Overview

The Department of Art History and Archaeology offers programs of instruction in the history, theory and criticism of art and archaeology. These programs are intended to prepare students for careers in scholarship and teaching and in curatorial work and museum administration as well as for independent research and critical writing.

Students in the P.h.D. program at the Columbia University earn the M.A. /M.Phil. and M.Phil. degrees en route to the doctorate. The first year of coursework culminates in the Master's paper and the award of the M.A. degree. The next two years consist of coursework, teaching and curatorial opportunities, and preparation for the M.Phil. oral examination, which is taken by the end of the third year. After being awarded the M.Phil. degree, students of merit may be appointed as Teaching Fellows to teach in the undergraduate Core Curriculum, which involves a highly organized training program and unusual independence as teachers in a small seminar setting.

Resources

The resources of the department extend beyond the classroom: the Avery Memorial Architecture and Fine Arts Library, the Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Art Gallery, the Buell Center for the Study of American Architecture, and the many museums and art galleries of New York offer an incomparable array of world art on permanent and temporary exhibition.

Programme Structure

Curriculum:

Arts of Africa

Ancient Art and Archaeology

East Asian Art and Archaeology

History and Theory of Architecture

History of Western Art

History of Photography

Pre-Columbian Art and Archaeology

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 84 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2027-09-08 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-12-12 00:00:00

Language

English

TOEFL^® IBT

100

Schedule TOEFL®

IELTS

7.5

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4.9/5 student rating

Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

Manhattan, United States

Disciplines

Visual Arts Archaeology Art History View 16 other PhDs in Visual Arts in United States

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Academic requirements

GRE^®

Required

English requirements

TOEFL^® IBT

100

Schedule TOEFL®

IELTS

7.5

Prepare for Your English Test

Cathoven AI IELTS Preparation

Learn your IELTS Score

AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.

Trusted by 300k learners
98 accuracy using real exam data
4.9/5 student rating

Other requirements

General requirements

In addition to the requirements listed below, all students must submit one transcript showing courses and grades per school attended, a statement of academic purpose, a writing sample (a course paper, term paper, etc.), a personal statement, and three letters of evaluation from academic sources.

All international students whose native language is not English or whose undergraduate degree is from an institution in a country whose official language is not English must submit scores of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or IELTS.

Generally, applicants are expected to have taken a minimum of four undergraduate courses in art history, archaeology, or other fields related to art history. Reading knowledge of one or two foreign languages is recommended, since demonstration of proficiency in at least one language is required during the first year of study.

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

56840 USD / year

≈ 56840 USD / year
Out-of-State

56840 USD / year

≈ 56840 USD / year
Domestic

Applies to you

In-State

56840 USD / year

≈ 56840 USD / year

Living costs

Manhattan

United States

2638 - 5751 USD / month

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Funding

Fellowships are awarded in recognition of academic achievement and in expectation of scholarly success. Teaching and research experience are considered an important aspect of doctoral students' training. Thus, graduate fellowships include teaching and research apprenticeship. Students who have passed their M.Phil. examination and successfully defended their dissertation proposal in the third or fourth year of study are eligible for a Dissertation Fellowship and can begin research on the dissertation.

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Scholarships Information

Below you will find PhD's scholarship opportunities for Art History and Archaeology.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

About

Overview

Resources

Programme Structure

Key information

Duration

Start dates & application deadlines

Language

Prepare for Your English Test

Delivered

Campus Location

Disciplines

What students do after studying

Academic requirements

English requirements

Prepare for Your English Test

Other requirements

General requirements

Tuition Fees

International Applies to you

Domestic

Living costs

Manhattan

Funding

Scholarships Information

Available Scholarships

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