Art History

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, 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, South America, 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.

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 their 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. The selection of 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.

• 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 area 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.
• Grade Point Average Requirement Students must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.00/4.00. 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.

Requirements

• Baccalaureate Field No restrictions.
• Previous Degrees Completion of a Master of Arts program in Art History or equivalent is required for admission to the PhD program. However, exceptional students may be admitted directly to the PhD program with a bachelor’s degree, completing the requisite 96 semester credits of courses and the other requirements of the degree, without completing an MA. Students originally accepted in the department for the MA who wish to continue on to the doctorate must satisfy the department’s Master of Arts degree requirements and must apply to the PhD program. Doctoral applicants who have a Master of Arts degree in a related field may be accepted directly into the doctoral program with the transfer of up to 32 credits toward the doctorate. Examples of appropriate related degrees include: MArch, the MFA in Art, and the MA in such humanities areas as history, philosophy, or literature.
• Grade Point Average At least 3.00/4.00 in an appropriate MA from another institution; if applying with a BA, the applicant must have a 3.20 overall and a 3.50 in the major, or approval by the Graduate Program Committee.
• Tests Required GRE General.
• Minimum English Competency Test Score
  • TOEFL 650 (paper-based); 95, with subscores of  Reading 24, Listening 24, Speaking 24, and Writing 22 (iBT Internet-based), OR,
  • IELTS 7.0, with subscores of 6.5 for all four subscores, OR,
  • PTE-Academic 54, with subscores of Reading 51, Listening 47, Speaking 53, and Writing 56.
• Letters of Recommendation Three required, preferably from professors and others who are familiar with the applicant’s potential for serious academic work.
• Personal Statement Applicants must submit a short statement of purpose (2–3 pages) that should address the reasons for wishing to do doctoral work and the relationship of this work to their professional and career objectives.
• Writing Sample Applicants must submit a sample of their written work (approximately 25 pages).

Want to improve your English level for admission?

Prepare for the program requirements with English Online by the British Council.

• ✔️ Flexible study schedule
• ✔️ Experienced teachers
• ✔️ Certificate upon completion

📘 Recommended for students with an IELTS level of 6.0 or below.

Enroll in the course

Scholarships

• Teaching assistantships
• Research assistantships 
• Graduate assistantships
• Global Education