art_history
Art and Art History

Graduate Art History Program: Ph.D.

Admissions

  • December 15th is the postmark deadline to apply for the following fall
  • Applications are accepted only for the Fall semester; there are no Spring or Summer admissions.
  • A current GRE is required for application to the graduate program.

Application instructions

Ph.D. Program Eligibility
Applicants to the doctoral program must have an M.A. degree in art history or an M.A. degree in a related field with substantial coursework in art history at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Ph.D. Course Work
The Doctor of Philosophy degree requires at least thirty hours of coursework beyond the M.A. degree. Course requirements include (1) a minimum of five graduate seminars in at least two of the Department’s chronological groupings of western and non-western art: Ancient; Medieval to Early Modern; and Modern; (2) nine hours of supporting courses with two courses outside the Department in areas related to the major field and one graduate reading course outside the Department often taken in the context of preparation for the qualifying examination; and (3) six hours of dissertation research and writing. Further requirements include a dissertation colloquium, written and oral qualifying examinations that admit the student to doctoral candidacy, completion of the dissertation, and the oral defense of the dissertation.

Ph.D. Language Requirement
Doctoral students must have reading/translation competence in at least two languages in addition to English. These languages will be relevant to the student's areas of study and will allow the student to undertake primary research and understand the scholarship or his or her chosen field. Students will consult with the Graduate Advisor to determine which languages will be necessary, and these choices are subject to ratification by the Graduate Studies Committee. Each language requirement can be fulfilled in one of three ways: 1) four semesters of college-level language courses passed at grade B or above; 2) standardized testing; 3) A departmental exam to test reading/translation proficiency in French, Spanish and German, and other languages as petitioned by students, three times each year (beginning and end of fall semester, once during spring semester) and be administered by two faculty members. The language requirement must be completed before the student advances to doctoral candidacy.

The Dissertation Colloquium
The Dissertation Colloquium, held during the third or fourth term of the student’s residence and after the completion of at least eighteen hours of coursework, is meant to acquaint the faculty with the dissertation project. The Dissertation Colloquium consists of a discussion of the topic with the faculty, after which the faculty presents the student with recommendations and permission to proceed. The topics for the qualifying examination are also set at the Colloquium, and the Examining Committee is determined. At this time the composition of the dissertation committee is also discussed.

Qualifying Examination
The student will be examined in four areas: at least two broad areas of expertise and one or two focused areas with the possibility of one area being directed by a faculty member outside the Department. Three hours are allowed for each exam, and all four exams must be completed within one week. A one-hour oral exam on the same topics will follow. At this time, the examining committee will question the student about the answers on his or her written exams. The student’s performance on these exams will be ranked “Pass with Distinction,” “Pass,” or “Fail.” Once this requirement has been completed, the student files for doctoral candidacy, and must enroll for dissertation hours every fall and spring semester until the degree is completed.

The Dissertation
The dissertation must make an original contribution to scholarship. It normally requires fieldwork of at least a year’s duration. The Dissertation Committee directs the student during the completion of the dissertation. An oral defense of the dissertation before at least four members of the Dissertation Committee is a University requirement. Following successful completion of the dissertation defense, the Graduate Studies Committee in Art History certifies that all requirements have been met and recommends award of the doctoral degree.

For more details on courses, degree requirements, financial aid, and resources at the University of Texas at Austin, download the Guide to Graduate Studies in Art History (pdf).

For additional information on funding and financial aid, see Funding Graduate Studies in Art History.