Detail of Chatel Argent and the Val d'Aosta from above Villeneuve

PhD in Art History

The Division of Art History has paused admissions to the PhD program, and will not admit new PhD students for the 2026-27 academic year.  We anticipate reopening PhD admissions in 2026 for entry in the 2027-28 academic year. Admissions to the MA program remain open. 

The PhD program in the Division of Art History prepares graduate students to advance the discipline through university-level teaching, curatorial work in museums, and academic scholarship. Our internationally recognized Art History faculty is committed to supporting and mentoring doctoral students in a wide range of areas, including Arts of Asia, Arts of the Americas, Medieval and Early Modern Art in Europe and the Mediterranean, and Modern and Contemporary Art in a Global Context.

Before entering the PhD program, students must have completed a master’s degree in art history. We typically enroll a cohort of two PhD students annually. Our doctoral students receive competitive recruitment packages offering five years of financial support through scholarships, fellowships, and teaching assistantships.

Degree Structure

The PhD program is designed to equip students with the intellectual tools and professional experience necessary to make substantial, original scholarly contributions to the discipline of Art History. Doctoral students must complete multiple years of coursework, demonstrate proficiency in two languages, and pass general examinations in three fields before advancing to candidacy for the doctoral degree. The latter stage of the program is devoted to dissertation research and writing. Throughout the degree program, students gain valuable pedagogical experience through Teaching Assistantships. Time to degree completion varies, from a minimum of five years to an average of eight years.

Degree Requirements

Coursework

Graduate students devote the first 2 years of the program to completing required coursework in Art History and other complementary disciplines. Coursework allows you to deepen your knowledge in your area of specialization while also providing a solid foundation in art history’s methods, critical approaches, and various subfields. Students should consult with their advisors regularly to select courses that will best support their individual interests and scheduling considerations. Most graduate-level seminars at UW carry 5 credit hours. Typically, students enroll in 10-15 credits, equivalent to 2-3 courses, each quarter. 

You are required to complete a minimum of 60 numerically graded graduate-level credits (equal to 12 5-credit courses) during stage 1, including:

  • 1 Art History core course (Methods), typically taken in year 1
  • 1 independent study with your primary advisor focused on exam and prospectus preparation, typically taken in the spring of year 2
  • 10 electives
    • 6 electives in art history
    • 4 electives in art history or in upper-division non-art history seminars approved by your primary advisor. At least 2 of your elective courses must be in areas outside those to be tested by the General Exam.

The 60 credits of graduate-level coursework beyond the master's degree count toward the minimum of 90 credits required for the PhD degree in art history (see Dissertation Credits).

Language Courses

Students often need to enroll in introductory or intermediate-level foreign language courses in order to fulfill division language requirements. Please note that credits taken to fulfill the language requirement do not count toward those required for the Ph.D. degree.

Language Proficiency

You are strongly encouraged to demonstrate proficiency in one of your two required languages during your first year in the program and to fulfill the requirement for your second language by the end of your second year. You must demonstrate proficiency in at least one language before submitting the request to proceed to stage 2. To advance to stage 3 (candidacy) you must demonstrate proficiency in both languages. See the handbook section on Language Policy for more information about the language requirement and exam protocol.

Doctoral Supervisory Committee

During your year 2 independent study, you will work with your advisor to establish a doctoral supervisory committee. The Supervisory Committee works with you to plan your graduate training, and it conducts the General Examination and the Final Examination (Dissertation Defense). Much of the structure and function of this committee is determined by the Graduate School and not by the Division. The composition of this committee is outlined in the Graduate School’s policy on the Supervisory Committee for Graduate Students. Key requirements are: 

  • A supervisory committee chair, typically your primary advisor. The committee chair must be an Art History faculty member, part of the Graduate Faculty, and approved to chair Supervisory Committees.
  • At least two additional committee members, at least one of whom must be an Art History faculty member, including affiliated faculty. Both committee members must be part of the Graduate Faculty.
  • A Graduate Faculty member from outside the Art History division to serve as Graduate Student Representative (GSR). The GSR represents the University’s broad concerns regarding scholarly performance, provides a non-specialist perspective on the quality of your work, ensures that your mastery of the subject matter is comprehensive, and ensures that all procedures are conducted fairly and in accordance with Graduate School guidelines.

The process of establishing a supervisory committee should begin early in spring quarter of year 2. Begin by discussing possible committee members in an independent study meeting with your primary advisor. Then, arrange meetings with each prospective member to assess their suitability and willingness to serve. Finally, complete the Doctoral Supervisory Committee Appointment section of the Request to Proceed to Stage 2 form. Each member must sign the form to indicate their willingness to serve, and the Supervisory Committee Chair must sign it to approve the entire committee. Most students should formally establish their supervisory committee by the end of spring quarter of year 2. Additionally, the Graduate School requires that the committee be formed at least four months before the intended date of your General Examination. 

A student must consult with the GPC and GPA to make any change with their Supervisory Committee after it has been established. It will be necessary for the student to explain in writing the reason(s) for the requested change. The requested change must be approved by the Chairperson of the Supervisory Committee, the member(s) removed from the committee, the member(s) added to the committee, the GPC, GPA, and the Graduate School. To request changes to your Supervisory Committee, fill out all fields on the PhD Supervisory Committee Change Request form. After the new faculty member(s) have agreed to serve, have them sign the form and return the request to GPA to submit in MyGrad. When the committee has been formally updated, an email will be sent to the student, committee members, GPA, and GPC.

Dissertation Prospectus

Your prospectus is a roughly 3000-3700 word document in which you articulate your dissertation project, situate it in relation to the existing scholarship, and map out your research plan. The prospectus gives you a structure to think through, formulate, and rationalize your project, as well as a plan to begin writing your dissertation. Your prospectus or excerpted passages from it will become useful for formulating abstracts and grant applications. Your dissertation will almost certainly evolve—for instance, in the number of chapters or specific case studies—as you research and write, but the prospectus gives you a foundation and initial road map of sorts from which to work. 

PROSPECTUS PROCESS, TIMING, AND APPROVAL 

  • Year 2 Spring: Work closely with your primary advisor in Art H 600 to identify a dissertation topic and begin prospectus research.
  • Year 2 Spring/Summer: Begin drafting the prospectus.
  • Year 3 Autumn: Submit a first draft of the prospectus. Students who plan to apply to dissertation fellowships in year 3 must submit a complete first draft to their advisor by September 15; this early deadline will allow your advisor to provide feedback before early application deadlines. Students who do not plan to apply to dissertation fellowships in year 3 should submit a complete first draft by November 1.
  • Year 3 Autumn/Winter: Revise the prospectus in consultation with your advisor.
  • Year 3 Winter: Submit revised prospectus (approved by advisor) to your supervisory committee by end of the quarter, no more than 2 weeks before you are scheduled to take your first written exam. Late submissions may result in exams being postponed to the following quarter.
  • Year 3 Spring: Discuss the prospectus in the oral section of the General Exams. The committee may vote to approve the prospectus, or request you revise and resubmit it for approval before advancing to candidacy.

PROSPECTUS ELEMENTS

  • Title page
  • 1-2 paragraph abstract
  • Project Overview: introduces the dissertation topic, articulates your guiding research questions, advances a preliminary thesis, and explains the stakes and/or intervention of your project.
  • Literature Review/State of the Field: offers a synthetic survey of the relevant topical scholarly fields upon which you are building or are putting into dialogue. Rather than offering a laundry listing of every scholar’s argument, this should give a sense of the significant and most pertinent discourses and debates. Position your work in relation to the existing scholarship.
  • Methodology: explains the theoretical frameworks and disciplinary methods you are employing in your analysis. This is distinct from the literature review and will likely be shorter. This section is particularly important if you propose innovative or alternative methods and interdisciplinary frameworks.
  • Chapter Summaries: explains the subjects of each individual chapter (typically one paragraph per chapter) and the structural logic of the dissertation as a whole.
  • Research Plan/Timeline: provides a pragmatic overview of how you will accomplish the dissertation. The plan includes a forecast schedule for research and for completing chapter drafts, revisions, and delivering the whole dissertation to your committee. It also identifies archives where you plan to conduct research and fellowships and grants for which you plan to apply for additional funding. The plan should build in sufficient time for feedback and revision and should not exceed your sixth year of study.
  • Selected Bibliography: includes the key scholarship that you anticipate citing. You may find it useful to organize your bibliography by subject rather than solely alphabetically. Please use footnotes throughout the prospectus.
  • Images: Max. 5 images of artworks or objects that are central to the dissertation. These elements need not necessarily appear in this order.

These elements need not necessarily appear in this order.

General Examination

All Ph.D. students in the Division of Art History must pass a General Examination to advance to candidacy. It tests the student’s command of the methodologies, history, literature, and critical issues relevant to their chosen subfield(s). To pass the general examination, students must make informed written and verbal responses to questions that demonstrate familiarity with the literature, material, and scholarly debates covered on three field-specific reading lists. Full-time students are expected to take their general exam before the end of Spring quarter of Year 3. Students may choose to accelerate this schedule in consultation with their advisor. 

The Art History faculty is committed to implementing all activated accommodations outlined in a DRS approved accommodation letter in a timely manner. Faculty will also work 15 in consultation with DRS to determine the best approach to providing accommodations during the General Examination process. Students with a documented disability that may bear on their preparation for the written exam or their performance on the oral exam are encouraged to reach out to the GPC and their supervisory committee chair as early as possible to facilitate effective planning and support.

Scheduling

The General Examination consists of three written exams and one oral exam, covering three fields defined by the student in consultation with their committee. When completing the Request to Proceed to Stage 2 form, students must indicate their preferred schedule by selecting one of the following three options:

  • Option A: complete all three written exams within a single week. Students who choose this option will be relieved of TA duties during the exam week.
  • Option B: distribute the three written exams across a single academic quarter.
  • Option C: take one written exam per quarter over the course of an academic year.

Regardless of the chosen schedule, the Graduate School requires that the final written exam be completed at least two weeks before the oral exam. For students without approved accommodations that affect scheduling, the full examination process (written and oral) must be completed by the end of year 3.

Written Exam Procedure

Written exams are administered in person on campus from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. The committee chair will arrange a private writing space in the Art Building and a wifidisconnected School of Art + Art History + Design loaner laptop for the student’s use during the exam period. Exams will be typed on-site and submitted electronically at the end of each exam session to the examining faculty member, the full supervisory committee, the GPC, and the GPA. 

Each examining faculty member will email a written prompt to the student, the rest of the supervisory committee, GPC, and GPA one week before the exam to allow for preparation. Prompts should reflect the guidelines developed in the Student/Faculty MoU. Students may bring a copy of the reading list into the exam room for each exam.

WRITTEN EXAM PRODUCT AND ASSESSMENT 

The final product of each written exam is an essay responding to the examiner’s prompt. To earn a passing grade, the essay must effectively and accurately synthesize key issues, debates, and examples from relevant scholarly literature to demonstrate the student’s broad and comprehensive knowledge in a given field. 

The faculty acknowledges that essays produced under timed, in-person, closed-book conditions will differ from the essays produced under the take-home, open-book format used prior to 2025. We no longer expect essays to meet word count minimums, include formal citations, or exhibit the level of polish typical of seminar papers. However, we do still expect to see writing that is clear, coherent, and effectively communicates complex ideas.

Written exams are evaluated by the examining faculty member. While there is no standardized evaluation rubric, examiners generally consider the following criteria:

  • Synthesis and command of the field
  • Appropriate and accurate use of examples
  • Analytical depth
  • Clarity, coherence, and organization

The examiner has 5 days to submit either “Pass” or “Fail” to the student, supervisory committee members, GPC, and GPA. They have 10 days to return written feedback to the student. Students must pass all three written exams in order to proceed to the oral exam.

ORAL EXAM PROCEDURE 

The oral exam involves a discussion of written exam issues, dissertation research plans as outlined in your prospectus, and the relationship between issues raised in the written exams and the student's intended research. Students are often asked to clarify written exam responses, expand discussion of particular points, or discuss specific visual or textual examples. It is scheduled for a two-hour block and is conducted by the doctoral supervisory committee. The supervisory committee chair, at least two regular members, and the GSR must attend the exam. 

While the written portion of the General Examination is scheduled and administered within the Art History division, the oral portion must be formally scheduled through the Graduate School using MyGrad. It is the student’s responsibility to initiate this process in a timely manner and coordinate logistics with both their committee and the GPA/GPC. To schedule your oral exam, follow these steps: 

  1. Consult with your supervisory committee to find a mutually agreeable date, time, and location for the oral exam. Once the details are finalized, email this information to the GPA, copying all committee members, so it can be recorded.
  2. Submit your general exam request in MyGrad at least four weeks prior to the scheduled oral exam. The GPA will review and approve the request on behalf of the Art History division. Once approved, your committee will be formally notified by the Graduate School, and the exam will be officially scheduled.

Oral Exam Assessment

Oral exams are assessed by the entire supervisory committee. After the initial questioning and discussion period, the committee chair invites the student to leave the room so the committee can discuss the results of the examination. Faculty examiners rate the student's performance on the exam as Pass, Fail, or they may recommend re-examination after a period of further study. Once a decision is reached the student is invited back into the room and informed of the results. 

The committee’s decision must be recorded officially on a Committee Signature Form, which the GPA generates through MyGrad in advance of the exam. After the exam, the completed form must be returned to the GPA, who will then file it with the Graduate School to document the outcome. 

After the oral exam, the supervisory committee chair confers with the student about the results of the exam and discusses any additional comments made by the committee, including the need for supplemental reading. In cases where re-examination is recommended, the advisor will provide the student a written memo with any recommendations for further study that might have emerged in the assessment discussion.

SATISFACTORY/UNSATISFACTORY PERFORMANCE 

In accordance with the Graduate School’s policies, a student must satisfactorily pass all general examination questions, written and oral, in order to advance to candidacy. The supervisory committee may allow minor deficiencies to be corrected and decide what course of action to recommend to the Dean in case of poor performance. If a student fails one or more sets of exams, they are placed on probation, but are permitted the opportunity to constitute a new committee and take a new set of exams after an appropriate time for additional study, as agreed upon by the student’s advisor and committee in consultation with the GPC, GPA, and division chair. The student is bound by the schedule and terms stipulated by the Supervisory Committee and is ordinarily expected to complete the new exams during the next quarter of enrollment. Specific dates and conditions for completion are issued once the enrollment period is confirmed. Students are only permitted to retake exams one time. If a student fails one or more of these new exams, they will not be allowed to continue in the Art History program. Read Graduate School policies for general examinations and memo about academic performance and progress.

General Exam Preparation

Students prepare for General Exams in the year 2 Spring independent study and during a period of directed reading in year 3 Autumn and Winter.

In the year 2 Spring independent study, you will work closely with your primary advisor to define your three exam fields and select your examiners (see: doctoral supervisory committee). Field #1 relates to your primary field of specialization, and is completed with the supervisory committee chair. Field #2 should relate broadly to your area of interest for the dissertation. Field #3 should relate to a subfield that is adjacent to or separate to your primary specialization, as determined most useful by you and your supervisory committee chair. Exams can be taken in any order. 

During the independent study you will work with your advisor to conceive of a primary field reading list beneficial to your future scholarship. Reading lists usually consist of roughly 40 items (including books, chapters, and articles) that constitute major landmarks in the field. Understanding how and why these sources shaped the field is a key component of the general exam. You are not expected to compile bibliographies for your second and third exam fields until Autumn of year 3. However, you are encouraged to define and begin reading your primary field bibliography as early as possible to aid in dissertation prospectus preparation. 

Year 3 Autumn and Winter is a period of directed reading. Early in Autumn quarter, you must meet individually with your supervisory committee members to develop the remaining reading lists and complete a student/faculty Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) detailing expectations for the written exam. A MoU is a written agreement between two parties that serves to document each party’s expectations and intentions. Students are responsible for emailing completed MoUs for all three exam fields to their supervisory committee chair, GPC, and GPA by the last day of Autumn quarter instruction. To aid in preparation, students may request a list of questions used in past exams from the GPC.

Candidacy

Upon successful approval of the dissertation prospectus, completion of the general exam, and after all Graduate School requirements for the degree except the dissertation and Final Examination have been satisfied, the student will advance to stage 3: candidacy

Dissertation

The dissertation and its defense are the culminating requirements of the Art History PhD program. The dissertation is a 60,000–100,000-word (including footnotes) work of original written scholarship that represents a significant contribution to the discipline of art history, and takes one or more years to complete. It typically consists of an introduction, 3-5 chapters, and a conclusion.

Dissertation Credits

After completing 60 credits of numerically graded graduate-level coursework and advancing to candidacy, students must take at least 30 credits of ART H 800 (Dissertation) in at least three different quarters. This may necessitate registration in absentia for one or more quarters.

Reading Committee 

After the General Examination, the GPC informs the Dean of The Graduate School of at least three members of the supervisory committee who will serve on the reading committee. At least one of the members of the reading committee must hold an endorsement to chair doctoral committees. The reading committee is appointed to read and approve the dissertation.The Reading Committee is responsible for: 

  1. Ensuring that the dissertation is a significant contribution to knowledge and an acceptable piece of scholarly writing.
  2. Determining the appropriateness of your dissertation as a basis for issuing a Committee Signature Form for the Final Examination.
  3. Approving your dissertation by signing the final version.

You should establish a procedure for submission and review of separate chapters and the full dissertation with your committee chair (i.e. your primary advisor and dissertation director). Reading committee members may request to read individual chapter drafts and/or individual chapters as they are completed. All members of the dissertation committee and the candidate should make sure they clearly understand the procedure established for that particular dissertation. 

Reading Committee members must all agree to read the entire dissertation before scheduling the defense. Students should coordinate with their committee members to establish when to provide a copy of their dissertation, keeping in mind that most committees will expect to receive it at least one month before the Final Examination.

Final Examination/ Dissertation Defense

Final Examination/Dissertation Defense When the completed dissertation has been approved by the Reading Committee Chair, the student may schedule the Final Examination, also known as the Dissertation Defense. A complete draft of the dissertation approved by the Supervisory Committee chair must be delivered to each committee member at least 30 days before the Final Examination date. The Final Examination will be oral and will cover the subject of the dissertation and the student’s research. Per UW Graduate School policy, student exams must have four committee members present — including the Chair, GSR and at least one graduate faculty member. If a member(s) needs to participate in an exam but cannot be physically present, the Graduate School allows for video conferences if certain requirements are met. If the Final Examination is satisfactory, the Supervisory Committee must certify this to the Graduate School by the last day of the quarter in which the degree is to be conferred.

Completing the Ph.D. Degree 

There are several administrative steps you must take to schedule your defense presentation, submit your dissertation, and graduate, outlined below. Refer to the Graduate School’s Graduation Requirements and the Student Dates & Deadlines calendar for more detailed information. 

  1. Contact Your Supervisory Committee – Find a mutually agreeable date, time, and room for the exam. Ensure you copy the GPC and GPA on this email exchange or forward the finalized details once they are decided.
  2. Set Up Your Final Exam – Log in to MyGrad Program at least four weeks prior to the exam to set up the Final Exam. The GPA must approve this request. Once approved, 21 your Supervisory Committee will be notified, and the GPA will generate a Committee Signature Form in MyGrad.
  3. Day of the Final Examination – Ensure all Supervisory Committee members sign the Committee Signature Form before returning it to the GPA.
  4. Submit Your Dissertation – By the last day of the quarter, have your Reading Committee approve your dissertation in MyGrad and submit it via the UW ETD Administrator Site. Ensure that your dissertation has been formatted according to the Graduate School's Dissertation Policies and ProQuest ETD Administrator guidelines. It is the responsibility of the student to check with the Graduate School, the UW Libraries Copyright office, Proquest, and any other guidelines on fair use practices, permissions, and inclusion of images.

Students needing additional time for formatting must pay the Graduate Registration Waiver fee by the last day of the quarter. This provides an additional 14 days for formatting but delays your official graduation date to the following quarter. Note that this fee covers formatting only, not major content revisions. Regardless of whether you pay the fee, your Reading Committee must approve your dissertation for submission by the last day of the quarter. It is highly recommended that you schedule your exam far enough in advance of the end of the quarter to allow time for any major content revisions requested by your committee. Most students submit their dissertation and receive their Ph.D. in the same quarter as their defense. If that is not possible, you must be enrolled and submit your dissertation no later than the last day of the quarter following your defense.

Satisfactory Progress Requirements

Students in the PhD Program in Art History must maintain satisfactory performance and progress toward completion of their degree program to continue graduate study and research at the University of Washington. Graduate students engage in quarterly progress reviews with their advisor and receive an annual progress evaluation from the art history faculty to ensure they continue to meet all UW Graduate School satisfactory progress requirements.