Art History

Art History: Introduction

Faculty Affiliation

Arts and Science

Degree Programs

Art History

MA and PhD

  • Fields:
    • Ancient;
    • Medieval;
    • Early Modern;
    • Modern and Contemporary

Collaborative Specializations

The following collaborative specializations are available to students in participating degree programs as listed below:

Overview

The Department of Art History’s graduate programs emphasize the research, writing, and teaching necessary to pursue a career in academia or museum work. The programs benefit from affiliations at the University with the Centre for Medieval Studies and the Centre for Renaissance and Reformation Studies, as well as resources in Toronto including the Royal Ontario Museum, the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Aga Khan Museum, and the Gardiner Museum.

Contact and Address

Web: arthistory.utoronto.ca
Email: graduate.arthistory@utoronto.ca
Telephone: (416) 946-3960

Graduate Department of Art History
University of Toronto
Sidney Smith Hall
Room 6037A, 100 St. George Street
Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G3
Canada

Art History: Graduate Faculty

Full Members

Anderson, Christy - BA, MA, PhD
Bear, Jordan - BA, MA, MPH, PhD
Caskey, Jill - AB, MA, MPH, PhD
Cheetham, Mark - BPhil, MA, PhD
Cohen, Adam - PhD
Ewald, Bjoern - AM, PhD
Gu, Yi - BLitt, MMSt, PhD
Harakawa, Maya - DA
Harney, Elizabeth - AB, MA, PhD
Jain, Kajri - PhD (Graduate Chair)
Kaplan, Louis - AB, AM, DPhil
Kavaler, Ethan Matt - PhD
Kim, SeungJung - BS, MA, MPH, PhD, PhD (Director of Graduate Studies)
Knappett, Carl - MA, PhD
Legge, Elizabeth MM - BA, BA, MA, PhD
Levy, Evonne - MFA, PhD
Migwans, Mikinaak - BFA, MA
Periti, Giancarla - PhD
Purtle, Jennifer - BA, MPH, MA, PhD
Ricco, John - BA, MA, PhD
Sapirstein, Philip - PhD, PhD, PhD
Sohm, Philip - BA, MA, PhD
Syme, Alison - PhD

Members Emeriti

Richardson, Douglas - BA, MA, PhD
Shaw, Joseph - BA, MAT, PhD
Shaw, Maria - PhD

Associate Members

Behrendt, Kurt - PhD
Dewan, Deepali - BA, MA, PhD
Kooistra, Lorraine Janzen - BA, MA, PhD
Matthews David, Alison - DA
Nikolakopoulou, Irene - BA, MA, DPhil
Takesue, Akiko - PhD

Art History: Art History MA

Master of Arts

Program Description

The MA program is a course-based degree designed to prepare art history students for doctoral research, curatorial work, art consultation, heritage programs, cultural journalism, and secondary school teaching.

MA students do not complete a thesis and are not assigned a supervisor. The MA program can be taken on a full-time or part-time basis.

Minimum Admission Requirements

  • Applicants are admitted under the General Regulations of the School of Graduate Studies. Applicants must also satisfy the Graduate Department of Art History's additional admission requirements stated below.

  • Strong overall grade average in art history and closely related subjects and at least a B+ average in recent senior art history courses. Outstanding applicants with other backgrounds may be considered.

Program Requirements

  • Coursework. Students must successfully complete a total of 3.0 graduate full-course equivalents (FCEs) as follows:

    • Coursework must be chosen from at least three of four fields: 1) Ancient, 2) Medieval, 3) Early Modern, 4) Modern and Contemporary. No more than 2.0 FCEs may be taken in any one of the four fields.

    • Coursework must also be taken in at least two geographic zones. Courses without a specific regional focus may count toward the geographical distribution requirement if the student's final paper is on an appropriate topic.

    • The equivalent of 1.0 FCE may be taken in another graduate department (for example, Medieval Studies, Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations), subject to approval of the Department of Art History and the other department concerned.

  • Reading knowledge of a language other than English (normally French, German, Italian, Arabic, or Chinese); tested in the first session.

  • A research methods workshop.

Program Length

3 sessions full-time (typical registration sequence: F/W/S);
6 sessions part-time

Time Limit

3 years full-time;
6 years part-time

Art History: Art History PhD

Doctor of Philosophy

Program Description

The PhD program is designed to prepare art history students for college and university teaching, museum curatorships, and other research positions.

Applicants may enter the PhD program via one of two routes: 1) following completion of an appropriate master's degree or 2) direct entry after completing a bachelor's degree.

 

PhD Program

Minimum Admission Requirements

  • Applicants are admitted under the General Regulations of the School of Graduate Studies. Applicants must also satisfy the Graduate Department of Art History's additional admission requirements stated below.

  • Minimum A– average in their master's program.

  • Reading knowledge of two foreign languages relevant to the student's research.

  • Students unable to meet language requirements for particular courses may be refused admission to courses; enrolment in Fall courses is limited and subject to instructor's approval.

Program Requirements

  • Coursework. Students must successfully complete a total of 3.0 full-course equivalents (FCEs) of graduate courses as follows:

    • FAH5000Y Comprehensive Examinations and Dissertation Topic Reading Course (1.0 FCE; Credit/No Credit) with the student's interim supervisor to prepare for the comprehensive examinations.

    • FAH1001H Methods of Art History (0.5 FCE), a departmental methodology course, must be taken in Year 1. With departmental approval, credit may be given for a research methodology course taken previously.

    • Students are encouraged to take courses reflecting a variety of time periods and geographic zones.

  • A research methods workshop is recommended.

  • At the end of each academic year, students' progress will be reviewed to ensure that they have made satisfactory progress through the program; this includes maintaining full-time status with a GPA of at least A– and completion of all language requirements.

  • Students must pass examinations in two foreign languages by the end of Year 2. Students who have completed a language exam during their MA may apply to have the exam counted towards fulfilling one of the two foreign language requirements. The appropriate languages will be set by the interim supervisor in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies, and additional languages may be required depending on the research needs of the student's dissertation topic.

  • Within Years 1 and 2, students complete coursework and language requirements and secure a prospective supervisor with whom they will discuss plans for the comprehensive examinations.

  • Additionally, within Years 1 and 2, students must take a three-part comprehensive examination: 1) the first part focusing on one of the four fields, 2) the second on the student's dissertation field, and 3) the third (oral) discussing the first two.

    • The exam consists of an in-house written section, a take-home essay, and an oral exam.

    • The student will meet with the Examination Committee (normally made up of at least three members of the department, one of whom will be the prospective dissertation supervisor), in order to define the areas of the examination, the length of study, and such readings and special topics as deemed appropriate.

    • If a student fails the comprehensive examinations, one further attempt is allowed, no more than three months later. A second failure results in the immediate removal of the student from the program.

    • Once the student passes the exam, their graduate record will be updated to reflect successful exam completion.

  • Immediately following successful completion of comprehensive examinations, students must formally establish their PhD Supervisory Committee. This will include the faculty member acting as the dissertation supervisor, and two other graduate faculty members. These arrangements must be approved by the department's Graduate Program Committee.

  • Working with the PhD Supervisory Committee, the student will develop a detailed proposal for their research, to be submitted 3 months after the successful completion of their comprehensive exam. The length and specific nature of the proposal will be determined by the Supervisory Committee and the PhD student. The drafted proposal must be approved, first by the Supervisory Committee, and then by the Director of Graduate Studies.

  • At some point during the dissertation stage, students will present their work to the faculty and students at a colloquium in an appropriate format and at a time to be determined by the supervisor in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies.

  • Normal timeline through the program: By the end of Year 1, students should have completed all course requirements for the degree. By the end of the following year of registration, students should satisfy any remaining requirements, select a thesis committee, pass the comprehensive examination, and submit a thesis proposal. Thereafter, the candidate selects a member of the thesis committee to be the thesis supervisor and begins work on their thesis.

Program Length

4 years

Time Limit

6 years

 

PhD Program (Direct-Entry)

Minimum Admission Requirements

  • Applicants are admitted under the General Regulations of the School of Graduate Studies. Applicants must also satisfy the Graduate Department of Art History's additional admission requirements stated below.

  • Applicants with a bachelor's degree who have an exceptionally strong academic record; minimum grade average of A– in art history and humanities courses in the last two years.

  • Reading knowledge of two foreign languages relevant to the student's research.

  • Students unable to meet language requirements for particular courses may be refused admission to courses; enrolment in Fall courses is limited and subject to instructor's approval.

Program Requirements

  • Coursework. Students must successfully complete at least 5.5 full-course equivalents (FCEs) in art history as follows:

    • FAH5000Y Comprehensive Examinations and Dissertation Topic Reading Course (1.0 FCE; Credit/No Credit) must be taken in Year 2 with the student's interim supervisor to prepare for the comprehensive examinations.

    • FAH1001H Methods of Art History (0.5 FCE), a departmental methodology course, must be taken in Years 1 and 2. With departmental approval, credit may be given for a research methodology course taken previously.

    • The remaining 4.0 FCEs must be chosen from at least three of the following fields: (1) Ancient, (2) Medieval, (3) Early Modern, 4) Modern and Contemporary. Any course that covers more than one of these time periods may only be used to fulfil one of the FCE distributions.

    • Coursework must be taken in at least two geographic zones (Western, East Asian, South Asian, African, etc.). Courses without a specific regional focus may count toward the geographical distribution requirement if the student's final paper is on an appropriate topic.

  • Students must maintain an A– average.

  • A research methods workshop, normally taken in Year 1.

  • Students must pass examinations in two foreign languages by the end of Year 2. Students focusing on Ancient, Medieval, and Renaissance and Baroque will normally be expected to pass the examination in German as one of their two languages. The appropriate languages will be set by the interim supervisor in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies, and additional languages may be required depending on the research needs of the student's dissertation topic. Language requirements must be completed prior to approval of the dissertation proposal.

  • At the beginning of Year 3, students' progress will be reviewed to ensure that they have made satisfactory progress through the program; this includes maintaining full-time status with a GPA of at least A– and completion of all language requirements.

  • Within the first three years, students must take a three-part comprehensive examination: 1) the first part focusing on one of the four fields, 2) the second on the dissertation field, and 3) the third (oral) discussing the first two.

    • The exam consists of an in-house written section, a take-home essay, and an oral exam.

    • Upon the completion of all coursework, PhD students must seek out and secure the participation of a prospective supervisor with whom they will discuss plans for the comprehensive examinations.

    • The student will meet with the Examination Committee (normally made up of at least three members of the department, one of whom will be the prospective dissertation supervisor) in order to define the areas of the examination, the length of study, and such readings and special topics as deemed appropriate.

    • If a student fails the comprehensive examinations, one further attempt is allowed, no more than three months later. A second failure results in the immediate removal of the student from the program.

    • Once the student passes the exam, their graduate record will be updated to reflect successful exam completion.

  • Immediately following successful completion of comprehensive examinations, students must formally establish their PhD Supervisory Committee. This will include the faculty member acting as the dissertation supervisor, and two other graduate faculty members. These arrangements must be approved by the department's Graduate Program Committee.

  • Working with the PhD Supervisory Committee, the student will develop a detailed proposal for their research, to be submitted 3 months after the successful completion of their comprehensive exam. The length and specific nature of the proposal will be determined by the Supervisory Committee and the PhD student. The drafted proposal must be approved, first by the Supervisory Committee, and then by the department's Director of Graduate Studies.

  • At some point during the dissertation stage, students will present their work to the faculty and students at a colloquium in an appropriate format and at a time to be determined by the supervisor in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies.

  • Normal timeline through the program: By the end of Year 2, students should have completed all course requirements for the degree. By the end of the following year of registration, students should satisfy any remaining requirements, select a thesis committee, pass the comprehensive examination, and submit a thesis proposal. Thereafter, the candidate selects a member of the thesis committee to be the thesis supervisor and begins work on their thesis.

Program Length

5 years (some students may take longer to complete the program)

Time Limit

7 years

Art History: Art History MA, PhD Courses

Not all courses are offered each year. Check the departmental website for course availability under the current timetable.

Methods

Course Code Course Title
FAH1001H
Methods of Art History

Ancient

Course Code Course Title
FAH2021H
Myth and Fantasy in Roman Painting
FAH2023H
Mind and Materiality: Views from Art History and Archaeology
FAH2025H
Visual Narrative and Time in Ancient Greek and Roman Art
FAH2027H
Women and Gender in Ancient Greece
FAH2028H
Art and the Philosophy of Time
FAH2034H
Topics in Roman Imperial Art
FAH2037H Empathy, Embodiment, and Emotion in Ancient Art
FAH2038H Greek and Roman Sculpture in the Royal Ontario Museum
FAH2041H Greek Vases at the Royal Ontario Museum
FAH2060H Artisans and Artists in the Ancient Mediterranean

Medieval

Course Code Course Title
FAH1118H
The Medieval Treasury
FAH1119H
Global Medieval Art in China
FAH1127H
Early Medieval Art
FAH1130H Architecture of the Otherworld
FAH1175H Early Islamic Architecture: 7th–10th c.
FAH1176H History of Islamic Cairo (7th–16th c.)
FAH1177H Building the Islamic Empire: Architecture of the Umayyads

Early Modern

Course Code Course Title
FAH1202H
Correggio and the Problem of Italian Renaissance Art
FAH1204H
The Cassinese Art of Reform in Renaissance Italy
FAH1205H
Early Modern Intermediality
FAH1206H Artistic Localities in the Early Modern World
FAH1207H Formalism and Its Objects
FAH1210H Chinese Painting: Objects, Theories, Methods
FAH1220H Multi-Media Transmorphism
FAH1221H
Inside the Painter's Studio
FAH1229H
Architecture of the Global Renaissance
FAH1231H
Northern European Sculpture 1400–1600
FAH1232H Liquescent Art and Cultures

Modern and Contemporary

Course Code Course Title
FAH1410H Artwriting Past and Present
FAH1411H Art and Analogy
FAH1416H Art History and the Digital
FAH1457H Vernacular Photography
FAH1460H Wallace Berman and His Countercultural Circles
FAH1462H Photography and Scientific Representation in the 19th Century
FAH1463H Realisms
FAH1475H Picasso in View of Nanette
FAH1476H Surrealism and Art
FAH1486H
Bloomsbury and Vorticism
FAH1488H The Nature of Landscape
FAH1489H Re: Vision (Comparative Histories of the Senses)
FAH1490H Photography and the Occult
FAH1495H Art, Empire, Colonization
FAH1500H
Augmented Reality Art
FAH1756H Acoustic Space
FAH1757H Animal Images
FAH1758H What Images Do: Approaches From South Asia
FAH1759H Modern Architecture and Its Representations
FAH1820H Modern Craft
FAH1870H The Visual Arts in Canada in International Perspective
FAH1920H
Primitivism to Globalism: Theories of Otherness in Modern and Contemporary Arts
FAH1921H
GeoAesthetics
FAH1922H Contemporary Art and Ethnography: Renewed Exchanges
FAH1934H Cosmopolitan/Comparative Modernisms
FAH1935H Contemporary Art Practices and the Modernist Archive
FAH1940H
Photography and Humour
FAH1951H
Contemporary Chinese Art and its Discontents
FAH1960H Indigenous Art, Land, and Material Relations in the Great Lakes
FAH1961H Art and Activism
FAH1965H The Sixties Revisited

Reading Courses

Course Code Course Title
FAH3000H
Special Studies in History of Art (only 1.0 FCE with this prefix is permitted in any one degree program)
FAH3011H
Readings in Ancient Art
FAH3012H
Readings in Medieval Art
FAH3013H
Readings in Renaissance and Baroque Art
FAH3014H
Readings in Modern and Contemporary Art
FAH5000Y
Comprehensive Examinations and Dissertation Topic Reading Course

Undergraduate/Graduate Courses

Periodically, the department may offer fourth-year undergraduate courses that have been recognized for graduate credit. Please visit the departmental website and discuss with the Graduate Coordinator.

Relevant Courses in Other Departments

Course Code Course Title
EAS1229H
Topics in Chinese Aesthetics
EAS1339H
Topics in Chinese Art Theories
MSL2240H
The Photographic Record