- Do you have an Open Day when I can visit the Ph.D Program?
The Ph.D. Program in Art History currently holds an Open Day during the fall semester when all prospective students interested in applying are invited. We hold a second Open Day, in the spring semester, for students who have been made the offer of a place, and for those on the waiting list.
If you have specific questions about the program beyond the information available on the Graduate Center's website (e.g. about funding, time to degree, language requirements, etc), please contact the Art History office, who will be happy to make an appointment for you to talk to a relevant member of faculty. While you are also in the building, we also recommend that you speak to current students, as they are in the best position to tell you what it is like to study here.
- Do you offer funding for students, and how much is it?
The Ph.D. Program in Art History currently offers seven Graduate Center Fellowships (GCFs) and two Tuition Fellowships.
The GCF award consists of a financial aid fellowship and graduate assistantship totaling $29,374, a tuition award, and eligibility for low-cost individual or family NYSHIP health insurance.
Tuition Fellowships cover tuition at in-state rates only, for five years.
Provost’s Enhancement fellowships are available to students from underrepresented minorities who are US citizens or permanent residents. These comprise a five-year package of $39,374.
Graduate Center and Provost’s Enhancement Fellowships include eligibility for low-cost individual or family NYSHIP health insurance. See the Graduate Center's main admissions pages for further information about current tuition fees and other forms of fellowships and funding.
- How do I choose an advisor to work with?
The Ph.D. Program in Art History is unique in that students are not expected to pair up with an advisor immediately upon entering the program. This is primarily because we have a large faculty drawn from the CUNY colleges, which makes the process of pairing up with an advisor a more organic process, allowing you to respond to input from a wide range of seminars and coursework.
The application form nevertheless invites you to specify members of faculty with whom you envisage working, and this is useful information for the Admissions Committee. Please bear in mind that Professors Emerita are not able to take on doctoral students.
- Do you prefer students to have a Master’s degree?
We admit students with or without Master’s degrees. The timeline for completion is slightly faster if you have a Master's degree - see the 'Timeline to Degree' charts here.
- I have an undergraduate degree in studio practice. Am I eligible?
Most applicants have majored in art history as undergraduates. If you have not majored in art history, then we need to see at least 12 credits in art history on your transcript(s), and with excellent grades.
- I don’t have an art history degree, but I have been working in a museum or gallery since I graduated. Am I eligible?
One of the strengths of the Ph.D Program in Art History is that it attracts curators, and we welcome applicants who have practical experience in museums and galleries. However, this is not always equivalent to academic qualifications. Even if you have many years of experience within a museum or gallery, we still look for evidence of academic ability in art history (12 credits, either as an undergraduate, graduate, or non-matriculated student) in order to assess your potential for doctoral research. This is why we always prefer to see letters of recommendation from academics rather than from a professional work context (museums, editorial, etc).
- Can you give me an idea of the range of subjects that current dissertation students are working on at the Graduate Center?
View recent dissertation topics here.
- I am a practicing artist. Is it possible for me to do a Ph.D at the Graduate Center?
The Ph.D Program in Art History is a fully academic degree; there is no studio or practice-based component. We do not accept practicing artists looking to pursue their own work in tandem with doctoral research.
- I am looking at several Ph.D. Programs in Art History in New York. What makes the Graduate Center unique?
Around eighty percent of students in the Ph.D Program in Art History are working within modern and contemporary art. We offer broad range of faculty who can be called upon as potential advisors.
Students have first-hand teaching experience. Rather than being a Teaching Assistant (TA) to a professor, you will have your own course and students at one of the colleges.
Current students tell us that they appreciate the friendly and collaborative atmosphere of the Graduate Center. Students are all working in the city—either as teachers or as professionals—and there is a strong spirit of mutual support, rather than of competition.