Ph.D. Program in History of Art
About our Art History Ph.D. Program
Bryn Mawr's Department of History of Art offers a Ph.D. degree in all areas of Western art history from late antiquity through the present. An M.A. degree is offered in the second year in the process of acquiring the Ph.D. History of Art is one of three independent departments that comprise the Graduate Group in Archaeology, Classics, and History of Art.
What Sets Us Apart Among Art History Graduate Programs
Bryn Mawr has a distinguished tradition in the study of the visual arts. The College has been cited as one of a few influential institutions that helped establish art history's place in the American academy. Erwin Panofsky produced his Studies in Iconology: Humanistic Themes in the Art of the Renaissance during his time at the College in 1937-38 on a Mary Flexner Lectureship. Today, the Department of History of Art offers study in diverse geographic and cultural fields of art history from antiquity through the present, including the visual and material culture of the Americas, the Middle East, China, South Asia, and Europe.
Ph.D. in Art History: Program Curriculum
Bryn Mawr has a distinguished tradition in the study of the visual arts. The College has been cited as one of a few influential institutions that helped establish art history's place in the American academy. Erwin Panofsky produced his Studies in Iconology: Humanistic Themes in the Art of the Renaissance during his time at the College in 1937-38 on a Mary Flexner Lectureship. Today, the Department of History of Art offers study in diverse geographic and cultural fields of art history from antiquity through the present, including the visual and material culture of the Americas, the Middle East, China, South Asia, and Europe.
Areas of Study in our Graduate Art History Program
Graduate faculty members cover the history of art in Europe and the Americas from early Byzantium through contemporary film. Particular emphases are the medieval afterlife of classical art and artifacts (Alicia Walker), the Italian Renaissance and its historiography (David Cast), the global early modern and South Asian textiles (Sylvia Houghteling), and post-World-War II art, theory, photography and film (Lisa Saltzman, Homay King).
In their scholarship and teaching, the faculty represent a range of critical and interpretive positions from art history in the tradition of Erwin Panofsky through its post-structural critique, including feminist and gender theory, social art history, psychoanalytic theory, reception theory, semiotics, and post-colonial theory.
Learn from our Art History Ph.D. Program's World-Class Faculty
Our world-class Art History faculty are not only passionate educators but also leading scholars whose research shapes the field.
With expertise spanning ancient to contemporary art, they have produced groundbreaking work—including widely respected books, influential articles, and innovative exhibitions. Their publications have deepened our understanding of visual culture, challenging perspectives and opening new dialogues in the discipline.
Committed to both scholarship and mentorship, they bring their expertise into the classroom, inspiring students to think critically, engage deeply with art, and contribute to the ever-evolving conversations in the field.
The Bryn Mawr Ph.D. : Art History in Action
Resources and Opportunities for our Art History Ph.D. Students
Graduates of the program in History of Art have made major contributions to the discipline and continue on to successful careers in colleges and universities, museums, galleries and foundations around the world.
Study Carrels
History of Art graduate students receive study carrels in the award-winning Rhys Carpenter Library, which supports research in archaeology, classics, history of art and urban studies.
Teaching Experience
Graduate students have several opportunities to gain teaching experience at Bryn Mawr, both in the History of Art department and in affiliated departments and programs such as Growth and Structure of Cities and Film Studies.
Curatorial Experience
Graduate students also have several opportunities to gain curatorial experience at Bryn Mawr, both in the College’s Department of Special Collections and at nearby institutions such as the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Institute of Contemporary Art-Philadelphia, PAFA, the Penn Museum, and others.