American
Greek and Roman
Latin American
Medieval & Byzantine
Modern/Contemporary
Renaissance & Baroque
African Chinese Islamic Japanese Korean Ancient Americas/ Pre-Columbian South & Southeast Asian | Qualifying Paper for the MA
- The qualifying paper is a revised and expanded version of a paper written for a class from the first year of coursework. It should be approximately 30 pages in length (excluding footnotes, images, and bibliography) and should demonstrate the student’s ability 1) to formulate a thesis, 2) to present an extended argument, and 3) to conduct original research. Quality of the writing will also be evaluated.
- By the end of the fall quarter of the second year, student selects a class paper from the first year in consultation with his or her advisor to revise and expand as the qualifying paper.
- In the following winter quarter, student enrolls for 4 units of 598 (RSRCH-MASTER THESIS) to work on the paper under the supervision of advisor.
- Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) will contact each student during the winter quarter (usually early February) to appoint a committee of three faculty readers for the qualifying paper, one of which is the student’s advisor. At least one of the faculty readers will have had no classroom contact with the student. All students may suggest potential readers; however, the DGS will balance the student’s request against equity of faculty workload.
- On the first day of instruction of the spring quarter, students submits three copies of the qualifying paper to the Student Affairs Officer (SAO) along with a list of the three readers assigned to review the paper.
- The qualifying papers will be distributed to the three assigned faculty readers and each reader will complete an evaluation form and submit it to the SAO within three weeks of receipt of the paper.
- By the fourth week of the spring quarter, the SAO will make available the papers with reader’s comments to the student and these papers will be added to the student’s permanent file.
- The Graduate Review Committee, taking into consideration the faculty reader evaluations, will determine whether the student will be awarded the MA and permitted to proceed into the PhDprogram. In some cases, the Committee may recommend that the student receive the MA degree but discontinue further graduate study. It is also possible (although very rare) that the student’s work may not be judged adequate to receive the MA.
Completion of the MA
- Prior to the third week of the spring quarter in the second year, the student should complete the “Petition for Advancement to Candidacy for the Master’s Degree” (provided by and returned to the SAO).
- Once the Department has accepted the qualifying paper, the student must file it with Graduate Division by the Monday of the tenth week of the spring quarter, formatted as a thesis.
- Graduate Division guidelines for formatting MA theses are available here . Workshops on thesis formatting are offered at the beginning of each fall and winter quarters. See the Grad Division website for more information.
- Following the Department’s annual spring review of graduate students, the student must submit a completed form for transfer from the MA to the PhD program (provided by and returned to the SAO).
Toward the PhD
Upon the completion of the MA or starting with a MA from another institution, the student begins the PhD program having chosen a major field of study within art history, often known at the time of application. By the end of the second quarter of residence at the PhD stage, the student also selects a minor field, which may be outside the department (e.g. Architecture, History, Anthropology, Comparative Literature, Archaeology, etc.). The major and minor advisors are responsible for the student’s course of study and completion of requirements within the selected field. Graduate Review Committee must approve any change of advisor(s) or the major and minor fields.
Requirements for the PhD
- Satisfaction of language requirements (minimum 2, including 1 from MA stage; more may be required depending on field of study)
- Completion of 8 graduate and upper division courses (32 units)
- Written comprehensive exams in major and minor fields
- Dissertation prospectus and oral qualifying exam
- Doctoral dissertation
American Greek and Roman Latin American Medieval & Byzantine Modern/Contemporary Renaissance & BaroqueAfrican Chinese Islamic Japanese Korean Ancient Americas/Pre-Columbian South & Southeast Asian | |
- A total of 8 graduate and upper division courses are required, of which at least 4 must be art history courses at the graduate level.
- Of the nine courses (36 units) required for the MA, students may use a maximum of two of these (8 units) to count towards Ph.D. coursework. Students may also apply courses taken in excess of MA requirements towards fulfilling Ph.D. course requirements. (This does not apply to students who received their MA from other institutions/departments.)
- 5 courses in one field are required to claim it as the major field; 3 courses in one field are required to claim it as the minor field. The minor can also be from outside the department (e.g. Architecture, History, Anthropology, Comparative Literature, Archaeology, etc.).
- Students entering the PhD stage deficient in Art History 200 (Art Historical Theories and Methodologies) or its equivalent must add this to the total requirements. In some cases, Art History 201 (Topics in Historiography of Art History) may be required by faculty/advisor recommendation. Any additional coursework required by the Graduate Review Committee at time of admission must be completed during the first two quarters of residence and may not count toward the minimum course requirements for either the MA or PhD degree.
Written Comprehensive Examinations
- Upon completion of coursework and fulfillment of language requirements, the student takes the PhD written comprehensive examinations in the major and minor fields of study, designed and evaluated by the student’s major and minor advisors respectively.
- The purpose of the examinations is to test the student’s breadth and depth of knowledge in his/her fields of study. If a student fails to pass the examination or part thereof, the failed portion may be repeated once no later than the subsequent quarter of residence. No further repetition will be allowed. The written comprehensive examinations may be taken during any two-week period of the Fall, Winter, and Spring quarters. Typically, students take these exams during the winter quarter of the second year in residence, 5th quarter, in the PhD program.
- The Department offers two formats for the major and minor written exams, the details of which must be worked out in advance between the student and the examiner. Format A: Take-home. 2-3 essay questions to be completed in 1 week (for the minor exam, 1-2 questions to be completed in 3 days). Format B: Sit-down. 2-3 essay questions to be completed in 6 hours (for the minor exam, 1-2 questions to be completed in 3 hours). Many faculty incorporate designing of a syllabus as an exam question and the formats above do not preclude this possibility. Such an assignment would count as one question/essay.
- The specific format and dates for the major and minor exams must be submitted to the Student Affairs Officer at least three weeks in advance using the appropriate departmental form.
Doctoral Committee
- Upon passing the written comprehensive examinations in major and minor fields of study, the student selects a dissertation topic and nominates the members of his/her Doctoral Committee in consultation with his/her advisor.
- This committee minimally consists of the major advisor, now serving as committee chair, two additional members of the art history faculty (normally, but not necessarily, including the student’s minor advisor), and one member from another UCLA department. For details on the acceptable status of these members and for minimum university standards of the doctoral committee, please see page 14-17 in the Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study manual .
- The student and committee chair must agree on all committee members. Any changes in committee constitution after formal nomination must be reported to and approved by the Graduate Division; replacing the committee chair can only occur by consent or if the faculty member leaves UCLA.
- Please note that the Graduate Division generally approves Committee nominations within 2-3 weeks, and the oral qualifying exam may not be taken before official approval has been received.
Dissertation Prospectus and Oral Qualifying Examination
- The dissertation topic should be identified in discussions with the advisor. These discussions usually evolve organically through the course of study and are highly individualized. Typically, the oral examination is scheduled during the quarter following the successful completion of the written examinations.
- Once the Doctoral Committee has been officially approved by Graduate Division, and after having conducted considerable exploratory research and preparation for his/her dissertation, the student submits to each member of the Doctoral Committee a dissertation prospectus. The prospectus should not be distributed to the full committee without the approval of the student’s committee chair.
- The dissertation prospectus should not exceed 20 pages and include a statement of purpose regarding the art historical topic/problem being addressed (what is at stake in the study), tentative chapter outlines, working bibliography, research plan, methodological strategies, and preliminary schedule for completion.
- Students should submit the prospectus to committee members 2-3 weeks before the oral examination date to allow sufficient time for the prospectus to be reviewed. If any member of the Doctoral Committee finds the prospectus inadequate, he or she must notify the committee chair at least one week prior to the oral examination date. In some cases, the prospectus must be revised and/or the examination date postponed.
- The student is responsible for scheduling the oral exam, consulting with committee members well in advance regarding the date and time of availability of each faculty member. The SAO helps the student reserve an appropriate space for the exam.
- The purpose of the oral examination is to assess the validity and feasibility of the proposed dissertation topic and its methodologies, as well as the soundness of the student’s projected approach to completing the project.
- At the end of the examination, each committee member reports the examination as “passed” or “not passed.” A student may not pass and may not be advanced to candidacy if more than one member votes “not passed” regardless of the size of the committee, or if the major advisor so votes. Upon majority vote of the committee, the oral qualifying examination may be repeated once. Students upon passing the oral examination are formally advanced to candidacy by the Graduate Division.
- At the time of the exam, the Doctoral Committee decides, by unanimous agreement, whether or not to waive the final oral examination (not normally required) and selects, again by unanimous agreement, a minimum of three members, two from the art history faculty and one from an outside department, who will read, approve, and certify the final draft of the dissertation. For details regarding the acceptable status of these certifying members, consult the publication, Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA.
- Upon passing the oral examination, the student is officially Advanced to Candidacy (ATC).
Dissertation and Final Oral Examination (if required)
- After advancing to candidacy, the student works on the dissertation in consultation with his/her advisor, committee chair, as well as Doctoral Committee certifying members according to the rules laid out in the above named publication. Upon completion of the dissertation or individual chapters thereof, and with approval of the committee chair, the student circulates a copy of the dissertation in Week 1 of the quarter for comments and suggestions from the certifying members of the Doctoral Committee. Each reader is allowed four weeks in which to read it and make corrections and comments, and the student is allowed three weeks in which to respond and revise the dissertation. It is incumbent upon the student to communicate in a timely manner with all certifying members of the Doctoral Committee to ensure adequate time for review. Committee members must be consulted as each reader may require more time. PLEASE REVIEW the timeline for dissertation completion which clearly outlines the schedule for submission during the student’s final quarter.
- After incorporating into the final draft of the dissertation the recommended changes, the student will circulate the dissertation again among the certifying members of the Doctoral Committee. This draft should be circulated sufficiently in advance of the deadline for filing the dissertation so that each reader is allowed at least two weeks in which to reread it (see quarterly Schedule of Classes for filing deadlines).
- Each certifying member of the committee then decides whether or not to approve the dissertation. In cases where less than the entire committee acts as certifying members, approval of the dissertation must be unanimous. If the entire committee acts as certifying members, the dissertation is considered approved with one negative decision so long as that negative decision is not that of the committee chair. After final approval by the Dean of the Graduate Division, the student files the required number of copies of the dissertation with the Manuscript Advisor of the Office of University Archives. Deadlines for filing the dissertation fall approximately two weeks before the date the degree is to be awarded.
- Note: A final oral examination is not normally required for Art History, but in some cases it may be requested by the Doctoral Committee (determined at the oral qualifying exam), and is held prior to filing the dissertation. All members of the committee must attend and vote. A student may pass with one negative vote so long as that vote is not that of the committee chair. In case of failure, the Doctoral Committee decides, by unanimous agreement, whether or not the candidate may be re-examined.
- Upon filing the dissertation, the student receives the Ph.D.
Language Requirements
The completion of the PhD requires reading knowledge of a minimum of two foreign languages relevant to the student’s field of study (more than two may be required in some cases and must be determined in consultation with the faculty advisor). Applicants are expected to already possess reading proficiency in at least one of the two languages for which they will be responsible. New students shall sit for at least one language exam upon arrival at UCLA.
Students at the MA stage are expected to satisfy their first foreign language requirement by the end of the 3rd quarter in residence. It is highly recommended that they complete the second language requirement by the end of the 6th quarter in residence.
Students at the PhD stage are expected to satisfy their second foreign language requirement by the end of the 1st quarter and any additional languages by the end of the 3rd quarter in residence (or in consultation with the major advisor).
Fulfilling the Language Requirement
Option 1: Pass the Departmental Foreign Language Exam.
The language exam consists of translation of a text of 300-700 words chosen by the examiner to be translated into English in three hours (use of a non-electronic dictionary is allowed). Specific qualities of the language and expected level of proficiency in the field will impact the choice and length of the selected text. The Department expects accurate rendition in English rather than a strict translation, word for word, and values the quality of the translation over the completion of the exam.
Language exams are scheduled four times a year, approximately three weeks prior to finals week during the regular academic quarters. Entering students must sit for the first language exam in the first week of the fall quarter. Exam results will be sent out by email within three weeks of the exam date. If feedback on the exam is desired after the results have been announced, students are welcome to contact the examiner. If a student fails the exam and wants to appeal, he or she should contact the Chair of the Language Committee or Director of Graduate Studies.
Option 2: Complete UCLA courses French 6, German 6, Italian 6, Spanish 25, or other relevant language classes with a minimum grade of “B”.
The following is a general guideline for language requirements in relation to specific fields of study. The final selection and number of languages is to be determined in consultation with the primary advisor.
African Indigenous African languages, Arabic, French, German, Portuguese Ancient/Mediterranean/Near East Akkadian, Sumerian, Egyptian, Greek, Latin Chinese/Korean/Japanese Two East Asian languages, for pre-modern studies additionally literary Chinese or Japanese Byzantine/Western Medieval French, German, Greek, Latin, Italian, Slavic Languages, Turkish, Spanish Indigenous Americas One European language, one indigenous language (e.g., Quechua, Nahuatl, Maya), one other language (depending on topic) Islamic Arabic, Turkish/Ottoman, Persian, French, German Latin America Spanish (mandatory), French, German, Portuguese Modern & Contemporary Europe & America French, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian Renaissance/Baroque/Early Modern Italian, French, Spanish, German, Latin, Dutch, Slavic Languages, Latin and/or Greek (depending on topic) South Asia Sanskrit, Hindi/Urdu, Persian Southeast Asia Thai, Vietnamese, Indonesian
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QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023: History of Art
Discover which universities around the world are the best for History of Art with the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023.
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Published on: 22 March 2023
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PhD in Art History
The University of Minnesota's Doctoral Program in Art History is a fully funded PhD program that trains scholars who go on to careers in universities, colleges, museums, and other arts institutions throughout the nation and the world. The Department of Art History is an exciting place to ground yourself in the theories and methods of art history, to pursue interdisciplinary work, and to develop a global perspective on the discipline.
Our current faculty and institutional strengths support specialization in the following overlapping fields: East Asian art, Modern European art and visual/material culture, Islamic art (including the medieval Persianate world and the Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal empires), the global early modern in Europe, the Atlantic world, South Asia, Italian Baroque art, North American art and visual/material culture, film and photography, and contemporary art and theory.
As a major research university located in a thriving urban center, the University of Minnesota has much to offer students of the visual arts. On campus, the Weisman Art Museum, designed by architect Frank Gehry, features an outstanding teaching collection, stimulating exhibitions, and an active programming schedule. Beyond the University, you will find in the Twin Cities a lively arts community and world-class art institutions including the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, the Walker Art Center, and the Guthrie Theater.
We are committed to supporting graduate students intellectually, professionally, and financially. The interdisciplinary programming of the Institute for Advanced Study and other campus centers provides many opportunities to exchange ideas with colleagues in other fields. You will encounter opportunities to curate exhibitions on campus and in the community and you will enter into a graduate student community that is remarkably active in presenting papers, both nationally and internationally. The Department of Art History's graduate student professionalization workshop meets several times each semester to discuss such topics as teaching methods, journal and book publishing, CV preparation, and the job market outlook.
All accepted students are fully funded. Students are guaranteed five years of funding through a combination of teaching assistantships, research assistantships, and fellowships. Assistantships provide an annual stipend, a full-tuition scholarship, and health insurance. In addition, every year the department nominates students for collegiate- and university-wide recruitment, predoctoral and dissertation write-up fellowships that provide additional stipend and release from TA-ing. Students who win external fellowships are allowed to save a year of their UMN funding for a sixth year.
College Resources for Graduate Students
Visit CLA’s website for graduate students to learn about collegiate funding opportunities, student support, career services, and more.
Student Services Career Services Funding & Support
Graduate Programs
History of art and architecture.
Students in the Department of History of Art and Architecture are able to study in a wide array of areas including ancient, medieval, early modern (Renaissance, 17th and 18th centuries), modern, contemporary, East Asian, African and Latin American art and architecture, and history of photography.
The department's faculty consists of historians of the major periods of Western, African and East Asian art and architecture, representing a broad spectrum of the discipline's methodologies and specialties. Courses offered at Harvard and the nearby Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) may be taken for credit free of charge by history of art students with the approval of the department.
Additional Resources
Access to the holdings of the RISD Museum and the library of the Rhode Island School of Design, adjacent to the Brown campus; use of the Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology and the Ancient World for students interested in antiquity; collections of the Bell Gallery, the John Hay Library, and the John Carter Brown Library; an extensive slide library housed in the List Art Center; and electronic visual resources in development.
Application Information
Application requirements, gre subject:.
Not required
GRE General:
Writing sample:, dates/deadlines, application deadline, completion requirements.
Fulfillment of the AM requirement above, general examination (written and oral), dissertation colloquium, and dissertation.
Alumni Careers
Contact and Location
Department of history of art and architecture, mailing address.
- Program Faculty
- Program Handbook
- Graduate School Handbook
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
Art History is above average in terms of popularity with it being the #108 most popular doctor's degree program in the country. As a result, there are many college that offer the degree, making your choice of school a hard one. In 2024, College Factual analyzed 45 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Art History Doctor's Degree Schools ranking.
Ann Arbor, MI ·. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor ·. Graduate School. ·. 7 reviews. Master's Student: The Landscape Architecture program at UMich School for Environment and Sustainability is rooted in advancing sustainable design and ecological function, rather than pure aesthetics. We have some amazing faculty very dedicated to this ...
Graduate School. ·. 1 review. Alum: Being an art student at the University of Florida is a mix of highs and lows. On the bright side, the classes are diverse, the professors are knowledgeable, and the facilities are top-notch, which really helps in developing my skills. Plus, Gainesville's vibrant art scene is super inspiring.
The Royal College of Art in the UK is ranked in first place in this ranking, which collects information on programmes teaching the history of architecture and design in addition to history of art. There is one brand-new entrant in the top 10 this year: the University of Tokyo debuts in this ranking in sixth place, making it the third-best ...
Hanover, NH ·. 4 Year. ·. 751 reviews. Alum: At Dartmouth, undergraduates enjoy the best of both worlds: the supportive, tight-knit environment of a small liberal arts college AND the top-tier resources and opportunities of a larger research institution.
The best cities to study Art History in the United States based on the number of universities and their ranks are Chapel Hill, Berkeley, New York, and Stanford. Below is the list of 100 best universities for Art History in the United States ranked based on their research performance: a graph of 2.8M citations received by 323K academic papers ...
Discover the 2024+ best Art History PhD programs! Explore top-ranked institutions, faculty expertise, and research opportunities for your academic journey. ... nor are they intended to provide, a comprehensive list of all schools (a) in the United States, (b) located in a specific geographic area or (c) that offer a particular program of study ...
99. University of Liege. 100. University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Below is the list of 100 best universities for Art History in the World ranked based on their research performance: a graph of 5.77M citations received by 772K academic papers made by these universities was used to calculate ratings and create the top.
Why Study Art History in United States. Studying Art History in United States is a great choice, as there are 37 universities that offer PhD degrees on our portal. Over 957,000 international students choose United States for their studies, which suggests you'll enjoy a vibrant and culturally diverse learning experience and make friends from ...
History of Art and Architecture. Ph.D. / Full-time / On Campus. 39,518 EUR / year. 5 years. University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Ranked top 2%.
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in art history. U-M is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of Ann Arbor. This university ranks 1st out of 57 colleges for overall quality in the state of Michigan.
The PhD program in this department is considered one of the foremost in the country. The doctoral degree is offered in a wide range of fields from Ancient West Asian (Near Eastern) art and archaeology to contemporary art and critical theory, with most of the major fields in between strongly represented: Greek and Roman; western Medieval and Byzantine; Italian, French, and British Renaissance ...
PhD Art History Admission. The Department welcomes graduate applications from individuals with a broad range of life experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds who would contribute to our community of scholars. Review of applications is holistic and individualized, considering each applicant's academic record and accomplishments, letters of ...
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.
Overview. The Department of History of Art offers a two-stage integrated master's and doctoral program (MA/PhD) in preparation for college teaching, writing, and specialized curatorial careers. Students are not admitted to work for a terminal MA degree, though students may apply for the MA after meeting Stage I requirements toward the PhD.
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 ...
QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023: History of Art Discover which universities around the world are the best for History of Art with the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023. Register for free site membership to access direct university comparisons and more
Apply to the PhD program in art history. The University of Minnesota's Doctoral Program in Art History is a fully funded PhD program that trains scholars who go on to careers in universities, colleges, museums, and other arts institutions throughout the nation and the world. The Department of Art History is an exciting place to ground yourself ...
Alfred, NY. #10 in Best Fine Arts Programs (tie) Save. 3.8. For artists, earning an M.F.A. demonstrates advanced abilities in an art specialty field, such as graphic design, painting and drawing ...
Mailing Address. Brown University. Box 1855. [email protected]. 401-863-1174. Visit the Department of History of Art and Architecture.
Johns Hopkins University. Baltimore, MD. #10 in History. Save. 4.5. Earning a graduate degree in history involves analysis, research and presentations. In some cases, students must also complete a ...
Doctor of Philosophy in Art History. Pursue Temple's Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Art History in the Tyler School of Art and Architecture and engage with the rigorous academic training required to attain teaching, research and curatorial positions at the highest levels of the discipline. This 30-credit hour PhD program is intentionally small so that each student's primary advisor can ...
The Ph.D. Program in Art History is dedicated to the development of scholars, teachers, museum personnel, art critics, and other professionals. Students specialize in one area while gaining a full general background in the history of art. Arrangements have been made through the cooperation of ...
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