Fully Funded PhD in Art History at University of Minnesota

About PhD Program,

The University of Minnesota’s Doctoral Program in Art History is a fully funded PhD program that trains scholars who go on to careers in universities, colleges, museums, and other arts institutions throughout the nation and the world. The Department of Art History is an exciting place to ground yourself in the theories and methods of art history, to pursue interdisciplinary work, and to develop a global perspective on the discipline.

Our current faculty and institutional strengths support specialization in the following overlapping fields: East Asian art, Modern European art and visual/material culture, Islamic art (including the medieval Persianate world and the Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal empires), the global early modern in Europe, the Atlantic world, South Asia, Italian Baroque art, North American art and visual/material culture, film and photography, and contemporary art and theory.

As a major research university located in a thriving urban center, the University of Minnesota has much to offer students of the visual arts. On campus, the Weisman Art Museum, designed by architect Frank Gehry, features an outstanding teaching collection, stimulating exhibitions, and an active programming schedule. Beyond the University, you will find in the Twin Cities a lively arts community and world-class art institutions including the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, the Walker Art Center, and the Guthrie Theater.

We are committed to supporting graduate students intellectually, professionally, and financially. The interdisciplinary programming of the Institute for Advanced Study and other campus centers provides many opportunities to exchange ideas with colleagues in other fields. You will encounter opportunities to curate exhibitions on campus and in the community and you will enter into a graduate student community that is remarkably active in presenting papers, both nationally and internationally. The Department of Art History’s graduate student professionalization workshop meets several times each semester to discuss such topics as teaching methods, journal and book publishing, CV preparation, and the job market outlook.

All accepted students are fully funded. Students are guaranteed five years of funding through a combination of teaching assistantships, research assistantships, and fellowships. Assistantships provide an annual stipend, a full-tuition scholarship, and health insurance. In addition, every year the department nominates students for collegiate- and university-wide recruitment, predoctoral and dissertation write-up fellowships that provide additional stipend and release from TA-ing. Students who win external fellowships are allowed to save a year of their UMN funding for a sixth year.

PhD Program Degree Eligibility with GPA,   

Minimum GPA to receive degree  3.5

In addition to transcripts and test scores, applicants must submit a writing sample, statement of objectives (personal statement) outlining their current and future research interests, and three letters of recommendation. Please refer to the program website and contact the DGS Art History director of graduate studies for further information: https://cla.umn.edu/art-history/graduate/apply.

At least 6 8xxx-level ARTH credits are required, in addition to ARTH 8001. ARTH 8xxx-level seminars must be taken from at least 2 different faculty members.
A maximum of 2 directed study or directed research courses can be applied to degree requirements.
Language requirement: Reading proficiency in two modern foreign research languages. Additional modern or ancient languages may be required by the student’s advisor depending on field.

PhD Funding Coverage,

Teaching assistantships, research assistantships, fellowships, and grants provide the most common forms of support for graduate students. The director of graduate studies in your program can also help you find the resources available to support your graduate education.

Students who receive a multi-year funding package typically have a guaranteed base level of support tied to a 9-month, half-time teaching assistant (TA) appointment. The specific terms and conditions for your individual package are found in your letter of admission.

For the 2024-2025 academic year, a TA appointment in CLA provided a minimum stipend of $21,379 ($27.41/hour), tuition benefits for up to 14 credits a semester, and 95% of the premium for health insurance coverage on the graduate assistant plan (the remaining 5% is deducted from a student’s paychecks).

Your collegiate fee is used to provide technology services and student services (such as commencement) for CLA graduate students.

Application Requirement,

1. Applicants should communicate with their potential advisor prior to applying. The faculty member’s willingness to serve as advisor is essential for acceptance. A roster of current faculty can be viewed on our People page. Please note that Professor Jane Blocker is not accepting PhD students for Fall 2025.
2. University of Minnesota Online Graduate Application. This web page provides important links for prospective applicants, including a link for starting or resuming your online application.
3. Application Fee. Please check with the Graduate School Office of Admissionsfor the current rate.  We offer fee waivers on a first come, first served basis. To request a fee waiver, please fill out this short form.
4. Include transcripts from every post-secondary institution attended, including study abroad programs and community colleges. If the institution uses a non-traditional grading system, include any available information that would allow for comparison to an A-F grading scale. Include current and prospective course registration information, if available. Unofficial transcripts or academic records should be uploaded directly to the online application. Please do not mail in paper copies of your transcripts; there is no need for official transcripts or academic records for initial review. If you are admitted, the University will then request official copies of this material. More information about transcripts and credentials.
5. TOEFL Scores. Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores are required for international students by the Graduate School. The minimum acceptable score on the paper exam is 550; the Internet based exam is 79 total (21 writing, 19 reading); the computer based exam is 213. Review the Graduate School’s English Language Proficiency web pagefor additional information, including other options available to provide proof of English language proficiency.
6. Personal Statement. This, along with your writing sample, is the most important part of your application. Please provide a statement outlining your interest in pursuing a PhD in Art History.  Outline as specifically as possible the proposed area of study within the discipline of art history. Indicate the faculty member(s) with whom you are interested in working. Describe the general research interests you intend to pursue and explain how the department and university can support these goals. Give the committee a sense that you are conversant in the scholarly debates in your intended field and the larger discipline of art history.  Indicate immediate educational and long-range career objectives. You may also wish to include other information, such as any undergraduate research experience, internships, or other experiences you may have had to document your preparation for advanced study in your chosen field. Personal statements should be no more than 1,000 words.
7. Letters of Recommendation. Solicit three letters of recommendation from individuals best able to comment on your potential to succeed in an academic graduate program. Letters from art history instructors or supervisors are most suitable. Letters from business supervisors often do not provide sufficient indication of graduate study potential. Letters must be submitted electronically through the online application. Applicants are strongly encouraged to follow-up with recommenders to ensure timely arrival of the letters of recommendation.
8. Writing Sample. Include one substantial research paper (10+ pages), preferably in the area of art history. There is no page limit and you may submit an entire BA or MA thesis, but we would suggest submitting a shorter, denser paper with a tighter argument over a longer work. If one substantial paper is not available, submit two smaller research papers. The work will be evaluated for the skill and promise it demonstrates in the areas of research, writing, and critical analysis. You may upload your paper(s) under the “Writing Sample” portion of the online application.
9. Resumé/ C.V.. Include an up-to-date record of your scholarly preparation (post-high school), as well as any additional professional and/or personal experiences that are especially relevant to your future graduate training in art history. Please include links for publications, podcasts, exhibitions, etc.

OPTIONAL: Diversity Statement. Enrolling and graduating a diverse student body is central to the University of Minnesota’s mission. Although we do not require it, the Art History department regards the Diversity Statement as an opportunity to understand how your personal experiences connect to your scholarly mission. This statement would identify the distinctive qualities, characteristics, and life experiences you would contribute to your graduate program and to the education of fellow students. Alongside information supplied elsewhere in your application, this statement may be used as a basis on which to nominate you for on-campus scholarships, such as the Diversity of Views and Experiences (DOVE) fellowship. However, you will not be disqualified from any scholarship, including the DOVE, if you opt against including this statement with your application.

OPTIONAL: Additional Writing Sample. For some applicants, traditional art historical writing does not best reflect their past experience or future trajectory. Moreover, the discipline enables many other genres of writing: art criticism, creative writing, public-facing educational writing, etc. You may include one additional writing sample, beyond the required traditional research-based paper, to round out your application.

OPTIONAL: Extenuating Circumstances Statement. If you would like to provide an explanation of circumstances that contributed to your test scores or GPA, please do so.

Application Deadline,

Dec 15, 2024

Application Fee,

• International ($95.00)
• S. citizen/permanent resident ($75.00)