phd history university of toronto

Graduate Programs of Study

Learn more about what is offered at the university of toronto through the school of graduate studies . .

The Department of Historical Studies and our undergraduate programs are your starting point to a successful graduate program of study in:

• Department of Classics
• Department of History
• Department of Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations
• Department for the Study of Religion
• Women and Gender Studies Institute

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• PhD Program Requirements

The PhD program is designed to prepare students for college and university teaching, museum work, and other research positions

Admission Requirements

Candidates are admitted under the general regulations listed by the School of Graduate Studies . Applicants should have an exceptionally strong academic record with a grade average of at least an A- average in recent senior art history and/or humanities courses. The Department also welcomes applications from outstanding candidates with a background other than art history (with at least five art history courses in their academic background). In addition to transcripts, a CV, and three letters of reference, applicants must include a statement of intent and a sample research paper.

Graduate Application Information

PhD students, depending on whether they enter with a Master's degree or a Bachelor's degree (direct entry), will fulfill different requirements. Refer to the appropriate section below for further information.

PhD Program Requirements (Entering with an MA)

Phd program requirements (direct entry).

The five-year PhD program is designed for students who have graduated with a MA in art history or a related humanities major. The basic requirements include a minimum of four seminars (2.0 Full-Course Equivalents), a dissertation reading course (1.0 FCE), two language exams (unless already completed during a UofT MA degree), comprehensive examinations, a colloquium presentation, and a dissertation. One of the seminars must be FAH1001H: Methods in Art History, unless an exception has been made by the Director of Graduate Studies. You will be expected to maintain an A- average in your course work and complete your language exams before sitting the comprehensive examinations; in addition, your progress will be reviewed annually to assure that you have met expectations. Students who fail to make satisfactory progress during the first two years may have their registration terminated.

PhD Program Milestones (Entering with an MA)

At the end of each academic, students' progress will be reviewed to ensure that they have made satisfactory progress through the program. Both the student and the supervisory committee will complete annual reports and submit such reports to the Graduate Office.

Students admitted to the PhD program with an MA will be guaranteed a minimum of five years of funding and will be given teaching experience as a teaching assistant and/or as a course instructor.

PhD Funding

The six-year program is designed for students who have graduated with a BA in art history or a related humanities major. The basic requirements include a minimum of nine seminars (4.5 Full Course Equivalents), a dissertation reading course (1.0 FCE), two language exams, comprehensive examinations, a colloquium presentation, and a dissertation. One of the seminars must be FAH1001H: Methods in Art History, unless an exception has been made by the Director of Graduate Studies. You will be expected to maintain an A- average in your coursework and complete your language exams before sitting the comprehensive examinations; in addition, your progress will be reviewed annually to assure that you have met expectations. Students who fail to make satisfactory progress during the first two years may have their registration terminated or transferred to the MA program.

PhD Program Milestones (Direct Entry)

Qualifying year components.

To achieve candidacy, PhD students will complete the comprehensive examinations and an approved dissertation proposal during the qualifying year.

Comprehensive Examinations

Upon the completion of all coursework and language requirements, PhD students must secure the participation of a supervisor with whom they will discuss plans for the comprehensive examinations. PhD students are required to take the comprehensive examination within one and a half years (or two and a half years in the case of direct-entry PhD students). The examinations will be scheduled by the Director of Graduate Studies, during the academic year, from September to April. If a student fails the comprehensive examinations, one further attempt is allowed, no more than three months later. A second failure results in the immediate removal of the student from the program.

The Department of Art History runs a Comprehensive Examination roundtable each year. 

Examination Procedure

At the beginning of the study period, the PhD student will meet with the Examination Committee (made up of at least three members of the department—one of whom will be the prospective dissertation supervisor (see SGS Supervision Guidelines for Students ). The committee will define the areas of the examination, the length of study, and such readings and special topics as deemed to be appropriate. The Examination Committee will meet prior to the examination in order to discuss and agree upon the written questions to be submitted to the student.

The comprehensive examination is made up of three components, two written, and one oral. The written examination consists of two parts, the general area and dissertation area:

• The general area is tested in the Department. The student receives two sets of three questions and is required to answer one from each set. The exam duration is 6 hours.
• The dissertation area is a take-home exam. The student receives three questions for this examination, answers one of them, and returns it to the Department within 72 hours.
• The oral examination for both components of the comprehensive examination (general and dissertation area) is normally scheduled three or four days after the take-home part is completed. The examination is normally 2 hours in length.

The examination is reported as pass or fail. A member of the Examination Committee will discuss with the student the results of the examination and provide advice.

Areas of Coverage

Ancient, Medieval, Early Modern, Modern/Contemporary. The general area examination will be defined at the beginning of the study period. In all fields, the flexibility of area definition will be maintained. The dissertation area component differs with each student and will be agreed upon by the Examination Committee and the student.

Dissertation Proposal

Immediately following the successful completion of the comprehensive examinations, students are expected to formally establish their PhD Supervisory Committees. A faculty member will have already been requested to act as the dissertation supervisor, and two other members of the graduate faculty to serve on their supervisory committee. One member of this three-person committee may be from outside the Department. (Exceptions may be possible if approved by the Director of Graduate Studies.) These arrangements must be approved by the Department’s Graduate Program Committee. Then, working with the Supervisory Committee, students will have three months following the successful completion of their comprehensive exam to develop a detailed proposal for their research. The length and specific nature of the proposal will be determined by the Supervisory Committee and the PhD student, and the drafted proposal must be approved by the Supervisory Committee, then submitted to the Director of Graduate Studies.

Please refer to the FAQ page and/or contact the Graduate Assistant .

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School of Graduate Studies

How to apply, 1. choose your program.

Explore our programs. Chances are, we’ve got what you’re looking for.

View / download our Graduate Student Viewbook (2023–24) for more information (PDF) .

2. Learn about Admissions Requirements

Confirm your program’s admission requirements by consulting the SGS Calendar . Visit your graduate unit’s website to confirm application procedures and deadlines. Some requirements you should consider: prerequisite degrees and courses, minimum GPA, application deadlines, and confirmation of supervision

3. Prepare Your Application

Review all the admission requirements for your chosen program. Plan enough time to submit your application and all supporting documents before the deadline. Note that referees will only receive reference requests when you pay the application fee, so give your referees plenty of time to submit their references.

4. Apply Online

Apply through GradApp .

You will create a personal profile and begin the submission. Set aside 30-60 minutes to create a personal profile on our online application system, including your personal information and academic history. Please note that you will not be able to make changes to this information after paying the application fee.

Frequently Asked Questions

Wondering how to apply from overseas? Looking for a supervisor? Search the FAQs and get the answers you need.

Financial Support

Do you have questions about your financial situation? Reach out to your Graduate Unit for more information about funding packages. For details about awards, scholarships and emergency funding, explore the opportunities .

Doctoral-stream graduate programs at the University of Toronto offer a range of financial supports to graduate students to offset the cost of their graduate education.

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PhD students work closely with a faculty supervisor(s), who is selected by the student at the time of admission, and with a Supervisory Committee. The Supervisory Committee consists of the supervisor(s) and at least two graduate faculty members (at least one of which must be appointed to geography). 

Program Requirements 

The department expectation is that PhD degrees will be completed on a full-time basis within four years of initial registration. The School of Graduate Studies requires that the thesis be submitted within six years of initial registration in the program.

Students enrolled in a PhD program are required to complete the requirements: coursework, annual progress reports, comprehensive exam, proposal exam, candidacy, internal thesis defense exam, and external final oral exam.

Coursework — Physical

Completion of 3 half-credit courses including:

• the core course GGR1200H
• one (1) half-credit course in geography
• one (1) half-credit course in any subject

Students enrolled in a collaborative specialization should view the  Collaborative Specializations page  for any additional requirements.

Coursework — Human

Completion of 6 half-credit courses including:

• the core course GGR1110H
• two (2) half-credit courses in geography
• one (1) half-credit course which must be taken outside the department
• two (2) half-credit courses in any subject

Annual Progress Reports

The supervisory committee must meet at least once per academic year to review the student’s progress and plans for the following year.

Comprehensive Exam

Students will take a written and oral comprehensive exam between June of year one and no later than December of year two. See the  Examinations  page for further details. 

Proposal Exam

Students will defend a research proposal before their supervisory committee between June of year two and no later than September of year three. See the  Examinations  page for further details. 

The department requires students to achieve candidacy by the end of year two. A student can achieve PhD Candidacy and receive a notation on their transcript once they have completed three requirements: coursework, comprehensive exam, and proposal exam. School of Graduate Studies policy requires that candidacy is achieved by the end of year three.

Thesis Defense Exam

The thesis shall constitute a significant contribution to the knowledge of the field and must be based on original research conducted while registered for the PhD program. The topic for the thesis will have been approved at the proposal defense. The completed PhD thesis will be examined in a Departmental Thesis Examination. The examination committee consists of the supervisory committee. One or more additional members can be from outside the Department of Geography & Planning if required.  

See the  Examinations  page for further details. 

Final Oral Exam

The Final Oral Examination is the capstone experience of the PhD program. Students will defend their dissertation before an Examination Committee. In addition to the supervisor and other members of the supervisory committee, the Examination Committee will include an appraiser (external to the University), at least one graduate faculty member who has not been closely involved in the supervision of the thesis, and a chair designated by the School of Graduate Studies. 

For further details on the PhD program requirements above, please see the  Geography Graduate Handbook . 

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