor released to other institutions. Please keep a copy for your records. Re-applicants must submit new supporting documents and complete the online graduate application.

Writing Sample Requirement

In addition to the University application materials listed above, applicants in Art History are required to submit a writing sample.  You should upload your writing sample along with your online application (only one writing sample will be accepted). It should be 20 pages maximum, including illustrations and bibliography – neither papers over this limit nor entire Master’s theses will be accepted.

Start Your Application

For admission in Autumn Quarter of the next academic year, all required application materials, including your test scores and recommendation letters, must be received on-line by no later than  December 1 at 9:00 pm (PT).

Note: The Graduate Admissions period opens in late September each year for applications to be submitted by the published deadline in December (for matriculation beginning in the following academic year). After April 15th each year, the Graduate Admissions period is closed, and the online application will reopen during the following September.

Selection Process

Application review takes place between mid-February and mid-March; applicants are notified by e-mail of their status around March 15th. Accepted students are admitted for the following Autumn Quarter; no applicants for mid-year entrance will be considered.  You will be contacted via e-mail regarding your application status after the deadline; please do not contact the Department in this regard. Applicants who are chosen as finalists for admissions are asked to make themselves available for an individual interview by faculty via Skype.  Admitted prospective students are invited for a campus visit intended to introduce them to faculty, current graduate students, and to members of the larger Stanford community involved in the arts.  Library, museum and other facilities are part of this introduction to the PhD program in Art History at Stanford.

The Art and Art History Department recognizes that the Supreme Court issued a ruling in June 2023 about the consideration of certain types of demographic information as part of an admission review. All applications submitted during upcoming application cycles will be reviewed in conformance with that decision.

Knight-Hennessy Scholars

Join dozens of  Stanford School of Humanities and Sciences  students who gain valuable leadership skills in a multidisciplinary, multicultural community as  Knight-Hennessy Scholars (KHS). KHS admits up to 100 select applicants each year from across Stanford’s seven graduate schools, and delivers engaging experiences that prepare them to be visionary, courageous, and collaborative leaders ready to address complex global challenges. As a scholar, you join a distinguished cohort, participate in up to three years of leadership programming, and receive full funding for up to three years of your PhD studies at Stanford. Candidates of any country may apply. KHS applicants must have earned their first undergraduate degree within the last seven years, and must apply to both a Stanford graduate program and to KHS. Stanford PhD students may also apply to KHS during their first year of PhD enrollment. If you aspire to be a leader in your field, we invite you to apply. The KHS application deadline is October 11, 2023. Learn more about  KHS admission .

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THE GRADUATE SCHOOL

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Art History

Degree requirements.

Learn more about the program by visiting the Art History Program

See related Interdisciplinary Clusters and Certificates

Degree Types: PhD

The Department of Art History offers a full-time doctoral program that is designed to prepare our graduates for professional lives as art historians and theorists of visual and spatial cultures. Course offerings are designed for those with grounding in the field and its related disciplines. The PhD curriculum moves from a general introduction to the methods and philosophies of the discipline to a more specific exploration of the student's chosen field. Graduates are trained for careers in teaching and many alumni have had considerable success in the museum field, while students from other fields often take our classes to deepen their own disciplinary engagements with visual and spatial culture. 

The faculty is renowned for its forward-looking, often transregional scholarship, with particular strengths in Black Visual Culture in the United States and African Diaspora; Modern and Contemporary art and architecture across the globe; and European art and architecture from the early modern period through the 19th-century. Offerings from other fields of study are also readily available. 

The department's comparative and transdisciplinary orientation offers ample opportunity for innovative research, which is amplified by programs and clusters across the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences and within The Graduate School (TGS). Students in this program are encouraged to participate in TGS’s Interdisciplinary Cluster Initiative program .

Additional resources:

• Department website
• Program handbook(s)

Program Statistics

Visit PhD Program Statistics for statistics such as program admissions, enrollment, student demographics and more.

Program Contact

Contact Mel Keiser Department Assistant 847-491-7077

The following requirements are in addition to, or further elaborate upon, those requirements outlined in  The Graduate School Policy Guide .

Our M.A. is not designed as a terminal degree but can be awarded to students who successfully complete twelve course credits in good standing, pass one language exam, and complete the requirements for the First Year Spring meeting. Since it is not a requirement for the PhD, students must petition for the M.A. degree by completing the corresponding TGS Form through GSTS; it will not be awarded automatically.

The art history PhD is based on a balance of breadth (distribution requirements) and depth (your Major or Teaching Field, and eventually the dissertation fields, or areas of specialization within the Teaching Field). The department encourages and promotes interdisciplinarity by way of coursework outside of the department in related fields and programs. 

Students enroll in full-time coursework or the equivalent for the first three years of matriculation, during which time a minimum of eighteen graded courses at the 400-level are completed (determined on a case-by-case basis, certain 300-level courses may count towards this requirement with additional work). Full-time enrollment is at least three credits per quarter.

Major or Teaching Field

Students are required to take eight courses in the major field, six of which must be Northwestern 400-level seminars or those offered by the Big Ten Alliance/Committee for Institutional Cooperation (CIC). The student and advisor determine what counts towards the Major or Teaching Field regardless of the department in which the course was taken. At least five major field classes should be departmental offerings, although it is recognized that this is not possible in all fields or applicable to all individual scholarly needs. Up to two of the eight required courses may include Independent Studies or M.A. transfer credits. 

The Major or Teaching Field corresponds roughly with the temporal and/or geographic categories used as hiring descriptors, i.e., Modern, Early Modern, Latin American, and so forth. In the first year, the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) can help you determine a student’s major field, but after they declare an advisor, they will work with that advisor to define the parameters of the field. 

Breadth Requirement 

Students are required to take four courses in three major teaching fields outside their Major or Teaching Field, to diversify their exposure to different temporal, geographical, and faculty teaching areas in Northwestern 400-level art history seminars, and to build community in the department. The advisor determines what satisfies the breadth requirement. 

Total Required Graded Courses: 18

Other PhD Degree Requirements

Language: For most students, proficiency in two languages is required for the PhD, with demonstration of proficiency in the first language by the end of the first year. In some circumstances, such as in Medieval Studies, additional language competency may be required after the third year. If a second foreign language is not needed for a student’s research, or if a student wishes to pursue a computer language, for example, the student may petition the DGS for an exception to this second language requirement by Fall in their second year. In this case, the student will pursue an alternative specialization as approved by their advisor and the DGS. Please see the Department of Art History Graduate Handbook for more information.

First Year Meeting:   In late Spring of the first year, students schedule a meeting with their advisor. They may include the DGS if they wish. In advance of this meeting, the student completes the department’s End of Year Annual Progress Survey which is typically circulated in April and gathers other relevant materials. More information about this review can be found in the Department of Art History Graduate Handbook.

Qualifying Examinations:   The department offers two tracks for the PhD Qualifying Exam, both of which can include written and oral components. The exams shall be completed by the end of Winter quarter in the third year. The format of the exam is flexible to meet the needs of different students and fields. A successful exam demonstrates a student’s familiarity and ability to think with, and sometimes against, key texts in their fields and to demonstrate a proficiency in speaking about art objects and methods. For both tracks preparation includes regular meetings with the examiner in independent studies and, typically, an extensive amount of writing in the form of précis of each text on the bibliographies. More information about the Qualifying Examination can be found in the Department of Art History Graduate Handbook.

Dissertation Prospectus & Colloquium: The written Dissertation Prospectus and oral Colloquium are the penultimate requirements for the Ph.D. and are intended to represent grounds for a substantive contribution to the field based on the student’s original research and analysis to come in the dissertation. The Prospectus is supervised by the student’s advisor with input from the other members of their dissertation committee. It puts forth the student’s dissertation project for committee approval, and must be approved before the student can advance to candidacy. More information about the Dissertation Prospectus and Colloquium can be found in the Department of Art History Graduate Handbook. 

Fifth Year Chapter: Before the end of Spring in the fifth year, the student is expected to complete and circulate to their committee a draft chapter of their dissertation (some advisors ask to review the chapter in advance). The chapter should not be an introduction to the dissertation project as a whole. The provisional chapter draft is intended to facilitate a check-in with the committee so that its members can assess progress toward the degree. Although it should be tightly argued and include proper citations, it is not immutable: after further research and writing, the vetted version is likely to change within the context of the final dissertation. The chapter is not awarded a pass/not pass grade, nor does it need to be “defended” in a meeting with the committee. Instead, the chapter is vetted by committee members who give written feedback, usually within eight weeks following submission.

PhD Dissertation: When the student and advisor agree that the dissertation is ready, it is presented and discussed with the student’s committee at an open oral defense. Typically, this is before the end of the seventh year. Please see TGS limitations on time to degree. 

Other: Students are regularly assigned teaching and research roles in the department. Students must select an advisor by June 5th in their first year, their exam committee by the end of Spring quarter, and their dissertation committee by the end of the fifth week of Winter quarter in their third year. 

Last Updated: September 6, 2024

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Bulletin 2024-2025, art history phd.

TYLER SCHOOL OF ART AND ARCHITECTURE

Learn more about the Doctor of Philosophy in Art History .

About the Program

The PhD in Art History program at the Tyler School of Art and Architecture provides the broad-based training needed for teaching, research and curatorial positions at the highest levels of the discipline. Offering both the resources of one of the nation’s top art schools and a large research university, Tyler PhD students work with faculty members who have expertise in diverse and global areas, including new digital technologies. Students take full advantage of faculty contacts and the extraordinary variety of research opportunities opened by Tyler’s location in Philadelphia, a vibrant center of art, culture and history strategically situated near New York and Washington, D.C.

The Department of Art History offers a doctoral program for students with an MA degree, as well as for exceptionally well-prepared students with a BA, who may be admitted directly without first earning a master's degree. A strong art history background, appropriate languages and indicators of high achievement are requisites for students entering with a BA only. Upon entering the program, all students are assigned a primary advisor and are expected to work closely with the advisor during their studies. Students may change primary advisors in accordance with Graduate School procedures.

A number of resources are available at Temple to Art History PhD students:

• The Loretta C. Duckworth Scholars Studio in Charles Library offers opportunities for research in the digital humanities with high-end computing and visualization resources, a virtual reality studio, collaboration spaces, and 3-D printing and media-capture capabilities.
• Expansive world-class art and architecture buildings provide direct access to all aspects of the creative process via fellow students and faculty artists and designers.
• Tyler graduate students in Art History may participate in Temple University’s  Teaching in Higher Education certificate program  to gain advanced training for a career in higher education or in the  Cultural Analytics graduate certificate program  offered by Duckworth Scholars Studio.
• Tyler’s art history community is enriched by a steady stream of compelling lectures by leading scholars and practitioners.

Time Limit for Degree Completion: 7 years

Campus Location: Main

Full-Time/Part-Time Status: The degree program can be completed on a full- or part-time basis.

Study Abroad: Many Tyler Art History graduate students take advantage of research opportunities at  Temple University Rome , among the oldest and largest facilities of its type, and elsewhere around the globe, as guided by faculty members' extensive connections. Students researching Italian topics may be eligible for a fellowship to study in Rome.

Accreditation: This degree program is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).

Areas of Specialization:  The curriculum concentrates on Western art history, broadly conceived, including ancient, Africa and the African diaspora, early modern, Europe, Islamic, Latin America, and modern and contemporary. Curricula are informed by the historiography and critical theory of art history.

Non-Matriculated Student Policy: Non-matriculated students must contact the Graduate Director for information.

Financing Opportunities:  Exceptionally qualified students who apply for the PhD may be nominated by the Department of Art History for prestigious University Fellowships upon receipt of their complete application.

The Department also offers Teaching/Research Assistantships and one Academic Internship. Applicants interested in being considered for these awards must submit their application by December 15. Assistantships carry a stipend, health insurance, and full tuition remission for up to 9 credits per term.

Eligible graduate students are encouraged to apply for work study.

Admission Requirements and Deadlines

Application Deadline:

Fall: December 15 Spring: November 1

Applicants should declare an intention to enter the program by establishing contact with the Graduate Director in the Department of Art History. They are also strongly encouraged to establish contact with at least one faculty member whose area of research interest overlaps with their own and who could potentially serve as their faculty advisor. Information on the faculty can be found at  https://tyler.temple.edu/programs/art-history .

Applicants who wish to be considered for a University Fellowship must apply by December 15. Those who would like to be considered for a Teaching Assistantship are also strongly encouraged to apply by December 15, but November 1 applications for Spring admission may be considered.

APPLY ONLINE to this graduate program .

Letters of Reference: Number Required: 3

From Whom: Letters of recommendation should be obtained from college/university faculty members, gallery directors and/or curators who can speak to the applicant's academic and art historical competence. The letters should be submitted by the referee at the time of application at  https://apply.temple.edu/Tyler/ .

Coursework Required for Admission Consideration: Five courses in Art History are desired for admissions consideration: two general surveys and one upper-level course in each of three periods, in any geographical area: ancient art (to circa 1400), art produced circa 1400-1800, and Modern/Contemporary art. Official transcripts from all universities/colleges attended, whether or not a degree was awarded and whether the courses were taken as an undergraduate or a graduate student, must be sent as part of the online application.

Master's Degree in the Discipline/Related Discipline: Generally, a master's degree in Art History is required, but a background in Art History and a master’s degree in a related field suffice. Alternatively, exceptionally well-prepared students with a BA may be admitted directly to the PhD program.

Bachelor's Degree in the Discipline/Related Discipline: A baccalaureate degree is required, but it need not be in Art History.

Statement of Goals: In approximately 500 to 1,000 words, describe your interest in Temple's program, research goals, future career goals, academic and research achievements, and how you will contribute to the Tyler School of Art and Architecture mission. Submit at  https://apply.temple.edu/Tyler/ .

Standardized Test Scores: GRE optional. If you wish to submit scores as a supplemental item, your official scores should be sent directly from the Educational Testing Agency. Temple's institutional code is 2906.

For international applicants, the minimum scores for a standardized test of English are:

• TOEFL iBT: 79
• IELTS Academic: 6.5
• PTE Academic: 53
• Duolingo: 110

Applicants who completed an undergraduate degree in the United States or other English-speaking country are waived of the English-language testing requirements. Please contact Tyler Admissions to learn more.

Resume: Current curriculum vitae required. Submit at  https://apply.temple.edu/Tyler/ .

Writing Sample:  The writing sample should demonstrate your ability to research and write a scholarly paper on a topic in Art History. The paper or excerpt submitted should be no more than 10 pages in length and be fully referenced according to a professional, scholarly style manual. Submit at https://apply.temple.edu/Tyler/ .

Program Requirements

General Program Requirements: Number of Credits Required Beyond the Master's: 30 Number of Credits Required Beyond the Baccalaureate: 60

Required Courses:

PhD for Students Entering with a Master’s Degree 1

Prior to registering for any course, students are expected to consult with their primary advisor and/or the Graduate Director.

If they have not taken a comparable class at the master's level, students must register for ARTH 5601 .

Electives must be taken at the 5000 level or higher. With approval from the primary advisor and Graduate Director, up to 9 credits of electives may be taken outside of Art History.

Enrolling in 1 credit of ARTH 9994 , ARTH 9998 or ARTH 9999 grants a PhD student full-time status.

Students may only register for ARTH 9999 after the dissertation proposal has been accepted by the Graduate Faculty and the student has advanced to candidacy. Additionally, a minimum of 2 credits of ARTH 9999 are required to earn the degree.

PhD for Students Entering with a Baccalaureate Degree 1

Upon admission to the PhD program, students are required to complete ARTH 5601 in their first Fall term.

In ARTH 9891 , students write their Qualifying Paper, which the Department reviews and must approve prior to formally accepting the student into the PhD program.

The number of credits shown in this grid for ARTH 9994 , ARTH 9998 and ARTH 9999 are recommended, but can be adjusted to fit a student's schedule and timeline for dissertation research. Ultimately, 15 credits of ARTH 9994 , ARTH 9998 and ARTH 9999 are required to complete the degree, including a minimum of 2 credits of ARTH 9999 . Enrolling in 1 credit of ARTH 9994 , ARTH 9998 or ARTH 9999 in an academic term grants a PhD student full-time status.

In ARTH 9998 , students write their dissertation proposal.

Students may only register for ARTH 9999 after the dissertation proposal has been accepted by the Graduate Faculty and the student has advanced to candidacy.

Language Examination:  Students must demonstrate a reading knowledge of two foreign languages necessary to complete research in the given field. The language examinations are taken with the permission of the student's primary advisor.

Culminating Events: Qualifying Paper: The qualifying paper is only required of those entering the program with a bachelor's degree on the direct track. At the end of the fourth term of coursework, these students are required to submit a qualifying paper to demonstrate their command of scholarly research and writing. The ability to continue in the PhD program is contingent on the quality of this paper. If the qualifying paper is not deemed acceptable, the student is transferred to the MA program and works with an advisor to determine the progress made toward completion of the master's degree. When any outstanding courses are successfully completed, the student is awarded the MA.

Doctoral Examinations: The purpose of the doctoral examinations is to demonstrate critical knowledge of current research and historiography in the student’s primary field of interest. The examinations consist of two written exams, one in the student’s broad field and one in the specialized field, and an accompanying oral examination. See Graduate School Policy 02.27.11 .

Dissertation Proposal: The dissertation proposal, which must be approved by the Department’s Graduate Faculty, demonstrates the student’s knowledge of and ability to conduct the proposed research. The dissertation proposal may only be submitted after the student has successfully completed their doctoral examinations. After the proposal has been accepted by the Department’s Graduate Faculty, the student is raised to candidacy. See Graduate School Policy 02.28.12 .

Dissertation: The doctoral dissertation is an extended written study that shows evidence of the candidate’s original thought and research and their mastery of the scholarly method. The dissertation makes a contribution to the field of Art History. With the consent of the primary advisor and members of the dissertation defense committee, the student presents an oral defense of the dissertation. The goal of the dissertation is to have a manuscript that is publishable in a scholarly venue. See Graduate School Policy 02.28 .

Program Web Address:

https://www.temple.edu/academics/degree-programs/art-history-phd-ta-arth-phd

Admissions Information:

Tyler School of Art and Architecture

Graduate Admissions Office

2001 N. 13th Street

Philadelphia, PA 19122-6016

[email protected]

215-777-9090

Mailing Address for Official Transcripts:

Submission address for all other application materials:.

https://apply.temple.edu/Tyler/

Department Contacts:

Graduate Director:

Mariola Alvarez

210M Art History Suite, Tyler Building

[email protected]

215-777-9172

Department Chairperson:

Jane DeRose Evans

[email protected]

215-777-9738

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History of Art, PhD

Zanvyl krieger school of arts and sciences.

The graduate program is designed to give students working toward the PhD degree an encompassing knowledge of the history of art and a deep understanding of the theories and approaches pertaining to art historical research. The program emphasizes collaborative working relationships among students and faculty in seminars. Each PhD student benefits from supervision by a primary advisor in their field of study, while continuing to work closely with other department faculty. Students will routinely avail themselves of faculty expertise in other departments, dependent on their area of study.

The program also fosters a close familiarity with the outstanding art in the Baltimore–Washington area relevant to the student’s area of study. In addition to the rich holdings of the Sheridan Libraries of Johns Hopkins University (which include collections of rare books at the Garrett Library, Special Collections at the Milton S. Eisenhower Library, and the George Peabody Library) graduate students have access to world-renowned collections and research facilities in Washington D.C.

Our recent PhD students have gone on to academic, administrative, and museum positions at institutions around the world including Aarhus University, American University of Paris, Arcadia University, Baylor University, Columbia University, DePaul University, Florida State University, Howard University, King’s College London, Marshall University, National Museum of Denmark, Notre Dame University of Maryland, Oberlin College, Portland State University, University of Chicago, University of Pittsburgh, University of San Francisco, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Wellesley College. 

Admission Requirements

Admission and financial aid.

Applicants to the Ph.D. program in History of Art should upload and submit all required application materials and supporting documents through the online application. For information about applying to the Ph.D. program in History of Art, please see the department's website . Applications must be completed by December 15.

To foster close student-faculty relationships and provide for the greatest flexibility in developing each graduate student's individual curriculum, the department strictly limits the number of students it admits each year.

All graduate students entering the program are guaranteed five years of support, contingent upon satisfactory progress year by year. This support covers the individual’s full tuition costs and health insurance, and includes a stipend annually. Student stipends are guaranteed at the level stated in the letter of offer (for incoming students) and in the renewal letter (for continuing students) for the duration of the applicable period.  

Outstanding graduate applicants from underrepresented communities are regularly nominated for the Kelly Miller Fellowship , named for the first African-American to attend Johns Hopkins, as a graduate student in the Department of Mathematics in 1887. The fellowship provides additional funding to support student research, travel, and study during the student’s graduate career. In addition to the financial award, Kelly Miller Fellows benefit from quarterly programming designed to enhance the graduate experience and ensure professional success.   

All ABD students (those who have completed all requirements but the dissertation, something that usually happens in year three) are strongly encouraged to apply for external grants and fellowships to support their dissertation research and writing. The department also has internal fellowships to support students beyond their fifth year. Funds to support s ummer and conference travel are also available through the department, the Dean’s office, and cross-disciplinary programs. The Dean’s Teaching Fellowship enables advanced students to propose, design, and teach an undergraduate seminar course and provides one semester of support. Further details available via our website .  

PhD Requirements

In discussion with major and minor field advisors, History of Art Ph.D. students develop areas of concentration and courses of study to suit their intellectual interests and commitments. The art history faculty also encourages students to take full advantage of offerings in other departments, and students may, if they choose, develop a minor field in another discipline.

All students entering the Ph.D. program, regardless of the degree they hold, must complete four full semesters of coursework and pass the required language exams before being approved to take their qualifying exams (also known as the Ph.D. exams). In the first year, students normally take three courses at the graduate level per semester; in the second year, when students generally assume Teaching Assistant assignments , the student will normally take two courses at the graduate level per semester. As part of the coursework requirement, students must satisfactorily complete and submit all assigned papers and projects associated with the courses they have taken before being approved to take their qualifying exams.

All qualifying exams, regardless of the fields in which they are taken, are comprised of two written exams (one major field and one minor field), followed by an oral defense before the advisors and other department faculty. Exams should take place during the student’s third year; in some instances (e.g. the need for additional specialized language training beyond the modern language requirement or additional coursework) the exams may be taken later.

After the successful completion of qualifying exams, it is expected that students will be ready to begin work towards the dissertation by formulating a proposal. The dissertation proposal should be approximately 6–8 pages in length (10 pages will be the maximum), with a list of works cited and a very selective sample of figures appended. Simple parenthetical references to the works cited list are preferable to footnotes. Each proposal must contain a relatively straightforward description of the principal object of study and the defining questions the work seeks to answer, as well as a working title that captures the subject and the theme. The body of the proposal often also includes discussion of the current state of research, the intended contribution of the work to the field, and a preview of the research agenda and its challenges.

Students, having ideally secured outside research funding, then proceed to pursue dissertation research and writing. When the dissertation is complete, the student must successfully defend the dissertation before a Graduate Board Orals committee consisting of three internal (departmental) readers and two external readers. Successful defense of the dissertation and electronic submission of the work, complete in all its components, marks the fulfillment of the program’s degree requirements. 

Art History Fields

The department affords students of ancient art the opportunity to work with a faculty that includes experts in Greek, Roman, Mediterranean, and Ancient Near Eastern art and architecture. Students also benefit from close and long-standing relationships with the Departments of Classics and Near Eastern Studies, which provide training in the languages, literatures, and histories of the ancient world. Facilities of special relevance to students of ancient art include the Johns Hopkins Archaeological Museum , located on campus inside Gilman Hall, and the extraordinary holdings of the Walters Art Museum and the Baltimore Museum of Art .

Since its founding in 1947, the department has given special emphasis to the study of medieval art, and that tradition continues with a new generation of faculty bringing expertise in Early Medieval, Gothic, Islamic, Italian, and Mediterranean art and architecture to the program. Students also avail themselves of local expertise through the departments of History , English , and Modern Languages and Literatures , and frequently consult with curators at the Walters Art Museum, several of whom participate as adjunct faculty. The extraordinary collections at the Walters Art Museum and at Dumbarton Oaks are especially valuable for students interested in manuscript illumination and the portable object.

Early Modern and Renaissance 

Another signature strength of the Department of the History of Art is its expertise in the Early Modern period, encompassing the art, architecture, and culture of Italy, the Spanish Empire, the Islamic world, and Northern Europe from the fourteenth to the eighteenth century.  Graduate students in these areas participate in the programs of the Charles Singleton Center for the Study of Pre-Modern Europe , which sponsors collaborative research abroad and brings a steady stream of world-class lecturers to Baltimore. Students also benefit from the excellent collections of Islamic art, Italian and Northern Renaissance art, and the art of the Spanish Empire at the Walters Art Museum, the National Museum of Asian Art, the National Gallery, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

At Hopkins a diverse and challenging curriculum in modern art and criticism is offered by a research faculty of international prominence, supplemented by occasional visiting scholars and museum curators. Students oriented toward the study of criticism and aesthetic theory can also broaden their perspective and develop their critical skills by taking courses offered through the Comparative Thought and Literature , Philosophy , History , English, Modern Languages and Literatures, Political Science , and Anthropology , and with faculty affiliated with the programs in Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies, Africana Studies, Latin American Studies, and Islamic Studies. Distinctive collections at the Baltimore Museum of Art and at multiple institutions in Washington, D.C., (the Hirshhorn Museum, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the National Museum of Asian Art, the Phillips Collection, and others) provide unparalleled resources for students of modern art at all levels.  

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Department of the History of Art

You are here.

Welcome to our webpage for graduate studies. Here you will find practical information about our PhD program, including details about departmental course and language requirements, faculty expertise and publications, graduate students and their projects, and more. (Please note that Yale’s History of Art program does not include an MA-only option.) For more specific questions regarding departmental requirements, timelines, and procedures, please click on “Description of Graduate Studies ( Red Book ).” If you should have in-depth inquiries pertaining to your intended field of specialization, I recommend that you contact the relevant faculty member via e-mail. If you have questions about the department generally, you are welcome to e-mail me as Director of Graduate Studies . 

If you are interested in making a visit to campus prior to applying, please contact the individual professor(s) in your preferred field(s) of study directly via e-mail to arrange a suitable day and time. Such visits should take place in the fall semester, before the applications are due. Please keep in mind that there is no requirement that applicants visit campus; some professors prefer to communicate with prospective students only via e-mail or a phone call. Even complex questions can be answered via e-mail.

We hope that you find the material contained here on the website illuminating and helpful. And we thank you for your interest in the Ph.D. program in the History of Art at Yale University.

For more information regarding requirements and admission see  Graduate Handbook: Red Book . 

Our graduate students also have access to the   GSAS Professional Development for: leadership and communication, mentorship, training, negotiation and people skills, practical interships, and advice on preparing for diverse Careers and the  Office of Career Strategy (OCS) for: diverse career exploration, networking, resumes and cover letters, interview prep, employer events, job hunting and intership resources, negotiation and decision-making.

This dialog contains an alert message for the Penn State community.

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Art History, Ph.D.

Ph.D. in Art History (+Dual Ph.D.)

TODO FIXME : DRAFT : WORK IN PROGRESS

Become a professional in the field advance your career with an advanced degree..

Advanced study of visual arts spanning periods, cultures, and geographies. The Art History Ph.D. program can deepen your expertise and advance your Art History career.

Program Application Deadline

The deadline for applications for AY 2025–26 is January 15, 2025.

To be assured full consideration, please review all details on program and admission requirements, and ensure that you apply by this deadline.

Earn a Ph.D. in Art History at Penn State

Our Ph.D. students and alumni have earned Fulbright and Getty Fellowships, the Rome prize, tenure-track positions, and curatorial fellowships and jobs. For more than fifty years, our graduates have been writing books, organizing exhibitions, teaching college and pre-collegiate students, and ensuring the preservation and understanding of our cultural heritage. Join us!

The Ph.D. in Art History program will prepare you to broadly influence art and culture through careers as scholars and educators, as museum curators, as public advocates of cultural heritage, and as arts administrators, to name just a few of the professions that recent program alumni have entered. Breadth of knowledge is as essential for museum professionals as it is for academic researchers. For this reason, advanced study of the visual arts and material culture from diverse periods and geographies is required of all graduate students, with Ph.D. candidates attaining deep expertise in at least one field of art historical research. The department’s faculty includes specialists in African, Asian, and European art and the arts of the Americas.

Graduate faculty members and advisors are leading scholars in their fields. Our interdisciplinary program challenges you to think critically and creatively in order to make a meaningful contribution to the field. The Ph.D. in Art History program also offers dual-title Ph.D. options in Asian Studies or Visual Studies.

Nancy Locke

• Professor of Art History
• Director of Graduate Studies in Art History

[email protected]

814-865-4877

Is the Ph.D. in Art History right for you?

A Ph.D. makes possible the highest level of career success in art history. Our program has a track record of excellent outcomes in diverse career paths, with particular success in placing students in academic and museum careers.

We help you ask and answer the big questions in your area of study. Our graduate students have opportunities to teach, research, and work on digital humanities projects with our Center for Virtual and Material Studies. The Palmer Museum of Art also provides internships to prepare you for curatorial work.

Engage with a dynamic cohort of fellow students and a supportive community of scholars.

Degree Options

Dual-title degree options add a significant interdisciplinary breadth to your Ph.D. scholarship. These two dual-title programs develop context through which you can learn to synthesize knowledge within and across disciplinary boundaries in both scholarship and teaching.

Dual Ph.D. and Asian Studies

The primary objective of the dual-title degree program in Asian Studies is to engage critically and substantively with the teaching, research, and scholarship of Asia, a diverse area with a population of some 4.5 billion. The program integrates knowledge and methodology across disciplines of Asian Studies and Art History.

Graduate students are trained in such a way that you will be equipped to represent, understand, analyze, and appraise the crucial and current scholarly issues in Asian Studies in the context of your art discipline focus.

The program aims to produce doctoral graduates with a competitive advantage for employment that relates to Asia in academia, museum, curatorial, and other professional fields.

Graduate Bulletin Links

• Asian Studies Bulletin page
• Graduate Studies information related to the dual-title Ph.D in Art History + Asian Studies .

Dual Ph.D. and Visual Studies

Humanistic study. Technological dynamics. Analyze images, physical and virtual environments, and visual sign systems; histories of visual modes of communication, apprehension, and aesthetic pleasure; and conceptions of the nature of visuality itself. Challenge boundaries. Challenge yourself.

The dual-title Ph.D. in Visual Studies fosters an interdisciplinary approach to humanistic study, which, spurred by technological dynamics that increasingly integrate text and image, engages analysis of specific images, physical and virtual environments, and visual sign systems; histories of visual modes of communication, apprehension, and aesthetic pleasure; and conceptions of the nature of visuality itself. Students in this program analyze and assess visual media that, integrated with texts, are integral to humanistic scholarship and pedagogy today.

Dual-title degree programs increase the intellectual rigor and breadth of graduate work and provide a context in which students learn to synthesize knowledge within and across disciplinary boundaries in both scholarship and teaching. Drawing from knowledge and practices produced across the humanistic disciplines while responding to ongoing challenges to conventional disciplinary boundaries, this degree highlights existing strengths of graduate training in the humanities at Penn State, structures the continuing development of these programs, and credentials our graduates’ training and work with visual forms, environments, and media.

• Visual Studies Bulletin page
• Graduate Studies information related to the dual-title Ph.D in Art History + Asian Studies

Professional Development

Our department is regularly invited to select graduate students to participate in major graduate student symposia, including the Middle Atlantic Symposium in the History of Art at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and the Barnes Foundation Graduate Student Symposium on the History of Art. Penn State art history graduate students often present papers at scholarly conferences/symposia across the United States and abroad (for which the department provides partial financial support).

Financial Support

• George Dewey and Mary J. Krumrine Endowment This endowment helps support publication projects of art history faculty and graduate students.
• Graduate Assistantships There are about nineteen graduate assistantships filled by graduate students in the Department of Art History each year.
• University Fellowships and Awards Qualified incoming graduate students may also be nominated by the department for University Fellowships, Bunton-Waller Graduate Awards, Graham Fellowships, and other awards. The department also has funds to help support graduate students in their research and travel related to their theses. The department awards dissertation fellowships and travel/research grants totaling over $60,000 to graduate students each academic year.

Summer Opportunities

• Summer Abroad program in Todi, Italy The Department of Art History is a co-sponsor of Penn State’s Summer Abroad program in Todi, Italy, in which graduate students may choose to participate.
• Annie Gooding Sykes Internship This internship is a twelve-week internship offered during the summer. Interns work with museum staff on a variety of curatorial projects, with a particular focus on American works on paper. Students who have completed the ARTH 409 “Museum Studies” course are preferred. One internship with a stipend is offered each summer.
• Silver Trout Curatorial Graduate Internship Program This internship program is a twelve-week internship offered during the summer. Interns work with the museum staff on curatorial projects and initiatives. Graduate students in art history or art education are eligible for the Silver Trout Curatorial Graduate Internship Program. Students who have completed the ARTH 409 “Museum Studies” course are preferred. Two internships with a stipend are offered each summer.

Ph.D. Students

Students currently enrolled in the Ph.D. in Art History programs.

Arunima Addy Degree: PhD in Architecture Research Focus: South Asian architectural and urban history Dissertation title: Diaspora of Indian Temple Architecture Academic Adviser: Madhuri Desai [email protected]

Arunima Addy is currently a PhD candidate in Art History with dual title in Asian Studies. She has been a practicing architect in India, before joining the graduate program at Penn State. Arunima has her research interests in the relationship between the politics of religion and the construction of national identity, specifically with the rising sentiments of Hindu nationalism in India. She looks at visual representations in the built environment to understand how through architectural establishments religion is being used as a political tool to frame an image of the nation. For her dissertation, she is investigating the relationship between the politics of religion and nation-building particularly with respect to changing dynamics of Indian temple architecture in the neoliberal perspective where religion is becoming a global commodity.

Han Chen Degree: PhD in Art History and Asian Studies Research Focus: Modern and Contemporary Chinese and East Asian Art, history of collecting and exhibiting Dissertation title: Negotiating the Global Knowledge of China through Art Trade, 1900-1950 Academic Adviser: Chang Tan [email protected] | CV

Han Chen is a PhD student specializing in the history of collecting and exhibiting Chinese and East Asian art in the Euro-American context from the late nineteenth-century to the present day. She received her B.A. in 2016 and M.A. in 2019 from China Academy of Art. In 2021, she received her second M.A. from Penn State where she wrote her thesis entitled, “Selling China: A neglected encounter between Huo Mingzhi and France in the early twentieth century.” She has worked for the Palmer Museum of Art at Penn State and the Freer and Sackler Gallery of Art as a curatorial intern. Her current interest lies in employing machine learning to realize the image inpainting of photographs of Chinese antiques.

Melanie Clark Degree: PhD in Art History Research Focus: Dissertation title: Academic Adviser: Madhuri Desai

Olivia Crawford Degree: PhD in Art History Research Focus: Nineteenth-century European Art and Architecture, Post-colonial Studies, Jewish Studies, Middle Eastern and North African Studies. Dissertation title: TBD Academic Adviser: Nancy Locke [email protected]

Olivia Crawford received her B.A. in Art History and French and Francophone Studies from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 2016 and her M.A. in Art History from Penn State University in 2018. She is currently a Ph.D. student in the Department of Art History at Penn State.

Her current research examines representations of colonial and metropolitan Jewish communities in French Orientalist art and architecture. Her dissertation prospectus is forthcoming.

Crawford lives and works in Knoxville, TN.

Noah Dasinger Degree: PhD in Art History Research Focus: Fifteenth-century Italian sculpture Dissertation title: TBD Academic Adviser: Daniel M. Zolli [email protected] | LinkedIn

Noah Dasinger is a first-year Ph.D. student studying Italian Renaissance art and architectural history with a focus on fifteenth-century sculpture. Noah is an Alabama native, and in 2020, he graduated summa cum laude from the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, with a Bachelor of Arts. He then obtained a Master of Arts degree from the University of Georgia, Athens. Upon graduation, he received high honors for his thesis, “Symbolic Epigraphy and the New Rome: Humanist Capital Letters on the Tomb of Leonardo Bruni.”

Noah also has extensive training in archival research and early modern Italian paleography both in the United States and abroad. He was a curatorial intern at the Georgia Museum of Art and a research intern at the Medici Archive Project. His current research examines the development, display, and materials used for fifteenth-century Italian tomb sculpture. Noah’s research also investigates early modern workshop practices, materials, processes, and their relationship to commemorative sculpture.

Arielle Fields Degree: PhD in Art History Research Focus: Dissertation title: TBD Academic Adviser: Elizabeth Mansfield

Katherine Flanagan Degree: PhD in Art History Research Focus: Dissertation title: TBD Academic Adviser: William Dewey

Laura Freitas Almeida Degree: PhD in Art History Research Focus: Dissertation title: TBD Academic Adviser: Sarah Rich

Emily Hagen Degree: PhD in Art History Research Focus: Seventeenth-century Italian architecture Dissertation title: Pietro da Cortona’s Santi Luca e Martina: Rediscovered Relics and the Spectacle of Reform in Seventeenth-Century Rome Academic Adviser: Robin Thomas [email protected] | CV

Emily Hagen is a Ph.D. candidate in art history studying early-modern Italian architecture with an interest in digital humanities. Her research focuses on churches devoted to martyrs’ relics in seventeenth-century Italy and investigates how architecture amplified the fiction of rediscovery in the context of early-modern Catholic reform.

Katherine Koltiska Banerjee Degree: PhD in Art History Research Focus: Dissertation title: TBD Academic Adviser: Craig Zabel

Kyle Marini Degree: PhD in Art History Research Focus: Pre-Contact and Early Modern Latin America, Andean Textiles Dissertation title: TBD Academic Adviser: Amara Solari [email protected] | Instagram | LinkedIn

Kyle is a PhD student in pre-contact and early modern Latin American art history. He specializes in the techniques of production, ritual use, and iconography of Inca textiles. He primarily researches ceremonial objects that have been destroyed to recover a more representative view of Inca visual culture before Spanish occupation of the Andes. This approach is in effort to decolonize modern understandings of the Inca developed from the study of objects that survived arduous extirpation campaigns throughout the Viceroyalty of Peru. By emphasizing objects erased from the archive, he reconstructs a history through the most integral Inca artifacts that ceased to exist precisely because of their visual power. Kyle is also a practicing artist, and he uses remaking as a methodology to envision these lost works and the technical processes used by their creators.

Keri Mongelluzzo Degree: PhD in Art History Research Focus: History of Photography; Modern Art Dissertation title: Bauhaus/Dream House: The Uncharted Surrealism of New Vision Photography Academic Adviser: Nancy Locke [email protected] | CV | LinkedIn | Academia.edu

Keri Mongelluzzo is a Ph.D. candidate specializing in the history of photography and modern art in Europe. Her dissertation, “Bauhaus/Dream House: The Uncharted Surrealism of New Vision Photography,” examines how French Surrealist sensibilities gained traction with transient artists associated with the Bauhaus, an innovative school of design in interwar Germany. Tracking key Bauhaus figures as they moved throughout Europe and across the Atlantic, “Bauhaus/Dream House” exposes their messy motivations for evoking surrealist themes amidst surges of nationalism and the rise of fascism. To date, Keri’s dissertation research has been supported by the Department of Art History and the Max Kade German-American Research Institute.

Keri’s broader research and curatorial interests in the histories and theories of photography span the medium’s history. She has written steadily on prominent photographers of the twentieth century, like Man Ray and Eugène Atget, presenting papers at the inaugural conference of the International Society for the Study of Surrealism at the Bucknell Humanities Center and the 24th Annual Graduate Student Symposium on the History of Art at the Barnes Foundation. In addition to curating a number of exhibitions of photography at the Palmer Museum of Art, including Myth Meets Modernism: The Manuel Álvarez Bravo Portfolio (2019) and Framing the City (2018), Keri piloted the museum’s first-ever virtual exhibition, Photography = Abstraction , using Google Slides at the onset of the pandemic and presented her work on this and her collaboration on subsequent virtual exhibitions and tours at the College Art Association Annual Conference in February 2021.

Amy Orner Degree: PhD in Art History Research Focus: Eighteenth-Century British Architecture and Urbanism Dissertation title: TBD Academic Adviser: Robin Thomas [email protected]

Amy is a PhD student specializing in eighteenth-century British architecture and urbanism, with a focus on Empire and its effects on architecture. Her research questions consider the social and political influences on architecture, as well as the influence of Empire on Scottish town planning. She received her B.A. in Museum Studies/Art History from Juniata College in 2017, before working as a School Programs Educator for The Phillips Collection in Washington, DC. Amy received her M.A. in Art History from Penn State University in 2022 with her thesis titled, “The Palette, the Patron, and the Hand of the Artist: Artemisia Gentileschi in London.” During her time at Penn State, Amy has worked with the Palmer Museum of Art, the Matson Museum of Anthropology, and as a research fellow in the Center for Virtual/Material Studies.

Annalise Palmer Degree: PhD in Art History Research Focus: Modern and Contemporary art, specifically with movement and performance-based work Academic Adviser: Sarah Rich [email protected] | CV | LinkedIn

Annalise is a first year PhD student whose background in dance heavily influences her research. She hopes to expand upon her previous work and explore the prevalence of choreographic artworks over the past century. Annalise graduated in 2024 with a MA in Art History from Penn State and in 2020 from Centre College with a BA in Art History. During that time, she worked as a Research Assistant within Centre’s Art History Department and as an Intern for Manifest Gallery and the Contemporary Arts Center (CAC) in Cincinnati, Ohio. After graduation, Annalise returned to the CAC as a Cataloging Intern and collaborated with the Robert O’Neal Multicultural Arts Center to catalog the work of local artist and activist, Robert O’Neal. Following this project, she worked as a Teaching and Gallery Assistant with Centre College. Currently, Annalise works as a Teaching Assistant for Penn State.

Clio Rom Degree: PhD in Art History Research Focus: Dissertation title: TBD Academic Adviser: James Harper

Alicia Skeath Degree: PhD in Art History Research Focus: Dissertation title: On the Other Side: Representations of the Ojibwe from the Early to Mid-Nineteenth Century Academic Adviser: Adam Thomas

Kenta Tokushige Degree: PhD in Art History Research Focus: Sixteenth-century Italian Military Architecture Dissertation title: Being a Military Architect: Building Fortifications in Cosimo I de’ Medici’s Realm Academic Adviser: Robin Thomas [email protected]

Kenta Tokushige is a Ph.D. candidate in Art History at The Pennsylvania State University. His dissertation entitled, Being a ‘Military Architect’: Building Fortifications in Cosimo I de’ Medici’s Realm, studies the geopolitical role of fortification building under Cosimo I de’ Medici in the Grand Duchy of Tuscany in the latter half of the Cinquecento by looking at the design process of a fortification as a collaborative project by people of various social status and the way it was represented in multiple forms of art upon its completion. His research traces the correspondence between the patrons, local governors, and architects regarding the decision-making process and examines the intentions of each individual. Additionally, he is exploring the representation and the circulation of information after the completion of the fortification in relation to the espionage of military information.

His research has been supported by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation and the Susan W. and Thomas A. Schwartz Endowed Fellowship for Dissertation Research.

He completed his B.Arch. and M.A. in Architecture at Waseda University and Master of Architectural History at University of Virginia.

Holli Turner Degree: PhD in Art History Research Focus: Art of Early Modern Southern Europe and Colonial Latin America, the materials and materiality of art, technical art history, theories and practices of conservation, race, and representation in art, decolonial practices in art history Dissertation title: TBD Academic Adviser: Daniel Zolli [email protected]

Holli M. Turner is a doctoral student specializing in early modern art, with a focus on the art of Italy, Spain, and the Americas. Her dissertation will examine the colonial implications of color – broadly understood – in the Venetian artist Titian’s paintings for the Spanish monarchy. This project knits together several core concerns of her work: the materials and materiality of art; the representation of race and ethnicity in art; and the interpretive importance of invisible labor, and laborers, to art’s history. In Summer 2021, Holli is serving as the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Research Fellow in Penn State’s Art History department, where she is developing a digital humanities project that tracks Titian’s pigments and their origins.

Holli is a Virginia native that was trained in art history and graphic design before embarking on doctoral study. Her research interests also stem from her own artistry. In her spare time, she paints, illustrates, and creates works through traditional and digital media.

Guides and Resources

• Art History Graduate Handbook

Alumni Success

95 percent of those who earned their Ph.D. since the year 2000 are employed in art history or a related field.

• Of these, 71 percent are teaching at the college level.
• The other 29 percent hold such positions as museum curator or lead historian at a historic center.
• Of those teaching at the college level, 67 percent hold tenure-track or tenured positions.

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UCLA Graduate Programs

Graduate Program: Art History

UCLA's Graduate Program in Art History offers the following degree(s):

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Masters available on Doctoral track

• Admission Requirements
• Program Statistics

With questions not answered here or on the program’s site (above), please contact the program directly.

Art History Graduate Program at UCLA 100 Dodd Hall Box 951417 Los Angeles, CA 90095-1417

Visit the Art History’s faculty roster

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

Visit the registrar's site for the Art History’s course descriptions

(310) 825-3992

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MAJOR CODE: ART HISTORY

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• Francesca Aimi: Domenico Veneziano in Context: Reassessing Florentine Visual Culture in the 1440s
• Anneke de Bont: The Christian Epistemic Image in Northern European Print, c.1570–c.1700
• Helen Bremm: Surrealist Tempera Paintings in Mexico and the United States, c.1940–1970
• Quaid Childers: Rococo Metalwork and Light
• Blanche Darbord: Model King or Tyrant?: Alexander the Great in Manuscript Illumination and the Representation of Kingship in Plantagenet England (1154-1485)
• Sommer Hallquist: From Fear of Hell to Love of Christ: The Monastic Devotional Use of MS K.21 in the Library of St. John’s College, Cambridge
• Ciaran Hervás: Sexology and the Avant-Garde: Photographing Queer Embodiment and Desire in Interwar Paris and Berlin
• Alexander Kusztyk: Representations of Marble in Art from 1901 to 2023
• Philip Muijtjens: ‘See and Understand’: Funerary Monuments, Vision, and Memory in Italy, ca.1300-1530
• Ane Cornelia Pade: The Parisian Pleasure Gardens 1795-1815: Architectural appropriation and social negotiation in early postrevolutionary Paris
• Kyoko Takemura: Re-evaluation of punch marks on early Italian paintings
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PhD in History of Art

The PhD in History of Art is a three year research degree offering the opportunity for independent research under the supervision of an expert departmental member of staff. The Department of History of Art has expertise and welcomes candidates in many areas of history of art and architectural research, but is unable to offer places to candidates for whom no supervisor is available.  Applicants are admitted who meet the course requirements and whose research interests match those of an available established University Teaching Officer. The Department does not offer a taught PhD programme, unlike, for example, many North American Universities.

As well as the research and skills training programme offered by the Department, candidates have the opportunity to attend appropriate courses in associated skills, such as modern languages, palaeography, the use of bibliographic and other databases, and computer skills.

Course Structure & Examination

The PhD in History of Art is a three year programme which commences in October each year.  It is also available on a five year part-time basis.  Students submit their dissertations of not more than 80,000 words (60,000 words for the MSc degree) at the end of their third full-time year (or part-time equivalent) and will be invited to attend an oral examination which will usually take place during the three months following the submission of the dissertation .  The dissertation and the general field of knowledge within which it falls is orally examined by two examiners.  At least one of the examiners will be external to the University.

The programme involves minimal formal teaching. Students will usually have their supervisors confirmed before they have begun their course in October and will typically meet for 45 minutes on a fortnightly basis during term time.  A bespoke programme is evolved by the student in conjunction with their supervisor and will include attendance at the Department’s programme of research seminars and other relevant graduate courses. Attending lectures is optional but students are strongly encouraged to take advantage of lectures offered in the Department, their college and other departments and faculties relevant to their research topics.

As well as the research and skills training programme offered by the Department, students have the opportunity to develop their research skills by attending numerous courses, such as those related to the use of bibliographic resources and other databases, and specific computer skills. Informal opportunities to develop research skills also exist through mentoring undergraduate students and other opportunities presented by fellow students and members of staff.

Students will be provided with feedback via supervisions and their supervisor's termly reports which are available to them via their self-service pages on CamSIS.

Annual Review of Work

Students undertake an annual review of their work throughout their programme which is realised in different ways;  for example, the production of a report or undertaking a presentation. The purpose of the reviews is to ensure that students are on track to submit a successful dissertation by the submission deadline. The first review also serves as a registration exercise, for which students have to submit a report of 10,000 words which is orally assessed by two assessors. The purpose of this exercise is to determine whether the student is suited to the demands of PhD research and to address any concerns if there are any. 

Examination

Students submit a dissertation, of not more than 80,000 words (60,000 words for the MSc degree) . The dissertation and the general field of knowledge within which it falls is orally examined by two examiners. At least one of the examiners will be external to the University.

At a Glance

Course length and dates:

3 years full-time/5 years part-time, October start.

Examination:

A dissertation, of not more than 80,000 words. 

Academic requirement:

A 1st class or a high 2i honours degree and a Masters degree with distinction (if a distinction category exists) in History of Art or a related discipline. 

English language requirement:

See Postgraduate Admissions Office . 

Applications accepted from:

The preceding September.

Application Deadlines:

The final deadline for applicants seeking funding is early January, for the exact date, please see the Postgraduate Admissions website. Even if you are not seeking funding, we strongly recommend that you submit your application by this date, as no applications will be accepted once this competitive and popular programme is full.

If places are still available on programmes beyond this deadline; self-funded applicants will continue to be considered until the final deadline in May, for the exact date please see the Postgraduate Admissions website No applications will be considered after this deadline.

The Secretary The Department of History of Art 1-5 Scroope Terrace Cambridge CB2 1PX Tel: 01223 332975 Fax: 01223 332960

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Department of Art History

All art history doctoral students are awarded a funding package as well as additional departmental resources to support them in their scholarly, pedagogical, and curatorial training. 

Funding Package

Doctoral students in art history receive an annual stipend as well as full tuition and health insurance coverage. Please see the  Humanities Division website  for more information on funding packages. 

Departmental Discretionary Research and Travel Funds

Each student in the program receives research and travel funds, $5,000 for pre-dissertation travel and other research expenses and $10,000 for post-ABD travel and other research expenses. Students may use these funds for any research-related expenses, including travel expenses such as airfare, lodging, and food; to visit museums, collections, archives, special exhibitions, and sites; museum entrance fees; language study; art-making classes; professional organization memberships; conference registration fees and conference-related travel; copies or scans of images for research; and image permissions or other publication fees.

Additional Funding Sources

The Department of Art History also competitively awards many internally  endowed fellowships  to support students’ language study, dissertation research, and other research expenses. Students enrolled in our program  regularly win  additional internal and  external fellowships  to enhance funding for dissertation research and writing beyond the Divisional funding package.

The Department of Art History

The Department of Art History offers B.A. and Ph.D. degrees in Art History and a wide range of courses in European, American, and Asian art history with additional strengths in architectural history and film and media studies.

How to Apply

Applications for fall 2025 are now open. The deadline is January 1, 2025. Application link: http://gradapply.rice.edu/

Please read the information on this page very carefully. Information about fee waivers is in the Frequently Asked Questions section.

Program Eligibility

Candidates who hold a Bachelor’s degree, or who will complete a Bachelor’s degree by the start of the admission term, are eligible to apply. Many, but not all, of our applicants also have a Master’s degree in Art History or a related field. Please note that program requirements are identical for those entering with Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. Applicants with previous degrees in majors other than Art History are eligible to apply, although a substantial background in art history/visual studies is recommended.

In general, applicants should have a 3.0 (B) grade point average, or the equivalent, in their undergraduate work.

Application Requirements

The following materials must be submitted by the application deadline to be considered for admission:

• Plan of Study: Briefly describe your intended area of study, including a particular subdivision of the major field in which you wish to specialize and specific faculty members with whom you hope to work. While we do not have a restriction on page limit, please keep in mind that the admissions committee will be reviewing a large number of applications.
• Statement of Purpose: Please upload a statement that concisely and accurately describes your philosophical interests, motivations, and aspirations. Please include any discussion on scholarly research, writing, or similar research you have done or are currently pursuing. The statement should briefly discuss reasons for applying to the department specifically, such as interest in a particular faculty member’s work. While we do not have a restriction on page limit, please keep in mind that the admissions committee will be reviewing a large number of applications.
• Research & Publications: list any articles, publications, or creative work.
• Curriculum Vitae (CV): A CV should include a comprehensive chronological listing of your professional achievements including academic credentials and employment. Please include the title of any publications or research projects
• Three (3) letters of recommendation: you will be asked to list their name, organization, title, relationship, and email address. Rice uses an online recommendation service (Interfolio). Recommenders named in the application form will be sent an automated email requesting that they complete an online evaluation and upload the letter of recommendation. We advise applicants to ensure recommenders know to expect this email and to give them sufficient time to complete this task before the application deadline. Letters of recommendation should be from individuals best qualified to testify to the applicant’s capacity for graduate work in Art History. Academic references representing the applicant’s major field are preferred. If this is not possible, individuals who can comment on qualities relevant to the applicant’s academic goals and research will be accepted.
• Writing Sample (15-25 pages): any research paper from your undergraduate or masters program or another work that reflects your critical thinking
• Transcripts from each college attended. Applicants will upload unofficial transcripts and supporting documents to the online application system. Hard copies of official transcripts are not required to apply. If admitted, applicants will be required to send official transcripts to complete the admissions process.

Once a completed application is submitted, the applicant will be able to pay the application fee and monitor the status of their application on the Application Status page.

Application information and supporting documents cannot be edited after final submission. However, applicants are able to upload updated versions of their CV and unofficial transcripts via the Application Status page.

Incomplete applications will not be considered for admission.

Prospective students applying to the Museum Professionals Program should contact the Department of Art History Graduate Program Administrator at least one month before application deadline.

Please note that the GRE is not required.

For more information about Rice University's graduate program qualifications, visit Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies

Frequently Asked Questions:

1.) Is the GRE required? The GRE is not required to apply to the Ph.D. program in the Department of Art History.

2.) Do you offer a fee waiver? Rice University's Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies will offer doctoral application fee waivers for the Fall 2025 admission term to all eligible domestic and international students. This waiver will be available for students worldwide to request at the link here from Oct. 14 - Nov. 1, 2024, or until all available waivers have been issued.

Rice University will automatically waive application fees for doctoral applicants who are graduates of institutions in Texas and bordering states Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma and New Mexico or who have a permanent address in these states. Learn more: https://graduate.rice.edu/admissions/application-faq

3.) What if I do not have all my materials ready by the application deadline? To be considered for admission, you must submit all application materials through the online application by the deadline. Late applications will not be considered.

4.) I'm an international applicant, do I have to submit proof of English proficiency? Applicants who are foreign nationals and those whose native language is not English must provide evidence of English proficiency. This can be shown by any of the following:

• Proof of degree from an accredited U.S. high school, college, or university.
• At least a 90 on the iBT TOEFL or iBT Home Edition.
• At least 7 on the IELTS.
• At least 115 on the Duolingo test of English proficiency.
• Proof of completion (or expected completion) of a post-secondary degree from an institution where the official language of instruction is in English (for a list of countries, please visit https://graduate.rice.edu/admissions/language-proficiency-requirements ).

For more information, please visit: https://graduate.rice.edu/admissions/language-proficiency-requirements

5.) When will I be notified about the admissions decision? Candidates will be notified of admissions decisions in early March; communications will be sent to the email address provided by the candidate on the application form.

Other frequent inquiries:

• Applications are for the Ph.D. program only; the Department of Art History does not accept students seeking a terminal Master’s degree.
• Applications are accepted annually for Fall matriculation only; there is no Spring matriculation.
• The PhD program in Art History is a full-time, funded program and does not offer online or distance courses.

Questions about the graduate program may be directed to Humanities Graduate Admissions: [email protected].

Application Process

Considering applying to Rice University's PhD in Art History? Please pay particular attention to the following application instructions and frequent inquiries below, as well as the program eligibility and application requirements listed in the sections below. Inquiries regarding the application process should be directed to Humanities Graduate Admissions: [email protected] .

Applications for Fall 2020 are now closed.

Candidates will be notified of admissions decisions in early February; communications will be sent to the email address provided by the candidate on the application form.

-Hard copies of official transcripts are not required to apply. Applicants should upload unofficial transcripts and supporting documents to the online application system.

-If admitted, applicants will be required to send official transcripts to complete the admissions process.

-Once a completed application is submitted, the applicant will be able to pay the application fee and monitor the status of their application on the Application Status page.

-Application information and supporting documents cannot be edited after final submission. However, applicants are able to upload updated version of their CV and unofficial transcripts via the Application Status page.

-All application materials, including official test scores and three letters of recommendation, must be received by the deadline to be considered for admission. Incomplete applications will not be considered for admission.

-Applications are for the PhD program only; the Department of Art History does not accept students seeking a terminal Master’s degree.

-Applications are accepted annually for Fall matriculation only; there is no Spring matriculation.

-The PhD program in Art History does not offer online or distance courses.

-In general, applicants should have a 3.0 (B) grade point average, or the equivalent, in their undergraduate work.

-There are no minimum requirements for GRE scores. (Due to circumstances related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the GRE requirement is waived for Fall 2021 applicants.)

-The Department of Art History does not interview prospective students by request. Applicants are welcome to contact the Director of Graduate Studies to discuss research interests.

All of the following materials must be submitted by the application deadline to be considered for admission:

Applications for Fall 2020 are now CLOSED at https://gradadmissions.rice.edu/apply/ .

Applicants will be prompted to pay an $85 non-refundable application fee once the application is submitted.

Unofficial transcripts from previous colleges and universities. The department will review unofficial transcripts during the admissions process; official transcripts will be required after acceptance into the graduate program.

GRE (Graduate Record Exam): School Code: 6609, any department code accepted. Scores from the general test only should be sent directly from the Educational Testing Service (ETS); scores must not be more than five years old. GRE scores are required regardless of educational background or previous degrees attained. (Due to circumstances related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the GRE requirement is waived for Fall 2021 applicants.)

ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY (International applicants only): TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) scores should be sent directly from ETS to Rice (School Code: 6609); scores must not be more than two years old. Please see the following page for additional information regarding IELTS and waiver options: https://graduate.rice.edu/qualifications .

A CV, which includes a comprehensive listing of professional history including employment, academic credentials, publications, and contribution or significant achievements.

A statement describing the applicant’s educational objectives and intended area of study, as well as any research projects or independent research which influenced the applicant’s desire to pursue graduate studies. Statements should be no longer than two double-spaced pages.

A research paper, preferably on the applicant’s area of interest, and 15-25 double-spaced pages in length.

Three letters of recommendation addressing the applicant’s personal and scholastic qualities are required, preferably from professors in the applicant’s major field. Once recommenders name and contact information is provided in the application form, automated emails requesting that recommenders complete an online evaluation and upload the letter of recommendation will be sent. We advise applicants to make sure recommenders know to expect this email and to give them sufficient time to complete this task ahead of the application deadline.

Inquiries regarding the application process should be directed to Humanities Graduate Admissions: [email protected] .

Fully Funded PhD Programs in Art History

As part of my series on  How to Fully Fund Your PhD , I provide a list of universities that offer fully funded PhD programs in Art History. Through a PhD in Art History, you could work as an Art Director, Writers and Author, Postsecondary Art Teacher, curator, and many more.

Fully funded PhD programs provide a funding package for full-time students that includes full tuition remission and an annual stipend or salary for the three to the six-year duration of the student’s doctoral studies. Funding is typically offered in exchange for graduate teaching and research work that is complementary to your studies. Not all universities provide full funding to their doctoral students, which is why I recommend researching the financial aid offerings of all the potential Ph.D. programs in your academic field, including small and lesser-known schools both in the U.S. and abroad.

You can also find several external fellowships in the  ProFellow Database  for graduate and doctoral study, as well as dissertation research, fieldwork, language study, and summer work experience.

Would you like to receive the full list of more than 1000+ fully funded programs in 60 disciplines? Get your copy of our FREE Directory of Fully Funded Graduate Programs and Full Funding Awards !

PhD Programs in Art History Offering Full Funding

University of california, los angeles.

(Los Angeles, CA): The UCLA Department of Art History offers four and five-year funding packages to selected incoming students that consist of a combination of fellowships and Teaching Assistantships (currently $28,000 per year plus registration fees/tuition).

The University of Chicago

(Chicago, IL): The annual stipend for art history Ph.D. students is $32,000 over 12 months. Students also receive full tuition and health insurance premium coverage. Funding is granted to students in good academic standing for the duration of the program. Art history Ph.D. students typically serve as teaching assistants. Research and conference travel grants are available at various stages.

Columbia University

(New York, NY): All admitted students receive full funding, including tuition and stipend. Standard fellowships are for five years and involve teaching or other types of department service during at least three of the five years. Students are very often successful in obtaining further support from competitive fellowships offered by Columbia and other competitions.

Florida State University

(Tallahassee, FL): Doctoral applicants are automatically considered for teaching assistantships with full tuition waivers for a minimum of three years. Applicants may also be nominated by the department for prestigious University fellowships offered each year to a select number of incoming graduate students with outstanding scholastic records.

The Graduate Center, CUNY

(New York, NY): Nine students are admitted per year to the Ph.D. Program in Art History. Of these, seven will be awarded Graduate Center Fellowships (GCFs) and two will be awarded tuition-only Fellowships. The GCFs are a five-year package of $26,128 per year (including healthcare).

University of Minnesota

(Minneapolis, MN): All accepted students are guaranteed five years of funding through a combination of teaching assistantships, research assistantships, and fellowships. Assistantships provide an annual stipend, a full-tuition scholarship, and health insurance. Students who win external fellowships are allowed to save a year of their UMN funding for a sixth year.

Northwestern University

(Evanston, IL): The Graduate Program in Art History offers a full-time Ph.D. and the Department provides its Ph.D. students with full financial aid for five years as well as travel grants for conference presentations and archival research.

The University of Texas at Austin

(Austin, Texas): The faculty’s goal is to support all admitted Ph.D. students with a combination of Teaching Assistantships, Assistant Instructor positions, Graduate Research Assistant positions, and scholarship funds so they can earn their degree with as little outside cost as possible.

Tulane University

(New Orleans, LA): Students in the Ph.D. program are fully funded. The student may wish to seek additional funding from other sources to support graduate study, research travel, and hosting visiting lecturers.

Washington University in St.Louis

(Saint Louis, MO): Students accepted into the Ph.D. program who remain in good standing are guaranteed six years of full funding in the form of University Fellowships, with an annual stipend of $28,152 (2021-22) and full tuition remission. Advanced Ph.D. students may also offer summer courses through University College to gain valuable independent teaching experience.

Need some tips for the application process? See my article  How To Get Into a Fully Funded PhD Program: Contacting Potential PhD Advisors .

Also, sign up to discover and bookmark more than 1900 professional and academic fellowships in the  ProFellow database .

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Related Posts:

• Fully Funded PhD Programs in History
• Fully Funded Master's Programs in History
• Fully Funded PhD Programs in School Psychology
• Fully Funded PhDs in Teaching English as a Second Language
• Fully Funded PhD Programs in Mathematics

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History (phd).

The Catholic University of America's History Ph.D. program offers a comprehensive education designed to develop advanced research skills and deep historical knowledge. Students engage in extensive coursework, seminars, and original research, culminating in a dissertation that contributes to the field of history. The program covers diverse historical periods and regions, supported by expert faculty and access to rich archival resources in Washington, D.C. Graduates are well-prepared for careers in academia, research, public history, and other fields requiring strong analytical and scholarly abilities. Join us to advance your expertise and make significant contributions to historical scholarship.

The Doctorate of Philosophy History program is a 54-credit-hour plus dissertation degree program.

The Ph.D. requirements include

• a minimum of 54 credit-hours of coursework, or 18 courses (up to 24 graduate-level credit-hours may be transferred from another university)
• of these courses one must be History 601 (Historical Analysis and Methodology), four must be research seminars (800-level courses or History 793, Directed Research), and the remainder are colloquia or readings courses
• proficiency in two foreign languages (except for students in medieval history, who must demonstrate proficiency in three foreign languages, of which one must be Latin)
• a comprehensive examination lasting four hours per day on three consecutive days, after or near completion of coursework
• completion of a dissertation, including developing a formal proposal, research and writing, and an oral defense of the completed dissertation

Tuition Cost

$1,250 / credit hour

More information about this degree is available on the School website or by request from our Admissions team .