PhD Art and Architectural History at University of Virginia

Programme overview

PhD program led by twenty faculty across Art History, Mediterranean Art and Archaeology, and Architectural History, which has trained professors, museum professionals and cultural leaders for more than fifty years. Funding supports fieldwork, archival and museum research, excavation, and language and technical training.

Faculty: Graduate School of Arts & Sciences | Department: Art & Architectural History | Duration: Fully funded for six years | Intake: Application deadline December 15. | Study mode: full-time | Location: Charlottesville, VA, United States

What you will study

Students learn the discipline's fundamentals and a specialized field; fellowships are available in Digital Humanities and with the Fralin Museum.

Career pathways

University or college professor; museum curator, educator or collections manager; archaeologist; cultural heritage professional; archivist or cultural resource management archaeologist.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Graduate School of Arts & Sciences (all master's and PhD programs, University of Virginia): online application with a 500-1,000 word statement of purpose, two letters of recommendation (some programs require more), unofficial transcripts of all post-secondary study, and an $85 non-refundable application fee. A minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 is expected. GRE is not required unless noted for the programme (required for Economics, Sociology, Statistics; Physics GRE required for Physics). International applicants need TOEFL iBT 90 (22 speaking, 22 writing, 23 reading, 23 listening), IELTS 7.0 in each section, or Duolingo English Test 130 overall unless waived (automatic waiver for undergraduate degrees earned entirely in English-medium instruction); committees may consider scores below these minimums. Enrolling students without an English-medium undergraduate degree take the UVA English Language Proficiency Exam in May before their first term. A writing sample is required for this programme.

Requirements published at faculty level.

Application fees (2026-27): undergraduate $75; Graduate School of Arts & Sciences $85; Architecture $80; Batten graduate $75; Darden non-PhD $250, Darden PhD $100; Data Science $85; Education and Human Development $65; Law $85; McIntire graduate $85; Medicine $80; Nursing $88; SCPS $70; Graduate Engineering no fee.

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