The Department welcomes applications for advanced study in the fields, periods, and specializations of the faculty in History of Art. We encourage prospective applicants to read carefully the Graduate Program Description, familiarize themselves with the teaching and research areas of the faculty and related Departments, and adhere precisely to application deadlines and requirements.

The faculty seeks exceptional candidates whose academic and professional preparation and achievement demonstrate that they will be able to make rapid progress toward a doctorate degree in History of Art and to complete their studies with distinction. Such qualifications cannot be precisely defined; extensive study in the history of art is not always a strict requisite. We do, however, prefer previous study in a discipline in the humanities or social sciences, study involving historical content and the acquisition of research and interpretive skills, as well as effective writing abilities. The capacity to read one or more foreign languages pertinent to one’s study and research area(s) is also an important requirement; successful applications will generally have a strong reading fluency in one language and a good start on another. We welcome applications from recent B.A. recipients who have a strong foundation in the humanities and a set of clear intellectual interests in History of Art. The Department also invites applications from students who have received an M.A. at UC Berkeley or other universities.

PLEASE READ AND CONSIDER BEFORE SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION

Prospective applicants must determine that their educational preparation and intellectual aims are appropriate to UC Berkeley’s doctoral program in the History of Art. The Department does not offer a terminal masters program, and students who have yet to establish a field or fields of proposed study, who lack previous study in fields with historical content, or who have yet to begin study of a primary research language may be better served by applying to an MA program in another University or an MA program in a cognate department at UC Berkeley.

Bear in mind too that admission to the program follows a thorough review of each applicant’s complete dossier; no individual component, score, or statement will ensure admission. The Graduate Affairs Officer will not answer individual questions regarding “what it takes to get it,” how many art history classes one needs to have taken, or the strength or potential impact of a particular component of an application in the admissions process. The Department does not report on the results of prior admissions.

After careful review of this page, the Graduate Program Description, as well as their own prior study and experience, prospective applicants may wish to contact individual faculty with specific questions regarding the doctoral program. Please keep in mind that faculty may not respond in detail to such inquiries due to the volume of applications.

Deadlines:

All applications for Fall 2010 admission (with or without fellowship consideration) must be submitted online by December 10, 2009. Supplemental materials (transcripts, letters of recommendation, supplementary application, and writing sample) must be postmarked by December 10, 2009. We accept applications only for the Fall semester. Please note that the Department will not review your application until we have received all documents along with the $60 application fee for U.S. citizens or permanent residents, or $80 for all other applicants (payable online). Fee waiver request forms are available with the online application; read and follow instructions carefully.

Applications are reviewed by the Graduate Admissions Committee, which is comprised of four or five faculty members assisted by the Graduate Affairs Officer, in consultation with the faculty at large and in accordance with UC Berkeley’s Graduate Division. The Committee considers individual applications and the composition of a prospective entering class. Applicants awarded admission, with or without fellowship support, will be notified by the University’s Graduate Division by late March, and must accept or decline any award by April 15. The Department may send advance notification, especially to enable potential students to visit Berkeley.

Your application will be kept on file in the Department for two years. Please note that supporting materials cannot be returned and will not be retained beyond the two-year limit. For information on reapplying, or reactivating a past application, please consult the Graduate Division.

Application Materials:

Applicants must complete the online application. Be sure to also download and submit the History of Art Supplemental Application available as a PDF. Your application file will not be reviewed without both the online AND supplementary applications. If you wish to be considered for University fellowships and/or Foreign Language Area Scholarship (FLAS), you must complete the Financial Aid Statement.

Please send all supplemental application materials to:
Graduate Affairs Officer
Department of History of Art
416 Doe Library #6020
U.C. Berkeley
Berkeley, CA 94720-6020

The faculty considers the Statement of Purpose to be one of the most important parts of your application. The Statement should precisely describe your preparation, academic interests, and professional goals. We look for a clear, well-written essay of appropriate length that demonstrates a sophisticated sense of the field of art history and that indicates the scholarly direction you wish to take. We look for applicants whose statements give signs of a creative intellect. Another important factor affecting the decision of the Graduate Admissions Committee is the compatibility of your research interests with those of our faculty. To see a list of our current faculty members and their fields of expertise, please go to our Faculty Webpages. Please note that we also require a Personal History Statement.

All applicants are required to submit one writing sample of approximately 20 pages. The sample should be a formal, scholarly piece of writing that preferably addresses analytically a topic that is historical in nature. Post-MA applicants should submit their master’s thesis. Please do not use special folders or binding as it delays processing of your application and does not improve your chances of admission. Writing samples will be returned only if accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope. Please do not send slides, catalogues, original artwork, and so on.

You should arrange for three letters of recommendation to be sent to the Department of History of Art, either by mail or online. Such letters are most helpful when they speak specifically to the applicant’s achievement and potential in the history of art, or in related fields such as history or languages and literature, with an emphasis on recent academic work. It is your responsibility to ensure that recommendation letters reach us by December 15. In addition, one official and sealed transcript from each college or university attended must be submitted to the department by the application deadline.

The GRE General Exam is required by for domestic applicants who attended college in the U.S., applicants from abroad whose native language is English, and those who have studied full time for one year or more in schools or universities where English is the language of instruction. Foreign applicants from non-English speaking countries are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Because there is sometimes a delay in forwarding of results, the exam(s) should be taken early, preferably in the early fall. For the GRE use institution code 4833 and department code 2301. For the TOEFL the institution code for UC Berkeley is 4833 and the department code is 26.

If you have any questions not answered by this page and the Graduate Program Description, concise inquiries may be sent by email to sigmans@berkeley.edu.