PhD Art History

The doctoral program in art history, offered in collaboration with the Cleveland Museum of Art, provides an object-focused grounding for museum or academic careers. A BA or MA in art history and reading knowledge of one approved foreign language (such as French, German, Italian, Japanese, or Chinese) are prerequisites. Admission preference is given to applicants whose scholarly interests coincide with the interests of a department faculty member, those who wish to focus on distinctive holdings in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, and/or those planning to pursue topics in museum or collecting history or the history of the art market. Admission to the program is made on the basis of academic record and scholarly promise, recommendations, experience, and personal interviews. Applicants must also submit GRE scores and two art history research papers. Students whose MA was awarded more than five years prior to application for admission may be required to pass a qualifying examination and/or foreign language examination administered by the department before being admitted to full standing in the PhD program.