Art, Art History and Visual Studies
General Information
Degree offered: Ph.D.
Faculty working with students: 15
Students: 31
Deadline for Fall 2008 Application: December 15 (priority deadline)
Spring Application: no
Part time study available: no
Test required: GRE General
Program Description
The program, which is designed for a small group of students, emphasizes the study of art, architecture and visual culture within a theoretical and historical frame. The Department of Art, Art History and Visual Studies, offers an interdisciplinary program of graduate study leading to the Ph.D. (no M.A. is offered). We invite applications from dedicated students interested in careers in research, criticism, teaching, and museum work. Admission is highly competitive and limited to an average of six new students per year. The Department makes every effort to offer full funding to all admitted candidates. Students are trained for teaching by serving as readers and teaching assistants. Duke University is now in the forefront of academic institutions supporting interdisciplinary and theoretical initiatives in the humanities. Art History has a unique contribution to make to these ventures and all members of the Art History faculty are engaged in innovative teaching or research projects involving faculty from other departments and programs. All members of the graduate faculty team-teach courses or have courses cross-listed in other departments (Classical Studies, Economics, Literature, Germanic Languages and Literature, Religion) or programs (African and African-American Studies, Documentary Studies, Women's Studies, International Comparative Studies, Medieval and Renaissance Studies). Students may choose a minor field outside the department. The department works cooperatively with the art history program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as well as with the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh.
The department also participates in a program with the Law School leading to joint J.D./A.M. degrees. For information on the J.D./A.M. program, please visit the departmental web site at www.duke.edu/web/art/announce/JDMAinAH.pdf or send email to DeptAAH@duke.edu .
Other Requirements
A writing sample of about 10 pages (nonreturnable) should be sent directly to the Art History Department ( not to the Graduate Enrollment Services Office--this is the only exception to the general rule that all documents that are part of an application must be sent to the Graduate Enrollment Services Office).