Doctor of Philosophy
To go directly to information about the combined MA/PhD program, click here.
The Doctor of Philosophy is a research degree designed to form a critical and productive scholar by focusing on a particular field within the history of art. The degree is suited to students who intend to continue advanced work either in university teaching or in a museum at the highest professional level. The successful candidate will demonstrate the ability to conduct original research and to integrate it with larger domains of knowledge.
Prerequisites
The entering student is expected to have in hand a completed Master's degree in art history with a written thesis, or equivalent demonstration of research and writing skills.
Duration of Program
According to University regulation, all requirements for the doctoral degree must be completed within five calendar years from the time the student passes the qualifying examination (see below).
Course Requirements
36 credit hours of course work beyond the Master's degree and 24 credit hours of supervised dissertation research (60 credit hours total).
Language Requirement
A reading knowledge of one foreign language is required for admission to the doctoral program. By the end of the first year in residence, reading knowledge of a second language must be demonstrated. The second language will be determined through consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies and the student's advisor. Depending on the area of specialization, additional languages may be required. The requirement is fulfilled either by passing an exam in reading knowledge or successfully completing an intermediate-level course.
Doctoral Degree Progress Review
The departmental faculty reviews and evaluates each student's progress at the end of the first academic year. Two weeks prior to the evaluation, the student submits two copies of a paper written in a graduate course in Art History at FSU as an example of writing skills, scholarly knowledge, and research abilities. The faculty then holds an informal discussion with the student concerning his/her scholarship and progress in the program.
Residency/ Teaching Abroad
- The University requires that all doctoral students must complete 24 credit hours on campus in any period of twelve consecutive months.
- The Department of Art History also encourages Doctoral students to study abroad for one semester at the FSU Study Center in Florence or London or a different cultural setting.
Qualifying Examination
The examining committee consists of no fewer than four faculty members, including one from a department other than Art History. The examination is scheduled and chaired by the student's major professor.
- The first part is written, testing factual and bibliographical knowledge in the major and minor areas and the student's ability to organize and evaluate information critically.
- The second part is an oral examination that falls within two weeks of the written test and also relates to the areas of the candidate's concentration.
The Dissertation
- While working on the dissertation, students must register for a minimum of two hours of dissertation credit per term, with a total minimum of 24 hours of dissertation research.
- A prospectus of the dissertation should be submitted within eighteen months after the Ph.D. examination, and must be approved by the examining committee.
- The completed manuscript should be submitted to the full dissertation committee at least one month before the anticipated oral defense date.
Combined Program leading to Doctor of Philosophy
This degree provides students who hold a Bachelor's degree in art history (or a sufficient number of courses in the field) the opportunity to move through the Master of Arts and into doctoral level study at an accelerated pace in which the thesis is replaced by a short qualifying paper and re-application for admission and funding is not necessary. Those who wish to pursue this option should apply for admission to the Master's program and indicate their preference for the combined program to the Director of Graduate Studies. Acceptance is by invitation of the faculty during the second year of Master's-level work.
Course Requirements
A total of 60 credit hours of courses are required, combining the requirements of the MA and PhD programs, plus 24 credit hours of supervised dissertation research:
- Two required courses: Methods of Art History, 1 Non-Western course
- Eight courses in chosen major area
- Three courses in chosen minor area
- Four electives, chosen with approval of graduate advisor.
Qualifying Paper, Exams and Dissertation
Upon acceptance into the combined MA/PhD program, the student writes a qualifying paper of up to twenty-five pages, demonstrating his/her capacity for advanced research, writing, and argumentation.
The qualifying examination and dissertation requirements are the same as described above.
For more information, please contact graduate advisor Kathy Braun.