Program Overview

Art History Curatorial Track (PhD & DPhD)

The University of Delaware offers a unique doctorate program in art history focused on curatorial studies. This program provides students with a broad range of skills necessary to become an effective and creative museum professional. Students will work closely with artworks and decorative arts objects, engage with the latest research and practice of conservation specialists, study technical art history approaches, learn about public engagement and arts management.

Program Overview

The curatorial track doctorate program will prepare graduate students in art history for curatorial careers in specialized art historical fields. Internships at local, regional, and national museums and specialized curatorial seminars will provide firsthand curatorial, exhibition, and publication experience rarely offered through traditional Ph.D. programs. A doctoral dissertation, with the same rigorous requirements as the regular Ph.D., will assure the development of substantial research and writing skills.

Admission Requirements

• Applicants to the Direct Ph.D. in Art History must hold, or be a candidate for, the bachelor's degree or its international equivalent from an accredited institution.
• Applicants to the Ph.D. Program in Art History must have completed, or be in the process of completing, a master's degree, or the equivalent.
• All applicants will normally have completed an undergraduate major in art history, or at least show extensive preparation across a wide range of areas within the field.
• An online application must be completed, which includes:
  • A brief personal essay discussing the applicant's reasons for pursuing graduate work in art history at the University of Delaware, plans, and special interests within art history.
  • Letters of recommendation from three persons familiar with the applicant's academic work.
  • Official transcripts from all institutions attended.
  • Two required supplemental forms.
  • A writing sample, typically an academic essay bearing upon the history of art or a related field, demonstrating the ability to write cogently, conduct art historical research, and present a critical reading or interpretation of artwork(s) or art historical text(s).
• Applicants should also have an advanced reading knowledge of at least one language other than English, adequate to read art historical scholarship.

Funding

• All or nearly all doctoral students receive a stipend and full tuition scholarship.
• Department funding typically takes the form of a fellowship, teaching assistantship, graduate assistantship, or a combination of two of these, for the academic year.
• Funding packages, if offered, will be detailed in the admissions offer letter.
• Renewal of funding each year is dependent on satisfactory progress toward the degree and availability of resources.
• Students also have the opportunity to apply for competitive semester and full-year fellowship opportunities from the Graduate College and external partners.
• Advanced graduate students may also have the opportunity to teach courses in summer and winter terms for additional funding.
• The department offers generous funding for research and conference travel.

Graduate Outcomes

Graduates of the curatorial track doctorate program have gone on to assume important curatorial positions in museums, auction houses, and other arts institutions across the nation.