History of Art > Graduate > Admissions

Applicants to the PhD program in the Department of the History of Art should upload and submit the following application materials and supporting documents through the online application by December 15:

  • Online application
  • Application fee
    • Note that the graduate school provides application fee waivers for students who have participated in certain programs or who demonstrate financial need.
    • Please follow the instructions on the graduate application website to request a waiver. Should you have financial need but are unsuccessful, please email the department: [email protected]. 
  • Statement of purpose
    • This is distinct from the personal statement, which is an optional part of the graduate application. Statements of purpose should be no more than three (3) pages long.
  • Sample of work (a recent example of written scholarship, preferably in the area of the applicant’s special interest)
    • The sample of work should be no more than 30 pages, including images and works cited. Most samples are between fifteen and twenty-five (15-25) pages.
  • Three letters of recommendation, uploaded electronically following the instructions in the online application
  • Official transcripts: Applications will be ready for review with unofficial transcripts, but official transcripts will be required if an offer of admission is made.
    • Note that official translations of transcripts are not required at the application stage. 
  • Official TOEFL or IELTS score (for applicants whose primary language is not English)  
  • Personal statement (optional) 

Note that we do not require GRE scores for admission into the PhD program. Any scores which are inadvertently submitted will not be passed on to the admissions committee.

To foster close student-faculty relationships and provide for the greatest flexibility in developing each graduate student’s individual curriculum, the department strictly limits the number of students it admits each year. The department does not maintain a terminal MA program and accepts students only into the PhD program or into its joint BA/MA program.

To gain a fuller understanding of what we look for in the above materials, please consult the Graduate Student Handbook. For more information about application requirements, please see the Graduate Admissions website. For questions or inquiries about the online application and supporting documents, contact the Graduate Admissions office. You may also contact Lauren Crabtree Academic Program Administrator for History of Art, at [email protected] or 410-516-7117.