PhD in Art History - Modern/Contemporary Art in Toronto Canada | University of Toronto

The MA and PhD programs focus on developing research, writing, and teaching skills for careers in academia, museum curation, art advisory, cultural heritage initiatives, arts journalism, or secondary education. Faculty guide students specializing in Ancient, Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque, Asian, African, Architectural, and Modern/Contemporary Art studies.
Graduate students can leverage departmental partnerships with the Centre for Medieval Studies, Centre for Renaissance and Reformation Studies, Book History and Print Culture program, and Mediterranean Archaeology Collaborative Specialization. Toronto's dynamic arts community is accessible through resources and faculty connections at the Royal Ontario Museum, University Art Centre, Gardiner Museum, and Art Gallery of Ontario. The university boasts exceptional art history research libraries, including the Department's collection of 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 equips students for careers in higher education, museum roles, and research positions.
The University of Toronto excels in modern/contemporary art and visual culture studies, with more than ten dedicated faculty members. Our scholars lead innovative research and teaching spanning 18th-century to present-day works across all media, with diverse historical and theoretical approaches. Situated in a global metropolis, the Department provides exceptional opportunities to study modern/contemporary art and visual culture from North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. This rich diversity enables unique interdisciplinary research possibilities that transcend conventional geographical and historical frameworks.