Doctor of Philosophy in Art History - East Asian Art

Both the MA and PhD programs emphasize the research, writing, and teaching necessary to pursue a career in academia, curatorial work, art consultation, heritage programs, cultural journalism, or secondary school teaching. The faculty supervise students in the fields of Ancient, Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque, Asian, African, Architecture, and Modern and Contemporary Art.Students in the graduate program may also benefit from the department’s affiliations with the Centre for Medieval Studies, the Centre for Renaissance and Reformation Studies, the program in Book History and Print Culture, and the Mediterranean Archaeology Collaborative Specialization. Resources and affiliated faculty at the Royal Ontario Museum, the University Art Centre, the Gardiner Museum, and the Art Gallery of Ontario also provide access to Toronto’s vibrant arts scene. The University hosts a number of specialist libraries for art historical research, including the Department of Art History’s library with over 40,000 exhibition catalogues, the Cheng Yu Tung East Asian Library, and Robarts Research Library, a resource unrivalled in Canada and among the leading university libraries in North America. The PhD program is designed to prepare students for college and university teaching, museum work, and other research positions. The University of Toronto has offered instruction in East Asian art history, the third institution in North America to do so, after Princeton and Columbia. The political situation in China in 1933 prevented the University from realizing its goal of establishing a Chair of Chinese Art, but the University of Toronto nonetheless began to train students in East Asian art, awarding its first PhD in the field in 1943. Major scholars and other prominent figures (the Right Reverend William White, Professor John C. Ferguson, Mr. Mark Gayn, and Professor David Waterhouse) built the extensive collection of books and research resources for East Asian art history now available in the University.

Applicants should have an exceptionally strong academic record with a grade average of at least an A- average in recent senior art history and/or humanities courses. The Department also welcomes applications from outstanding candidates with a background other than art history (with at least five art history courses in their academic background). In addition to transcripts, a CV, and three letters of reference, applicants must include a statement of intent and a sample research paper.The five-year PhD program is designed for students who have graduated with a MA in art history or a related humanities major.Scanned and Uploaded Transcript(s)Letters of Reference - Do not include more than three reference letters. Additional letters will not be considered by the Admissions Committee.Writing SampleLetter of IntentCV