nyu art history phd application

History (PhD)

Program description.

The program for the PhD degree provides a framework within which students can acquire the following training and experience:

• broad exposure to a general area of interest and to its current literature and controversies;
• more intense training in the special field in which the student intends to conduct research and do his or her primary teaching;
• a sound but more limited introduction to a second field;
• training in research procedures and methods;
• appropriate linguistic competence; and
• the completion of a dissertation judged to be a significant piece of historical research and writing.

All applicants to the Graduate School of Arts and Science (GSAS) are required to submit the  general application requirements , which include:

• Academic Transcripts
• Test Scores  (if required)
• Applicant Statements
• Résumé or Curriculum Vitae
• Letters of Recommendation , and
• A non-refundable  application fee .

See History for admission requirements and instructions specific to this program.

Program Requirements 

Concentration in medieval and renaissance studies, major fields, field requirement, language requirement, written qualifying exam, dissertation, departmental approval.

The program requires the completion of 72 credits, and offers a concentration in Medieval and Renaissance Studies. See concentration requirements below.

Taken in the first year.

The concentration in Medieval and Renaissance Studies is interdisciplinary in nature and creates a framework and community for diverse approaches to the study of the Middle Ages and Renaissance. it complements doctoral students’ work in their home departments with interdisciplinary study of the broad range of culture in the medieval and early modern periods, as well as of the theories and methods that attend them. The concentration is designed to train specialists who are firmly based in a traditional discipline but who can work across disciplinary boundaries, making use of varied theoretical approaches and methodological practices.

Or other approved course.

2 credits per semester taken twice in an academic year.

At least one course, not counting either the Proseminar or Workshop, must be taken outside a student’s home department. In addition, students pursuing the concentration will present a paper at least once either in the Workshop or in a conference offered by the Medieval and Renaissance Center.

• African Diaspora
• Atlantic World
• Medieval Europe
• Early Modern Europe
• Modern Europe
• Latin America and the Caribbean
• United States
• Topical/Transregional  

Additional Program Requirements

Each doctoral student must designate a major field, within which the subject of the student’s dissertation falls and presumably the field in which the student expects to be principally involved as a writer and teacher. Major fields should be broad enough so that they can prepare students to teach an upper-level undergraduate course or a graduate colloquium, but narrow enough so that students can develop professional competence in a body of literature. Major fields may be defined in chronological and geographical terms, or they may be partly thematic. In each case, a student’s major field should be worked out in discussion with his or her advisor and with at least one additional faculty member who has agreed to participate in examining it. Each doctoral student also must choose, by the end of the third semester, a second field and a second field advisor, who will examine the student in the qualifying exam. A second field maybe defined geographically or thematically. In every case, however, the second field may not be contained within the student’s major field but must introduce some significant new area or dimension. Second fields may also be arranged in some fields in which no major fields are available and may be comparative or transnational. Archival management and historical editing also qualify as second fields, without respect to the major field. Women’s history and public history, if comparative, also qualify as second fields without respect to the major field.

PhD students should satisfy the foreign language requirement for their field of study within the first year of graduate study and must do so by the time they complete 48 credits of course work. The minimal departmental requirement is one foreign language; additional languages may be required by the student’s advisory committee. Students must demonstrate proficiency in a foreign language that has direct relevance to their area of study. Students may satisfy proficiency either by passing the proficiency examination in the language given by the Graduate School of Arts and Science or by having earned a grade of B+ or better in an intermediate or advanced language course in a college or university no more than two years prior to enrollment. Exceptions may be made for languages required for primary research, by which a student’s advisor may specify some other procedure as necessary to demonstrate sufficient competence. Native speakers of a foreign language can satisfy this requirement by having their advisor inform the DGS as such.

Students must pass a written qualifying examination at the end of the second year of study. The examination occurs over three days and covers three separate lists of material aimed at familiarizing students with key aspects of historical literature preparing students to teach courses on that material. Two of the exams may cover material in a student’s major field, with the third exam covering their secondary field, or students may choose, in consultation with their advisors, to take exams in three distinct fields. Students with more than 3 incompletes will not be allowed to take the exam. A student who does not pass the examination has the right to retake it once. The qualifying examination is not a comprehensive examination. It is intended to test how well each student understands and can explain historical arguments and issues and bring to bear pertinent information and knowledge in discussing them within the chosen field of specialization.

Each student must submit a dissertation proposal and defend it during the course of a 90-minute oral examination no later than the end of the first week of the sixth semester. The committee for the examination consists of three faculty members: one is the student’s major advisor; the other two are normally readers of the dissertation. Where appropriate, one member of the committee may be from outside the department. These three faculty members constitute the “core” of the student’s dissertation committee.

Each student must write a dissertation under the supervision of a member of the department (joint advisors are permitted). The dissertation committee, including the advisor, has five members; a minimum of three must be Department of History full-time faculty.

All Graduate School of Arts & Science doctoral candidates must be approved for graduation by their department for the degree to be awarded.

Sample Plan of Study

Following completion of the required coursework for the PhD, students are expected to maintain active status at New York University by enrolling in a research/writing course or a Maintain Matriculation ( MAINT-GA 4747 ) course.  All non-course requirements must be fulfilled prior to degree conferral, although the specific timing of completion may vary from student-to-student.

PhD students should satisfy the foreign language requirement for their field of study within the first year of graduate study and must do so by the time they complete 48 points of course work. The minimal departmental requirement is one foreign language; additional languages may be required by the student’s advisory committee. Students must demonstrate proficiency in a foreign language that has direct relevance to their area of study. Students may satisfy proficiency either by passing the proficiency examination in the language given by the Graduate School of Arts and Science or by having earned a grade of B+ or better in an intermediate or advanced language course in a college or university no more than two years prior to enrollment. Exceptions may be made for languages required for primary research, by which a student’s advisor may specify some other procedure as necessary to demonstrate sufficient competence. Native speakers of a foreign language can satisfy this requirement by having their advisor inform the DGS as such.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the program, graduates will:

• Conduct archival or other primary research.
• Respond analytically and critically to ideas and texts, synthesize relevant materials, and formulate an original argument.
• Demonstrate originality and creativity in developing ideas and drawing conclusions.
• Effectively use library resources and document sources; Use the relevant electronic research tools to identify primary and secondary texts.
• Engage productively in class discussions concerning historical problems, methodologies, and theories and produce a seminar papers based on original research that critically analyze existing scholarship, add new observations based on primary research, and argue a clear and coherent thesis.

NYU Policies

Graduate school of arts and science policies.

University-wide policies can be found on the New York University Policy pages .

Academic Policies for the Graduate School of Arts and Science can be found on the Academic Policies page . 

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• Program of Study
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Department of Art History

as.nyu.edu/arthistory Silver Center, 100 Washington Square East, Room 303, New York, NY 10003-6688 • 212-998-8180

Chair of the Department

Professor Geronimus

Director of Undergraduate Studies

Associate Professor Robinson

Director of Urban Design and Architecture Studies Program

Clinical Professor Broderick

Once described by New York Times art critic John Russell as the best undergraduate department of art history in the country, the art history program at NYU was established to provide a rigorous and wide-ranging education in the many facets of the history and theory of art, a mission that its faculty continues to enthusiastically embrace. Students become familiar with global art from antiquity to the present. The department offers courses in ancient, medieval, Renaissance, baroque, modern, contemporary, East Asian, South Asian, Islamic, Latin American, African, Oceanic, Pre-Columbian, and Native American art, treating not only painting, sculpture, architecture, and photography but also graphic media, manuscript illumination, the decorative arts, and aspects of urban design. The department is one of the few undergraduate programs in the country with extensive offerings in conservation and museology. A myriad of museums, galleries, and local architectural sites make New York City the ideal place in which to study the visual arts on site and in the flesh. Beyond New York, art history courses are offered at NYU's study away sites, such as Berlin, Buenos Aires, Florence, London, Madrid, Paris, and Prague.

The department offers majors and minors in art history and in urban design and architecture studies. Since an education in the history of art can be enhanced by a firsthand understanding of its making, our majors are encouraged to minor in studio art through the Steinhardt School. The department publishes its own student journal ( Ink & Image ), and has an honors program which culminates in the writing and oral defense of a senior honors thesis.

Art history graduates have proven exceptionally successful in securing positions in museums, commercial galleries, auction houses, and nonprofit organizations. Those who go on to undertake graduate study typically pursue careers as curators, conservators, and academic art historians at the university and college level. Students majoring in urban design and architecture are well prepared for graduate study in architecture, urban planning, and historic preservation.

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These programs are currently offering admission. Please refer to the GSAS Bulletin for a listing of all programs.

Master's Joint Master's Dual Degree Doctoral Advanced Certificates Global & Online

MASTER'S DEGREE PROGRAMS (M.A. / M.F.A. / M.S.)

Africana Studies Animal Studies Anthropology Biology Biomedical Informatics , (offered by Vilcek Institute, School of Medicine) Chemistry Cinema Studies (offered by Tisch School of the Arts) Classics Computer Science Computing, Entrepreneurship and Innovation Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (offered by Institute of Fine Arts) Creative Writing Creative Writing in Spanish Data Science East Asian Studies Economics English and American Literature Environmental Health Sciences (offered by School of Medicine) European and Mediterranean Studies French   French Studies (offered by Institute of French Studies) German Thought and Literature Hebrew and Judaic Studies   Historical and Sustainable Architecture History History of Art and Archaeology (offered by Institute of Fine Arts) Industrial/Organizational Psychology Information Systems Interdisciplinary Studies (offered by XE: Experimental Humanities & Social Engagement) International Relations Irish and Irish American Studies Italian Studies Journalism (offered by Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute) Latin American and Caribbean Studies Mathematics Mathematics in Finance Museum Studies Near Eastern Studies Performance Studies (offered by Tisch School of the Arts) Physics Politics Psychology Religious Studies   Russian and Slavic Studies Scientific Computing Social and Cultural Analysis

JOINT MASTER'S DEGREE PROGRAMS

Africana Studies and Economics Africana Studies and Journalism East Asian Studies and Journalism European and Mediterranean Studies and Journalism French Studies and Journalism International Relations and Journalism Latin American and Caribbean Studies and Journalism Near Eastern Studies and Journalism Russian and Slavic Studies and Journalism

DUAL DEGREE PROGRAMS

Leonard N. Stern School of Business Biology and Business (M.A./M.B.A.)

Long Island University Library and Information Sciences and a GSAS Master's Degree (M.S.L.S. and a Master's Degree in most fields from NYU GSAS)

Institute of Fine Arts Art History and Art Conservation  (M.S./M.A.)

School of Law

American Studies and Law (Ph.D./J.D.) Biology and Law (Ph.D./J.D.) Classics and Law (Ph.D./J.D.) Comparative Literature and Law (Ph.D./J.D.) Computer Science and Law (Ph.D./J.D.) Economics and Law (Ph.D./J.D.) Economics and Law (M.A./J.D.) English and Law (Ph.D./J.D.) French and Law (Ph.D./J.D.) French Studies and Law (M.A./J.D.) German and Law (Ph.D./J.D.) Hebrew and Judaic Studies and Law (Ph.D./J.D.) Italian Studies and Law (Ph.D./J.D.) Latin American and Caribbean Studies and Law (M.A./J.D.) Mathematics and Law (Ph.D./J.D.) Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies and Law (Ph.D./J.D.) Music and Law (Ph.D./J.D.) Neural Science and Law (Ph.D./J.D.) Philosophy and Law (Ph.D./J.D.) Physics and Law (Ph.D./J.D.) Politics and Law (M.A./J.D.) Politics and Law (Ph.D./J.D.) Cognition and Perception Psychology and Law (Ph.D./J.D.) Sociology and Law (Ph.D./J.D.) Spanish and Portuguese and Law (Ph.D./J.D.)

Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service Public Administration and Judaic Studies (M.A./M.P.A.) Public and Non-Profit Management and Policy and International Relations (M.A./M.P.A.)

DOCTORAL PROGRAMS

American Studies Anthropology Atmosphere-Ocean Science and Mathematics Basic Medical Sciences , (offered by Vilcek Institute, School of Medicine) Biology Chemistry Cinema Studies (offered by Tisch School of the Arts) Classics Cognition and Perception (Psychology) Comparative Literature Computer Science Data Science East Asian Studies Economics English and American Literature Environmental Health Sciences (offered by School of Medicine) Environmental Studies French French Studies and Anthropology French Studies and French French Studies and History German Hebrew and Judaic Studies Hebrew and Judaic Studies and History History History and Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies History of Art and Archaeology (offered by Institute of Fine Arts) Italian Studies Linguistics Mathematics Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies Music Neural Science Performance Studies (offered by Tisch School of the Arts) Philosophy Physics Politics Social/Personality Psychology Sociology Spanish and Portuguese The Ancient World (offered by the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World)

ADVANCED CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS

Archives  Comparative Approaches to the Literatures of Africa, the Middle East, and the Global South (CALAMEGS) Culture and Media Digital Humanities and Social Science Financial Mathematics French Studies Management and Leadership of Public Service Organizations Museum Studies Poetics and Theory Public History Public Humanities

NON-CREDIT CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS

Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis, Postdoctoral Certificate

GLOBAL & ONLINE PROGRAMS

Biology ( Abu Dhabi, UAE ; Shanghai, China )

Chemistry ( Abu Dhabi, UAE ; Shanghai, China )

Computer Science ( Abu Dhabi, UAE ;  Shanghai, China )

Creative Writing (Paris, France)

Data Science ( Shanghai, China )

Historical and Sustainable Architecture Art History (London, England)

American Journalism Journalism (Online)

Mathematics ( Shanghai, China )

Neural Science ( Shanghai, China )

Physics ( Abu Dhabi, UAE ;  Shanghai, China )

Psychology ( Abu Dhabi, UAE )

Sociology ( Shanghai, China )

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Related links.

• GSAS Bulletin

Archaeology

Archaeology is concerned with the study of the human past through the physical evidence that human actions create. This includes artifacts, architecture, and works of art, but also human remains, animal bones, the remains of plants, and even modifications to the landscape—anything that has been made or affected or deposited by human beings. Perhaps most importantly, archaeologists also study and interpret the spatial relationships between archaeological remains to find patterns that suggest reconstructions of human activities in the past. Not surprisingly, excavations and their interpretation involve specialists in many subjects and methods. Archaeologists vary in their approaches and often disagree about what archaeology is or should be.

Archaeologists study not only ancient civilizations like Egypt, Greece, and Rome, but also remains from the time of the earliest hunter gatherers and other prehistoric peoples in Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Americas. In addition, archaeologists study remains from all historical periods, including those of the present day. The archaeological evidence can serve as a useful check on the textual evidence offered by historians, which is often written by the elite and the victors. Archaeology, which can reveal the activities of the poor and disenfranchised as well as the rich and powerful, can give us a much fuller picture of past worlds.

Archaeology in the United States is often studied in Anthropology departments. The archaeology of some regions, however, tends to be taught in departments and programs that study those regions; the archaeology of Greece and Rome, for example, is taught in Classics departments, and the archaeology of Egypt, the Levant, and the ancient Near East is often taught in departments dealing with those areas. This is because archaeologists working with remains of those cultures benefit from a familiarity with their languages and texts, as well as their particular artifactual traditions, and such programs can give students the background they need to qualify for more advanced study or academic positions.

At NYU, students are offered a rich array of courses in these collaborative and competing views, methods, and cultures—as follows:  

UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS

Undergraduates can focus their studies on archaeology through any of the following programs:

Ancient Studies (minor) where students can do structured interdisciplinary work in ancient studies, which can include coursework in archaeology offered by various departments.

Anthropology (major) and (minor) where one of the fields of inquiry is anthropological archaeology, which focuses on the earliest art, urbanism and development of states; the Anthropology department is also the place to study scientific specialties often called upon by archaeologists

Archaeology (minor) which is designed to introduce both prehistoric and historic archaeology and archaeological methods.

Classical Civilization and Anthropology (major) where students explore the social orders and institutions of ancient Greece and ancient Rome; and Classics and Art History (major) which emphasizes archaeological approaches to studying the Greek and Roman worlds.

GRADUATE PROGRAMS

Graduate students interested in archaeology can pursue the subject in five different academic units, depending on their interests:  

Department of Anthropology (PhD), in the track for Archaeology;

Department of Classics (PhD, MA), in the context of a program in Greek and Roman studies;

Institute of Fine Arts (PhD, MA), in the context of a program in art history and archaeology;

Institute for the Study of the Ancient World (PhD), where archaeology is part of an interdisciplinary program focusing on interconnections in the ancient world, from the Mediterranean region and the Near East to Central Asia and East Asia

Archaeological Fieldwork Projects

Abydos (Egypt)

Amheida (Egypt)

Aphrodisias (Turkey)

Bukhārā (Uzbekistan)  

Chinese Bronze Age Economics Project

Gird-i Rostam (Iraqi Kurdistan)

Kınık Höyük (Turkey)  

Lyktos (Crete ) 

Medes in the Iron Age (Zagros Mountains, Iran)

The Quirinal Project

Samothrace (Greece)  

Sanam (Sudan)

Selinunte (Italy)

Siniya Island (UAE)

Yeronisos Island (Cyprus)

Master of Arts

Situated in the capital of the American art world, the MA Program in the History of Art and Archaeology at the Institute of Fine Arts is designed for the student who wants to study the history and role of the visual arts in culture and society through detailed, object-based examination, historical analysis and critical interpretation. This degree program is constituted as a broad learning experience supported by numerous opportunities for intellectual inquiry, guided by leading scholars and enhanced by access to New York area museums, curators and conservators, archaeological sites and NYU's global network. The Institute’s MA in the History of Art and Archaeology is intended for students with a developed interest in the visual arts who wish to earn an advanced degree without the commitment to a multi-year doctoral program. The MA degree will prove useful for students interested in careers in art museums, galleries, auction houses cultural centers, arts foundations, archaeological site management and development, art conservation, or eventual doctoral work in art history or archaeology. The program is two years of full-time study or three years of part-time study for those with established professional careers who wish to continue working while attending the Institute. For part-time study, each student devises a course of study together with the Director of Masters Studies; a typical course load for part-time students would be two courses per semester for the first two years, and one course per semester in the final year of study.

Requirements

A total of 10 courses (40 points) is required for the MA Degree in the History of Art and Archaeology. There are two required courses, Foundations I (focused on the historiography and methodology of art history); and one course meeting the Foundations II requirement (regarding the material dimension of art history).

Distribution

In addition to the three required courses, students will take seven courses in lectures seminars and colloquia. Of these seven, at least one course must be taken in four of the major areas defined below. Two courses must be classroom seminars in two different major areas:

• Pre-modern Asia
• Pre-modern Africa and the Middle East
• The Ancient Mediterranean and Middle East, Including Egypt
• Pre-modern Europe and the Americas
• Post-1750 Global
• Museum and Curatorial Studies
• Technical Studies of Works of Art
• Architectural History

Definition of Courses

Foundations I, Practices of Art History: Artworks have often generated multiple –and conflicting – interpretations and a large and varied body of criticism. This course presents topics in historical interpretation, critical theory, art historical method and historiography through an innovative combination of lecture and seminar experiences. Through lectures by the class coordinator, an Institute professor, and presentations by other members of the Institute faculty and external experts, students will be exposed to these topics in a way that conveys their complexity and richness. Student-led discussion sessions will explore the issues that have been raised, and through this course the students will be provided with the essential materials they need to further their own process of discovery and intellectual development.

Foundations II, Materials and Techniques: Foundations II courses present the material dimension of art history, and are those currently listed in the Materials Studies of Works of Art section as those fulfilling the conservation requirement for art history students. These courses introduce the technical and material aspects of art objects through direct observation. Topics in technical art history, where close looking reveals new information regarding authorship, the history of artists’ materials, or studio practice, as well as the impact of the environment on the condition of art objects, are explored in seminar or colloquium format. Each course focuses on a specific area within art history or archaeology, and is designed to better equip the student to observe objects accurately and understand more fully their material history and present condition.

Thesis: The student will, in consultation with the Faculty Advisor, conduct research and write a scholarly Master’s Thesis on a specific topic within art history or archaeology. The Thesis will follow the outline proposed and approved in the previous semester. The student will gain experience with graduate-level research and the writing of a paper of publishable quality (9,000 word limit).

Colloquium: A colloquium provides an analysis or overview of the state of the literature on a given art historical topic or problem, with extensive reading, discussion, and presentations. There may be a final paper.

Seminar: A seminar is a focused advanced course that explores a topic in depth. Seminars are often based on exhibitions or collections in the New York area. Students are expected to produce a substantive paper that demonstrates original research.

Lecture: Lecture courses explore topics or periods, giving overviews of major issues as well as detailed analysis of specific problems and works of art. Students are responsible for assigned and recommended reading, and may produce short papers and/or take an exam.

Languages MA students must demonstrate proficiency in reading one modern research language other than English that is relevant to their studies. Proficiency is demonstrated by passing an examination administered by the Institute of Fine Arts. International students focusing on a field of study in which their native language is relevant may be granted an exemption from the language requirement pending submission of an exemption form signed by their advisor and the Director of Masters Studies.

Master’s Thesis A Master’s Thesis is required for the degree of MA The Thesis will be of substantial length (8500 - 9500 words) and should provide a comprehensive treatment of a problem in scholarship, competently written, and may be of publishable quality. The topic may be developed from papers written for a lecture course, seminar or colloquium, or from independent research. Students in the conservation program are encouraged to include technical studies in the Master’s Thesis, provided the paper retains its focus on art history or archaeology.

Readers: The Master’s Thesis must be read and approved by two faculty members. Readers are normally members of the permanent faculty. In consultation with the Director of Masters Studies, the student will arrange for a MA Thesis advisor at the beginning of his or her third semester. This advisor, who will normally direct and serve as primary reader of the Master’s Thesis, must be in residence during the fulltime student’s second year. The second reader is arranged for by the MA Thesis advisor.

The staging of the Master’s Thesis is as follows: Third Semester: The thesis proposal (500 words with brief bibliography and one illustration) is submitted to the MA Thesis advisor in November. Faculty comments are to be returned to the student by the end of the fall semester, so that revisions can be incorporated and the proposal approved by the beginning of the spring semester. Fourth Semester: Students begin substantial work on the thesis. A complete first draft is submitted by March 1 to the MA Thesis advisor. The final version of the thesis is due to the MA Thesis advisor in April. Both readers must approve the Thesis before graduation.

This schedule will be the norm for all students except for those following the part time course of study and for those in the conservation program, who will follow an alternative schedule established by their advisor.

Requirement Schedule

Typical full time ma schedule.

Year One:   Foundations I fulfilled   Foundations II fulfilled   4 additional courses   Students must take at least one colloquium or seminar in their first year, which will produce at least one paper. This paper will be assessed by the professor for ability to research and write scholarly English, and must receive a grade of A– or better for the student to pass to the second year.   Students must sit for one language exam during their first year. Students who do not pass may re-sit for language exams through December of their second year.

Year Two:   3 courses   Language requirement fulfilled   Complete research and writing of thesis   Approval of thesis by two readers

Typical Part Time MA Schedule

Year One:   Foundations I fulfilled   Foundations II fulfilled   2 additional courses   Students must take at least one colloquium or seminar in their first year, which will produce at least one paper. This paper will be assessed by the professor for ability to research and write scholarly English, and must receive a grade of A– or better for the student to pass to the second year. Students must sit for one language exam during their first year. Students who do not pass may re-sit for language exams through April of their second year.

Year Two: 4 courses   Language requirement fulfilled   Year Three: 1 course   Directed Research Thesis Forum   Complete research and writing of thesis   Approval of thesis by two readers

Degree Requirements

PhD | Masters Degree | Conservation

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Creative Research Assistant Application

Who: faculty seeking ug research assistants, what: funding and support to hire federal work-study eligible undergrads, when: reviewed on a rolling basis through april 1st, 2025 (or until the pilot is full).

Overview: 

This pilot program facilitates pairing Tisch faculty engaged in creative research (artistic, hybrid, scholarly, transdisciplinary, etc)  projects with undergraduate federal work-study students to provide a unique opportunity for both parties. Tisch faculty can benefit from 25-150 hours of research assistance over the year (October - June), while federal work-study students can gain valuable research experience and earn a competitive wage.

Eligibility:

• Creative research project in need of 25-150 hours of research assistance
• Project/Research cannot be exclusively for a commercial product
• The activity provides research benefits to the faculty's field and/or the Tisch/NYU Community

Application Requirements:

• Research interests/questions driving the activity
• Overview of proposed project (dates, times, location, activities, participants, etc.)
• Plan for research dissemination
• Benefits to NYU/Tisch community/the field
• Draft work plan/schedule for student assistant (using this template)
• Student job description ( using this template )

Program Details:

• TCR facilitates Handshake job listings for each Faculty Applicant
• Faculty will select students from the prescreened applicant pool
• Students must be Undergraduates eligible for Federal Work-study (Preference will be given to Tisch students)
• TCR hires and approves student hours in Peoplesync
• The student pay rate is $16.50/hour 
• Work must be completed by June 30th, 2025
• Faculty are responsible for monitoring pre-approved student schedules

Deadline:  Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis through April 1st, 2025, or until the pilot is full

Application portal will open in early september 2024.

Search NYU Steinhardt

Nyu mfa studio art online info session.

This information session will cover the nature of NYU's MFA program in Studio Art including faculty, coursework, facilities, scholarships, and admissions process. There will be a short Q & A session at the end.  

Related Departments

Art and Art Professions

Discover programs in Studio Art (MFA, BFA), Visual Arts Administration, Art Education, Art Therapy, and Costume Studies.

Department of History

Ph.d. program overview.

The Ph.D. program in History trains students in the skills of conducting original historical research and crafting original historical arguments. In the course of their work as historians, Brown scholars draw on a wide range of methods and engage with a variety of audiences. While training emphasizes the core skills of academic research, writing, and teaching at the college and university level, the program’s goals do not end there. Many Brown Ph.D. students explore teaching and writing for different settings and prepare for a breadth of careers that value the skills that obtaining a Ph.D. in History entails.

Students are expected to complete Brown’s Ph.D. program in five to six years. As a mid-sized program, the department values and cultivates attentive and hands-on faculty who work closely with students throughout their progress towards a degree. Critically, students in an entering cohort proceed through the program together, so that discussions across fields, geographies, and chronologies are built into the Ph.D. program.

Students accepted into the History Ph.D. program who remain in good standing are guaranteed funding for six years. Ph.D. students not supported by external fellowships work typically as teaching assistants in the second, third, and fifth (and, if relevant, a portion of the sixth) years of their program. There are also opportunities to apply for conference, research, and study grants either through the History Department or the Graduate School.

The information presented here is a summary of the Ph.D. program. For a more detailed description, see the Department of History Graduate Handbook. Prospective students should also read carefully the information supplied on the website of Brown’s Graduate School.

The Program is divided into two stages:

Stage 1: Coursework and preparation for the Preliminary Exams (Years 1-3)

During the first and second years, students take seminars that introduce the major historiographical questions and methodologies of various subfields and develop their research skills. They identify the three fields for their Preliminary Exams and begin preparation for the exams, which are usually taken in December of the third year. Students are expected to teach as teaching assistants in their second and third years.

History offers five types of Ph.D. courses, typically to be completed within the first three years of a student’s program:

1)    Required seminars (4): "History Now" features cutting-edge historical research and writing, including that being written by History faculty members; "The Roots of History" traces the development of the historical profession, focusing on the major methodological and theoretical landmarks in that development; an advanced workshop, "Writing History," guides students through the writing of a publishable paper; a Dissertation Prospectus Seminar culminates in the student’s defense of the dissertation plan and proposal.

2)    Field Seminars offer a broad overview of the historiography of particular fields (e.g., Early Modern Europe, Modern East Asia).

3)    Thematic Seminars provide opportunities to explore a particular theme or methodological frame from a transnational and transtemporal perspective.

4)    Special Topics Seminars focus on the historiography of a particular nation or region, historical "event," or historiographical debate. They allow for focused, close training, including in specialized skills and readings in languages other than English.

5)    Independent Study courses, by arrangement with the instructor, offer students, individually or in small groups, opportunities to explore special interests in depth.

In addition, students will receive course credit for attending "The Practice of History," a series of professionalization workshops that provide guidance in grant-writing, applying for jobs, developing inclusive teaching practices, constructing effective syllabuses, etc.

Students typically take four courses per semester. Up to two graduate courses (exclusive of language courses) may be taken outside the department.

A typical schedule looks like this:

* Can be filled in a number of ways, including a language course, a 1000-level class, an independent study, a 2000-level class, or with a placeholder independent study with the DGS (HIST2910)

Preliminary Examinations 

By the end of the first semester, students should have identified three fields (one major and two minor); these are usually subfields of the primary and secondary fields listed under Fields of Study ). These will be the areas examined in the Preliminary Examinations—three written and one oral exam—usually completed by the end of the fifth semester.

Language Requirement

Language requirements are set by the fields of study. They must be completed before the preliminary examinations are taken at the end of the fifth semester.

Stage 2: Prospectus and advancement to candidacy (Years 3-5/6)

After the successful completion of all coursework, the language requirement, and the preliminary examinations, the student, usually during the course of the sixth semester, develops a dissertation prospectus. Once the prospectus is approved by the student’s dissertation committee, the student devotes full effort (outside of work as a Teaching Assistant) to researching and writing the dissertation.

In the sixth semester, students take the Dissertation Prospectus Seminar, which provides a collaborative structure for the process of identifying viable dissertation projects, selecting a Dissertation Committee, articulating the project in the form of a dissertation prospectus, and, when appropriate, developing grant proposals based on the prospectus. The prospectus, in roughly 15 to 20 pages, states the dissertation topic, sets it in the context of the relevant secondary historical literature, explains the significance of the study, outlines the methodology to be followed, describes the types of primary sources to be used, and provides a tentative chapter outline, a bibliography, and a research plan. During the Dissertation Prospectus Defense, usually held in May or June, the Dissertation Committee reviews the prospectus and provides suggestions and advice to the student. Once the prospectus is approved, the student proceeds to conduct research on the dissertation.

Dissertation

Dissertations can vary significantly between students and among subfields. Students should consult regularly with their advisors during the dissertation research and writing process, to report progress and to ensure agreement on expectations for the dissertation. The most basic standard for a dissertation is that it makes an original contribution to the body of relevant scholarship in its field. The doctoral dissertation should be completed within four years after the student passes the preliminary examinations.

The Dissertation Defense is conducted by the graduate advisor and other members of the Dissertation Committee. Its purpose is to provide a forum for a general discussion of the dissertation—its strengths and weaknesses as a contribution to knowledge and its future prospects.  If the dissertation is approved by the Dissertation Committee, the student has completed the final requirement of the Ph.D. program and can prepare to graduate.

Candidates for the Ph.D. must normally demonstrate satisfactory performance as a Teaching Assistant in undergraduate courses at Brown, or in teaching at another institution approved by the department. A Teaching Assistant usually works as a grader and section discussion leader under the guidance of the faculty member teaching the course. Ph.D. students not supported by external fellowships typically work as Teaching Assistants in the second, third, and fifth years of their program, and one semester in their sixth year. Explanation of the rights and responsibilities of teaching assistants may be found in the Department of History Graduate Handbook.

The written exam for each individual field may consist of (1) a timed, written, closed or open book exam, (2) a long essay or series of shorter essays, or (3) a draft syllabus and one or several course lectures. (Other potential outcomes must be approved ahead of time by the DGS.) The written exam may be completed (1) when the student finishes reading for a field, leaving only the oral portion for December, or (2) immediately before the oral exam in December. The oral exam, which normally takes place in December of the third year, is two hours long and consists of all three exam committee members querying the student regarding the written exams, the field at large, and/or any materials from the exam list. For more details on the preliminary exams, see the History Graduate Student Handbook.

Summary of Exam Process

• May 19 : Fields Declaration Form submitted to the student’s primary advisor (who will normally be the chair of the exam committee), the DGS, and the graduate program administrator
• Summer: Students should initiate conversations with examiners regarding lists and procedures. 
• January : Preparation for the preliminarily exam should begin in earnest, continuing through the summer and fall. Students should enroll for an Independent Study in semester 4 with their primary advisor or other examiner (see above).
• March 31 : Submission of Fields Planning Form , along with drafts of the three field lists and a progress report on language and all other requirements
• September : Graduate program administrator circulates information about the oral portion of the exam.
• November : Graduate program administrator circulates schedules for the oral exams, along with all submitted written exam responses.
• Early to mid-December : Oral exams are conducted. 

Sample Exam Preparation Schedule Note : This is intended only to provide a rough framework for exam preparation; individual exam processes may vary, depending on examiner and student availability and preference.

• January : Initiate reading for Field 1 (usually major field, as part of IS)
• April : Complete written exam for Field 1
• May : Initiate reading for Field 2
• July : Complete written exam for Field 2
• August : Initiate reading for Field 3
• October : Complete written exam for Field 3
• November : Review Fields 1, 2, and 3 in preparation for oral exam

December : Complete oral exams

The capstone project of the Ph.D. program is the Doctoral Dissertation. The Department’s required core course sequence concludes with the Dissertation Prospectus Seminar, which students take in the sixth semester, usually after passing their Preliminary Exams.

The Dissertation Prospectus Seminar (spring semester of the third year) provides a shared structure for the process of identifying viable dissertation projects, selecting a dissertation committee, articulating the project in the form of a dissertation prospectus, and, where appropriate, developing grant proposals based on the prospectus. The dissertation committee, the selection of which is a requirement of the course, consists of a chair and at least two additional Brown faculty members. 

The dissertation committee will be responsible for evaluating the student's dissertation prospectus, to be presented no later than the end of the sixth semester. This usually takes the form of a dissertation prospectus defense, which is an important moment to bring together the dissertation committee to provide input and advice on the prospectus as well as the next steps of research and writing.

After passing the preliminary exams and obtaining approval of their dissertation prospectus by the dissertation committee, Ph.D. candidates are encouraged to proceed with speed and efficiency into the research process. During the research and writing of the thesis, it is the student's responsibility to regularly provide the graduate advisor with evidence of satisfactory progress towards completion. The doctoral dissertation should be completed within four years after the student passes the preliminary exams.

The department expects each student to have a dissertation defense The defense will normally be conducted by the graduate advisor and dissertation committee members, whether in person or via video conference. If the candidate wishes, other graduate students may attend and participate in the discussion.

A Dissertation Defense form must be filled out by the student and submitted to the Department staff. This form should be filed at the same time as the submission of the penultimate version of the dissertation, on March 15 for a May graduation, or no later than one month prior to the dissertation defense date if an October or February graduation. 

If the dissertation is approved by the dissertation committee, the student has completed the final requirement of the Ph.D. and is permitted to proceed with preparations for graduation. Students are permitted by the Graduate School to graduate (having fulfilled all requirements) at three points during the year: October, February, and May. Students who wish to take part in Commencement ceremonies may elect to walk in May following their graduation (or at the time of their graduation, if in May). Brown University Commencement usually takes place the Sunday before Memorial Day. There is a separate Graduate School Ceremony as well as a Department Ceremony that graduate students are especially encouraged to attend.

Amy G. Remensnyder