PhD Art History at Rice University

Programme overview

The programme trains students for academic research and teaching, curatorial positions and other careers in the visual arts. Students learn to interpret and critique art, situate it within historical, social, cultural, geographic and political contexts and treat art as a multicultural issue.

Faculty: School of Humanities | Department: Art History | Duration: 90 credit hours; coursework takes two years | Study mode: full-time | Location: Houston, TX, United States

What you will study

36 credit hours of coursework (12 graduate courses, at least half seminars) including HUMA 500 The Humanities Beyond the Disciplines and HART 590 Methods of Art History, then HART 503 Graduate Research Paper and candidacy preparation courses. Milestones: two language exams, oral and written qualifying exams, a thesis prospectus and a doctoral thesis. A Museum Professionals track is offered.

Career pathways

Academic research and teaching, curatorial positions and other careers in the visual arts.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Rice graduate programmes (university level): applicants should generally have at least a 3.0 (B) undergraduate GPA or equivalent; the GRE is generally not required, though individual programmes may recommend, strongly recommend or require it; a statement of purpose and reference letters may be required depending on the programme. International applicants need TOEFL iBT 90, IELTS 7 or Duolingo English Test 115 unless they hold a degree from an accredited US institution or an English-medium institution. Admission is decided at programme level.

Requirements published at program group level.

USD 66,784 a year (2026-27). School of Humanities: Masters & PhD full-time tuition ($33,392 per semester) for the school's standard full-time master's and PhD programmes; estimate, excludes fees and health insurance. Reduced rate of $3,710 per year applies to continuing doctoral stud Source

Most doctoral applications for Fall 2027 close December 1, 2026 (Mechanical Engineering December 15, Computer Science January 1, 2027); applications open September 1, 2026 through the Rice graduate portal (gradapply.rice.edu). Application fee is generally $85, waived for some doctoral applicants.

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