Program Overview

Overview of the Doctor of Philosophy in Art History (PhD) Program

The Doctor of Philosophy in Art History (PhD) program at the University of British Columbia is designed to encourage high scholastic achievement, original research, and a firm theoretical grounding. Students in this program are encouraged to situate art in its historical context, analyze its impact on the world around us, and develop theoretical frameworks that contribute to critical thinking and engage with debates in the field.

Program Structure

The PhD program involves coursework, two foreign languages, a comprehensive examination, dissertation proposal, roundtable presentation, doctoral dissertation, and oral exam. The program opens with a rigorous two-term required Methodology seminar led by two professors who are specialists in divergent areas. Seminar offerings within the Department are broad and diverse, and students are encouraged to take seminar coursework outside the Department as well.

What Makes the Program Unique

The Art History PhD program encourages high scholastic achievement, original research, and a firm theoretical grounding. Alumni of the program have made considerable contributions to teaching and research in universities, museums, and galleries worldwide.

Admission Information and Requirements

To be eligible for the program, applicants must meet the minimum academic requirements established by the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, which is usually a minimum overall average in the B+ range (76% at UBC). The program may have additional requirements, and applicants should review the specific requirements for applicants with credentials from institutions in Canada or the United States, or international countries other than the United States.

Minimum Academic Requirements

• The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies establishes the minimum admission requirements common to all applicants.
• The graduate program that you are applying to may have additional requirements.

English Language Test

• Applicants from a university outside Canada in which English is not the primary language of instruction must provide results of an English language proficiency examination as part of their application.
• Tests must have been taken within the last 24 months at the time of submission of your application.
• Minimum requirements for the two most common English language proficiency tests to apply to this program are listed below:
  • TOEFL: Test of English as a Foreign Language - internet-based
    • Overall score requirement: 100
    • Reading: 22
    • Writing: 21
    • Speaking: 21
    • Listening: 22
  • IELTS: International English Language Testing System
    • Overall score requirement: 7.0
    • Reading: 6.5
    • Writing: 6.5
    • Speaking: 6.5
    • Listening: 6.5

Prior Degree, Course, and Other Requirements

• Normally, admission to the Ph.D. requires the completion of an M.A. in Art History, including reading knowledge of one language other than English.
• Students with master's degrees in related fields may be required to complete additional art history courses for their Ph.D. program.

Tuition and Financial Support

The tuition fees for the program are as follows:

• Fees:
  • Canadian Citizen / Permanent Resident / Refugee / Diplomat: $5,626.02 per year
  • International: $9,883.98 per year
• Application Fee:
  • Canadian Citizen / Permanent Resident / Refugee / Diplomat: $118.50
  • International: $168.25
• Other Fees and Costs:
  • Student Fees (yearly): $1,144.10 (approx.)
  • Costs of living: Estimate your costs of living with our interactive tool in order to start developing a financial plan for your graduate studies.

Financial Support

Applicants to UBC have access to a variety of funding options, including merit-based and need-based opportunities. The program provides a funding package of at least $24,000 for each of the first four years of their PhD. The funding package may consist of any combination of internal or external awards, teaching-related work, research assistantships, and graduate academic assistantships.

Research Supervisors

Students in research-based programs usually require a faculty member to function as their thesis supervisor. The program has a list of faculty members with full supervisory privileges who are affiliated with this program. Applicants should browse faculty profiles and indicate in their application who they are interested in working with. No commitment from a supervisor prior to applying is necessary, but contacting faculty members is encouraged.

Sample Thesis Submissions

The program has a list of sample thesis submissions, including:

• Narrative forms and visual sequences: the new photography in American practice and French discourse, 1968–1989
• Grains of silver and sand: landscape photography in South Africa since the 1960s
• The right to be seen: archiving absence in post-civil war Lebanon
• Disappearing threads: art between text and textile in Argentina, Brazil, and Chile after 1955
• Prophecy, power and change: meetings between the Skwxwú7mesh and Tsimshian in the early 20th century
• Making and remaking Renaissance sculpture: the terracotta groups (1460–1560)
• Total economy: the Artist Placement Group
• The Beckett effect: the work of Stan Douglas, Paul Chan, and Tania Bruguera

Related Programs

The program is related to the following programs:

• Master of Arts in Art History (MA)
• Master of Arts in Art History (Critical Curatorial Studies) (MA)
• Master of Fine Arts in Visual Art (MFA)

Further Information

For further information, please refer to the program website or contact the program directly. The program is offered by the Faculty of Arts, Department of Art History, Visual Art & Theory, and has a program identifier of VGDPHD-B4. The classification of the program is Humanities and the arts » Arts (arts, history of arts, performing arts, music), architecture and design » Art history and theory » Visual theory, visual culture and visual literacy.