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Art History

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Art History

Location

Location

  • Department of Art History and Communication Studies
  • Arts Building, W-225 (West Wing, top floor)
  • 853 Sherbrooke Street West
  • Montreal, QC H3A 2T6
  • Canada
  • Telephone: 514-398-4933
  • Fax: 514-398-7247
  • Email: graduate.ahcs [at] mcgill.ca
  • Website: www.mcgill.ca/ahcs

About Art History

About Art History

The graduate program in Art History offers M.A. and Ph.D. degrees and is extremely active. The programs cover a wide range of areas of study delimited by the Department's fields of specialization, which include the following: Ancient, Medieval, Renaissance, the 17th, 18th, 19th, and 20th Centuries, Contemporary, Canadian, East Asian, Architectural History, New Media, Print Culture, Gender and Sexuality, Race and Representation, and art historical methodologies, notably feminism and postcolonialism. All of our faculty members are outstanding scholars in their respective fields and are involved in a wide range of major collaborative and individual research projects, many involving faculty from other universities, departments, and programs (such as Communication Studies, English and Literary Studies, Histories of Science and Medicine, Religious Studies, Classics, History, and Women’s Studies). These research projects allow us to offer relevant research training opportunities and assistantships to our graduate students.

McGill is situated in one of the most vibrant cities in North America, and Montreal offers myriad opportunities for graduate students to engage with local arts institutions either officially, through internships and research fellowships, or unofficially, through volunteering. Local institutions range from the large-scale public museums (such as the Musée d'art contemporain, the Musée des beaux arts, and the National Gallery of Canada close by in Ottawa) to smaller alternative galleries (such as La Centrale Galerie Powerhouse and Studio XX, feminist arts spaces), as well as university-based venues such as the Redpath Museum on campus and the McCord Museum of Canadian History (which houses the Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Archives) and independent contemporary art galleries such as DHC and the Darling Foundry. The Canadian Centre for Architecture, with its archives and exhibitions, and the Bibliothèque et Archives Nationales de Québec also offer grants and research opportunities for local graduate students. A close relationship with the other three major universities in Montreal, Concordia University, Université de Montréal, and Université de Québec à Montréal, affords students access to a broad network of additional courses, lectures, and colleagues across the city.

To obtain financial aid information, please consult the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies website at www.mcgill.ca/gps or email graduate.fellowships [at] mcgill.ca.

For programs in Art History and Communication Studies, refer to Communication Studies and our website: www.mcgill.ca/ahcs.

Residency Requirements

There are residency requirements for both the master's and the Ph.D. program. The Ph.D. residency requirement is: for students who enter the Ph.D. program at Ph.D. 1 (this is for students who do not have a master's degree – i.e., fast-tracked from a B.A. into the Ph.D.), nine full-time terms (Ph.D. 1, Ph.D. 2, and Ph.D. 3); for students who enter the Ph.D. program at Ph.D. 2 (these students have a master's degree), six full-time terms (Ph.D. 2, Ph.D. 3). All Ph.D. students must also be registered full-time in year Ph.D. 4. Once the residency requirements have been fulfilled, the student is then in additional session and may continue in additional session until the end of M.A. 3 or Ph.D. 7.

Coursework

Before classes begin, each student will meet with an adviser to determine an appropriate selection of courses, which, when considered with the previous record, balances breadth of coverage and specialization. The candidate is required to pass, with a mark of 65% (B-) or better, all those courses that have been designated by the Department as forming a part of her/his program. These are the courses that have been entered on the registration form. A few extra courses may be taken, but it is then the responsibility of the student to see that these courses are clearly marked "not required" on the registration form. M.A. students who have selected the graduate option in Gender and Women’s Studies are required to take 6 credits (within the total credits that are required for the M.A. degree); WMST 601 (3 credits) is a required course, and the complementary course can be either WMST 602 or another 3-credit course related to gender and women’s studies. All course selection must first be approved by the supervisor/Graduate Program Director.

Master of Arts (M.A.); Art History (Non-Thesis) (45 credits)
Please contact the Department for more information about this program.
Master of Arts (M.A.); Art History (Non-Thesis) — Gender and Women's Studies (45 credits)
The graduate option in Gender and Women’s Studies is an interdisciplinary program for students who meet the degree requirements in a participating unit who wish to earn 6 credits of approved coursework focusing on gender and women’s studies, and issues in feminist research and methods. The thesis must be on a topic centrally related to gender and/or women’s studies.
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.); Art History
Please contact the Department for more information about this program.
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.); Art History — Gender and Women's Studies
The graduate option in Gender and Women’s Studies is an interdisciplinary program for students who meet the degree requirements in a participating unit who wish to earn 6 credits of approved coursework focusing on gender and women’s studies, and issues in feminist research and methods. The thesis must be on a topic centrally related to gender and/or women’s studies.
Programs, Courses and University Regulations—2011-2012 (last updated Aug. 11, 2011) (disclaimer)

Art History Admission Requirements and Application Procedures

Art History Admission Requirements and Application Procedures

Admission Requirements

Admission Requirements

Entrance into either the M.A. or Ph.D. programs is limited to the best qualified applicants. A minimum CGPA of 3.3 or the equivalent, i.e. 75%, is highly recommended. The Department requires a research statement of at least 250 words outlining the candidate's particular research interest in Art History as well as a sample of his/her written work such as a seminar paper or, in the case of Ph.D. applicants, all or part of the M.A. paper or thesis. For a complete list of materials required see the Application Checklist below.

M.A. Program

To apply to the M.A. program, candidates are normally expected to have a B.A. degree in art history or in another closely related field; candidates may come from other fields such as literary studies, comparative literature, ethnic studies, Canadian studies, architecture, urban planning, film studies, history, performance studies, or philosophy/aesthetics, but must have taken at least 10 courses relating to the history and theory of some aspect of the visual arts, preferably covering a wide range of historical time periods and geographical regions. In exceptional cases, applicants without a strong background in art history may be admitted but with additional requirements arranged in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies to be completed before matriculation in the M.A. program.

Ph.D. Program

In order to apply to the Ph.D. program, candidates must hold an M.A. degree preferably in art history or in a closely related field together with an appropriate number of art history and related courses such as are described for entrance into the M.A. program. All candidates for the Ph.D. program are strongly advised to contact a potential supervisor well in advance of submitting the application in order to establish a relationship. Applicants who have not vetted their research proposal (application statement) with a potential supervisor are unlikely to be admitted.

Application Procedures

Application Procedures

Application Deadlines

Dates for Guaranteed Consideration:

  • M.A.: January 15 for following September admission.
  • Ph.D.: January 15 for following September admission.
Note: There are no January admissions for the M.A. and Ph.D. programs.

The only application method is online via the McGill website at www.mcgill.ca/applying/online. For any problems with your online application contact the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Office (www.mcgill.ca/gps).

Application Checklist

All supplemental application materials should be forwarded to:

  • Graduate Administrative Coordinator
  • Department of Art History and Communication Studies
  • Ï㽶ÊÓƵ
  • Arts Building, Room W225
  • 853 Sherbrooke Street West
  • Montreal, QC H3A 2T6
  • Canada
  1. Application form (to be filled out online).
  2. Application fee (payable by credit card when filling out the online application).
  3. Transcripts (two official copies).*
  4. Two letters of recommendation (each accompanied by the following "Recommendation Form" filled out by the letter writer: Recommendation Form [.pdf], Recommendation Form [.doc]).*
  5. Written samples (one sample in English or French).
  6. A research statement outlining the area or project to be pursued at McGill.
  7. Proof of Citizenship (Copy of Passport or Birth Certificate).
  8. For international applicants whose first language is not English please see www.mcgill.ca/gradapplicants/apply/prepare/requirements/proficiency.

* TRANSCRIPTS AND RECOMMENDATION LETTERS: The two official sets of transcripts and the two letters of recommendation with forms may be mailed directly from your university to our department or they may be included in your application package provided the letters with forms are sealed in envelopes and signed by the recommender across the seal. The letters must be written on the department letterhead of the person writing the letter.

For any admissions problems, please contact Maureen Coote, the Graduate Administrative Coordinator (Office: Arts W235; Phone: 514-398-4933; Email: maureen.coote [at] mcgill.ca).

Programs, Courses and University Regulations—2011-2012 (last updated Aug. 11, 2011) (disclaimer)

Art History and Communication Studies Faculty

Art History and Communication Studies Faculty

Chair
Will Straw
Directors
Darin Barney – Director, Graduate Programs in Communication Studies
Amelia Jones – Director, Graduate Programs in Art History
Cecily Hilsdale – Director of Undergraduate Programs in Art History
Roberta G. Lentz – Director of Undergraduate Programs in Communication Studies
Emeritus Professors
John M. Fossey; B.A.(Birm.), D.U.(Lyon II), F.S.A., R.P.A.
George Szanto; B.A.(Dart.), Ph.D.(Harv.)
Professors
Amelia Jones; B.A.(Harv.); M.A.(Penn.); Ph.D.(Calif.)
Marc Raboy; B.Sc., M.A., Ph.D.(McG.)
Christine Ross; M.A.(C'dia.), Ph.D.(Paris I)
Will Straw; B.A.(Car.), M.A., Ph.D.(McG.)
Associate Professors
Darin Barney; B.A., M.A.(S. Fraser), Ph.D.(Tor.)
Jenny Burman; B.A.(C'dia), M.A., Ph.D.(York)
Charmaine Nelson; B.F.A., M.A.(C'dia), Ph.D.(Manc.)
Carrie Rentschler; B.A.(Minn.), M.A., Ph.D.(Ill.-Urbana-Champaign)
Jonathan Sterne; B.A.(Minn.), M.A., Ph.D.(Ill.-Urbana-Champaign)
Angela Vanhaelen; B.A.(W. Ont.), M.A., Ph.D.(Br. Col.)
Assistant Professors
Cecily Hilsdale; B.F.A.(C'dia), M.A., Ph.D.(Chic.)
Mary Hunter; B.A.(Qu.), M.A., Ph.D.(Lond.)
Matthew Hunter; B.A.(Reed), M.A., Ph.D.(Chic.)
Roberta G. Lentz; B.A.(Arkansas), M.A.(Ill.-Chic.), Ph.D.(Texas-Austin)
Adjunct Professors
Cornelius Borck, Johanne Lamoureux, Charles Levin, Bronwen Wilson
Programs, Courses and University Regulations—2011-2012 (last updated Aug. 11, 2011) (disclaimer)

Master of Arts (M.A.); Art History (Non-Thesis) (45 credits)

Master of Arts (M.A.); Art History (Non-Thesis) — Gender and Women's Studies (45 credits)

The graduate option in Gender and Women's Studies is an interdisciplinary program for students who meet the degree requirements in Art History who wish to earn 6 credits of approved coursework focusing on gender and women's studies, and issues in feminist research and methods. The final research paper must be on a topic centrally related to gender and/or women's...

For more information, see Master of Arts (M.A.); Art History (Non-Thesis) — Gender and Women's Studies (45 credits).

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.); Art History

For more information, see Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.); Art History .

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.); Art History — Gender and Women's Studies

Students should refer to the Departmental website for information about Ph.D. residency and timing. ...

For more information, see Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.); Art History — Gender and Women's Studies .

Faculty of Arts—2011-2012 (last updated Aug. 11, 2011) (disclaimer)
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