Art History Programs

Degrees and Specializations

The graduate program in Art History offers M.A. and Ph.D. degrees. The programs cover a wide range of areas informed by Indigenous knowledge and critical practices; histories of medicine, science, technology, and new media; global and transcultural perspectives. We analyze museums, exhibitions, patronage, and collecting. We draw from gender, sexuality, and feminist studies, along with decolonizing, postcolonial and critical-race perspectives. The department's periods of specialization range from antiquity to the contemporary moment.McGill is situated in Montreal, a city that offers myriad opportunities for graduate students to engage with local arts and media venues. We have long-standing relations with large institutions such as the Musée d'art contemporain, the Musée des beaux arts de Montréal and the Canadian Centre for Architecture. We also collaborate a variety of independent contemporary art galleries, feminist arts spaces, and media collectives. In addition to McGill’s own Visual Arts Collection, our students often work in and for university-based venues including the Redpath Museum and the McCord Stewart Museum (which houses the Notman Photographic Archives and the McGill University Archives). Through initiatives including Le séminaire des nouveaux modernes, our faculty and students maintain close relationships with researchers at Montréal’s three other major universitiesConcordia University, Université de Montréal, and Université de Québec à Montréal. Combined with institutional relationships, these informal links connect our students to a broad network of additional courses, lectures, and colleagues across the city. 

Learn about our current graduate students and their research. 

Find out more about the M.A. in Art History. 

Find out more about the Ph.D. in Art History. 

Graduate Option in Gender and Women's Studies: Information regarding this option is available on the IGSF website. 

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