History of Art Doctor of Philosophy

About us

Although the Department of History of Art offers both the Master of Arts and the Doctor of Philosophy degrees, the MA is awarded in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the PhD. The department does not admit students who wish to work solely toward the master's degree.

The PhD program is designed to be completed in six years. The first two years are devoted to intensive coursework and to the fulfillment of the writing requirements for the MA degree (either a thesis or two qualifying papers). Years three and four are devoted to additional coursework, to studying for and taking the candidacy exams, and to preparing the dissertation prospectus. The fifth and sixth years are devoted to researching and writing the dissertation.

In addition to the areas of specialization offered within the History of Art Department, students may also take advantage of interdisciplinary programs offered at the university, including those through:

as well as programs in:

The department also maintains close ties to the Wexner Center for the Arts and the Columbus Museum of Art, and students are encouraged to become actively involved with both institutions.