Faculty: Professors Dale (chair), Buenger, Cahill, Drewal, Geiger, Martin, Murray, Phillips; Associate Professors Andrzejewski, Casid, Marshall, Mithlo; Assistant Professor Kroiz
The Department of Art History offers programs leading to the master of arts and the doctor of philosophy in art history with emphasis on ancient, northern European, Italian Renaissance, 19th-century and 20th-century European and American, Chinese, Japanese, African and African diaspora, medieval, material culture, and visual culture. The department encourages the study of the global history of art and investigates works in all media from a wide range of periods and a variety of world cultures.
Students enjoy close interaction with their mentors and profit from superb resources for interdisciplinary research. Faculty members have international reputations in their specialties, regularly receive prestigious awards, lecture widely, and serve on major professional boards. Graduates of the department usually teach at the postsecondary level or pursue careers in museum, gallery, or archival work.
The department is housed in the Chazen (formerly Elvehjem) Museum of Art, whose facilities include the Brittingham Galleries for the display of the university's permanent art collections and major traveling exhibitions, and the Mayer Print and Study Center, with a large and representative collection of original prints and drawings. Graduate students frequently use these collections and exhibitions for research and publishing projects. The museum is home to the Kohler Art Library, which contains an excellent collection of published materials and full range of periodicals. The department also possesses a large slide library and a study collection of photographic reproductions.
The university offers fellowships and scholarships for which graduate students in art history may compete with graduate students from other departments. The department awards the Margaret Davison Shorger Fellowship for study of art and artists in Italy, the Charles C. Killin Wisconsin Distinguished Graduate Fellowship in East Asian Art, and the Chipstone/James Watrous Wisconsin Distinguished Graduate Fellowship in American Material Culture. The department also awards travel grants for students delivering papers at major conferences and annually appoints five to six graduate students as teaching or project assistants. Individual faculty may also offer one- or two-semester project assistantships in connection with specific research projects. In addition, the department nominates candidates for fellowships administered outside the department and the university
Admission to the standard M.A. program is offered to applicants who have an outstanding undergraduate record of academic achievement, high scores on the Verbal and Analytic sections of the Graduate Record Exam (GRE), and demonstrated skills in a foreign language appropriate for art-historical research. The successful applicant typically presents both a compelling statement of purpose for graduate studies and a sophisticated writing sample. Specifically required for admission with full standing are 18 credits (6 courses) in art history, 9 credits (3 courses) in relevant humanities and/or social science courses, and either four semesters of one language or three semesters of one language and two semesters of another. The Foreign Language Tests administered by Educational Testing Services or their equivalent may be presented in lieu of coursework. Non-native English speakers must present TOEFL or IELTS scores.
Admission to the Asian M.A. option (Chinese or Japanese art) is offered to applicants who have an outstanding undergraduate record of academic achievement, high scores on the Verbal and Analytic sections of the Graduate Record Exam (GRE), and demonstrated skills in the East Asian language appropriate to the intended field of specialization. Minumum requirements for admission with full standing are 6 credits (2 courses) in art history, 9 credits (3 courses) in any discipline of East Asian studies, and four semesters of the East Asian language appropriate to the intended field of specialization (unless the applicant is a native speaker of that language). Non-native English speakers must present TOEFL or IELTS scores.
For admission to the Ph.D. program in any area of faculty specialization, students must present an M.A. degree in art history or in another field with equivalent course work, Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores, and evidence of at least reading knowledge of an appropriate foreign language. Non-native English speakers must present TOEFL or IELTS scores.
For more information: Department of Art History, 232 Elvehjem Building, 800 University Avenue, Madison, WI 53706-1479; 608-263-2340; arthistory@ls.wisc.edu; www.arthistory.wisc.edu.
