Stony Brook University Art Dept: MA PhD Program

The Department of Art at Stony Brook University offers a dynamic and interdisciplinary program of art history, criticism and theory at M.A. and Ph.D. levels. Ideally located halfway between the art centers of New York City and the Hamptons, Stony Brook offers a unique opportunity to study in a quiet and spacious setting while maintaining close contact with the pulse of the art world.

The goals of the program include: the development of the critic-historian, who can combine the various fields of traditional art historical study with a critical consciousness and awareness of broad intellectual issues involved in such study; the development of alternative perspectives on art, popular culture and visual culture; the development of practicing art critics; the interdisciplinary study of 19th- and 20th-century art; and the study of the history of art criticism. The Department of Art offers graduate courses ranging from the arts of non-western and ancient cultures through the art history and criticism of the present. In addition, students may choose to pursue one of a number of graduate certificate programs including Art and Philosophy, Cultural Studies, and Women's Studies. The department publishes the respected semi-annual journal, Art Criticism and hosts a distinguished student-run lecture series.

M.A. in Art History and Criticism
The M.A. in Art History and Criticism is a two year 36 credit degree program that offers an integrated curriculum of art history, criticism, and theory with a particular focus on modern and contemporary art and visual culture. It presents the graduate student a unique opportunity for innovative study in art criticism and theory, as well as traditional study in art history. The program culminates in the preparation of a written thesis. Part-time study is allowed in this degree program. The M.A. in Art History and Criticism can be considered appropriate preparation for Ph.D. degrees in art history or other fields. Other students go on to careers in arts education, or gallery and museum work.

Ph.D. in Art History and Criticism
Stony Brook’s Ph.D. program in art history and criticism is designed to encourage students to apply what they have learned at the masters level towards more intense and individual research. It is organized to allow students to further their areas of study by concentrating on major and minor fields defined according to the individual interests of the student and reflecting the strengths of our faculty. The emphasis of the program is on integrating research and analysis into a single curriculum with a particular focus on art criticism and theory and an interdisciplinary approach to modern and contemporary art and visual culture. The program culminates in the oral defense of a substantial written dissertation on an original topic. Students are not accepted into the Ph.D. program on a part-time basis. This degree is considered essential for those intending to engage in advanced academic research, teaching and publishing in the field of art history and criticism, and may provide a significant advantage to those entering the professional art world of museums and galleries.

In addition to the requirements of the Graduate School, the following information and prerequisites should be noted:

Admission for full-time study may be for either the Fall or Spring semester, though the former is advisable, both for financial awards (at the Ph.D. level) and for organizing the course of study. Part-time study is permissible for qualified M.A. candidates only. Admission into the M.A. and Ph.D. programs is at the discretion of the art history and criticism faculty with the final approval of the Graduate School. Anyone with a B.A. may apply for the Ph.D. program.

Admission to the M.A. or Ph.D. program assumes a minimum of a B average in undergraduate work, meeting the standards of admission to the Graduate School, and taking the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test, as required for all applicants to the Graduate School. The minimum TOEFL score for admission is 550 (paper) or 213 (computer) OR an IELTS total score of 6.5. In order to teach, any graduate student whose native language is not English must score 55 or above on the TSE or SPEAK test OR obtain a score of 7.0 or better in the speaking component of the IELTS test. The website for ETS (TOEFL & GRE) is www.ets.org.

It is recognized that M.A. and Ph.D. applicants may come from a wide variety of backgrounds that will require individual structuring of their programs to suit their needs. Applicants will ordinarily have a bachelor’s degree with an art history major or minor, however this requirement may be waived at the discretion of the graduate faculty. Those without a demonstrated background in art history may be advised to take undergraduate courses in the department prior to admission to the program. All applicants are encouraged to submit a sample of written work with their application.

For further information and applications, consult the Graduate School, download an application, apply online, email the Graduate Secretary or write:

Director of Graduate Programs
Department of Art, SUNY at Stony Brook
Staller Center for the Arts
Stony Brook, NY 11794-5400
(631)632-7270

Graduate teaching assistantships with tuition scholarships and several academically based fellowships are awarded to successful Ph.D. applicants on a competitive basis. (The department is unable to provide tuition support or TAships for MA students at this time.)

Applications including statement of intent, transcripts, GRE scores, letters of recommendation, and a sample of written work, must be submitted by January 15th to be considered for financial support. Stony Brook University is an equal opportunity educator/employer. AA/EOE.

You can check on the status of your application.

Located in East Hampton the PK House is another important resource for our students. The house, studio, and grounds - where both Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner created some of their most famous work - were given to the Stony Brook Foundation by the estate of Lee Krasner after her death in 1984. Under the directorship of Helen Harrison, the site was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1994. Our annual fall departmental gathering and "armchair chat" held at the house has featured such speakers as Dore Ashton, Alice Aycock, Arthur Danto, Clement Greenberg, Glenn Lowry, Robert Rosenblum, Nan Rosenthal, Shelley Rice, and Richard Shiff. The Center also hosts a year-long series of lectures, seminars, exhibitions, and other activities. The Study Center comprises extensive reference materials and archives, including books, photographs, oral histories, and journals available for research.

George Adams, art dealer
Emily Apter, Historian and Theorist, NYU
Laurie Anderson, artist
Geoffrey Batchen, art historian
Judith Butler, literary critic
Eduardo Cadava, art historian
Sokari Douglas Camp, artist
Peter Campus, artist
Holland Cotter, art critic, New York Times
Thomas Crow, historian
Tom Finkelpearl, museum director
Coco Fusco, artist/writer/curator
Joseph Grigley, artist
N. Katherine Hayles, literary critic
Michael Ann Holly, art historian
Andreas Huyssen, literary theorist
Guillermo Gomez-Pena, artist
Jay Grimm, art dealer
Alfredo Jaar, artist
Kobena Mercer, critic, Middlesex University
W.J.T. Mitchell, art/literary critic
Jose Munoz, writer
RTMark.com, artist corporation
Kiki Smith, artist
Alluequére Rosanne Stone, theorist
Robert Storr, senior curator, MoMA, NYU
Marcia Tucker, museum director
Krzysztof Wodiczko, artist