PhD in Art History - Medieval Art in Toronto Canada | University of Toronto

The MA and PhD programs both focus on developing the research, writing, and teaching skills required for careers in academia, museum curation, art advisory, cultural heritage initiatives, arts journalism, or secondary education. Faculty guide students across diverse specializations including Ancient, Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque, Asian, African, Architectural, and Modern and Contemporary Art studies.
Graduate students can leverage the department's partnerships with institutions like the Centre for Medieval Studies, the Centre for Renaissance and Reformation Studies, the Book History and Print Culture program, and the Mediterranean Archaeology Collaborative Specialization. Toronto's dynamic arts community becomes accessible through collaborations with the Royal Ontario Museum, University Art Centre, Gardiner Museum, and Art Gallery of Ontario. For research, students have access to exceptional facilities including the Department of Art History's collection of more than 40,000 exhibition catalogs, the Cheng Yu Tung East Asian Library, and Robarts Research Library - one of Canada's premier academic libraries. The PhD curriculum specifically trains students for university teaching, museum careers, and advanced research roles
Within Art History, five faculty members are redefining approaches to medieval art and architecture while maintaining the department's prestigious legacy in this field. Their research spans multiple dimensions: Early Islamic art/architecture and environmental studies (Heba Mostafa), European/Jewish art and manuscripts (Adam S. Cohen), medieval Chinese art and Silk Road cultures (Jennifer Purtle), late Gothic/early modern architecture and visual arts (E. Matt Kavaler), and Mediterranean medieval art with a focus on cultural exchange (Jill Caskey).