Advice for Applying to the PhD Program

We are a doctoral rather than a master’s degree program, though students may apply to receive an MA degree on the way to their Ph.D. Students are expected to be in residence except when they are conducting dissertation research with fellowship support. Students typically spend their first two years taking courses, and in the third year, take their multi-day “preliminary exams” and prepare a dissertation prospectus. These serve as a transition to independent dissertation research. Years four, five, and six focus on dissertation research and writing, a process that sometimes extends into a seventh year. Throughout their years in the program, students may apply for travel funding to attend conferences, engage in internships, and visit the works they need to see for their project.

Our funding package guarantees all students who maintain “satisfactory progress” five years of full support (tuition, health insurance, stipend for living expenses); for some of those years, students are expected to earn the stipend through their work as Graduate Student Instructors (GSIs). Beyond the fifth year, the guaranteed funding covers tuition and health insurance but no stipend.  However, in the later years of their program, our students consistently find research and travel support through additional Graduate Student Instructor work, internships, research assistantships, and outside grants and fellowships.

When needed, we work with students to secure external or internal fellowships to support additional dissertation work. Most students are able to spend at least a year conducting research off campus. For more information on our funding package see this page.

Our graduates typically pursue careers in teaching or museum work. During your time in the program, you’ll develop teaching skills through training and working as a Graduate Student Instructor. Additional teaching support comes from the University’s Center for Research on Learning and Teaching. The department funds internships in museums and other public-facing institutions, as does the Rackham Graduate School’s program of doctoral internships in support of public scholarship and other “alt-academic” careers (see CRLT, Rackham, etc.). Students especially interested in museum work often pursue a certificate through the University’s interdisciplinary Museum Studies Program alongside their History of Art degree.

The Rackham Graduate School offers additional resources for graduate study, ranging from support, advocacy, and networking opportunities for first-generation and other student communities to writing workshops and career coaching.

Please explore our web pages to learn more about our graduate program, see news about our graduate students’ research, and explore some of the related resources at the University. We encourage you to be in touch with your questions. The Graduate Coordinator can provide basic information about the program and the application process and refer more advanced queries to the Director of Graduate Studies.

Reflecting on the process of applying to a program, and what it would be like for you to pursue graduate-level training should be the first step for any prospective student. Pursuing a doctorate in art history is a commitment of many years of full-time focus and exploration, surrounded by people who share interests and a commitment to expanding the field. We are excited about visual and material sources, archives, discussing multiple approaches to a question, and spending entire semesters looking closely at images, spaces, and objects. Students work closely with their advisors but also thrive when they seek out intellectual communities and scholarly opportunities on their own.

Because we emphasize research in primary sources and value the multiple perspectives that come from understanding cultures through their languages, each student is expected to pass exams in two research languages: one during their first year in the program and the second by the middle of the third year. Many students pursue language study alongside their coursework, and the department can fund enrollment in summer intensive language courses. However, by the time you apply to the program, it is advisable to have a working knowledge of at least one language other than English that relates to your area of study.

A PhD program is a very long journey during which you will live on a limited budget and need to apply for many research grants. As part of your decision whether to apply to any graduate program, we encourage you to thoroughly research how the local cost of living compares to the funding the program offers and perhaps talk with current students—not only about their studies,  but also about the way they budget. At UM all graduate students in History of Art receive the same financial package with five years of stipend that, with careful planning, is meant to cover basic living expenses and allow students to set some funds aside to help cover summer expenses after the fifth year.  Throughout the program, some additional funding may be available for modest research trips, conference presentations, and other scholarly activities.

After thinking through your goals and options, and reading through the Graduate Handbook, if you see yourself in our program we would love to meet you!

To thrive in a doctoral program calls for preparation and initiative to ask and research good questions. This does not necessarily require an undergraduate degree in art history but it does take some grounding in the field.

Some ways to gain this experience before you apply:

• Read academic journals, not only for content but to understand the different ways that scholars frame their research. Keep in mind that some journal articles begin life as graduate seminar papers or dissertation chapters. As you read, consider: what are current debates? How could you imagine entering these conversations? Among the “flagship” journals for art historians are Art History and the Art Bulletin, available through many college libraries. More and more research journals are available for free online as open-source publications.

• Many students prepare for graduate school through work experience in a part-time job or internship in a museum, archive, or arts institution. Look for funded opportunities and take into account the cost of living required to do the internship.

• Language study is important. Consider enrolling in language courses while in college, or taking a class through a local community college or extension program. One of the most respected immersion programs, the Middlebury Language School, offers partial scholarships.

• Some students prepare for doctoral work by first completing a specialized or “bridge” Master’s degree in art history or area studies at another university. This can provide a valuable transition from undergraduate to graduate study and offer an additional opportunity for language training. If you are interested in pursuing an MA prior to your Doctoral degree, it is important to explore all possible avenues to avoid or minimize the financial burden of taking out student loans. A list of some of the art history MA programs that offer at least partial financial aid may be available by request from the History of Art Graduate Coordinator.

Whichever path you take, be sure to seek out opportunities to spend time engaging with art and culture, ideally on site whenever possible. 

Before you apply to a PhD program, it is important to investigate “fit,” or whether a program is right for you and you are right for the program.  This is different from whether or not you are admitted to a program and is not necessarily tied to the perceived prestige of the institution or the offered funding package.

We recommend that you begin by exploring “fit” by researching the professors who could serve as your advisors. Read some of their publications, then email them. Ask if they are planning to supervise advisees in the coming year, what projects they might have in the works, and whether they would agree to talk with you in advance of an application. Because the application will ask you to list up to four departmental faculty members you could study with, it is important to learn about their interests. Note that intellectual fit goes beyond narrow definitions of field to include broader theoretical, methodological, and historical questions that cross specialties.

As you research online, be sure to explore other faculty, programs, and related University resources that could enhance your studies at Michigan.

An application to a PhD program consists of a brief personal statement, a research statement, a writing sample, a CV (curriculum vitae, like an academic resume), letters of recommendation, and transcripts. UM History of Art does not require a GRE, but TOEFL may be needed.  Together, these documents should give a sense of who you are as a person, a thinker, and a writer. They should indicate what you’re curious about and how you go about asking and answering a question. The application should help the faculty members who read it—many of whom will be art historians outside your specialty—envision your participation in our program. Because the statements and writing sample are such important components, we recommend seeking out the advice of a trusted academic advisor and/or a campus writing center if one is available to you.

The personal statement

The focus of a personal statement is on how aspects of your experience or way of looking at the world have shaped your interest in or approach to art history and will inform your graduate work in the field.  Statements like “I am passionate about art” or “I have loved art ever since my parents took me to a museum” don’t tell us much. Instead, what would you like your readers to know about how your intellectual interests have developed and the impact of these ideas on the way you exist in community with other people? What has shaped the broad questions you hope to explore? Why? What should we know about ways that you have met challenges, investigated topics independently, or followed up on questions in pursuing your studies? How do you envision the particular resources of our department serving your goals? (Be more specific than “Michigan has an excellent program and major libraries”) There is no “one size fits all”  formula or template for writing an effective statement. But if you’re looking for a place to start, many academic writing centers offer ideas that you could adapt for your own personal statement tailored to your interests and to our program.

The research statement

To many faculty members, the research statement is one of the most important parts of your application to the PhD program.  It should demonstrate your ability to articulate a set of research questions and a body of material that addresses and nuances them in exciting ways.  When writing the statement, think about some of the following questions.  What are the questions that interest you and that you seek to pursue in graduate school? What readings have piqued your interest? Describe a project you have undertaken that demonstrates your research skills or experience. What are potential areas of study or research topics that you hope to investigate in our graduate program? Why? How might they both build on your prior experience and explore new directions?

The writing sample

The writing sample should show how you approach a question, research a topic, interpret sources, articulate a thesis statement, and structure an argument. We ask for about 25 or no more than 35 double-spaced pages, including illustrations and citations.  Usually, the sample demonstrates skills relevant to art history, including the way you analyze or explore visual evidence, the range and depth of your research (including footnotes or endnotes), and your engagement with primary and secondary textual sources. It also demonstrates your skill and voice as an academic writer. The sample can be a revised course paper or an excerpt from a longer Honors or MA thesis. If you choose to submit an excerpt, please add an introductory paragraph that sets up the writing sample and explains how it fits within the larger project.

Letters of recommendation

These are most helpful when they are written by people who can speak knowledgeably (and enthusiastically) about your academic work, or about you as a student. One letter could come from an employer or supervisor who can address your work experience and skills, especially in a field relevant to your proposed graduate study.  Usually, the most cogent letters come from academics in your field who worked closely with you over multiple semesters.

All of the above suggestions are merely guidelines.  Ultimately, the decision to apply to graduate school is a very personal one that requires thorough academic preparation, research into the financial consequences of graduate school and the potential job market, and a deep commitment to advancing the field of art history.  We hope to hear from you soon!