how long does a phd in art history take

PhD Degree Requirements

The doctoral degree (PhD) in Art History consists of 27 credit hours of core and elective coursework plus doctoral research, and normally takes four-five years to complete. Admission to the PhD program is open to students with an MA in art or architectural history and to exceptionally qualified candidates with a BA in art or architectural history or a closely related field.

Students admitted to the PhD program without an MA must complete a total of 48 credit hours. The course distribution requirements for the first two years are identical to those for the standalone MA program . Students in the PhD program do not write MA Theses.
Students admitted to the standalone MA or MA/MSLS-MSIS programs who wish to continue to the PhD and have the support of a potential advisor must submit a full application to the PhD program via the Slate system in the semester before the conferral of their master’s degree(s).
Students admitted to the PhD track without an MA may change their degree intent to the standalone MA program in their third or fourth semester at the urging of their advisor and the DGS. In these cases they will complete a formal MA thesis, which will mark the culmination of their study in the department.

Course Work (for students entering without an MA)

6 credit hours in courses designed to prepare them for professional work in art history: A required Writing Seminar (ARTH 991) and a Professional Development Course that is strongly recommended. The Writing Seminar will be devoted to structuring an argument, assessing primary and secondary sources, and conducting a sustained writing exercise. The goal of the Writing Seminar is to prepare for writing their dissertation prospectus, which will be completed in the spring following the semester for which they are enrolled in 991. The Professional Development Course will be offered in spring semesters and will address, among other topics: grant writing; submitting articles for publication; copyright and permissions; conference presentations; writing a CV; etc.
42 credit hours of courses in content areas, for a total of 48 credit hours when combined with Methods and the Writing Seminar. At least eight of the courses (24 credit hours) should be graduate seminars (700 level or above); up to four of the courses may be taken in relevant content areas outside the department (see below for addition of an External Minor).
6 hours in advanced seminars (900 level) in the major field
3 hours in a course related to the secondary exam field (400 level or above or a directed reading course at 700 level with the examiner)
3 hours in a course related to the methodological exam field (400 level or above or a directed reading course at 700 level with the examiner)
6 hours in other seminars (700-900 level)
Completing Ph.D qualifying exams and prospectus defenses in the spring semester of the third year of graduate study. This should prepare PhD candidates to apply for travel and research grants in the following fall of the fourth year of study.

Coursework for students in the PhD track, then, could include:

YEAR 1 Semester 1 Methods Course Seminar Seminar or Content Course (refers to courses at the 400-600 level)

Semester 2 Seminar Seminar Seminar or Content Course

YEAR 2 Semester 3 Seminar Seminar Seminar or Content Course

Semester 4 Seminar Seminar Seminar or Content Course

YEAR 3 Semester 5 Writing Seminar Seminar Seminar or Content Course

Semester 6 Professional Development Course (strongly recommended) or Content Course 994 Exams/Prospectus Defense

Course Work (for students entering with an MA in Art History or closely related field)

27 hours (9 courses) plus at minimum 9 hours of doctoral research credit hours
Methods Course and Writing Seminar optional, may be recommended depending on student’s previous work
12 hours (4 courses) required as seminars (700 level or above)
6 hours (2 courses) allowed outside department courses (see below for addition of an External Minor)
3 hours in a course related to secondary exam field (400 level or above or a directed reading course at 700 level with the examiner)
3 hours in a course related to methodological exam field (400 level or above or a directed reading course at 700 level with the examiner)
6 hours in seminars (700-900 level)

Coursework for students in the PhD track who enter with the MA could include:

YEAR 1 Semester 1 Methods Course or Seminar Seminar Seminar or Content Course (refers to courses at the 400-600 level)

Semester 2 Seminar Seminar Content Course

YEAR 2 Semester 3 Writing Seminar Seminar Content Course

Semester 4 (and beyond) Professional Development Course (strongly recommended) or Content Course 994 Exams/Prospectus defense

External Minor

PhD students may choose to complete a formal External Minor, which consists of at least three (but may be as many as five) additional courses in a field related to her/his area of specialized study (such as, communication studies, women’s studies, history, or medieval studies). The student must secure prior approval of the minor department, and a copy of the proposed courses to be taken must be signed by both departments and entered in the student’s permanent record in the Department of Art and the UNC-Chapel Hill Graduate School.

Language Requirement

PhD students are required to demonstrate proficiency in 2 languages (other than English). The first language will be the language that fulfilled the M.A. language requirement. The second language should be appropriate to the area of study, and will be determined in consultation with the student’s advisor, the Director of Graduate Studies, and the graduate committee. Some fields require additional languages and students should study these languages as necessary. Competency in the second language will be determined following the same guidelines as those of the M.A. language requirement.

Preliminary Doctoral Exams

PhD students take both the written and the oral Preliminary Exams during the semester after the PhD course work is completed. Most PhD students will take the Preliminary Exams during the spring semester of their second year in the PhD program. Those students pursuing an External Minor will take the Preliminary Exams during the fall semester of their third year.

Written Exams. Students take the written exams over the course of a one-week period. Students who fail the written exams may repeat them only once. These exams are taken in three parts: first (major) area of study (six hours), second area of study (six hours), and methodological/thematic area of study (six hours).
Preliminary Oral Exam. An oral exam will take place within two weeks of the written exam. The oral will be on the content of the written exam and may also include a defense of the dissertation prospectus. The examining committee will consist of at least three members who must be full-time active graduate faculty or adjunct teaching faculty in art history.
Dissertation Prospectus . Ph.D. students defend their dissertation prospectus orally. If the dissertation prospectus is not defended in the oral exam, this defense should take place within four months of the written exams. At least two weeks before the prospectus defense, the student submits a dissertation prospectus to his or her dissertation committee, which should consist of five faculty members, three of whom must be permanent members of the UNC-CH art history faculty.

Guidelines for the PhD exams and prospectus can be found here .

Dissertation and Final Oral Exam

After passing the preliminary doctoral exams, the student begins work on the dissertation. Once the dissertation is completed and approved by the advisor and dissertation committee, the student defends the finished dissertation. Doctoral students have eight calendar years from the date of first registration in the PhD Graduate School to complete the PhD. For doctoral students, there is a minimum residence credit requirement of four semesters, and at least two semesters must be earned through continuous full-time registration on the UNC-Chapel Hill campus.

Program details, including a sample timetable for progress through the degree, can be found here .

For further information, the applicant should write to the director of graduate studies for art history.

FINAL DEFENSE & SUBMISSION: IMPORTANT DATES

The precise deadlines are set every year, and can be found on the Graduate School’s ‘Graduation Deadlines’ page here .

Mid-February: Deadline to apply to graduate in ConnectCarolina

March – Last month in which to schedule the defense. The oral defense must be scheduled no later than 2 weeks prior to the mid-April final submission deadline

Mid- April – deadline, final submission of electronic doctoral dissertations and master’s theses

May (generally 2 nd weekend) Doctoral Hooding Ceremony University Commencement Ceremony Degree Award Date for May graduates

Department of Art History

The PhD Program in Art History at the University of Chicago offers multifaceted art historical training including object-driven teaching and research, robust language offerings , and opportunities for extensive coursework in other disciplines across the Humanities Division , the Social Sciences Division , and the Divinity School , among others. Graduate students benefit from vibrant partnerships with world-class art institutions in Chicago, both on and off campus, including the programs of the Chicago Object Study Initiative.

The University of Chicago is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive campus that enables individuals of all backgrounds to thrive. As an extension to the University’s commitment, the Department of Art History is engaged in initiatives to diversify its faculty, students, and the academic and curatorial professions at large.

Applications

Applications to the Art History PhD program must be submitted through the Humanities Division Admissions website , which provides detailed instructions including the specific, annual mid-December deadline for admission the following fall quarter. We cannot consider late applications. Questions about admissions should be directed to the Office of Admissions of the Division of the Humanities .

The department does not offer a terminal MA degree, but the University of Chicago does offer a Masters Program in the Humanities ( MAPH ), in which students can choose to concentrate in art history and/or pursue a Curatorial Option .

Select students may pursue joint PhD degrees with art history and another department or program. Please refer to the graduate program page for additional details.

The written parts of the application generally have much greater weight when it comes to making admissions decisions. We do not currently require GRE scores.

All applicants for whom English is not a primary language may be required to submit current scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Current scores are no more than two years old at the time of application submission. A complete description of the English proficiency policy may be found at this website , and questions about the English proficiency requirement should be directed to [email protected] . The minimum required TOEFL score is 100, with 25 on each subsection. The minimum IELTS is 7.0, with 7.0 on each subsection.

Once an application is submitted, it will be forwarded to the Department of Art History. Each year the department has a limited number of slots for which we are able to offer admission; there are always far fewer slots than qualified applicants. In order to determine which applicants will be offered those slots, the art history faculty review applications in a series of committees. Building on these reviews, the full faculty decides upon a list of applicants to recommend to the Humanities Division for admission. Interest on the part of faculty most likely to advise the student certainly matters, but final admissions decisions are made by the department as a whole rather than by individual faculty. Formal notification of decisions comes from the Humanities Division.

For general questions about the graduate program that are not answered on the website, please contact the Director of Admissions in the Department of Art History . You may contact individual faculty members with specific questions but there is no expectation that you do so. To contact a current PhD student in a particular area of interest, please e-mail:

Alice Casalini , for Asian Art and Ancient Art
Minori Egashira , for Japanese Art and Modern and Contemporary Art
Rowanne Dean , for Medieval Art
Lex Ladge , for Ancient Art (Greek/Roman) and Architecture
Trevor Brandt , for Early Modern Art
Adriana Obiols Roca , for Latin American Art and Modern and Contemporary Art
Lucien Sun , for Chinese Art
Edward Johnson , for Architecture

Graduate Study at UChicago

For information about graduate study at the University of Chicago , the city of Chicago, and the neighborhood of Hyde Park, see the UChicagoGRAD pages for prospective students . We have also compiled a helpful list of resources related to collections , UChicago and the city on this website. All Undergraduate Admissions are handled by the College Admissions office .

Prospective or admitted graduate students may join a tour of campus. Tours are offered by the UChicagoGRAD office and led by current graduate students. Offered Monday through Friday, tours last approximately one hour. Walk-ins are welcome, but advanced registration is preferred. For additional questions or special accommodations, contact UChicagoGRAD . For additional information of interest to visitors, including lodging information, refer to the Visiting the University webpage.

For questions about the status of applications materials and other general questions about the admissions process, please contact the Office of Admissions of the Division of Humanities at [email protected] or 773-702-1552.

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.

Ph.D. Program

The Ph.D. program in art history and archaeology allows students to delve into advanced research in the discipline, develop expertise in undergraduate teaching and build connections with a broad range of professionals in the field.

Graduate Placement

Graduate Application

Students should consult the department's Ph.D. requirements, stipulated here, together with those of the Graduate School , outlined in the Graduate Handbook . For further information, contact D ana Persaud .

Program Requirements and Policies

Program requirements.

Requirements for the PhD degree include a minimum of 30 credit hours beyond the MA, divided between 18 hours of course work (6 courses, five of which are art history seminars; for students entering straight to the PhD program, one of these courses will be Methods) and 12 credit hours of dissertation research. Candidates form a committee, take a doctoral examination, draw up a project proposal, defend it, and produce a dissertation, which is defended in an oral examination.

Ph.D. Course Requirements

For students holding an M.A. degree (from the University of Maryland or elsewhere), the Ph.D. requires the successful completion of an additional 30 credit hours. This includes:

ARTH692: “Methods of Art History” (3 credits)
Five 600- and 700-level ARTH courses (15 credits)
ARTH899: “Dissertation Research” (12 credits)

Students that enter the graduate program without an M.A. will complete the requirements for that degree before advancing to the doctoral level. They will be required to successfully complete a total of 51 credit hours. This includes:

Fourteen 600- and 700-level ARTH courses (36 credits) *

For one of these courses at the PhD level (and one at the MA level, if applicable) students may substitute a class outside the department, an independent study (possibly done as an enhanced undergraduate course), an internship course, or a class at member institutions of the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area . (A similar arrangement may again be possible at Johns Hopkins University in the future.) Students meet with their advisors every semester to determine course selection.

ARTH696 may be taken for credit but cannot be counted as one of the required seminars at the PhD level.

*Art history is a global and transhistorical field, and graduate education at the University of Maryland is fittingly diverse. All students therefore must fulfill distribution requirements. If a student enters the Ph.D. program after earning an M.A. from another institution and has not already completed coursework reflective of these distributional requirements, he or she must satisfy these requirements at the Ph.D. level.

Effective spring 2024, students may receive course credit for professional paid or unpaid internships related to their degree, at the rate of one credit for each 45 hours worked during the semester (to a maximum of 3 credits). The internship course must be taken simultaneously with the internship, not before or after (no summer internships can be worked for credit). Credits are granted through ARHU786 or a similar ARTH course. Note that no credit will be given for internships worked at the University of Maryland, College Park or for the University of Maryland Museum Fellowship. Such courses are subject to approval by the student’s advisor and the Director of Graduate Studies. Note that any such internship course will count as the one non-standard course allowed for each graduate degree.

A minimum grade of "B-" is required for all courses approved for graduate credit. Two grades below "B-" result in dismissal from the program.

Foreign Language Requirements

All doctoral students are required to take examinations in two languages other than English necessary for research in their art-historical field. The student’s languages should be chosen in consultation with their advisor. New students should enter the program with an appropriate level of preparation. Those with native fluency in the necessary languages may petition to waive the exam using this form .

Entering students must take their first foreign language examination in the first semester, customarily scheduled by the department for the second or third week of September. If a student fails the examination, another opportunity to take it will be given toward the end of the second semester, and, if necessary, again in future semesters.

PhD students must take an exam in their second language by the end of the third year in the program (MA/PhD students) or by the end of the second year (PhD-only students). If a student fails the examination, another opportunity to take it will be given in the following semester, and, if necessary, again in future semesters. Students cannot advance to candidacy until the language requirement is fulfilled.

The language exam will consist of a passage of approximately 500 words which the student must translate into good English. The exam period is two hours; the student may use a published translation dictionary but no online resources. The passage will typically come from an exhibition catalogue entry, and the translation will be graded pass/fail for its ability to convey the meanings of the passage in good, fluid English that reflects a good understanding, free of major errors or significant omissions. Students preparing may ask the Coordinator of Graduate Studies for an example of a past exam. In the case of an unsuccessful attempt, the student will receive a brief written rationale for the result and advice for future study and exam attempts.

In languages for which the department cannot offer an exam, or for students who entered the program when coursework was permitted in lieu of the exam (prior to 2024), two years of college-level study or a one-semester translation course (completed with a passing grade) will be accepted in lieu of an exam.

The Graduate Examination Committee

The Examination Committee will comprise three members of the Graduate Faculty, including the student's advisor, who will serve as chair. Generally the examiners will be drawn from Department of Art History and Archaeology, but, if appropriate, one member of the committee may be drawn from another UMD department or from another institution. Composition of the committee will be determined by the advisor and the student and approved by the Director of Graduate Studies.

Students will be examined on a general field plus one or two sub-fields or minors (these may be specialized topics within the major or other topics outside it). The definition and scope of these fields will be determined by the student in consultation with their advisor. In order to promote cohesion in the PhD program, students must submit, no later than three months before the scheduled exam, a one-page rationale explaining the choice of topics to the Coordinator of Graduate Studies, for approval by the Curriculum Committee. (The committee must reply to the petition within two weeks of submission.) The advisor will lead the process of setting a reading list for the major field; generally the other members of the Examination Committee will work with the student to produce further reading lists. Topics will likely include key controversies, major monuments, historiography, primary sources, etc. All committee members must see and approve one another’s topics and lists.

The Doctoral Examination

The Ph.D. examination includes two parts: the written examination, set by the whole committee, and the oral examination. Both parts of the exam are graded pass/fail. The examination may be taken only during the fall or spring academic terms. Through spring 2024, students may consult their notes and books while answering the question (written exam only). Effective fall 2024, students are not permitted to consult any notes, books, or digital sources during either part of the exam. Students proceed to the oral exam only after passing the written portion. If either part of the examination is failed, the student may attempt it once more; a second failure of that part will require the student to withdraw from the Ph.D. program.

The written examination will consist of a four-hour time period in which the student responds to one or more questions agreed upon by the members of the committee. Committees may also decide to offer the student a choice of several questions. The responses will be sent to all members of the committee for their evaluation.

Upon successful completion of the written examination, the Examination Committee will administer a two-hour oral examination. Each member of the committee will be expected to ask questions for half an hour, followed by general discussion. The student can choose the order in which the examiners ask their questions. Each examiner will concentrate on the reading list they worked on with the student, although examiners in the sub-fields can always refer to the general list. Questions may be broad or quite specific to particular works of art.

Advancement to Candidacy

Once a student passes the qualifying exams, they may submit the Application for Advancement to Candidacy Form to the Graduate Office. Teaching assistants receive a step promotion and a small raise in stipend once they have advanced to candidacy. Upon advancing to candidacy, the student has four years to complete the dissertation; the Graduate School grants extensions only in extreme circumstances.

The Dissertation Proposal Defense

Within six months of successfully completing doctoral exams, the student will meet with their Dissertation Committee to review and discuss the dissertation proposal, its scope and significance. The membership of this committee may be composed of the same members as the Examination Committee or the membership may be adjusted before this meeting. Nevertheless, the Dissertation Committee at this stage should comprise at least three members, two of whom must be full-time permanent departmental faculty.

Students should be aware that the decision to supervise a dissertation rests with the individual faculty member, and that it is necessary to secure this consent before work on the dissertation proceeds. The proposal will usually be 15-25 pages of text followed by illustrations and should include, at minimum, the following:

A statement of the problem that will be investigated or the hypothesis that will be argued; an explanation of the value the dissertation would have for the field of art history.
A chapter-by-chapter breakdown of how the dissertation will be arranged, and what materials and issues will be covered in each chapter.
A statement of existing scholarship related to the thesis.
The primary and secondary sources to be consulted, as well as their location and availability.
A work plan (an outline of the projected research, including travel) and the methodology to be used.

Before the defense is scheduled, the student’s advisor must read and formally agree to support the proposal as provisionally presented. The defense will consist of constructive criticism of the proposal’s goals and arguments, and advice on how research can best be undertaken.

Satisfactory Progress

A student must make satisfactory progress in meeting program requirements, demonstrate the ability to succeed in his or her course of studies or research and attain performance minima specified by the graduate program in all or in particular courses, otherwise his or her enrollment will be terminated. All graduate students are required to submit an annual report on their progress to degree to the director of graduate studies.

The Doctoral Dissertation

A successful defense of a dissertation is the final requirement for the doctoral degree. The dissertation is prepared under the direction of the student’s advisor, but it is expected that the student will meet at least annually with each member of the Dissertation Committee. Students are also strongly encouraged to ask the Committee to meet with them at least once for a mid-dissertation consultation, after the first chapter or two have met the advisor’s provisional approval.

Dissertation Committee

The Dissertation Committee consists of four faculty members who advise the student on the writing of their dissertation. The membership of this committee may be composed of the same members as the Examination Committee or the membership may be adjusted before the final defense.

The Ph.D. student should consult with the director of graduate studies and their advising team concerning the selection of the final Dissertation Committee, which must be approved by the dean of the Graduate School. The advisor must submit to the director of graduate studies a list of all committee members at least four weeks before the final copy of the dissertation is distributed. Should a student wish to include a special member (a scholar with no official affiliation with the university) on the Dissertation Committee, the student must request a nomination from the director of graduate studies no later than four months before the proposed oral defense date.

Dissertation Defense

When the dissertation is nearing completion and the major advisor has approved moving on to this penultimate step, the Ph.D. candidate 1) submits to the Graduate School, at least six weeks before the defense date, a nomination of Thesis or Dissertation Committee form and 2) schedules the dissertation defense. Consisting of a minimum of five faculty members, this committee normally includes four faculty members in the department as well as a member of the university’s graduate faculty from outside the department who serves as the graduate dean's representative. All members of the Defense Committee appointed by the Graduate School must attend the defense. Should a student wish to include a special member (a scholar with no official affiliation with the university) on the Dissertation Committee, the student must request a nomination from the director of graduate studies no later than four months before the proposed oral defense date.

Students must submit the final draft of their dissertation to their committee at least four weeks before the defense date.

Students should discuss with their directors the format of the defense. Typically, the defense is a two-hour discussion of the dissertation. The defense usually begins with a statement from the student on the experience of writing the dissertation (key discoveries, important changes in critical perspectives, main contributions, etc.). Four of the five members of the Dissertation Defense Committee must approve the dissertation in order for the student to pass. Students are frequently asked to make revisions to the dissertation before submitting it to the Graduate School. Upon satisfactory completion of the oral defense and the electronic submission of the dissertation to, and its approval by, the Graduate School, the candidate is awarded the Ph.D.

Submission of the dissertation

The approved dissertation must be submitted electronically to the Graduate School by the deadlines posted in order for a student to graduate in a given semester. Information about all aspects of electronic submission of the dissertation is available on the Graduate School's Information for Current Students under Thesis and Dissertation Resources .

Completing the Ph.D. involves careful attention to deadlines imposed and paperwork required by the Graduate School .

Students are expected to complete their coursework and meet all foreign language requirements by no later than their fifth semester in the program. Please contact D ana Persaud , to schedule your language exam and confirm the acceptability of equivalences if you wish to forego an exam to meet your language requirement.

Students are expected to advance to candidacy by successfully passing their qualifying examination by their seventh semester in the program. Please contact D ana Persaud , to schedule your qualifying exam. Submit your form for candidacy advancement to the Graduate Office upon successful completion of your qualifying exam. Upon advancing to candidacy, students are expected to file a dissertation progress form with the Graduate Office each semester.

Students must file an approved dissertation prospectus with the Graduate Office no later than four months following the qualifying examination.

Specific deadlines for students intending to graduate will be announced on the ARTH graduate-student reflector and are also available from the Graduate School's Deadlines for Graduates. Most of the necessary paperwork for these deadlines can be found on the Graduate School's General Forms for Graduate Students.

Recent alumni are currently employed at both public and private research universities, as well as smaller liberal arts colleges. Students from the graduate program have also gone on to work at museums and galleries.

Dana Persaud

Coordinator, Art History and Archaeology

4219 Parren J. Mitchell Art - Sociology Building College Park MD, 20742

Joshua Shannon

Professor, Contemporary Art History & Theory, and Director of Graduate Studies, Art History and Archaeology

4204 Parren J. Mitchell Art-Sociology Building College Park MD, 20742

PhD Art History

Alexandria Brown-Hedjazi, graduate student in art and art history, studies in the Bowes Art & Architecture Library.

The doctoral program in the History of Art at Stanford is relatively small, affording graduate students the opportunity to work intensively with individual members of the faculty.

Program Overview

The Doctor of Philosophy degree is taken in a particular field, including Film & Media Studies, supported by a strong background in the general history of art. Doctoral candidates also undertake collateral studies in other graduate departments, or in one of the University's interdisciplinary programs. The Department of Art & Art History offers M.A. and Ph.D. degrees, although the Master of Arts in Art History is only available to doctoral students in Art and Art History, as a step toward fulfilling requirements for the Ph.D. The Department does not admit students who wish to work only toward the M.A. degree.

Size of the Program

The Department admits approximately 4 to 7 students each year to the Ph.D. program.

Time to Completion

The Ph.D. student's formal progress to degree is reviewed at the end of the second year (first year for those entering with an M.A.). By the end of the third year, a dissertation topic should be selected and a proposal written. After all course requirements are met and the proposal is approved, the student begins research and writing of the dissertation. The dissertation must be completed within five years from the date of the student's admission to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree.

Financial Aid

Art History Ph.D. students normally receive a financial support package covering five years of graduate study. Funding sources include departmental fellowships, teaching assistantships and research assistantships. Additional funding covers summer language study as well as summer research. Students manage an individual research and travel fund provided by the department. Advanced students are encouraged to apply for outside grants and fellowships as well as for assistantships and other professionally valuable opportunities at Stanford's Cantor Arts Center, Anderson Collection and elsewhere on campus. Information on language study grants, pre-doctoral grants, and funds for special research and travel connected with the writing of the dissertation may be obtained from the Student Services Manager. Additional information about graduate financial aid, including a student budget and tuition calculator, is available at financialaid.stanford.edu/grad .

More Information

PhD Admission Degree Requirements Knight-Hennessy Scholars

Graduate Admissions

The Department welcomes applications from candidates with a BA degree in art history or other related disciplines with demonstrated intellectual investment in the advanced study of art and its histories. We also welcome applications from those with a MA degree from UCLA or other institutions. Academic preparation and professional accomplishments should reflect capacity and/or potential for original academic research as well as strong interpretive and writing skills. Applicants are encouraged to become familiar with not only the faculty’s fields of teaching and research but also other departments and programs on campus that may be relevant to his or her future studies. In addition to the University-wide graduate admissions minimum requirements , applicants must show evidence of having taken and passed with a grade of B or better at least three courses (upper division and/or graduate) in the history of art or allied fields that address material culture.

The Department 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. The admissions 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.

In addition to the University-wide graduate admissions minimum requirements , applicants must show evidence of having taken and passed with a grade of B or better at least three courses (upper division and/or graduate) in the history of art or allied fields.

Application Process

Fall Quarter admission only; t he next deadline is November 30, 2024.

The UCLA Graduate Division utilizes an on-line application through Slate , with online letters of recommendation, statement of purpose, and the capacity for the upload of other documents. The Graduate Division application, including supporting material, will ONLY be accepted electronically. If you do not submit all materials online, you will not be considered for admission.

For questions regarding the admissions process, please contact the Student Affairs Officer, Madelyn Raesin-Bodden .

The UCLA Art History department is exercising caution with regard to novel coronavirus (COVID-19), and accordingly, our staff are working remotely for the time being. If you need academic counseling from our Student Affairs Officer, Madelyn Raesin-Bodden , we encourage you to email her during regular business hours, which are 9 am-12:30 pm, and 1:30pm-6pm Mondays through Fridays (excluding holidays). The SAO is also available for calls or virtual meetings (on Zoom) but kindly ask for you to email her beforehand to set up a time to talk during regular business hours. Thank you for your patience.

Click here to access the online application.

Application Checklist

Basic Information including your academic history and the program to which you wish to apply, as well as the $135 non-refundable application fee (for US citizens and permanent residents) or $155 for all other applicants.
Statement of Purpose of approximately 500 words
Personal Statement of approximately 500 words (serves as Diversity Statement for certain fellowships, such as the Cota-Robles)
Three Letters of Recommendation from those who can evaluate the applicant’s preparation and potential for academic success in a doctoral program. Letters to be uploaded/submitted by referee.
Writing Sample of two 10-15 page or one longer research paper, or MA thesis if applicable (or sample chapter if length is sufficient). Limit 30 pages; please note that the bibliography does not count towards the 30 page limit.
Transcripts , one from each institution attended, uploaded online, and may be unofficial transcripts . NOTE: An official copy of transcripts is only required if you are offered admission to our program. If you need to send in an official transcript, Transcript Request Forms are available to be printed and submitted to your college or university registrar(s). Official transcripts must be delivered in sealed envelopes by mail to the Department, either sent directly from the institution or mailed by the applicant.
Foreign Language Survey : Please fill out the Foreign Language Survey form using Adobe Acrobat Reader . Using other programs, such as Preview on Mac OS X, can cause your form data to be corrupted. Please upload the survey to your online application under the Supplemental Documents section.
GRE scores ( not older than 3 years/36 months to the month of the application deadline ): admissions due to complications surrounding COVID-19. GRE Scores must be sent directly from ETS. The institutional code for UCLA is R4837. Use 2301 (Art History) as the Department/Major Field Code. GRE score requirement has been WAIVED FOR FALL 2024.
TOEFL or IELTS scores ( required of international applicants only whose first language is not English). Official Score Reports can be ordered from ETS. The institution code for UCLA is 4837. The department code is 26.

Please send any non-electronic materials to: UCLA Art History Admissions Attention: Student Affairs Officer Dept. of Art History 405 Hilgard Avenue, 100 Dodd Hall Los Angeles, CA 90095-1417

Why pursue a PhD in Art History? The UCLA PhD program in Art History prepares students for careers as college-level teachers, writers, curators, and museum or art world professionals. It is designed to encourage interdisciplinary critical thinking and engagement with a variety of approaches to art history, and supports close interaction between students and faculty.

How do I apply? UCLA’s Graduate Division has launched a new online application process in recent years. Complete the Graduate Division’s online application, which can be accessed on their website, and upload supporting documents. Please consult the guideline provided above, “Application Process” and “Application Checklist,” for important details.

When are applications due? November 30th of each year.

How many students apply each year; how many are accepted? The UCLA Department of Art History is highly competitive. On average, 100 applicants apply each year. On average, we accept approximately 6-8 students each year.

What makes a strong application for graduate school? The Graduate Review Committee (GRC) values applications that reflect a serious engagement with art historical questions and problems, a focused intellectual direction, and a strong scholarly record. Preparatory training in foreign languages is also highly desirable.

What makes a strong Statement of Purpose? A strong statement of purpose is concise, clearly written, and provides a substantive account of the applicant’s intellectual and research interests as well as aspirational direction in Art History.

Do I have to identify which faculty I would like to work with in my application material? No.

What GPA do I need to be accepted? The Graduate Review Committee (GRC) expects a GPA of 3.5 or better. However, students are accepted on the basis of the entire admissions package and not on any one element.

Can I apply if I don’t have a BA in Art History? Yes. The minimum requirement to be considered for our graduate program is that you have taken 3 art history courses at the undergraduate or graduate level with a grade of B or better in each.

What if I haven’t taken the 3 Art History courses required for entry into the program? At the discretion of the Graduate Review Committee (GRC), applicants demonstrating exceptional promise who are short on the 3 required courses in art history could still be admitted to the program. In some cases, additional coursework in the field may be required upon admission.

Does the Department offer just the MA degree? No. The Department does not offer a terminal MA. The MA degree is awarded only as partial fulfillment of the requirements for the PhD and is granted with the successful completion of the first stage of the program.

If I already have a MA, can I apply directly to the PhD program? Yes. Students with a MA degree in art history or another discipline can apply for admission to the PhD program. The Graduate Review Committee (GRC) will determine the equivalency of the MA on an individual basis.

How long does the PhD program take to complete? The normative time to degree for the PhD is seven years from the term of admission. For students entering at the PhD level (i.e., with a MA in hand), the normative time to degree is five years from the term of admission.

Can my Letters of Recommendation be sent electronically? Yes, the three recommendation letters should be submitted online by your referees.

What should my GRE test scores be? GRE score requirement has been WAIVED FOR FALL 2024. admissions due to complications surrounding COVID-19. Although no minimum score has been established for admission, successful applicants in recent years have scored on average between 160-165 on verbal reasoning. GRE scores may not be older than 3 years/36 months to the month of the application deadline.

When should I take the GRE exam? Please consult the GRE website for details about where and when the test is administered. It takes approximately 4-6 weeks for the Department to receive your scores. The GRE score should not be older than three years at time of application.

What are the institution and department/major codes for the GRE exam? Institution code: 4837 Department/major code: 2301

Can my writing sample be a chapter of my thesis? In a language other than English? Yes to both.

Can prospective students arrange for a campus/department visit, including sitting in on a class? Yes. For campus visits, go to this Graduate Division link . To sit in on a class, you must obtain permission from the professor teaching the class. For contact information, go to Faculty and click on the names of individual professors.

What kind of funding is available? The Department makes every effort to support all incoming art history graduate students with multi-year funding packages. Additionally, there is Graduate Division funding , as well as funding from state, federal, and private sources. For more information about funding, subscribe to the Grad Fellowship List .

Where should additional application materials be sent? Non-electronic supplementary materials should be sent to:

UCLA Art History Admissions Attention: Student Affairs Officer Dept. of Art History 100 Dodd Hall Los Angeles, CA 90095-1417

Who should I contact if I have questions about admissions to the program? Madelyn Raesin-Bodden, Student Affairs Officer OR Professor Meredith Cohen, Director of Graduate Studies .

Art History PhD

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General Information

The PhD program in the Division of Art History prepares graduates for university-level teaching, curator positions at major museums, and independent research in the field. Before beginning work for the PhD, students should have completed a master's degree in art history. Requirements for the degree include 60 credits of coursework beyond the master's degree and research capability in at least two foreign languages.

Preparation

Applicants to the PhD program must have a master's degree in art history or a related field combined with course work in art history. Applicants need not have an undergraduate major in art history but should have a solid record of art history course work. In our program we define a “solid record” for our undergraduate majors as 55 quarter credits of art history classes distributed among major fields of study offered in our department. This figure should serve only as a general reference point, however; we do not expect all applicants to have exactly the same background and course distribution as our undergraduate majors. Studio art classes and work experience in art-related fields can enhance your application but, in most cases, will not substitute for a good background in art history course work.

Financial Support

Each year the Division of Art History offers two fully funded five-year PhD packages, which are typically comprised of a combination of fellowship support and teaching assistantships.

Information about other financial support opportunities can be found under Graduate Support .

More about the Art History PhD

Degree Requirements
Dissertation
Links to Graduate Showcase websites

Department of the History of Art

PhD Requirements

Hampton Court Palace, London, UK, 16th c., interior façade with a view of one of its clock towers; Nov 2018

Financial Support
Graduate Courses
Graduate Teaching and Museum Opportunities

In discussion with major and minor field advisers, 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 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 advisers 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.

Please see the Graduate Student Handbook for full details on all aspects of the above requirements.

The Archive

Department of the History of Art

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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.

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PhD in Art History

The PhD Program in Art History is designed to train highly qualified students in the knowledge, skills, and theoretical grounding specific to each student’s planned area of specialization.

Closeup of bookshelves in the Ricker Library of Art & Architecture

PhD Art History

The aim of the PhD Program is to produce effective researchers, thinkers, and writers whose scholarship, curatorial work, and critical writing will contribute to and help shape discussion of the visual arts both inside and beyond academia.

Students accepted into the PhD Program must hold a Master of Arts degree in Art History or a related field and have demonstrated competence in a foreign language. All doctoral degree students are required to pass departmental exams in two languages. Major and minor fields are selected from the following areas:

European Renaissance
European Baroque and Rococo (ca. 1600-1750)
European, ca. 1750-1900
Photography
20th century
Contemporary
Latin American (colonial/modern)
Late Imperial China
West Africa and Diaspora (precolonial, colonial and contemporary)

Upon competing the required course work, PhD students take written preliminary exams in their major and minor fields. After passing the preliminary exams doctoral students focus on writing the dissertation. The PhD dissertation is an original piece of research that demonstrates the student’s mastery of his or her topic and that makes a significant contribution to the scholarship in this field. Recently completed PhD dissertation topics include Ray Johnson’s mail art, Soviet photography, the role of imagery in constructing the medieval institution of the university, artistic patronage at the court of the English Queen Charlotte, and Etruscan temple terracottas.

Students in the doctoral program can compete for several internal grants that support dissertation research travel and travel to present papers at conferences. In addition, students are encouraged to apply for external grants. In recent years, doctoral students in the Art History Program have won the DAAD (Deutcher Akademischer Austausch Dienst) Fellowship, the Smithsonian American Art Pre-doctoral Fellowship, the Henry Luce Foundation ACLS Fellowship, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Fellowship, Newberry Library Fellowship, Smithsonian Institute Latino Studies Fellowship, Belgian American Educational Foundation, and multiple FLAS (Foreign Language and Area Studies) Fellowships.

Graduate students in art history can take advantage of many supplemental resources on campus. These include:

The University Library , the largest public university library in the U.S., includes many branch libraries in specific subjects such as History and Philosophy, Modern Languages, Education and Social Sciences.
The Ricker Library of Architecture and Art is a branch of the University Library, and its collection includes more than 120,000 books, 33,000 serials, and a wide selection of videos.
The Rare Book and Manuscript Library , also part of the University Library, includes original illustrated books and rare artists’ editions of books from the fifteenth through twentieth centuries.
The Krannert Art Museum has a permanent collection of over 8,000 works of art from all areas of the world and hosts an ongoing schedule of rotating exhibitions.
The Spurlock Museum is an ethnographic museum with a diverse array of functional and art objects that represent past and present cultures from around the globe.
Japan House is a center for the study of Japanese aesthetics and traditional arts. It offers classes on subjects including Japanese aesthetics, the Way of Tea, and ikebana.

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Art History

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UIC’s PhD program in Art History is an internationally recognized, interdisciplinary center for the study of art and architectural history, theory and criticism housed at a public research University situated in the dynamic city of Chicago. We offer a rigorous and innovative academic education in critical and analytic thinking, research, writing, and visual literacy. Students leave the program with the necessary skills to enter the academic job market or to work as professionals in an array of settings.
The program in Art History takes a global, interdisciplinary approach to research and education. Our faculty is committed to critical theory, historiographical inquiry and interdisciplinary work drawing from literary studies, political philosophy, anthropology, archaeology, and histories of technology and religion, and translation studies. Faculty work collaboratively with other academics and institutions around the world to investigate the local and intertwined visual cultures of the United States, the Ancient Americas, Europe, the Middle East and the Mediterranean, and West and South Asia. We are also invested in interrogating the changing place of art in a rapidly globalizing capitalist economy.
Cross-disciplinary work with UIC’s distinguished programs in languages and literature, philosophy, film studies, women’s studies, history, and the social sciences is strongly encouraged. A student may also opt for a more formal relationship with other departments through the Interdepartmental Concentrations in Gender and Women’s Studies and Violence Studies.
We also take advantage of the fact that we are located in Chicago, a city with world-renowned libraries, museums and institutions for art and architecture, including the Art Institute, Museum of Contemporary Art, Graham Foundation for Architecture, Chicago Architecture Foundation, Newberry Library, Field Museum, Renaissance Society, and UIC’s Gallery 400 and the Jane Addams Hull-House Museum. Our students have the opportunity to take classes from Northwestern University and the University of Chicago as part of their coursework, and to draw on faculty from other universities for their advisory committees.
Approximately four students are accepted each year to the PhD program with full funding for four years (tuition and stipend). These fellowships, dependent on students’ good academic standing, often involve teaching or other types of departmental service. Our students have also been successful in obtaining further support from various university fellowships and positions in Gallery 400 and the Hull-House Museum. The department also supports travel for research and archival work, and conference presentations.

Requirements for the Degree

General requirements.

In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, students must meet the following program requirements:

Minimum Semester Hours Required: 96 semester hours beyond the baccalaureate degree.
Foreign Language Requirements: Students must present evidence of advanced knowledge of a language other than English as it relates to the student’s chosen area of research. Evidence of the ability to pursue research in additional languages may be necessary, depending on the availability of literature in the field selected, and the selection of those languages must be approved by the student’s advisor.
Course Work: Candidates must complete at least 64 semester hours of course work beyond the master’s degree. Of this amount, 32 semester hours must be in graduate seminars, of which 16 semester hours must be taken in the department. At least 32 semester hours of credit beyond the MA degree must be at the 500-level. Of the 64 semester hours required beyond the master’s degree, a maximum of 24 semester hours of dissertation research are allowed.
Required Core Courses: AH 510 and 511. Students who have taken equivalent course work as part of an MA degree may petition the director of graduate studies for a waiver of specific requirements; no course credit is given for a waived course.
Grade Requirement: Because Art History is a competitive professional field, doctoral students are expected to earn As in their courses. Students should earn no more than one B during their tenure in the Art History PhD program at UIC, and no credit will be given for a course taken as part of the doctoral program in which the grade earned was less than a B. With the second B, or any grade below B, the student will be placed on departmental probation, requiring the student to demonstrate improvement by earning As during the next semester in which they take courses. The third B will be considered grounds for dismissal from the program, at the discretion of the faculty.
Students who have taken equivalent course work as part of an MA degree may petition the director of graduate studies for a waiver of specific requirements; no course credit is given for a waived course.
Preliminary Examination Required: written and oral, to be taken upon completion of the course work and satisfaction of the language requirement. The written examination will cover the student’s two areas of focus; the oral examination will be based on the written sections.
Dissertation Required: the dissertation will make a contribution to knowledge in art history and will be publicly defended before the scholarly community.
Semester Hours Required: The candidate must complete 96 semester hours beyond the baccalaureate degree, and 64 credits beyond the MA degree. Of this amount, 32 semester hours must be in graduate seminars, of which 16 semester hours must be taken in the department. At least 32 semester hours of credit beyond the MA degree must be at the 500-level. Of the 64 semester hours required beyond the master’s degree, a maximum of 24 semester hours of dissertation research is allowed.
Transfer Credit: Students may petition to receive credit for courses taken at other universities.
Required Core Courses: AH 510 and 511
Students may also pursue topics that cross both areas of focus or expand beyond them. Each student will select 16 hours from seminars AH 441, 460, 463, 464, 465, 470, 471, 513, 522, 530, 540, 550, 560, 561, 562, 563, 570, and directed readings courses in the area of focus, as approved by the director of graduate studies.
Students who have taken equivalent course work as part of an MA degree may petition the director of graduate studies for a waiver of specific requirements; no course credit is given for a waived course.
Dissertation Research: AH 599. Ph.D. Thesis Research. May be taken for 0–16 hours on pass/fail option only. Prerequisites: Consent of advisor and the DGS.

Language Requirement

Students must present evidence of advanced knowledge of a language other than English as it relates to the student’s chosen area of research. Evidence of the ability to pursue research in additional languages may be necessary, depending on the availability of literature in the field selected, and the selection of those languages must be approved by the student’s advisor or the DGS if the student does not have an advisor.
Selection of Language: Reading knowledge of a foreign language relevant to the student’s plan of study is required. The Director of Graduate Studies or faculty advisor will approve the selection of a language. French and German are the languages most frequently selected for those pursuing the degree, but the study of any language important to the student’s area of research interest willbe considered.
Receive a grade of B or better in a UIC foreign language reading course for graduate students (or its equivalent at another institution, with the approval of the DGS). These courses will not count toward the 36 credit hours required for the MA or PhD degree.
Pass a language exam administered by a language department at UIC. The department recommends that students take the language exam during their first year of graduate study. In case of failure, the student may repeat the examination until it is passed. The foreign language requirement must be satisfied before the student registers for thesis research.
A test administered by or through the Department of Art History of no more than two hours. The language test usually consists of a translation of a passage into English with the aid of a dictionary.
4 semesters of college/university language study, with a grade of B or better. Courses where readings are in translation may not be used. The last semester of study can be no more than 5 years prior to the student’s first year of graduate study.
The equivalent of the above (determined by the Director of Graduate Studies) in workshops, summer programs, fieldwork or research in a foreign language, or other language-learning activities.
A degree from a foreign university where English is not the primary language of instruction. In cases of languages, such as some Native American languages, where there is not a significant body of written material in the language, courses focusing on grammar and conversation, or spoken fluency as demonstrated by testing, may be used.
Native speakers with advanced reading skills as determined by the Director of Graduate Studies are exempt from the language requirement as are those students who have completed: 1) study in a foreign language at a foreign university, 2) field work conducted in a second language, or 3) summer intensive second language programs at an advanced level.
A test of language proficiency from the MA degree (must be noted on transcript).
a clear statement of the problem to be investigated in the dissertation and a working thesis.
a critical review of the state of the research on the topic.
the initial expected archival sources.
an outline showing how the topic will be developed.
a working bibliography.

Prospectus Defense

The student will meet with the advisor and at least two members of the Dissertation Committee to discuss and defend the prospectus. The prospectus defense provides an opportunity for the committee and the student to discuss the intellectual and methodological aspects of the dissertation and to formulate research plans and strategies. If the committee deems the defense has been satisfactory, the student will file a copy of the approved prospectus with the DGS within two weeks. If the defense is deemed unsatisfactory, the student may petition to have another defense.
NOTE: This process is internal to the department and does not require filing with the Graduate College.

Preliminary Examination

The purpose of the doctoral exam is to determine the candidate’s readiness to undertake dissertation research and passing it constitutes formal Admission to Candidacy. Effective Fall 2019, students should plan to complete their exams by the end of their third year so that they can begin the work of applying for external funding in the fall of their fourth year.
Examination Committee: The student forms an Examination Committee when coursework and the language requirement are completed. The committee will be composed of at least five members of whom at least three are UIC graduate faculty with full membership, and two of whom must be tenured. It is recommended but not required that one member be from outside the Department of Art History, either from another UIC department or from outside the university. For all administrative purposes, the chair of the committee must be a full member of the UIC graduate faculty and must be a tenured or tenure-track faculty member in the Department of Art History. For the purposes of research guidance a student may also work with a scholar outside the department (or outside UIC) who effectively functions as a co-chair. Committee members must be approved by the Dean of the Graduate College who will appoint them. The committee recommendation form is located here .
The Examination Committee will meet (part of the time with the student), elect a chair, set up the test schedule and approve the two fields of concentration and the reading list. Students are expected to prepare for the exam on their own and cannot assume that courses taken in the department will necessarily prepare them for it. They are strongly encouraged to consult those members of the graduate faculty who are responsible for their examination fields in order to become familiar with the expectations of those individuals. They are also encouraged to consult previous doctoral exams, which are available from the DGS. Doctoral candidates are expected to have a reading period of three to six months to prepare for the examination.
Written Exam: Prepared by the Examination Committee, the Ph.D. exam format is a 72 hour take home-exam. Questions and answers can be delivered by e-mail with the consent of both faculty and student. Candidates will answer two questions in total, with one question pertaining to each of their subject areas. The committee will provide the student with at least two, but not more than three questions per subject area. Questions in both subject areas are distributed at the same time, however, to allow for flexibility and planning on the part of the student.
Oral Exam: The written exam will be followed by an oral defense of the exam one to two weeks later. The oral component is intended to address issues/weaknesses in the exam that could cause complications for candidates as they approach the dissertation process.
Exam Grading: The committee shall meet approximately half an hour before the oral exam to determine a “pass” or “fail” grade for the written component of the exam, and to briefly discuss each member’s questions for the student. After the oral exam, each member will assign a final grade of “pass” or “fail”, and the chair will inform the student of the committee’s decision immediately after the oral exam. A candidate cannot be passed with more than one “fail” vote. The examination report must be signed by all members of the committee. The results of the examination must be submitted to the Graduate College within two weeks of the completion of the exam.
Admission to Candidacy: Students who have passed the exam will be notified of their Admission to Candidacy by the Dean of the Graduate College.
Retaking the Exam: If the student does not pass the exam, on the recommendation of the committee, the chair may permit a second examination, which must be taken within one year. A third examination is not permitted. Students who do not complete the degree requirements within five years of passing the preliminary examination must retake the examination.

Doctoral Dissertation

The dissertation should be a book-length study in which the candidate demonstrates a full range of scholarly skills. It should show insight and originality in the questions it proposes to answer. It should also present evidence of thorough research in primary and secondary sources. Arguments should be clear, well-written and persuasive both to specialists and to other scholars outside the field. The dissertation will make a contribution to knowledge in art history and will be publicly defended before the scholarly community.
Advisor: The advisor will be the candidate’s dissertation director. He or she must be a member of the UIC graduate faculty and is considered the primary reader of the dissertation. The student will submit the name of the proposed advisor at the time he or she submits the prospectus.
Members of the Dissertation Committee may or may not be the same as those on the Examination Committee, depending on the student’s choice. If, as the work progresses, the chair or any committee member no longer wishes to supervise a candidate’s dissertation, he or she must inform both the candidate and the DGS in writing. If the advisor or a member of the committee is, for any reason, unable to supervise the candidate, the candidate, in consultation with the DGS, will suggest an appropriate alternate. Candidates who wish to change chairpersons or committee members must secure the consent of another member of the graduate faculty to join the committee, notify the current chair, and submit the name to the DGS in writing. In all cases, any changes in committee membership must be approved by the Dean of the Graduate College.
Change of Plans: If any substantive changes are made to the plans for the dissertation as outlined in the approved prospectus (which might include a change in direction, focus, methodology, or material covered), the candidate must write a revised prospectus and arrange a further defense.
Monitoring the Dissertation: It is the advisor’s responsibility to decide when the candidate needs to submit all or part of the work-in-progress to other members of the committee for review. The committee members will give comments to the advisor who will convey them to the candidate. The director may call a meeting of the committee at any time that he or she deems appropriate.
Dissertation Defense: A defense is scheduled after the Dissertation Committee members have tentatively approved the dissertation. The committee may accept the dissertation as it stands, accept it conditionally pending certain revisions, or reject it. Revisions can range from minor editorial changes to a major recasting of a substantial portion of the text. Normally the committee delegates to the chairperson of the committee the responsibility for ensuring that these revisions are made. All dissertations must meet the format and stylistic requirements of the Graduate College. There will be an oral defense of the dissertation attended by the doctoral candidate and the members of the dissertation committee, advertised and open to the academic community of the university and announced at least one week prior to its occurrence. The committee vote is pass or fail. A candidate cannot be passed if more than one vote of fail is reported.

Past Dissertations

Deanna Ledezma, “The Fecundity of Family Photography: Histories, Identities, Archival Relations,” Spring 2022. Advisors: Ömür Harmanşah and Jonathan Mekinda
Ionit Behar, “ Intimate Space and the Public Sphere: Margarita Paksa in Argentina’s Military Dictatorship ” Fall 2021. Advisor: Hannah B. Higgins.
Christopher Reeves, “ Playing Music Badly in Public: Brian Eno and the Limits of the Non-Musician ” Spring 2021. Advisor: Hannah B. Higgins.
Karen Greenwalt, “ An Aesthetics of Resistance: Rasheed Araeen, Bani Abidi, and Hamra Abbas ” Summer 2020. Advisor: Catherine Becker
Simon Hinman Wan, “ Intertwined Genealogies: Dutch, Chinese, and Colonial Indonesian Architecture of Philanthropy, 1640-1740 ” Spring 2020. Advisor: Martha Pollak. [UIC Graduate College Outstanding Dissertation Award]
Deepthi Murali “ Transculturality, Sensoriality, and Politics of Decorative Arts of Kerala, India ” Summer 2020. Advisor: Catherine Becker. [UIC Graduate College Outstanding Dissertation Award ]
Georgina Elizabeth Ruff, “ A Medium to Transform the Power of the Sun: Light, Space and the Technological Apparatus .” Fall 2020. Advisor: Hannah B. Higgins.
Alice Maggie Hazard, “ “Weird Copies of Carnage:” Marketing Civil War Photographs and the Public Experience of Death ” Spring 2019. Advisor: Hannah B. Higgins.
Pınar Üner Yılmaz, “ An Analysis of Global Curatorial Methods: The Emergence and Crystallization of Istanbul Biennials .”Spring 2018. Co-Advisors: Ömür Harmanşah and Esra Akcan
Robyn Rene Mericle, “ Before the Endless Miles of Wind and Sand and Empty Far Off Sky: Deserts in Hollywood’s Silent Era .” Spring 2018. Advisor: Hannah B. Higgins.
Khristin Landry-Montes, “ The Sacred Landscape of Mayapán, A Postclassic Maya Center ” Spring 2018. Advisor: Virginia E. Miller
Alyssa Greenberg, “ Arts Awareness at the Metropolitan Museum of Art: Art Museum Education as Artistic and Political Practice ” Spring 2017. Advisor: Therese Quinn
Tiffany Funk, “ Zen and the Art of Software Performance: John Cage and Lejaren A. Hiller Jr.’s HPSCHD (1967-1969) ” Fall 2016. Advisor: Hannah B. Higgins.
Margot K Berrill, “ The Host and the Roast: Kitchen Humor in Feminist Video Art and Pop Culture ” Fall 2016. Advisor: Hannah B. Higgins.
Cara A. Smulevitz: “ Girl, if you make the movie, I promise you somebody will see it” DIY, Grrl Power and Miranda July ” Spring 2016. Advisor: Hannah B. Higgins.
Juan Carlos Arias Herrera, “ Transformations of a Hungry Cinema: Images and Visibility of Hunger in Brazilian Cinema 1960s-2000s ” Fall 2015. Advisor: Hannah B. Higgins.
Jean Guarino: “ Urban Renewal in the Interwar Era: The Remaking of Chicago’s Loop, 1918 to 1942 ” Fall 2015. Advisor: Robert Bruegmann.
Juan C. Arias Herrera: “ Transformations of a Hungry Cinema: Images and Visibility of Hunger in Brazilian Cinema 1960s-2000s ” Spring 2015. Advisor: Hannah B. Higgins.
Sarah M Dreller: “ Architectural Forum, 1932-64: A Time Inc. Experiment in American Architecture and Journalism ” Summer 2015. Co-advisors: Peter B. Hales and Robert Bruegmann
Monica Obniski: “ Accumulating Things: Folk Art and Modern Design in the Postwar American Projects of Alexander H. Girard ” Summer 2015. Advisor: Robert Bruegmann.
Brandon Ruud: “ Beneath the Surface: The Aesthetic and Ideological Appropriation of Native American Artwork ” Summer 2015. Advisor: Ellen T. Baird
Mirela R. Tanta: “ State Art or Sites of Resistance: Socialist Realism in Romania: 1945-1989 ” Summer 2014. Advisor: Hannah B. Higgins.
Aleksander Najda: “ Apocalypse According to Vasily Kandinsky ” Spring 2014. Advisor: Peter B. Hales
SooJin Lee: “ The Art of Artists’ Personae: Yayoi Kusama, Yoko Ono, and Mariko Mori ” Spring 2014. Advisor: Hannah B. Higgins
Sarita K. Heer: “ Re-Imaging Indian Womanhood: The Multiple Mythologies of Phoolan Devi ” Spring 2014. Advisor: Catherine Becker
Erica N. Morawski, “ Designing Destinations: Hotel Architecture, Urbanism, and American Tourism in Puerto Rico and Cuba ” Summer 2014. Advisor: Robert Bruegmann.
Gökhan Ersan: “ Building the Modern Turkish Household: Koç Industries ” Summer 2012. Advisor: Peter B. Hales
Amy K. Galpin: “ A Spiritual Manifestation of Mexican Muralism: Works by Jean Charlot and Alfredo Ramos Martinez ” Spring 2012. Advisor: Hannah B. Higgins
Margaret H. Denny: “ From commerce to art: American women photographers 1850–1900 ” Summer 2010. Advisor: Peter B. Hales
Catherine E. Burdick: “ Text and image in classic Maya sculpture: A.D. 600–900 .” Summer 2010. Advisor: Virginia E. Miller [UIC Graduate College Outstanding Dissertation Award]
Roberta Gray Katz: “ The Literary Paintings of Thomas Cole: Image and Text ” Spring 2009. Advisor: David M. Sokol
Vincent Leszczynski Michael: “ Preserving the Future: Historic Districts in New York City and Chicago in the Late 20th Century ” Summer 2007. Advisor: Robert Bruegmann.

Policies and Procedures

Administration of the ph.d. program.

The Ph.D. program in art history is the responsibility of the Graduate Program Committee (GPC) and is administered by the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS). All questions or problems should first be directed to the DGS. If there are unresolved problems these may be taken to the chairperson of the department.
Graduate students taking courses must meet with their advisor before registering each semester to discuss the available offerings and their progress toward the degree. Students are also encouraged to consult with other members of the department.

Registration

Students normally register continuously until all course requirements for the degree have been completed. Those students on full-time status must register for 9 semester hours or more each semester.

Minimum Grade Point Average

Required GPA: 3.00/4.00 or higher. Students whose GPA drops below this average must meet this requirement in the following semester of enrollment or be placed on academic probation. While on probation, students will not receive financial aid or fellowships. After two semesters on probation, the student will be dismissed from the program.

Time Limitation

Students admitted to the PhD program with an approved MA, must complete the requirements for the degree within 7 consecutive years after initial registration as a doctoral student. Students entering the program with a BA must complete the requirements for the degree within 9 years after the initial registration. Exceptions to this requirement will be granted only upon application and then only if the justification is sufficient in the judgment of the GPC, the DGS, and the Graduate College.

Leave of Absence

Except for international students whose visas require continuous registration and doctoral students who have passed their preliminary exams, graduate degree-seeking students may take one semester (fall or spring) plus the summer session off without formal leave approval from the Graduate College. Degree students who desire to take an additional consecutive semester off, for a total maximum of 3 consecutive terms, must file a Graduate Petition for Leave of Absence by the tenth day of the third term for which leave is requested. For exceptions to this policy, please consult the Graduate College catalog .
Time spent on leave formally approved by the department and the Graduate College does not count towards the time to complete the degree.

Below are requirements for students in the PhD program who wish to pick up a MA degree. It puts them on a pathway to complete their exams either in the third or fourth year of the program, depending on their rate of progress.

Minimum Semester Hours Required: 36.
Course Work: A minimum of 16 hours at the 400/500-level in art history courses. All students are required to take courses from at least four different tenured and tenure-track UIC Art History faculty members.
Required Courses: AH 510 and 511. Of the remaining coursework selected with an advisor, all students are required to take at least one course in each of the following areas: Ancient/Medieval/Early Modern (before 1800); Modern/Contemporary (after 1800); and Africa/Asia/Indigenous Americas.
Thesis or two-paper option.

Post-Exam Recommendations

The Art History Department expects doctoral students to seek external support beginning in their fourth year of the program, after which no department support is guaranteed. Students entering the program beginning in the Fall of 2019 are required, at the start of their fourth year, to submit to their advisor a list of fellowships they are planning to apply for. After the fourth year, it is required that students requesting department support are also applying for external support.
Students who complete their prospectuses and exams by the end of their third year and apply for fellowships in their fourth year and who wish to teach their own class will be given priority by the faculty when teaching assignments are made.

Art History Teaching Assistant Policy

The Art History department employs Teaching Assistants to help faculty members provide a rich and meaningful educational experience for both our students and the Assistants themselves. Toward that end, there are certain requirements of their positions that the Assistants are asked to meet.

Compensation and Appointment

TAs receive a tuition waiver and a stipend set by the university
TAs are selected by the Graduate Program Committee of the Department
As far as possible, and taking into account the needs of both student and department, the department strives to provide students with nine-month appointments.

Expectations

Newly appointed TAs are required to attend the TA orientation offered by the University shortly before the start of the Fall semester
This may take the form of additional readings, the preparation of lecture notes, or the leading of group discussions of the course material.
TAs may also be asked to run regular discussion sections and be responsible for developing material from the class lectures to facilitate discussion, for administering, and grading, course exams, for assigning and grading written assignments, for conducting review sessions, and for performing other relevant duties that the instructor might require.
TAs are also asked to make themselves available for extra-class consultation with their students by maintaining regular office hours (usually one fixed hour and one or two by arrangement).

Survey of World History of Art (AH 110 and 111)

Most of the department’s Teaching Assistants are involved in the Survey of World History of Art (AH 110 and 111). For these classes:

While this meeting normally takes from one to two hours, students are expected to keep their schedules sufficiently open following this meeting to be able to address unanticipated issues.
The TAs are also expected to aid in the development of the writing and research skills of their students that are necessary for written assignments, as well as the development of student study skills in preparation for quizzes and exams.
Finally, TAs are required to grade their students’ written assignments and exams in a timely manner.

Accountability and Evaluation

Ultimate authority on all matters of teaching resides in the professor and any serious course-related problems relating to students’ academic performance, or ethical or personal issues should be brought to his or her attention.
TAs will be evaluated every semester by the supervising professor and a short written statement summarizing that evaluation will be submitted to the Graduate Program Committee.
2019 TA Orientation slides

Funding Grad Research and Travel

The department seeks to support all graduate student research and professional activity to the best of our ability but can only do so to the extent that funds are available. We encourage students to apply for all relevant research and travel funding needs.

The review and selection will be conducted by a faculty committee, who will recommend a slate of awardees to the department for approval based on the following criteria:

cohesiveness of the study or research plan and the clarity with which it is conveyed to the non-specialist
direct impact travel will have on the research and/or professional standing
strength of the overall academic record
soundness of the budget request
timeliness of progress toward the degree
previous departmental awards may be considered

Please limit your research statement to 500 words or less. A typical budget generally includes transportation, lodging, and expenses for fieldwork. Please indicate if you have funding toward the travel from other sources and/or if such funding is pending.

The form can be found here . Applications will be considered annually on October 15th and March 15th.

Grad Sick Leave Policy

TAs can take a personal day and a set amount of sick leave if they are unable to work.

The Resource Guide provides this information on page 15:

Paid Sick leave is based on the percentage of appointment (FTE). A maximum of 13 non-cumulative days and non-compensable work days of leave are accrued based on the percentage of the appointment for each appointment year. Sick time is accrued and earned based on FTE. Six and one half days at percentage FTE for a semester appointment are accrued.Days are equal to your “work day,” not set at eight hours of sick leave at the percentage of their ap-pointment.
0.25 FTE : 2.89 Earned Sick Time per Pay Period (hours)
0.50 FTE : 5.78 Earned Sick Time per Pay Period (hours)

Also consult the GEO contract policies on sick and leave policy.

Beyond that, TAs are meant to take a personal leave if they are no longer able to do their jobs. The Resource Guide provides this information on page 15:

Leaves – Personal (unpaid)
Personal Leave of Absence
Graduate Assistants may be granted unpaid leave of absence during the term of their appointment, upon request to and at the discretion of the University and subject to such terms and conditions as the University may establish. Written request should be made to the department head or supervisor as soon as needed for leave is identified by the assistant. The request must include the start date and end date of the leave.

PROCEDURE FOR REQUESTING SICK/PERSONAL LEAVE

TAs should inform their supervisors immediately if they are unable to complete assignments by the agreed-upon deadline.

Art History guidelines for grad appointments

Departmental responsibility.

The Department of Art History wholeheartedly agrees to the recommendations to Provost Poser from the UIC GEO-Faculty Taskforce to formulate guidelines for appointments, reappointments and assignments for assistants dated March 31, 2020, the department will do the following:

Post these guidelines to its website.
Solicit the advice of graduate student employees when developing or revising appointment and reappointment guidelines.
Communicate which factors enhance assistants’ eligibility for appointment or specific course assignments.
Not make appointments and assignments in an arbitrary or capricious manner.
Issue letters of appointment no later than 45 days before the start of the appointment (in the case of appointments made less than 45 days before or 45 days after the beginning of the semester, the letter of appointment shall be issued as soon as practicable).

APPOINTMENT CRITERIA

In general, PhD students in the Department of Art History receive financial support for their first four years in the program (though in many cases we are able to support students beyond their fourth year). This support most typically consists of a teaching or research appointment accompanied by a tuition waiver. The majority of these consist of appointments to the position of teaching assistantship for the department’s year-long survey course, AH 110 and 111.

The department will make every effort to make all appointments and reappointments according to the policy outlined here. The governing criteria are:

Advancement of the Graduate Student Employee’s educational and professional goals through appropriate TA and RA appointments and, when possible, grant support for a semester or year devoted to dissertation completion.
Even distribution of workload across TA and RA appointments. Typically the expected workload is 20 hours per week.
Excellent TA and RA training, mentoring and orientation within the department.
S/U evaluation of all TA and RA appointments which can affect future appointments.

To the extent possible, the Department seeks to make teaching appointments according to this sequence:

TA for AH110 & 111, teach 2 discussion sections
Teach a 100-level general survey course that you have previously TA’d for.
Teach a 100- or 200-level GenEd course directly within your research area.
RAship appointments will be assigned based on availability and need.

Students specializing in modern/contemporary art, interested in the curatorial track and who want to be considered for a Gallery 400 assistantship in the upcoming academic year are encouraged to speak with the DGS at the start of the spring semester.

Following the 4th year, positions will be offered to Graduate Student Employees according to departmental staffing needs. When funds are available, students may be offered a Dissertation Completion Grant to support their completion of the program.

APPOINTMENT COMPENSATION

Assistantships receive a tuition waiver and a stipend set by the university. See the Graduate College’s guidelines here .

APPOINTMENT GENERAL DESCRIPTIONS

All appointments are only guaranteed after an appointment letter is received and signed. All assistantship holders are encouraged to approach the Chair, DGS or their faculty advisor should any concerns arise.

Graduate Teaching Assistantship (TA)

The Art History department employs Teaching Assistants to help faculty members provide a rich and meaningful educational experience for our students and as a mentoring opportunity for the Assistants themselves.

Newly appointed TAs are required to attend the TA orientation offered by the University shortly before the start of the Fall semester. See the 2019 TA Orientation slides here .
TAs must attend all meetings of the course to which they are assigned and to do all the required readings for the class in addition to whatever auxiliary preparation the professor deems reasonable.
This may take the form of additional readings, the preparation of lecture notes, or the leading of group discussions of the course material.
TAs may also be asked to run regular discussion sections and be responsible for developing material from the class lectures to facilitate discussion, for administering, and grading, course exams, for assigning and grading written assignments, for conducting review sessions, and for performing other relevant duties that the instructor might require.
TAs are also asked to make themselves available for extra-class consultation with their students by maintaining regular office hours (usually one fixed hour and one or two by arrangement).
TAs are required to attend a weekly meeting (usually on Friday afternoons) at which the professor will discuss the content of each review session and other subjects related to the class.
While this meeting normally takes from one to two hours, students are expected to keep their schedules sufficiently open following this meeting to be able to address unanticipated issues.
The TAs are also expected to aid in the development of the writing and research skills of their students that are necessary for written assignments, as well as the development of student study skills in preparation for quizzes and exams.
Ultimate authority on all matters of teaching resides in the professor and any serious course-related problems relating to students’ academic performance, or ethical or personal issues should be brought to his or her attention.
TAs will be evaluated every semester by the supervising professor and a short written statement summarizing that evaluation will be submitted to the Faculty.

Graduate Research Assistantship (RA)

Research Assistantships support the research, teaching and administrative needs of faculty members, while also providing students with the benefits both of a flexible working schedule and of taking on responsibilities that (ideally) complement their own academic interests.

Research Assistantships are twenty-hour-a-week appointments that are ultimately designed at the discretion of the faculty member, in consideration of such factors as the scheduling and other constraints, particular skill set, and scholarly interests of the student. They may include off-site research.

Graduate Teaching Assistantship (Instructor)

It is the department’s goal to give academic track students the opportunity to teach their own classes both at the introductory 100 level and at the more specialized 200 level. Please bear the following criteria in mind:

PhD students must be ABD before they teach their own courses at the 200 level.
AH 100 (only if you have been a TA or taught it before)
Any other 100 or 200-level course in your research area that fulfills at least one GE category
While courses with general titles can often be tweaked to fit specific intellectual priorities, your proposed curriculum must also satisfy the parameters of the course description as it is laid out in the course catalogue.
Please review sample syllabi from past 100-200 level courses taught by students and faculty.

In order to equitably and productively distribute teaching opportunities, we will consider the following:

Whether or not applicants have previously had a chance to develop their own courses.
How the proposed course might support the applicant’s progress through the program.
The suitability of the proposed course in the context of other offerings within the department.

See the repository of past syllabi here.

See the special Summer Appointment guidelines below.

In consultation with faculty and drawing on past syllabi, graduate student instructors will design their own syllabi–including lecture topics, readings, assignments, and course policies.
Graduate student instructors are expected to be in residence for the duration of the semester during which they are teaching. When an occasional absence might be expected, the instructor should inform the chair of Art History and make appropriate arrangements for their students, including a guest lecture or alternate assignment. (In the case of online courses, graduate student instructors need not physically be on campus, but should meet with their students according to the schedule outlined on the syllabus.)
Courses taught by graduate student instructors will have enrollments capped at 40 to allow the student instructor to balance the demands of teaching (preparing lectures and grading) with their own research.
Graduate student instructors will be expected to grade all assignments and exams and will be responsible for assigning their students’ final grades.
In the week before the semester begins, graduate student instructors will submit their syllabi to the chair of the Department for review and suggested revisions if needed.
First-time graduate student instructors will be evaluated through a classroom visit and teaching evaluation written by a faculty member in the Department.
Concerns regarding students (wellness issues, academic dishonesty, or other challenges) should be discussed with the chair of the Department.

APPOINTMENT PROCEDURES

Academic year appointments.

Each spring, students are asked to complete a two-part form (see a sample form here), which includes a self-assessment (i.e. a review of progress made toward the degree) and, if appropriate, a request for funding for the following academic year. Students should carefully consider the appointments that are available as listed on the form (keeping in mind that this list is a working document and thus somewhat provisional). Requests for appointments should be made in consultation with students’ advisors.

Guidelines adopted by faculty when making appointment decisions include (but are not limited to) the following:

Eligibility;
Academic record and evidence of timely progress toward degree;
Previous relevant experience;
Previous success as a TA and/or RA;
Likelihood of success in proposed position;
Factors that may be relevant for specific appointment timeframes;
Relationship between a given funding opportunity and the student’s dissertation research;
Evidence of having pursued external support (in the case of students in their fourth year and beyond);
Factors related to the academic mission of the department

Summer appointments

It is the department’s goal to grow our summer session offerings so that we can better support graduate students and serve undergraduates. To that end, we are looking to offer courses that will attract a robust enrollment and are taught by experienced, knowledgeable instructors. Please bear the following criteria in mind when preparing an application:

PhD students must be ABD before they teach their own summer courses.
AH 100 (only if you have taught it before)
Whether or not the applicant has previously had a chance to develop her own course.
The suitability of the proposed course in the context of other offerings during the summer and the spring semester before and fall semester after.

The Art History faculty will review the proposals, suggest changes and propose alternative course numbers to applicants as needed before deciding on a shortlist to give to the summer sessions office .

As you are preparing your proposal, please bear in mind that our course offerings are, in the end, determined by the CADA Dean’s office and summer sessions. We will vigorously present the final selection of proposals to them, but they have in the past significantly limited our offerings. We are actively seeking to lessen those limitations and provide more summer teaching opportunities for graduate students and more summer learning opportunities for undergraduates.

Your proposal should include the following:

A paragraph describing the proposed course (perhaps include how you might envision using resources in the city).
A sentence about how this course relates to your research interests or professional goals.
A sentence describing why this course will be effective at drawing enrollments from UIC undergraduates.
A list of courses for which you have previously served as the instructor of record (either at UIC or another institution).
The term during which you would prefer to teach (four-week or eight-week).

The deadline for summer course proposals is September 15 each year. Please send your proposal to the Chair by email with “Summer Session Proposal” in the subject line. Your proposals will then be reviewed by the faculty of the Department of Art History.

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Join our PhD Art History Program (VA76)

Ph.D. Art History Program (VA76)

The Department of Visual Arts offers a PhD in art history, theory, and criticism with specializations in cultural areas in which faculty do research (VA76). Offering a distinct alternative to other PhD programs in art history, our program centers on a unique curriculum that treats the study of art past and present—including fine art, media and new media, design and popular culture as part of a broad inquiry into the practices, objects, and discourses that constitute the art world, even as it encourages examination of the larger frameworks—historical, cultural, social, intellectual, and theoretical—within which the category “art” has been contextualized in the most recent developments in the discipline. This program is also distinctive in that it is housed within a department that has been for many years one of the nation’s leading centers of art practice and graduate education in studio, media, and—most recently—digital media. The offering of the PhD and MFA is based on the department’s foundational premise that the production of art and the critical, theoretical, and historical reflection upon it inherently and necessarily participate in a single discursive community. This close integration of art history and art practice is reflected in the inclusion of a concentration in art practice within the PhD in art history, theory, and criticism.

To Apply: https://connect.grad.ucsd.edu/apply/

Application Opens: September 4th, 2024 for the Fall 2025 application cycle

Application Deadline: December 4th, 2024 for the Fall 2025 application cycle

Interdisciplinary Specializations

Students within the PhD program who are interested in the opportunity to undertake specialized research may apply to participate in an interdisciplinary specialization. Students accepted into a specialization program would be expected to complete coursework in addition to those required for their PhD program. The department offers interdisciplinary specializations with the following campus programs.

Anthropogeny: for students with an interest in human origin
Critical Gender Studies: providing specialized training in gender and sexuality
Interdisciplinary Environmental Research : for students interested in environmental solutions

Application Requirements

All applicants must satisfy the following to be considered for admissions to our department:

Completion of a four-year Bachelors degree or equivalent:

3.0 GPA minimum or 'B' average
Submission of unofficial transcripts required

English Language Proficiency:

Demonstrated English language proficiency is required of all international applicants whose native language is not English. Non-native English language speakers may either display proficiency by meeting the minimum speaking scores listed below or can be exempt from the test scores requirement if they received a degree from an institution which provides instruction solely in English. Please refer to the following link for more information regarding the degree from an institution exemption: English Language Proficiency .
TOEFL iBT speaking scores of 26-30
IELTS speaking scores of 8-9
PTE speaking scores of 84-90

Letters of Recommendation:

Minimum of 3 recommendations required
Letters of recommendation should come from individuals, preferably previous professors, who can best explain why you are prepared and would be successful in rigorous academic studies at the graduate level.

Statement of Purpose:

750-1000 word limit, not to exceed 3 pages
Focus your Statement of Purpose on the reasons you are interested in attending this graduate program. You can include the research you hope to pursue within our program and give the Admissions Committee a sense of who you are and what you hope to accomplish. The statement should be well organized, concise, and completely free of grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors.
Writing Sample
2000 word Research Statement

Portfolio Requirements

Writing Sample (4000-8000 words):

Examples include: senior honors thesis, MA thesis, or other research or critical paper, preferably in art or media history.

Research Statement (2000 words maximum):

The Research Statement should explain the research that you wish to pursue within our program. There may be some overlap between the Research Statement and Statement of Purpose however these should be viewed as two distinct prompts that will give the Admissions Committee a greater sense of who you are and what you would accomplish at UC San Diego.

File Names for Portfolio Items:

Please name your files, with your Last Name, First Initial underscore and the document type. So if my name was Terry Triton, I would have the following File Names:

Graduate Student Research

Check out our annual Research Colloquium . PhD students who have recently advanced to candidacy present their research to the local community. Please explore the recent work completed within the department, in addition to the Faculty and Graduate Student personal pages.

2023 Research Colloquium

2022 Research Colloquium

2021 Research Colloquium

2020 Research Colloquium

Join our MFA Program
Join our PhD Art Practice Program (VA77)

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PhD Program Requirements

The PhD program is designed to prepare students for college and university teaching, museum work, and other research positions

Admission Requirements

Candidates are admitted under the general regulations listed by the School of Graduate Studies . Applicants should have an exceptionally strong academic record with a grade average of at least an A- average in recent senior art history and/or humanities courses. The Department also welcomes applications from outstanding candidates with a background other than art history (with at least five art history courses in their academic background). In addition to transcripts, a CV, and three letters of reference, applicants must include a statement of intent and a sample research paper.

Graduate Application Information

PhD students, depending on whether they enter with a Master's degree or a Bachelor's degree (direct entry), will fulfill different requirements. Refer to the appropriate section below for further information.

PhD Program Requirements (Entering with an MA)

Phd program requirements (direct entry).

The five-year PhD program is designed for students who have graduated with a MA in art history or a related humanities major. The basic requirements include a minimum of four seminars (2.0 Full-Course Equivalents), a dissertation reading course (1.0 FCE), two language exams (unless already completed during a UofT MA degree), comprehensive examinations, a colloquium presentation, and a dissertation. One of the seminars must be FAH1001H: Methods in Art History, unless an exception has been made by the Director of Graduate Studies. You will be expected to maintain an A- average in your course work and complete your language exams before sitting the comprehensive examinations; in addition, your progress will be reviewed annually to assure that you have met expectations. Students who fail to make satisfactory progress during the first two years may have their registration terminated.

Requirement	Description
	Students must complete of graduate courses as follows:
	New students must attend Orientation to Art Historical Research Methods: a workshop designed to familiarize new students with research resources, led by the Department Librarian.
	Students are required to pass examinations in two languages if they have not already done so in the UofT MA program. This requirement must be completed before taking the comprehensive exams. The appropriate languages will be set by the interim supervisor in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies. Language courses may be taken as preparation, but may not take the place of the language exam.
	Students are required to take the three-part comprehensive examinations within one and a half years. The exam consists of one written component chosen from the four fields, one written component from the dissertation area, and one oral component discussing the first two.
	Three months after the successful completion of the comprehensive exams, students are required to submit approved dissertation proposals to achieve candidacy and start their dissertation research.
	At some stage during the dissertation work, the student will present their work to the faculty and students in an appropriate format and at a time to be determined by the supervisor in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies.
	Consult with the supervisor on the details of your dissertation.

PhD Program Milestones (Entering with an MA)

At the end of each academic, students' progress will be reviewed to ensure that they have made satisfactory progress through the program. Both the student and the supervisory committee will complete annual reports and submit such reports to the Graduate Office.

Year 1
Year 2 ( )
Years 3–5

Students admitted to the PhD program with an MA will be guaranteed a minimum of five years of funding and will be given teaching experience as a teaching assistant and/or as a course instructor.

PhD Funding

The six-year program is designed for students who have graduated with a BA in art history or a related humanities major. The basic requirements include a minimum of nine seminars (4.5 Full Course Equivalents), a dissertation reading course (1.0 FCE), two language exams, comprehensive examinations, a colloquium presentation, and a dissertation. One of the seminars must be FAH1001H: Methods in Art History, unless an exception has been made by the Director of Graduate Studies. You will be expected to maintain an A- average in your coursework and complete your language exams before sitting the comprehensive examinations; in addition, your progress will be reviewed annually to assure that you have met expectations. Students who fail to make satisfactory progress during the first two years may have their registration terminated or transferred to the MA program.

Requirement	Description
	Students must complete of graduate courses as follows:
	New students must attend Orientation to Art Historical Research Methods: a workshop designed to familiarize new students with research resources, led by the Department Librarian.
	Students are required to pass examinations in two languages. This requirement must be completed before taking the comprehensive exams. The appropriate languages will be set by the supervisor in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies. Language courses may be taken as preparation, but may not take the place of the language exam.
	Students are required to take the three-part comprehensive examinations within two and a half years in the case of direct-entry PhD applicants. The exam consists of one written component chosen from the four fields, one written component from the dissertation area, and one oral component discussing the first two.
	Three months after the successful completion of the comprehensive exams, students are required to submit approved dissertation proposals to achieve candidacy and start their dissertation research.
	At some stage during the dissertation work, the student will present their work to the faculty and students in an appropriate format and at a time to be determined by the supervisor in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies.
	Consult with the supervisor on the details of your dissertation.

PhD Program Milestones (Direct Entry)

Year 1
Year 2
Year 3 ( )
Years 4–6

Qualifying Year Components

To achieve candidacy, PhD students will complete the comprehensive examinations and an approved dissertation proposal during the qualifying year.

Comprehensive Examinations

Upon the completion of all coursework and language requirements, PhD students must secure the participation of a supervisor with whom they will discuss plans for the comprehensive examinations. PhD students are required to take the comprehensive examination within one and a half years (or two and a half years in the case of direct-entry PhD students). The examinations will be scheduled by the Director of Graduate Studies, during the academic year, from September to April. If a student fails the comprehensive examinations, one further attempt is allowed, no more than three months later. A second failure results in the immediate removal of the student from the program.

The Department of Art History runs a Comprehensive Examination roundtable each year.

Examination Procedure

At the beginning of the study period, the PhD student will meet with the Examination Committee (made up of at least three members of the department—one of whom will be the prospective dissertation supervisor (see SGS Supervision Guidelines for Students ). The committee will define the areas of the examination, the length of study, and such readings and special topics as deemed to be appropriate. The Examination Committee will meet prior to the examination in order to discuss and agree upon the written questions to be submitted to the student.

The comprehensive examination is made up of three components, two written, and one oral. The written examination consists of two parts, the general area and dissertation area:

The general area is tested in the Department. The student receives two sets of three questions and is required to answer one from each set. The exam duration is 6 hours.
The dissertation area is a take-home exam. The student receives three questions for this examination, answers one of them, and returns it to the Department within 72 hours.
The oral examination for both components of the comprehensive examination (general and dissertation area) is normally scheduled three or four days after the take-home part is completed. The examination is normally 2 hours in length.

The examination is reported as pass or fail. A member of the Examination Committee will discuss with the student the results of the examination and provide advice.

Areas of Coverage

Ancient, Medieval, Early Modern, Modern/Contemporary. The general area examination will be defined at the beginning of the study period. In all fields, the flexibility of area definition will be maintained. The dissertation area component differs with each student and will be agreed upon by the Examination Committee and the student.

Dissertation Proposal

Immediately following the successful completion of the comprehensive examinations, students are expected to formally establish their PhD Supervisory Committees. A faculty member will have already been requested to act as the dissertation supervisor, and two other members of the graduate faculty to serve on their supervisory committee. One member of this three-person committee may be from outside the Department. (Exceptions may be possible if approved by the Director of Graduate Studies.) These arrangements must be approved by the Department’s Graduate Program Committee. Then, working with the Supervisory Committee, students will have three months following the successful completion of their comprehensive exam to develop a detailed proposal for their research. The length and specific nature of the proposal will be determined by the Supervisory Committee and the PhD student, and the drafted proposal must be approved by the Supervisory Committee, then submitted to the Director of Graduate Studies.

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PhD Art History Online Programs are becoming increasingly popular. With the advent of online learning and more diverse course offerings, students now have more opportunities than ever to get their PhD in Art History.

But with all these choices, how do you know which program is right for you? This guide to PhD Art History Online Programs explores why art history phd programs online are becoming popular, job market prospects for graduates of PhD Art History online programs, some of the best programs in this field, and future trends for online phd art history.

Art history is the study of art and its development over time, a look at objects of art in their historical context. It is the academic discipline that deals with the history of art and the practices that produce and interpret works of art. Art historians examine items such as paintings, sculptures, architecture, and other forms of art to understand how they have been created and what they mean.

Art history can also involve the study of different cultures and their art. In short, Art history is a broad field that covers a wide range of topics. It can be divided into several subfields, such as Renaissance art, baroque art, and modern art. Art historians often specialize in one particular period or style of art. It’s indeed a fascinating subject that can offer insights into the past and the present.

In contrast, history is the study of all past events. It is not limited to works of art, but encompasses everything from political events to natural phenomena.

So often, the value of art history is overlooked. In a world that seems to be increasingly focused on the present and the future, it can be easy to forget the importance of understanding the past. But the study of art history is essential for understanding the world we live in today. It helps us to see how the events of the past have shaped the present, and how the artist’s view of the world has changed over time.

By understanding art history, we can gain a deeper view and appreciation of the cultures that have shaped our world. We can see how the human experience has been expressed through art, and we can learn to appreciate the beauty and significance of works of art that we might otherwise take for granted. Art history is important not only for those who study it professionally, but for everyone who wishes to understand the world we live in today.

Why are PhD art history online PhD programs becoming popular?

There are several reasons why PhD programs in art history are becoming increasingly popular. For one, the job market for graduates of these programs is very good. According to the most recent reports from governments, private companies and academia, the unemployment rate for art and design majors is lower than the overall unemployment rate in the United States, for example, which can sometimes be alarming. What’s more, job prospects for graduates with a PhD in art history are even better. In fact, many museums and galleries are now looking for employees with advanced degrees in art history.

Another reason for the growing popularity of online PhD art history programs in particular is that they offer a lot of flexibility. Students can often choose the courses they want to take, and they can complete their degree at their own pace. Finally, online PhD art history programs are affordable and convenient. They allow students to learn from anywhere in the world and without having to leave their jobs or families.

So, if you’re thinking about pursuing a PhD in art history, an online program may be a great option for you.

The average time it takes to complete a PhD in history including online PhD in art history is between five and seven years. This includes time spent completing coursework, writing and revising the dissertation, and passing oral and written exams. Of course, the actual time to completion can vary depending on the individual student’s research topic, teaching responsibilities, and other factors.

Students who are able to devote themselves full-time to their studies may be able to finish somewhat sooner than those who have to balance their academic work with other obligations. However, even full-time students should expect it to take at least five years to complete all the requirements for a PhD in art history.

PhD Art History Online Program Rankings

There are many great programs to choose from, and each has its own strengths and weaknesses. To help you make your decision, we have compiled a list of the top PhD Art History Online Programs based on internal analysis as well as rankings from independent sources.

The first and most important criterion in coming up with this ranking is the quality of the faculty. The second criterion is the quality of the curriculum. The third criterion is the program’s student support services. The fourth criterion is the program’s graduation rate. And the fifth criterion is the employment rate of the program’s graduates. All of these factors are important in determining the quality of an online PhD Art History program.

The Bristol University Distance learning online Art History PhD Program is a three-year, full-time program that finishes with an 80,000 word thesis. The program begins with a September or January intake. Application should always be submitted one month before the intake month. For example if you intend to start the program in January, you need to apply by December.

The program offers students the opportunity to research a range of topics related to art history, including modern and contemporary art, Renaissance and Baroque art, global art history, and museum studies. In addition to this, students are also required to complete the 80,000 word dissertation on a topic of their choosing.

The course is designed for students with an undergraduate degree in art history or a related discipline. Applicants are also required to have an impressive IELTS score or an equivalent score in a different language test.

Birmingham University is home to one of the most highly respected art history PhD programs in the world. The program is available to students all over the globe, with no need to relocate. The program can be completed online, making it the perfect option for busy professionals or those with family and work obligations.

The coursework is rigorous and challenging, but it is also tailored to meet the unique needs of each student. Graduates of the Birmingham University Art History PhD Program are highly sought after by top employers in a variety of industries. The program has a proven track record of preparing students for successful careers in academia, museum work, and more.

The future of online education is constantly evolving, and Birmingham University is at the forefront of this movement. In addition to this course, the university offers a wide range of online programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels, making it one of the most well-rounded online universities in the world.

The History of Art history program at the University of Leicester was the first program in history of art to be offered in the United Kingdom. The program is designed for students who want to specialize in the history of art, but who also want the flexibility to study at home.

The program is taught by a team of highly respected and experienced historians of art, who are dedicated to providing students with a world-class education. The core traditional program has been running since 2001 and has a strong track record of preparing students for successful careers in the arts.

The History of Art program at York University started in 1990 as a way to offer a comprehensive and interdisciplinary program that would explore all aspects of the history of art. The program is designed for students who want to pursue graduate studies and careers in the arts, museum, and educational fields.

The online format was introduced recently as a way to offer the same high-quality program to students anywhere in the world. The art history PhD online program is taught by faculty who are experts in their field, and students have access to all the same resources as on-campus students.

Graduates of the PhD Art History Online Program have found success in a wide range of careers, including teaching, curating, writing, and consulting. The future trends for online phd art history look very promising, and we expect this university to continue being a leader in offering the very best in art history education.

Earning a PhD in art history online is a great way to gain the skills and knowledge you need to pursue a career in this field, without the usual hustle and expenses of on-campus programs. As more and more schools begin to offer online PhD art history programs, it’s becoming increasingly popular for students to pursue their degree in this way. And with the job market for art history graduates becoming more competitive, earning a PhD will give you a competitive edge. So if you’re interested in pursuing a career in art history, an online PhD program will most likely be the right choice for you.

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How Long Does It Take to Get a Ph.D. Degree?

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Earning a Ph.D. from a U.S. grad school typically requires nearly six years, federal statistics show.

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A Ph.D. is most appropriate for someone who is a “lifelong learner.”

Students who have excelled within a specific academic discipline and who have a strong interest in that field may choose to pursue a Ph.D. degree. However, Ph.D. degree-holders urge prospective students to think carefully about whether they truly want or need a doctoral degree, since Ph.D. programs last for multiple years.

According to the Survey of Earned Doctorates, a census of recent research doctorate recipients who earned their degree from U.S. institutions, the median amount of time it took individuals who received their doctorates in 2017 to complete their program was 5.8 years. However, there are many types of programs that typically take longer than six years to complete, such as humanities and arts doctorates, where the median time for individuals to earn their degree was 7.1 years, according to the survey.

Some Ph.D. candidates begin doctoral programs after they have already obtained master’s degrees, which means the time spent in grad school is a combination of the time spent pursuing a master’s and the years invested in a doctorate. In order to receive a Ph.D. degree, a student must produce and successfully defend an original academic dissertation, which must be approved by a dissertation committtee. Writing and defending a dissertation is so difficult that many Ph.D. students drop out of their Ph.D. programs having done most of the work necessary for degree without completing the dissertation component. These Ph.D. program dropouts often use the phrase “ all but dissertation ” or the abbreviation “ABD” on their resumes.

According to a comprehensive study of Ph.D. completion rates published by The Council of Graduate Schools in 2008, only 56.6% of people who begin Ph.D. programs earn Ph.D. degrees.

Ian Curtis, a founding partner with H&C Education, an educational and admissions consulting firm, who is pursuing a Ph.D. degree in French at Yale University , says there are several steps involved in the process of obtaining a Ph.D. Students typically need to fulfill course requirements and pass comprehensive exams, Curtis warns. “Once these obligations have been completed, how long it takes you to write your dissertation depends on who you are, how you work, what field you’re in and what other responsibilities you have in life,” he wrote in an email. Though some Ph.D. students can write a dissertation in a single year, that is rare, and the dissertation writing process may last for several years, Curtis says.

[ READ: What Is a Doctorate or a Doctoral Degree? ]

Curtis adds that the level of support a Ph.D. student receives from an academic advisor or faculty mentor can be a key factor in determining the length of time it takes to complete a Ph.D. program. “Before you decide to enroll at a specific program, you’ll want to meet your future advisor,” Curtis advises. “Also, reach out to his or her current and former students to get a sense of what he or she is like to work with.”

Curtis also notes that if there is a gap between the amount of time it takes to complete a Ph.D. and the amount of time a student’s funding lasts, this can slow down the Ph.D. completion process. “Keep in mind that if you run out of funding at some point during your doctorate, you will need to find paid work, and this will leave you even less time to focus on writing your dissertation,” he says. “If one of the programs you’re looking at has a record of significantly longer – or shorter – times to competition, this is good information to take into consideration.”

Pierre Huguet, the CEO and co-founder of H&C Education, says prospective Ph.D. students should be aware that a Ph.D. is designed to prepare a person for a career as a scholar. “Most of the jobs available to Ph.D. students upon graduation are academic in nature and directly related to their fields of study: professor, researcher, etc.,” Huguet wrote in an email. “The truth is that more specialization can mean fewer job opportunities. Before starting a Ph.D., students should be sure that they want to pursue a career in academia, or in research. If not, they should make time during the Ph.D. to show recruiters that they’ve traveled beyond their labs and libraries to gain some professional hands-on experience.”

Jack Appleman, a business writing instructor, published author and Ph.D. candidate focusing on organizational communication with the University at Albany—SUNY , says Ph.D. programs require a level of commitment and focus that goes beyond what is necessary for a typical corporate job. A program with flexible course requirements that allow a student to customize his or her curriculum based on academic interests and personal obligations is ideal, he says.

[ READ: Ph.D. Programs Get a Lot More Practical. ]

Joan Kee, a professor at the University of Michigan with the university’s history of art department, says that the length of time required for a Ph.D. varies widely depending on what subject the Ph.D. focuses on. “Ph.D. program length is very discipline and even field-specific; for example, you can and are expected to finish a Ph.D, in economics in under five years, but that would be impossible in art history (or most of the humanities),” she wrote in an email.

Jean Marie Carey, who earned her Ph.D. degree in art history and German from the University of Otago in New Zealand, encourages prospective Ph.D. students to check whether their potential Ph.D. program has published a timeline of how long it takes a Ph.D. student to complete their program. She says it is also prudent to speak with Ph.D. graduates of the school and ask about their experience.

Bennett urges prospective Ph.D. students to visit the campuses of their target graduate programs since a Ph.D. program takes so much time that it is important to find a school that feels comfortable. She adds that aspiring Ph.D. students who prefer a collaborative learning environment should be wary of graduate programs that have a cut-throat and competitive atmosphere, since such students may not thrive in that type of setting.

[ READ: 4 Fields Where Doctorates Lead to Jobs. ]

Alumni of Ph.D. programs note that the process of obtaining a Ph.D. is arduous, regardless of the type of Ph.D. program. “A Ph.D. is a long commitment of your time, energy and financial resources, so it’ll be easier on you if you are passionate about research,” says Grace Lee, who has a Ph.D. in neuroscience and is the founder and CEO of Mastery Insights, an education and career coaching company, and the host of the Career Revisionist podcast.

“A Ph.D. isn’t about rehashing years of knowledge that is already out there, but rather it is about your ability to generate new knowledge. Your intellectual masterpiece (which is your dissertation) takes a lot of time, intellectual creativity and innovation to put together, so you have to be truly passionate about that,” Lee says.

Erin Skelly, a graduate admissions counselor at the IvyWise admissions consulting firm, says when a Ph.D. students struggles to complete his or her Ph.D. degree, it may have more to do with the student’s academic interests or personal circumstances than his or her program.

“The time to complete a Ph.D. can depend on a number of variables, but the specific discipline or school would only account for a year or two’s difference,” she wrote in an email. “When a student takes significantly longer to complete a Ph.D. (degree), it’s usually related to the student’s coursework and research – they need to take additional coursework to complete their comprehensive exams; they change the focus of their program or dissertation, requiring extra coursework or research; or their research doesn’t yield the results they hoped for, and they need to generate a new theory and conduct more research.”

Skelly warns that the average completion time of a Ph.D. program may be misleading in some cases, if the average is skewed based on one or two outliers. She suggests that instead of focusing on the duration of a particular Ph.D. program, prospective students should investigate the program’s attritition and graduation rates.

“It is worthwhile to look at the program requirements and the school’s proposed timeline for completion, and meet current students to get their input on how realistic these expectations for completion are,” Skelly says. “That can give you an honest idea of how long it will really take to complete the program.”

Searching for a grad school? Access our complete rankings of Best Graduate Schools.

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COMMENTS

Program
In their third year, students are required to take the Teaching Colloquium and Dissertation Proposal Workshop offered yearly by an art history faculty member. These courses, which do not count toward the 18 courses required for the PhD, help students to prepare to be successful teachers and researchers.
PhD Degree Requirements
PhD Degree Requirements. The doctoral degree (PhD) in Art History consists of 27 credit hours of core and elective coursework plus doctoral research, and normally takes four-five years to complete. Admission to the PhD program is open to students with an MA in art or architectural history and to exceptionally qualified candidates with a BA in ...
PhD Program
Introduction. 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 ...
PhD Art History Admission
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.
Admissions
The PhD Program in Art History at the University of Chicago offers multifaceted art historical training including object-driven teaching and research, robust language offerings, and opportunities for extensive coursework in other disciplines across the Humanities Division, the Social Sciences Division, and the Divinity School, among others.Graduate students benefit from vibrant partnerships ...
Structure of the PhD Program
Columbia PhD students may take courses at fellow institutions through the ... Barnard Art History Office The Diana Center, Suite 500, Phone: (212) 854-2118 · Fax: (212) 854-8442 . Phone (212) 854-4505. Fax: (212) 854-7329. Columbia University
History of Art, PhD < Johns Hopkins University
Admission. Requirements. 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.
Ph.D. Program
Requirements for the PhD degree include a minimum of 30 credit hours beyond the MA, divided between 18 hours of course work (6 courses, five of which are art history seminars; for students entering straight to the PhD program, one of these courses will be Methods) and 12 credit hours of dissertation research.
PhD Art History
The Department of Art & Art History offers M.A. and Ph.D. degrees, although the Master of Arts in Art History is only available to doctoral students in Art and Art History, as a step toward fulfilling requirements for the Ph.D. The Department does not admit students who wish to work only toward the M.A. degree.
Graduate
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 ...
Graduate Admissions
Official Score Reports can be ordered from ETS. The institution code for UCLA is 4837. The department code is 26. Please send any non-electronic materials to: UCLA Art History Admissions. Attention: Student Affairs Officer. Dept. of Art History. 405 Hilgard Avenue, 100 Dodd Hall. Los Angeles, CA 90095-1417.
Art History PhD
General Information The PhD program in the Division of Art History prepares graduates for university-level teaching, curator positions at major museums, and independent research in the field. Before beginning work for the PhD, students should have completed a master's degree in art history. Requirements for the degree include 60 credits of coursework beyond the master's degree and research ...
Best Art History PhD Programs
How long does a student need to study to earn a PhD in art history? Course curriculum differs significantly but many programs require 4 to 5 years to finish a PhD in art history. Students may need more or less time studying depending on the type of degree program they already finished.
How to Apply to the PhD Program
How to Apply to the PhD Program. For admission in Fall 2025, all application materials must be received by the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences by December 12, 2024. Late applications will not be accepted. The department does not offer spring admission. The online application and additional admissions information are available on the ...
PhD Requirements
PhD Requirements. In discussion with major and minor field advisers, 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 ...
Graduate
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 ...
PhD in Art History
Resources Graduate students in art history can take advantage of many supplemental resources on campus. These include: The University Library, the largest public university library in the U.S., includes many branch libraries in specific subjects such as History and Philosophy, Modern Languages, Education and Social Sciences.; The Ricker Library of Architecture and Art is a branch of the ...
PhD Art History
Course Work: A minimum of 16 hours at the 400/500-level in art history courses. All students are required to take courses from at least four different tenured and tenure-track UIC Art History faculty members. Required Courses: AH 510 and 511.
Join our PhD Art History Program (VA76)
Join our PhD Art History Program (VA76) Ph.D. Art History Program (VA76) The Department of Visual Arts offers a PhD in art history, theory, and criticism with specializations in cultural areas in which faculty do research (VA76). Offering a distinct alternative to other PhD programs in art history, our program centers on a unique curriculum ...
PhD Program Requirements
PhD Program Requirements (Entering with an MA) The five-year PhD program is designed for students who have graduated with a MA in art history or a related humanities major. The basic requirements include a minimum of four seminars (2.0 Full-Course Equivalents), a dissertation reading course (1.0 FCE), two language exams (unless already ...
Online PhD in Art History: A Valuable Guide
How long does it take to get a PhD in art history online? The average time it takes to complete a PhD in history including online PhD in art history is between five and seven years. This includes time spent completing coursework, writing and revising the dissertation, and passing oral and written exams. ...
How Long Does It Take to Get a Ph.D. Degree?
However, there are many types of programs that typically take longer than six years to complete, such as humanities and arts doctorates, where the median time for individuals to earn their degree ...
How Long Does It Take to Get a Ph.D. Degree?
However, there are many types of programs that typically take longer than six years to complete, such as humanities and arts doctorates, where the median time for individuals to earn their degree was 7.1 years, according to the survey. Some Ph.D. candidates begin doctoral programs after they have already obtained master's degrees, which means ...

PhD Degree Requirements

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