Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in History of Art and Architecture

Boston University

PhD in History of Art & Architecture

The department's PhD program prepares students to produce and defend an original contribution to knowledge and to teach the disciplines of history of art and architecture at both the undergraduate and graduate level. To enter, students must have a background of coursework equivalent to an undergraduate minor in history of art and architecture at Boston University-that is, a two-term survey course and three additional courses in history of art and architecture. In addition, two years of college work or the equivalent in a foreign language should be completed.

Learning Outcomes

Produce and defend an original contribution to knowledge.

Demonstrate mastery of subject material.

Be capable of conducting scholarly activities in an ethical manner.

Be able to teach the discipline at both the undergraduate and graduate level or to pursue another visual arts career.

Conduct independent research and analysis.

Interpret the results of the research.

Course Requirements

Sixteen courses (64 units) are required to complete the doctoral program. It is recommended that two of these courses be in fields other than art history; approval of the Director of Graduate Studies or the student's official faculty advisor is necessary before registering for non–art history courses. Two of the art history courses must be graduate seminars.

A specialized track option is available for students who wish to focus on the history of architecture.

Graduate students in the Department of History of Art & Architecture are eligible to enter the department's Graduate Certificate Program in Museum Studies. The certificate's required courses may be taken either as a part of, or in addition to, the courses required for the PhD.

Students with prior graduate work may be able to transfer course units. For details, see the GRS Transfer of Units policy.

Language Requirements

A second language is required for all students in the doctoral program in history of art & architecture. The language will be determined by the faculty advisor and approved by the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS). It may be necessary in some areas of specialization for the student to pass an examination in a third language, determined by the advisor and approved by the DGS. Students specializing in African art and architecture history must successfully complete four terms of an African language as their second language. For students specializing in Asian art, in addition to proficiency in modern Chinese or modern Japanese (depending on the chosen field of specialization), students must acquire reading knowledge in a second language. The second language can be either an Asian or a European language, as decided in consultation with the student's advisor. To meet the requirement for reading knowledge of a second language, students can take the language examination offered by this department, successfully complete the reading course offered by the Graduate School, or enroll in language courses in the Departments of World Languages & Literatures or Romance Studies. In the case of an Asian language, successful completion of second-year modern Chinese, Japanese, or Korean satisfies the department language requirement. The requirement for a second language for all students must be met by the end of the second term of post–MA residence. A student may not take the qualifying examination until the PhD language requirement has been satisfied.

Qualifying Examination

The PhD Qualifying Examination is the prerequisite for writing a dissertation. It is designed to reveal a mastery of a field of specialization and a comprehensive knowledge of a minor area.