The doctoral program consists of three elements: coursework, candidacy examination, and dissertation. After completion of coursework, students are required to take candidacy examinations to determine that they have adequate knowledge to complete the required doctoral dissertation. The dissertation is expected to contribute significantly to the body of knowledge in the candidate鈥檚 area of study and to merit publication. Candidates are required to defend the dissertation in an oral examination, in accordance with requirements established by the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research.
Coursework is expected to take one year to complete and to provide students with transferable critical thinking, research, communication and organizational skills. It consists of 18 graduate-level credits: one required 3-credit course (HADVC 677 or HADVC 600), one 3-credit 500- or 600-level course in the area of focus, and 12 credits, typically four 3-credit classes, in other graduate-level courses, which may include approved ones from other departments or faculties, or a museum apprenticeship; the latter would be organized as a 3-credit independent study graduate course requiring both project-based and written work, supervised by a faculty member in HADVC in collaboration with approved partners at a local institution, such as the Art Gallery of Alberta, the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, or with internal units in the University of Alberta Department of Museums and Collections Services.
Students will also be required to take HADVC 600 鈥淭heories and Methods in the History of Art, Design, and Visual Culture鈥� if they have not already undertaken a comparable course at the graduate level. In addition, as is standard for all art history degrees, students must display competence in at least one language other than English, notably in the language most necessary for completion of their research. Students may fulfill this requirement by passing a proficiency test administered by the Department of Modern Languages and Cultural Studies at the University of Alberta, or may elect to take an approved language reading course or approved equivalent, achieving a minimum grade of C+.
*Price shown is for indicative purposes, please
January 2025
Faculty of Arts
6-5 Humanities Centre,
University of Alberta,
EDMONTON,
Alberta (AB),
T6G 2E5, Canada
An applicant must normally hold an MA degree in the History of Art (or its equivalent) from a recognized institution. Applicants with a MA degree other than History of Art will be considered for admission provided that an adequate background in the History of Art, equivalent to an MA degree in the discipline, can be demonstrated. Applicants are advised to have reading ability and course credits in a language other than English at a level satisfactory to the department.
English Language Proficiency:
Deadline:
*There may be different IELTS requirements depending on your chosen course.
One of Canada鈥檚 top teaching and research universities, the University of Alberta has an international reputation for academic excellence.
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