phd in philosophy of art

Doctor of Philosophy

The Institute of Fine Arts is dedicated to graduate teaching and advanced research in the history of art and archeology and in the conservation and technology of works of art. The Institute strives to give its students not only a sound knowledge in the history of art, but also a foundation in research, connoisseurship, and theory as a basis for independent critical judgment and research. The student following the PhD course of study gains a deeper understanding of a subject area, beyond what is normally acquired at the master’s level and develops a capacity for independent scholarship. The PhD Program at the Institute of Fine Arts is a course of study designed for the person who wants to investigate the role of the visual arts in culture through detailed, object-based examination as well as historical and theoretical interpretation. The degree program provides a focused and rigorous experience supported by interaction with the leading scholars of the Institute, and access to New York area museums, curators, conservators, archaeological sites and NYU’s global network. The program is designed for up to six years of full-time funded study. A total of 18 courses (72 points) are required for the PhD degree. Each student registers for three courses per semester for the first five semesters. One course in the fifth semester is dedicated to developing the dissertation proposal. In the sixth semester students register for 12 points devoted preparing for the oral exam and beginning work on the dissertation. Exceptions to full-time study are made only for urgent financial or medical reasons and must have the approval from the Director of Graduate Studies.

Distribution Requirements

Students must take at least one seminar in four fields outside of their area of specialization. The Proseminar may count as one of these seminars. Students are required to take one course in technical studies of works of art. The minimum total seminars for PhD students is six. Students may take courses in other relevant disciplines in consultation with their advisor, and subject to the approval of the Director of Graduate Studies.

Distribution requirements are met by choosing courses in the following fields:

• Pre-modern Asia
• Pre-modern Africa and the Middle East
• The Ancient Mediterranean and Middle East, including
• Pre-modern Europe and the Americas
• Post-1750 Global
• Museum and Curatorial Studies
• Technical Studies of Works of Art
• Architectural History

Course Definitions and Requirements

Proseminar : The purpose of the Proseminar is to introduce students in the doctoral program to advanced research methods in the history of art. Because it is a dedicated course for the entering PhD student, it will serve to consolidate the cohort. It is taken during the first semester and is taught by a rotation of the Institute faculty, with a different faculty member chosen each year. Emphasis is placed on the specific practices of art-historical analysis in relation to visual and textual interpretation. The contents of the seminar vary each year according to the research interests of the chosen instructor. The class is structured around specific problems in the history of art rather than broad conceptual paradigms, with an emphasis on historical interpretation. Colloquium: A colloquium provides an analysis or overview of the state of the literature on a given art historical topic or problem, with extensive reading, discussion, and presentations. There may be a final paper.

Seminar: A seminar is a focused advanced course that explores a topic in depth. Seminars are often based on an exhibition in the New York area. Students are expected to produce a substantive paper that demonstrates original research. Lecture: Lecture courses explore topics or historical periods, giving overviews of major issues as well as detailed analysis of specific problems and works of art. Students are responsible for assigned and recommended reading, and may produce short papers and/or take an exam.

Curatorial Track

This doctoral-level program is offered jointly by the Institute of Fine Arts and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, under the supervision of the Joint Committee on Curatorial Studies composed of faculty, curators, and the Directors of both institutions. The purpose of the program is to prepare students for curatorial careers in specialized fields. Students are required to take two courses in Curatorial Studies, which are taught at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, before being offered an internship at the Museum.

Language Requirement

PhD students must demonstrate proficiency in reading two modern research languages other than English that are relevant to their studies. Proficiency is demonstrated by passing an examination administered by the Institute of Fine Arts. International students focusing on a field of study in which their native language is relevant may be granted an exemption from the language requirement pending submission of an exemption form signed by their advisor and the Director of Graduate Studies.

Qualifying Paper

The Qualifying Paper may be developed from seminar work or might be on a topic devised in consultation with the student’s advisor. Normally, the student will be advised to produce a detailed study on a subject that leads towards the dissertation. It should be no longer than 10,000 words (excluding bibliography and footnotes).

Students are examined on a major field consisting of two contiguous areas and a third component that can be in a related field providing skills for their dissertation.

Students are encouraged to teach after passing the second year review. Opportunities for teaching at NYU and at other New York area colleges and universities will be coordinated by the Director of Graduate Studies.

PhD students are funded for up to six years, depending on the transfer of previous graduate work. The program is normally divided into three years of course work, exams, and submission of a dissertation proposal and three years for dissertation research and writing. Variations to this pattern might occur according to opportunities for students to develop skills or experience in their specialist fields, as approved by the student’s advisor and the Director of Graduate Studies. Students are encouraged to compete for outside fellowships. The award of such fellowships might extend the number of years taken to complete the program. Institute funding will be suspended during the period of outside fellowship support.

Students Entering with a Master’s Degree

To receive the PhD degree, all Institute requirements must have been fulfilled, including a Master’s thesis (of copy of which is submitted with the application), and a distribution of courses within areas of study that correspond to those outlined in Distribution Requirements. No credits will be automatically transferred; credit will be awarded based upon evaluation by the Institute Faculty at the First Year Course Review. In addition, at least one written comprehension exam in a foreign language must have been passed. The student entering with a MA degree must pass an exam in a second language, if not yet attained, by the end of his/her first year of study. Entering students who have been awarded an MA at the Institute will begin as third year PhD students. They are expected to have a distribution of courses that meet the Course Distribution for the PhD and are required to pass a written comprehension exam in a second language.

Degree Requirements

PhD | Masters Degree | Conservation

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As a PhD student in the Harvard philosophy program, you’ll have the opportunity to develop your ideas, knowledge, and abilities. You'll work with other doctoral students, our faculty, and visiting scholars, all in a stimulating and supportive environment. The program has strengths across a broad range of topics and areas, so you'll be able to pursue your interests wherever they may lead, especially in moral and political philosophy, aesthetics, epistemology, philosophy of logic, philosophy of language, the history of analytic philosophy, ancient philosophy, Immanuel Kant, and Ludwig Wittgenstein. In addition, students can pursue joint degrees with classics, Harvard Law School, and in Indian philosophy.

Incoming cohorts consist of five to eight students per year. You will have substantial access to our renowned faculty and all the resources that Harvard makes available. This relatively small size also gives students a sense of intellectual community.

The curriculum is structured to help you make your way towards a dissertation: graduate-level coursework, a second-year research paper, a prospectus to help you identify a dissertation topic, and then the dissertation itself. Past dissertations in the department have addressed a broad range of topics: Aristotle, Kant, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau; contemporary moral and political philosophy; metaphysics; epistemology; and logic.

In addition to your research, you will also have the opportunity to develop your teaching skills in many different settings across the University.

You can find graduates of the PhD program in many universities. Some of our students have gone on to faculty positions at Yale University, Princeton University, Brown University, and Stanford University. Other graduates have gone on to diverse careers in, among others, the arts, the law, secondary education, and technology.

In addition to the standard PhD in philosophy, the department offers a PhD in classical philosophy in collaboration with the Department of the Classics and a coordinated JD/PhD program in conjunction with Harvard Law School.

Additional information on the graduate program is available from the Department of Philosophy and requirements for the degree are detailed in Policies .

Areas of Study

Philosophy | Classical Philosophy | Indian Philosophy 

For information please consult the Department webpage on the  graduate program overview .

Admissions Requirements

Please review admissions requirements and other information before applying. You can find degree program specific admissions requirements below and access additional guidance on applying from the Department of Philosophy .

Academic Background

Applicants to the program in Philosophy are required to have a solid undergraduate background in philosophy, indicating that they have a good grounding in the history of philosophy, as well as familiarity with contemporary work in ethics, epistemology and metaphysics, and logic.

Standardized Tests

GRE General: Optional

Writing Sample

A writing sample is required as part of the application and should be between 12 to 30 pages long. The sample must address a substantial philosophical problem, whether it is an evaluation or presentation of an argument, or a serious attempt to interpret a difficult text. The upload of the writing sample should be formatted for 8.5-inch x 11-inch paper, 1-inch margins, with double-spaced text in a common 12-point font, such as Times New Roman.

Applicants seeking admission to the coordinated JD/PhD program must apply to and be separately admitted to Harvard Law School and the Department of Philosophy.

Theses & Dissertations

Theses & Dissertations for Philosophy

See list of Philosophy faculty

APPLICATION DEADLINE

Questions about the program.

Aesthetics for Birds

Aesthetics and philosophy of art for everyone.

Where to Study Aesthetics and Philosophy of Art [updated 2020]

December 14, 2020 by Alex King | 0 comments

This post provides all of the information that is currently available about where to formally study aesthetics and philosophy of art in English. It is an updated version of this post from 2018.

How to Use the Below Guides

Each of these guides has some potentially useful information. They form a complex Venn diagram of overlapping information, and students interested in pursuing aesthetics and the philosophy of art may want to consult all of them before making any final decisions about where to apply or accept.

A note to prospective PhD students: Be aware that the job market for aesthetics-specific jobs is generally pretty dismal, even relative to the already pretty dismal philosophy job market. It may be slightly improving, but it isn’t great. My own advice, for what it’s worth: A good strategy for you is to nurture other areas of specialization alongside aesthetics, and therefore to use the below guides to inform but not dictate your choices of graduate program. But as always, ymmv .

Readers should also feel free to comment here or contact me with additional information, and I will update this post accordingly.

The American Society for Aesthetics Graduate Guide

The American Society for Aesthetics maintains an updated graduate guide , based on responses from departments themselves. It is aimed at “students who are interested in pursuing graduate studies in philosophy with an expertise or competence in aesthetics or the philosophy of art.” It features:

• 65 departments in Canada, Mexico, and the United States
• a breakdown of departments by PhD (47 programs) and MA (18 programs)
• explanations of the program’s general orientation (analytic, historical, continental, etc.)
• approximate course offerings
• a list of relevant faculty and their areas of research

The British Society of Aesthetics

The British Society of Aesthetics maintains a list of specialized degree programs , where one can go to earn a specialized degree in aesthetics, philosophy of art, literature, art history, art theory, etc. Note that these programs offer degrees like an MA in  History and Philosophy of Art , rather than an MA in Philosophy with a special curricular focus on aesthetics and philosophy of art. Still, it’s worth noting that many of these programs are run by philosophy departments, so that philosophy is likely to be the core of the curriculum.

Crowdsourced Google Doc [ongoing]

This is a live, crowdsourced Google Doc that aims to fill in some gaps left by the above guides. It features:

• a list of faculty in English-speaking philosophy departments worldwide, organized by continent and country
• undergraduate-relevant information as well as MA and PhD information
• some faculty specializations

If readers have additional information to add to this document (or spot any mistakes that need correction), please feel free to do so!

The Philosophical Gourmet Report

The Philosophical Gourmet Report (PGR) offers a reputational ranking of philosophy departments in the English-speaking world, collected through surveys of philosophy faculty. Readers should be aware that this ranking is controversial. Still, this isn’t the place to to rehash all of the debates about the report , even those that have appeared on this very blog . Here is its most recent  Philosophy of Art ranking (from 2018), which features:

• programs from the UK, Canada, and the US
• reputational rankings based on surveys from senior faculty
• programs sorted into tiered groups (1-4)

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ART-PHD - Art (PhD)

Institute for Doctoral Studies in the Visual Arts

IDSVA’s pioneering curriculum—fusing interactive online education with intensive residencies—allows working art professionals to pursue rigorous advanced scholarship without having to interrupt or abandon their teaching careers, art practice, or other professional responsibilities.

As a true nomadic institution, IDSVA does not have a campus. We exist everywhere our students and faculty are. The IDSVA experience fuses interactive online education with intensive residencies in Rome, Spannocchia Castle (Tuscany), Siena, Florence, Venice, Berlin, Paris, Athens, Madrid, Marrakech, Mexico City, and NYC.

Artists, architects, curators, educators, philosophers, and creative scholars. Throughout this experience, IDSVA students are joined by world-leading artists and philosophers who make up the Core Faculty and Visiting Faculty.

Our innovative curriculum explores the deeply intertwined relations between the history of ideas and the history of visual culture. IDSVA grants a PhD in Visual Arts: Philosophy, Aesthetics, and Art Theory.

Changing the Way Humans Think

IDSVA’s aim is to change the way human beings think, to change the way we see the lifeworld and the way we see one another. That change— the change we are working toward as a shared communal aspiration —stands as IDSVA’s vision of the possible.

Visting Faculty

The IDSVA Visiting Faculty bring together the world's leading philosophers, artists, and scholars. These internationally renowned educators join students at residency sites and lead seminar discussions about the site's historical, aesthetic, and ideological significance.

Achievements

With a wide-ranging and prolific array of exhibitions, conference presentations, and publications, IDSVA students & alumni are changing the way we see and think.

Job Appointments

We are proud to share the latest job announcements from our students & alumni.

Book Publications

Recent book publications from IDSVA students, alumni, and faculty.

An Interview with IDSVA Founder George Smith

In this wide-ranging conversation with documentarian Christopher Andrew, President Emeritus George Smith talks about IDSVA's early tribulations and founding principles.

IDSVA Summer Faculty 2024

The following roster of scholars and artist-philosophers will join IDSVA students in seminars and symposia in Athens, Rome, Spannocchia, and Venice.

Dr. Carolyn Jean Martin awarded the 2024 Ted Coons Dissertation Prize

Awarded to one graduate each year, The Ted Coons Dissertation Prize was established in 2015 to acknowledge outstanding IDSVA dissertations.

IDSVA awards several PhD and MPhil degrees at the 2024 Commencement Ceremony

The following degrees will be awarded on April 21, 2024 in NYC.

SIMONETTA MORO NAMED IDSVA’S NEW PRESIDENT

Following an international search process, Simonetta Moro has been named the new President of the Institute for Doctoral Studies in the Visual Arts (IDSVA). Dr. Moro succeeds IDSVA’s founder, George Smith (2006-2024).

IDSVA is proud to announce the 2024 Commencement Speaker, Bruce C. Glavovic

Bruce Glavovic will receive an honorary PhD degree at the 2024 IDSVA Commencement Ceremony in New York City

IDSVA to participate in the 2024 Biennale Sessions

In June 2024, IDSVA will participate in the La Biennale di Venezia Biennale Sessions

IDSVA presents the final webinar in the series "The Blazing World, Or the Climatological Imperative: From Inaction to Reimagination"

April 5th from 2-4 pm EDT

IDSVA presents the second webinar in the series: “The Blazing World, Or the Climatological Imperative: From Inaction to Reimagination”

March 22, 2024 from 1-3pm ET

Join IDSVA for the International Webinar Conference Series: The Blazing World, Or the Climatological Imperative

PLENARY OPENING Bruce Glavovic on March 15, 2025.

"IDSVA is one of the single most important developments in the recent history of art education." David C. Driskell, (1931-2020) American artist and preeminent historian of African American Art. The David C. Driskell Center for the Study of the Visual Arts and Culture of African Americans and the African Diaspora is located at the University of Maryland, College Park.

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Please take a moment to fill out the form below and I will be in touch as soon as possible to help answer any immediate questions and facilitate the next steps in the admissions process. I'm looking forward to working with you. Best, Molly Davis Director of Administration & Director of Admissions

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Doctor of Philosophy in Visual and Performing Arts

Program description.

The PhD in visual and performing arts program is designed primarily for individuals who wish to conduct advanced research and to teach at the college level, and can lead to a wide variety of non-academic careers as well. It is open to qualified candidates who desire to enhance their knowledge and skills.

The program provides students with a flexible, interdisciplinary context within which to pursue their studies, built on connections among specific courses and areas of interest. Each student plans an individual program of studies in consultation with an assigned advisor.

Visual and performing arts is an interdisciplinary program of study, so students take the majority of their coursework in visual and performing arts courses, but must also take two seminars each in both history of ideas and literature. Students pursuing the PhD in visual and performing arts may submit a creative project as part of their dissertation.

Career Opportunities

Graduates of the program seek positions such as: artists, performers, teachers, researchers, arts administrators, arts entrepreneurs, arts writers/critics, editors, museum staff, consultants, archivists and other positions in research or professional practice. Career settings may include higher education, non-profits, cultural and historical organizations, publishing houses, government agencies, international development organizations, museums and archives, business/corporate entities and independent consulting.

Marketable Skills

Review the marketable skills for this academic program.

Application Requirements

Visit the  Apply Now  webpage to begin the application process.  

Applicants to the Doctoral degree program should have:  

• A baccalaureate degree (BA or MA) or its equivalent from an accredited institution of higher education, normally in an arts and humanities field.  
• Letters of Recommendation: Applicants must submit 3 letters of recommendation from faculty, or other individuals, able to judge the candidate’s potential for success in the program.  
• Admissions Essay: Applicants must submit a 650-word narrative essay, which should be reflective rather than factual. The essay should address the applicant’s academic interests and goals and indicate how the program would enable such pursuits.  
• A writing sample: Submit an academic writing sample (e.g., a seminar paper or a critical essay). 
• International applicants must submit a TOEFL score of at least 80 on the internet-based test.  Scores must be less than two years old. See the  Graduate Catalog  for additional information regarding English proficiency requirements for international applicants.  
• Each application is considered holistically on its individual merits. You must submit all supporting documents before the Graduate Admissions Committee can review your application. 
• The Graduate Record Examination is not required. 

Deadline:  The application deadline is January 15. All applications completed by the deadline will be reviewed for admission. Applications submitted or completed after January 15 may be reviewed for admission only if spaces remain within the upcoming cohort and will be reviewed in order by the date the application file became complete.

Contact Information

Dr. Catherine Parsoneault Clinical Professor and Program Head Phone: 972-883-2140 Email: [email protected]

Graduate Advising Pia K. Jakobsson Phone: 972-883-4706 Email: [email protected]

Graduate Admissions Phone: 972-883-6176 Email: [email protected] Request Bass School Graduate Program Information

Harry W. Bass Jr. School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology The University of Texas at Dallas, JO31 800 W. Campbell Road Richardson, TX 75080-3021

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School of Art and Art History

Doctor of philosophy in art history.

Master of Arts (MA) in Art History

Our PhD program provides scholarly challenges, research skills, and mentoring necessary for professional development and successful careers.

PhD students are expected to acquire greater breadth and depth of knowledge in the discipline of art history, to achieve a high level of expertise in a specialized field, and to demonstrate professional speaking and writing skills.

Every successful PhD student must complete a publishable dissertation that makes an original contribution to the art history discipline and demonstrates evidence of the candidate's superior understanding of the critical issues in the chosen field of specialization.

Graduate student resources

• Key policy and key checkout form
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• Studio space agreement
• Art History Graduate Bulletin

Requirements, admission, and program information

Degree requirements.

The Doctor of Philosophy program in art history requires a minimum of 72 semester hours of graduate credit. PhD students are expected to acquire great breadth and depth of knowledge in the discipline of art history, achieve a high level of expertise in a specialized field, and demonstrate professional speaking and writing skills. The program provides them with scholarly challenges, research skills, and mentoring necessary for professional development and successful careers.

PhD students must maintain a grade-point average (GPA) of at least 3.50. They may count a maximum of 38 semester hours of work completed for the MA toward the PhD. Students are allowed only one semester of academic probation.

To establish academic residency, doctoral students must be enrolled full-time (at least 9 semester hours) at The University of Iowa for two semesters beyond their first 24 semester hours of graduate study; or they must enroll for at least 6 semester hours in each of three semesters during which they hold an assistantship of one-quarter-time or more. Resident tuition is assessed for assistantship semesters and adjacent summer sessions.

PhD students major in one of the following distribution fields: Asian, Ancient Mediterranean, Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque, 18th- and 19th-century European, American, and Modern/Contemporary. In addition, candidates minor in two fields; any of the previous plus African. One minor must be in an art history distribution field that is non-contiguous with the major field. The second minor may be in any art history distribution field, OR it may be in a relevant discipline outside the Division of Art History, subject to approval of the Art History faculty.

PhD students must complete a publishable dissertation that makes an original contribution to the art history discipline and demonstrates evidence of superior understanding of critical issues in the student's chosen specialization field.

For more detailed information, consult the  art history policies and procedures .

Applications to the PhD program in art history, with all supporting materials and requests for financial aid, must be received by Dec. 15 for fall admission in the following year. Please  apply now  for complete application information. Applicants must hold an MA in art history or a related graduate degree and must be able to demonstrate proficiency in French or German. Proficiency in a second non-English language relevant to the student's research area is required by the end of the third semester of PhD work; see "Language requirement" section.

Although exceptions may be made when other components of the application are strong, applicants should have a graduate grade-point average (GPA) of at least 3.50 on a 4.00 scale.

Students who completed an MA at the University of Iowa and who wish to apply for entrance into the PhD program must make a formal application to the program. (Please see Graduate Program Coordinator for procedures.) Applications are evaluated in the context of the entire applicant pool.

Required courses

PhD students must satisfactorily complete ARTH:4999 History and Methods, even if they have completed a similar course at another institution (students who have completed the course for a master's degree or other previous work at Iowa are exempt). They must register for an art history seminar in their first three semesters of PhD course work (or in their fifth, sixth, and seventh semesters of graduate study), before the PhD readings course and comprehensive exam. They also must satisfactorily complete ARTH:6020 Art History Colloquium every semester that they are enrolled for 9 semester hours or more or are serving as teaching or research assistants. Students who are not employed as teaching or research assistants or are registered for less than 9 semester hours are strongly encouraged to attend the colloquium.

Up to 6 semester hours of credit for dissertation research may be applied toward the 72 semester hours required for the degree. Courses outside the curriculum of the School of Art & Art History's art history division do not carry art history credit.

Directed Studies

Normally, a maximum of 6 semester hours earned in ARTH:6040 Directed Studies may be applied toward the semester-hour requirement for the PhD, although doctoral students may petition the art history faculty for permission to apply up to 9 semester hours.

Language requirement

PhD students must demonstrate proficiency in French or German for admission to the PhD program in art history. They must demonstrate proficiency in a second non-English language, generally one relevant to the chosen area of research, by the end of the third semester in the PhD program. Students may demonstrate proficiency by a) two years of university-level coursework, b) earning a grade of B or better in a 3000-level advanced language course, c) achieving at least an 80% proficiency score on the level 5 milestone of the relevant Rosetta Stone language program, or d) in exceptional circumstances, making a direct petition to the faculty after receiving the recommendation of their advisor. Language courses do not carry degree credit.

PhD committee

The PhD committee consists of the student's dissertation adviser, who is responsible for the major field, two members responsible for the two minor fields, and at least two additional members. Of these five, four must be tenured or tenure-track faculty members from the art history division. One must be from outside the division and must be a member of the Graduate College faculty. When appropriate, committees may include additional members.

Comprehensive examination

Upon completion of course requirements, the PhD candidate takes three written comprehensive examinations. The major exam consists of six questions and lasts six hours; the two minor exams each consist of three questions and last three hours. The exams normally are taken on any three days within one week (Monday through Friday).

The scope of the comprehensive exams is determined in consultation with the candidate's degree committee supervisor and the committee members responsible for the two minor fields.

Oral comprehensive examination

Within approximately two weeks of completing the three written exams, the candidate meets with their degree committee for the oral comprehensive examination, which concentrates on questions that arise from the written comprehensive exams.

Dissertation proposal

As soon as possible after completing the comprehensive examinations, the candidate submits a dissertation proposal to his or her degree committee supervisor and subsequently to the degree committee. The committee meets as a group with the candidate to discuss the dissertation proposal and to offer comments and suggestions. (The proposal must be submitted to the committee at least two weeks before the approval meeting.) The proposal includes a 1-2 page abstract, a 10-15 page précis (including a review of the state of the field), and a bibliography.

After the proposal has been approved by the committee, the candidate circulates an abstract to the entire art history faculty. The candidate must give a public presentation on the dissertation topic no later than the end of the semester following the degree committee's approval. The presentation is scheduled with the head of art history.

Final examination

Upon completing a dissertation, which constitutes an original scholarly contribution to the field, the candidate meets with the PhD committee for an oral defense of the dissertation. The oral defense constitutes the final examination for the PhD. The successful completion of this examination normally marks the last stage in the candidate's fulfillment of requirements for the degree.

Strengths and resources

The following are some highlights of the resources available for different areas of specialization. For all areas, the University Iowa Museum of Art is a valuable resource where students have an opportunity to gain experience and expertise. 

Modern studies

Modern studies constitute a significant strength of the program, with four faculty members offering courses and seminars in 18th-, 19th- and 20th-century American and European art and contemporary art and architecture. Students also have opportunities to participate in a variety of interdisciplinary programs in American and European history, literature, and politics.

18th- and 19th-century French and European art

Study of 18th- and 19th-century French and European art is greatly enriched by the De Caso collection of rare books and archives housed in the Art Library. Rare visual materials that are part of this collection have been digitized by the Office of Visual Materials.

20th century art

A major resource for 20th-century art is the International Dada Archive. Founded in 1979, it remains an invaluable resource for students and faculty at the University of Iowa as well as for Dada scholars throughout the world. Moreover, the University of Iowa Special Collections has a number of archives related to twentieth-century artists and artistic movements, from the Fluxus West Collection to the papers of Buster Cleveland. Moreover, the University of Iowa Museum of Art has an extensive collection of art from this period, the centerpiece of which is Jackson Pollock's  Mural . In addition to the permanent collection, the UIMA hosts exciting rotating exhibitions such as "Napoleon and the Art of Propaganda" (2012) and “New Forms: The Avant-Garde Meets the American Scene, 1934-1949” (2013).

African art

Another major strength of the department is African art. The Stanley Collection of African Art at the Stanley Museum of Art is one of the country’s most well-respected collections of African art and provides an invaluable resource for graduate students. The Project for Advanced Study of Art and Life in Africa (PASALA) is among the school's major assets, an interdisciplinary program of fellowships, scholarships, conferences, and publications on the visual arts in Africa. Among other things, it helped support the late Professor Christopher Roy's Art and Life in Africa Project, which is a website designed to provide textual and video resources for people interested in learning about various communities in Africa

Ancient and medieval studies

Ancient and medieval studies is another key strength of the program, with three faculty members offering courses and seminars in Egyptian, Near Eastern, Greek, Roman, and medieval art. Students also have the opportunity to study in a variety of related programs in ancient or medieval history, literature, and religion. They are encouraged to participate in the activities of the local chapter of the Archaeological Institute of America as well as the Medieval Studies Program and Iowa Forum of Graduate Medievalists. The University of Iowa Museum of Art provides a unique opportunity to handle Etruscan and South Italian vases while casts of bronze objects from Pompeii are available for close study on campus, and the nearby Cedar Rapids Museum of Art features a number of ancient portraits, from Alexander the Great to Marcus Aurelius. The University of Iowa Special Collections is home to a number of medieval manuscripts, and classes offered by the world-renowned Center for the Book complement these holdings.

Art Building West

The award-winning Art Building West was designed by New York architect Steven Holl. The building opened in 2006 and houses Studio and Art History classrooms, the Art Library, and administrative offices.

Visual Arts Building

The Visual Arts Building, also designed by Steven Holl Architects, opened in 2016. Designed to facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration, it is the most up-to-date visual arts facility in the U.S. The site is directly adjacent to Art Building West.

Create your academic path

You'll find degree overviews, requirements, course lists, academic plans, and more to help you plan your education and explore your possibilities.

Current course list

The MyUI Schedule displays registered courses for a particular session and is available to enrolled students. The list view includes course instructors, time and location, and features to drop courses or change sections.

Need more information?

For more information on the University of Iowa Department of Art and Art History PhD, please contact:

Laura Jorgensen

Art history faculty.

Björn Anderson

Robert Bork

Anna Isbell

Dorothy Johnson

Joni Kinsey

Brenda Longfellow

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Philosophy, PhD

The Penn Philosophy Department has a long and distinguished history. Philosophy has been taught at the University since 1755, and Penn was among the first universities in the country to offer the PhD degree in Philosophy, in 1882. The Department has always prized breadth, and its members are prepared to supervise advanced research in metaphysics and epistemology, philosophy of mind, philosophy of science, logic, philosophy of language, ethics, social and political philosophy, philosophy of law, and the history of philosophy.

The Ph.D. program includes course work, a teaching requirement, a preliminary examination, and the preparation and defense of a dissertation.   Required coursework includes two courses in contemporary epistemology and metaphysics (including philosophy of science, mind, language, and mathematics); two courses in value theory (ethics, political or legal philosophy, aesthetics); three courses in history of philosophy, and a logic requirement.

For more information: http://philosophy.sas.upenn.edu/graduate

View the University’s Academic Rules for PhD Programs .

Required Courses

The total course units required for graduation is 20.

Must include one course in ancient and one course in early modern through Kant.

One course unit must be a regularly offered Philosophy course.

The degree and major requirements displayed are intended as a guide for students entering in the Fall of 2023 and later. Students should consult with their academic program regarding final certifications and requirements for graduation.

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The department offers a wide range of courses in various traditions of philosophy, with strengths and a well-established reputation in the history of philosophy, ethics, philosophy of law, epistemology, philosophy of language, and philosophy of religion as well as other central topics.

• Programs of Study
• PhD - Doctor of Philosophy
• Combined PhD
• Department of Philosophy

Sun-Joo Shin

Director of Graduate Studies

• [email protected]

Julie Niemeyer

Departmental Registrar

• [email protected]
• 203-432-1682

Admission Requirements

Standardized testing requirements.

GRE is optional. 

Program-Specific Application Requirements

A writing sample is required by this program. 

English Language Requirement

TOEFL iBT or IELTS Academic is required of most applicants whose native language is not English.

You may be exempt from this requirement if you have received (or will receive) an undergraduate degree from a college or university where English is the primary language of instruction, and if you have studied in residence at that institution for at least three years.

Combined Degree Program Application Deadline

*The deadline to submit an application to a combined program is always the earlier deadline of the two individual programs, or December 15, whichever comes first.

Academic Information

Combined phd information.

Philosophy offers a combined PhD in conjunction with Classics and Psychology .

Program Advising Guidelines

GSAS Advising Guidelines

Academic Resources

Academic calendar.

The Graduate School's academic calendar lists important dates and deadlines related to coursework, registration, financial processes, and milestone events such as graduation.

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Registration Information and Dates

https://registration.yale.edu/

Students must register every term in which they are enrolled in the Graduate School. Registration for a given term takes place the semester prior, and so it's important to stay on top of your academic plan. The University Registrar's Office oversees the systems that students use to register. Instructions about how to use those systems and the dates during which registration occurs can be found on their registration website.

Financial Information

Phd stipend & funding.

PhD students at Yale are normally full-funded for a minimum of five years. During that time, our students receive a twelve-month stipend to cover living expenses and a fellowship that covers the full cost of tuition and student healthcare.

• PhD Student Funding Overview
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PhD in Art Education

The Doctor of Philosophy in Art Education degree is designed for students who want to make a scholarly contribution to the Art Education field.

Allison Rowe, PhD (2021). “Work Like a River” (participatory lecture, 2017). Photo by Larissa Issler

PhD Art Education

At the University of Illinois, faculty and graduate students build a vibrant community of inquiry within the context of a Research 1 university. This community, including faculty whose breadth of interests span topics including contemporary art and visual culture in education, formal and informal learning, cultural policy and urban studies, and teacher training and identity, provides an intellectually stimulating environment for graduate students to stretch themselves intellectually and become world authorities on the particular topic of their dissertation.

Some doctoral students receive funding and support as teaching assistants for 4 years, and this funding is conditional upon academic standing. This funding includes a tuition waiver, a salary, health insurance, annual conference funding, plus many opportunities to gain competitive grants. Students complete coursework, consisting of 5 courses in art education, courses in research methodology and writing, courses in a minor that complements individual student interest, and courses that prepare students for the qualifying exam (taken after one year of full-time study) and the preliminary exam (at the conclusion of coursework). Examples of minors include Asian Studies, Art History, New Media, Museum Studies, and Women’s Studies. Following the conclusion of coursework, students write a dissertation that contributes new knowledge to the field of art education. Finally, students defend their dissertation.

During this course of study, there are numerous resources available to graduate students in Art Education, both within our program and across the University of Illinois:

• At our major comprehensive research university, students have access to the broadest possible range of elective courses.
• Visual Arts Research is a scholarly, refereed journal and has been published through the Art Education program for over 40 years. It is edited by Art Education faculty.
• The Everyday Arts Lab offers an excellent local site for graduate research for those interested in arts and social practice.
• With a total of 14 million titles the University of Illinois Library houses the largest collection of any public university in the world. The Ricker Library of Architecture and Art has 120,000 titles and 33,00 serials.
• The Unit for Criticism and Interpretive Theory is a program that promote conversations among a range of departments in the humanities, social sciences, and performing arts by organizing lectures, panel discussions, and conferences, as well as the Modern Critical Theory lecture series.
• The Krannert Art Museum includes an archive of over 8,000 works of art and rotating exhibitions of traditional and innovative art works.
• The Spurlock Museum highlights the diversity of cultures around the globe.
• Illinois is host to the  International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry , which brings a large contingent of art education scholars to campus.
• Regular visiting speakers from other institutions including Kevin Tavin, Amelia Kraehe, David Darts, Olivia Gude, Luis Camnitzer, Matthew Goulish, Marjorie Manifold, and Stephanie Springgay.
• Devoted room for Art Education PhD students including carrels for your use.

Faculty Interests

• Arts-based research
• Community arts education
• Conceptual art practices and theory
• Creative cities
• Cultural globalization
• Emerging curriculum theory
• Performance studies
• Psychoanalysis
• Social practice
• Socially engaged art
• Teacher identity
• Urban education
• Visual culture
• Youth studies

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Philosophy (Ph.D.)

The graduate program in philosophy at Berkeley offers a first-rate faculty, a stimulating and friendly community of graduate students, and the resources of one of the world's finest research universities.

Two features distinguish our profile from that of other leading graduate programs in philosophy:

The department has strengths in all the main areas of philosophy, including epistemology, philosophy of mind, metaphysics, philosophy of language, logic, ethics, the history of philosophy, and philosophy of science. We aim at diversity and breadth of coverage, rather than concentration on one or two areas of philosophical activity.

Second, the program at Berkeley is structured to give students a high degree of independence in tailoring their studies to their interests.

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