The graduate program in Art and Archaeology is designed to prepare students for teaching and research at the university level, curatorial positions in museums, and other careers in the visual arts. The department’s intimate size, together with Princeton’s commitment to teaching, ensures scholarly flexibility and close working relationships with faculty. Interdisciplinary study thrives at Princeton, and students are encouraged to take courses in related fields of the Humanities, Social Sciences, and Architecture. A number of interdisciplinary programs sponsor lectures and conferences; they also offer opportunities for graduate students to present their research. The department is committed to representing a full range of approaches to the history of art, from object-based research to many varieties of theory and criticism. Graduate study today necessarily involves the acquisition of specialized skills, notably foreign languages, and in-depth training in specific fields. The following fields count among the department’s particular strengths:

• East Asian Art and Archaeology
• Ancient Archaeology
• Byzantine and Medieval Art
• Renaissance and Baroque Art
• African and African Diaspora Art
• Modern and Contemporary Art, including American Art and the History of Photography
• The History of Architecture in all periods
• Islamic Art

Our department has excellent facilities and resources, such as Marquand Library, the Princeton University Art Museum, the Index of Medieval Art, and the Visual Resources Collection. Princeton is also well located between two major cities, Philadelphia and New York City, with good transportation. Washington D.C. is less than three hours away by train. Prospective applicants interested in visiting our department during the fall term prior to the application deadline should contact Gina Migliaccio-Bilinski, the Graduate Program Administrator.

IN THIS SECTION

• Department Distribution Requirements
• Degrees
• Departmental Language Requirements
• Ancient Archaeology Program
• East Asian Art & Archaeology Program

Department Distribution Requirements

The graduate program in art and archaeology is a five-year program. This five-year period is referred to as regular enrollment. Graduate study is carried out within one of seven broad fields:

• Ancient Archaeology
• Byzantine and medieval
• Renaissance and Baroque
• Modern and contemporary
• East Asian
• Islamic
• African and African diaspora

Students in Ancient Archaeology and East Asian will take a total of 15 courses. All other students will normally take four full semesters of coursework totaling 12 courses. One-half of all courses must be at the 400 level or higher. If a graduate student chooses to take a 200- or 300-level course within the department, the course will be designated as a reading course (700 level). If a student chooses to take a 200-level course outside of the department, the student must show that she or he is performing at the graduate level. Students are expected to take courses with each faculty member within their particular field of specialization. Students in all fields are required to take ART 500. In their first two years in the program, all graduate students, in all areas of study, are required to register and participate in the Graduate Seminar, ART 502 (a no-credit course). ART 502 meets on the mornings following talks given by speakers in the department's lecture series. These seminars will focus on topics and/or readings chosen by our invited lecturers. Attendance at both the lectures and the seminars is a requirement. Students are encouraged to consult with their advisers in selecting classes in other departments or at other institutions (see Graduate School Cooperative and Reciprocal Arrangements below).

For descriptions of the ancient archaeology and East Asian art and archaeology programs, see the specific sections below.

• Graduate students in the department must not take graduate seminars as pass/fail courses unless these seminars are offered only pass/fail (as is the case in the departments of history and Classics).
• Graduate students in the department may audit courses beyond the 12 or 15 mandatory classes.
• Reading courses may not be audited.
• If a graduate student chooses to take a 200- or 300-level course within the department, the course will be designated as a reading course (700-level) in consultation with the instructor. A reading course requires that you and the instructor submit a complete outline of the additional readings along with a weekly syllabus of the course. (Note: if the instructor is an interim faculty member, you must contact the Graduate Administrator ahead of time for approval by the dean of the Graduate School.)
• You may sit in on a course but do not enroll via the TigerHub system as an auditor or for a grade. If you need access to Canvas, the Graduate Administrator will assign you special permission.

Degrees

Advanced degrees are conferred five times each academic year—in September, November, January, April, and June—by the trustees of the University. A master's degree is awarded as an incidental degree for which doctoral students may apply after passing the general examination. For students in the ancient archaeology and East Asian programs, the general examination timeframe is spring of the third year; for all other students, the general examination timeframe is spring of the second year or fall of the third year. Ph.D. candidates are required to pass the general examination, present an acceptable dissertation, and pass the final public oral examination. A vote to advance the student to degree candidacy is made at the conclusion of the general examination by the faculty present.

“To be awarded an advanced degree, the candidate must fulfill the requirements of the department or program concerned and submit an application for the degree to the Graduate School office. When these obligations are met, the degree is recorded on the transcript. For a degree to be conferred at Commencement in June, the student must submit the degree application before the deadline established by the Graduate School.” See the Graduates School’s Standard Requirements and Graduate School’s degree deadlines.

Departmental Language Requirements

Students in all fields except Ancient Archaeology and East Asian must satisfy the department's language requirements by passing a reading proficiency exam as soon as possible after enrolling, taking at least one exam early in their first term, and completing all language requirements before taking the general examination.

The language requirements are two modern languages (excluding English) necessary for reading the secondary literature in your subfield. These languages must be approved by your adviser. It is also expected that graduate students will be competent in all languages necessary for their dissertation research. For this reason, it is typical that students will demonstrate competency in one or more languages beyond the two required languages.

Students may take one of the language exams offered each fall semester by the Department of German, the Department of French and Italian, and the Department of Spanish and Portuguese. The Graduate Administrator will inform students when the language tests will be held. Those who fail a language exam in the fall may petition to take a comparable exam offered in the spring.

The successful completion of summer language courses taught on the Princeton campus will also count toward satisfying the language requirement. An examination from another institution does not fulfill the Princeton requirement.

Ancient Archaeology Program

Students in the Ancient Archaeology program will take a total of 15 courses, which shall include:

• whichever Ancient Archaeology seminars are offered in at least four of a student's first five terms. Some of these may be audited, with approval of the student's adviser, considering the student's specific program of study and course load.
• ART 502 (a no-credit course); ART 500; and, ideally, one non-Western course.
• For those working in the Greek and Roman fields, both the Greek and the Roman history proseminars (offered by the Department of Classics).
• For those working in the Greek and Roman fields, at least one 300-level literature course in Classics (i.e., a text-based course in either Greek or Latin literature).

Resources

The study of Ancient Art and Archaeology at Princeton benefits from access to distinctive collections, resources, and collaborative partnerships. These include:

• Princeton University Art Museum: encyclopedic holdings across the ancient Mediterranean, with research and internship opportunities. Many courses include hands-on work with the collection
• Numismatic Collection in Firestone Library: comprising ca. 100,000 coins, including ca. 30,000 coins from the Princeton excavation of Antioch-on-the-Orontes (1932-1939). A full-time curator regularly gives graduate seminars and offers internships
• Cast Collection: plaster casts of architectural sculpture, reliefs, and free-standing sculpture from the Archaic through Roman periods
• Visual Resources: historic and archival research photographs, including the Antioch-on-the-Orontes Excavation, the Howard Crosby Butler Archive (Syria), the American Society for the Excavation of Sardis 1910-1914, the Princeton Archaeological Expedition to Morgantina (1955-1963, 1966-1967), and the Princeton Archaeological Expedition to Polis (Cyprus) (1983-Present)
• Molyvoti, Thrace, Archaeological Project (MTAP): current archaeological excavation and surface survey of a settlement in Aegean Thrace, a co-operation of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens and the Ephorate of Antiquities at Rhodopi. Previous seasons have included the excavation of Classical Greek houses, the survey of a late Roman villa, and an integrated research program of bioarchaeology
• Seeger Center for Hellenic Studies: hosts lectures, workshops, and visiting scholars; offers a graduate reading group for students pursuing a certificate in Hellenic Studies; supports summer learning and research
• Princeton Athens Center: sponsors workshops and short-term, intensive summer courses
• Program in the Ancient World: interdisciplinary group for graduate students and faculty studying the ancient world; sponsors lectures and hosts short-term visiting faculty
• Department of Classics: students in Art and Archaeology regularly take courses in Classics, with faculty such as Professor Caroline Cheung
• Princeton-Ioannina-Volos Initiative: sponsors travel to universities in Greece to participate in research seminars, and hosts exchanges of students and scholars from collaborating Greek universities
• Partnerships with the Freie Universität Berlin and Scuola Normale Superiore: offers the opportunity for students to enroll in courses in Berlin and Pisa
• Heritage Structures Lab: graduate group in the School of Engineering studying buildings from historical and structural perspectives
• Princeton University Library Makerspace: provides training and access to equipment for 3D scanning, 3D printing, CNC milling, and virtual reality

Modern Languages

Candidates for the Ph.D. in Ancient Archaeology are required to demonstrate a reading knowledge of German and another modern language appropriate to the student's special field. Language examinations shall be arranged by the department, or may be satisfied in certain instances by coursework.

Ancient Archaeology Languages

Students are expected to acquire proficiency in specific languages.

Those working in Egyptian art are expected to have proficiency in Middle Egyptian, along with another area (i.e., Old or Late Egyptian, hieratic, or Demotic) as it is relevant to their dissertation research. Those working in Greek or Roman art are required to pass sight exams in both Greek and Latin (administered by the Department of Classics) or to satisfy the proficiency requirement by coursework (a 300-level course).

Exams

Typically, students in the Ancient Archaeology program spend the first two and a half years in coursework. General exams are usually taken in the latter half of the third year. The general examination tests the candidate by means of an eight-hour written exam in Ancient Archaeology, and a four-hour written exam devoted to the general area of the dissertation; these are followed by a two-hour oral examination covering materials related to both written exams.

East Asian Art & Archaeology Program

The Department of Art and Archaeology and the Department of East Asian Studies cooperate in offering a program at the graduate level leading to the Ph.D. in East Asian art and archaeology. The program combines East Asian studies with the history of art and museum training. Students take a total of 15 courses, including both Japanese and Chinese art and archaeology seminars as well as courses in cognate fields of East Asian studies. Students are encouraged to take at least two non-Asian courses (as part of the required 15) in the Department of Art and Archaeology. Individual programs will be determined in consultation with the candidate's adviser. Requirements for students in East Asian specializations outside the regular Chinese and Japanese tracks are set in consultation with program faculty.

A candidate for the Ph.D. in Chinese art and archaeology is required to show proficiency in ancient and modern Chinese and a reading knowledge of Japanese. A candidate for the Ph.D. in Japanese art and archaeology is required to demonstrate proficiency in ancient Japanese and/or kanbun, as appropriate to the candidate's specialization, and modern Japanese, and a reading knowledge of Chinese or a European language. Elementary language courses may, at the discretion of the adviser, count toward the 15 required courses.

The general examination, which normally takes place no later than May of the third year, is designed to test the candidate's ability to integrate general, topical, and area knowledge in related fields chosen from Art and Archaeology and East Asian Studies. It consists of a first-day examination in the general field of Chinese and Japanese art history and archaeology, with six hours of writing in response to questions submitted by Department of Art and Archaeology faculty; a second-day examination in the field of the student's dissertation, with questions and length to be determined by the student's principal adviser; and a third-day examination in a related area of East Asian studies given by a faculty member in East Asian Studies with whom the student has studied, with the faculty member determining the questions and length.

IN THIS SECTION

• Re-enrollment
• In Absentia
• Termination
• Leave of Absence
• Voluntary Withdrawal
• Dissertation Complete Status (DCE)
• Enrollment Terminated/Degree Candidacy Continues (ET/DCC)

Re-enrollment

The Graduate School defines re-enrollment as "the annual process in which every department and the Graduate School evaluate the academic progress of graduate degree candidates. The re-enrollment process, which is conducted during the latter half of the spring term, is often supplemented by other departmentally specific evaluations conducted at different times during the academic year. Students are encouraged to participate actively in the annual readmission process by preparing their written statement of academic progress during the current year and goals and objectives for the coming year. All students eligible for re-enrollment, including those writing dissertations, must make a formal application each year through their departments. Students who have satisfied all academic requirements within their departments and have demonstrated their readiness for continuing graduate work will be offered re-enrollment no later than June; others will be notified about re-enrollment when a basis for judgment is available."

The Graduate Administrator will notify students when the re-enrollment period begins. Students apply for re-enrollment via TigerHub, entering their Princeton credentials and navigating to: Student Self Service > Academic and Personal Info > TIGERHUB > Graduate Re-enrollment.

Students will indicate on the application form the status or statuses that they expect to hold for the upcoming academic year, i.e., regular (in residence), in absentia (see In Absentia Status below), leave (see Leave of Absence below), expect to graduate, DCE, etc. Once completed, the application is forwarded electronically to the Graduate Administrator and the Director of Graduate Studies for re-enrollment recommendations. Once the recommendation has been completed, students will be notified via email that their recommendation is ready for them to view and resubmit. The application is then sent to the Graduate School for review. The Graduate School will send students an acknowledgment via the email address on their re-enrollment reply form (student contract). Students must submit their reply, accepting or declining their contracts, before the re-enrollment process is complete.

As you are completing your re-enrollment application, please keep in mind, per the Graduate School guidelines, that only students who have handed in at least one completed chapter of their dissertations will be allowed to enroll on DCE status for the sixth and seventh years. While the department will consider requests for sixth-year funding of eligible students, such support will be predicated on fulfillment of the Graduate School’s enrollment requirement. The department does not provide any funding for the seventh year, but it will consider paying the DCE fee.

In Absentia

Students may be recommended for re-enrollment with in absentia status if they are working full time on degree requirements and are present on campus less than a majority of days per week for an academic term or year. Students must consult with their faculty adviser and the DGS for in absentia approval at re-enrollment time (spring term). This status is normally granted for only one year to students who have completed the general examination and had their dissertation proposal approved. Students are encouraged to seek financial aid outside the University for the time spent in absentia or may use their enrollment stipend. To be in absentia students must reside away from Princeton. New York and Philadelphia are acceptable; Hopewell or New Brunswick would not be.

Termination

The Graduate School may terminate a student's degree candidacy, upon recommendation of the department, when the student has not made satisfactory academic progress. Degree candidacy terminates automatically after a second failure of the general examination or after five years from the date of passing the general exam if the student has not maintained regular contact with the department and dissertation adviser. The department also may terminate a student's candidacy if the student has not fulfilled all the academic requirements before the general examination.

Leave of Absence

Students in good standing may be granted up to one year's leave of absence; an extension of one additional year may be requested. Leaves are granted for personal reasons when the student will not be actively pursuing an academic course of study. If a student does not return to the graduate program after two years, she or he will be terminated.

Voluntary Withdrawal

Enrolled students or students still eligible to be enrolled may choose to leave the University for various reasons. Before making a final decision to withdraw, students should discuss their options with their adviser(s), the department, and the Graduate School. Students who withdraw from the Graduate School lose their degree eligibility and may not resume an enrolled status.

Students considering a voluntary withdrawal should not make such a decision without careful consideration. Specifically, students contemplating a voluntary withdrawal must:

• Contact their adviser(s) and the DGS to discuss their reasons for a voluntary withdrawal.
• If eligible, consider a leave of absence, which may allow a student to return to an enrolled status within the same program.
• Submit a voluntary withdrawal request via the online status system accessed through TigerHub.
• Attach the completed Student Checkout form.

Dissertation Complete Status (DCE)

The graduate program in art and archaeology is a five-year program. This five-year period is referred to as regular enrollment. This means that all students enter DCE status beginning in year six, regardless of how they were funded during the first five years. In other words, external funding does not extend the program length. The department aims to provide funding to cover the DCE fees for students in good standing whose efforts to secure other means of support while in DCE status have not been successful.

Students eligible for the COVID-19 Graduate Funding Initiative should refer to the document on the A&A Graduate Resources Sharepoint site.

There are specific circumstances under which the Graduate School will fund the first year of DCE status. Students contemplating applying for multiyear external fellowships (such as CASVA or Kress) should do so with the clear understanding that receiving these grants will not extend their period of enrollment (although it might provide a sixth year of funding). 

No student will be granted regular enrollment plus DCE status that exceeds 5 + 2 years, or 7 years total. 

Students are encouraged to explore opportunities for DCE funding through the Graduate School’s Honorifics fellowships and Dissertation Completion Funding / Post-Graduate Research Associate initiative, the Princeton Institute for International and Regional Studies Graduate Fellows/Dissertation Writing Grants, the University Center for Human Values Laurance S. Rockefeller Graduate Prize Fellowships, the Office of the Dean of the College’s Collaborative Teaching Initiative, the Writing Seminars, and Assistant in Instruction positions in the Department of Art & Archaeology and other departments and programs on campus.

Faculty advisers should work with advisees beginning in the first year of the program to plan a course of study that will support completion of the dissertation by the end of the first DCE year, as that timeline secures eligibility for the broadest range of DCE support on campus.

Enrollment Terminated/Degree Candidacy Continues (ET/DCC)

Students who are continuing to make satisfactory progress toward completing their degree may enter Enrollment Terminated/Degree Candidacy Continues (ET/DCC) status if they are beyond the defined program length; have exhausted DCE status, chosen not to enter it, or must leave it to pursue other opportunities; and have not graduated.

Students eligible for the COVID-19 Graduate Funding Initiative should refer to  A&A Graduate Resources.

Financial Support

Students who are admitted to any of Princeton’s humanities doctoral programs are always offered financial assistance in the form of a fellowship and/or assistantship. The University Graduate School will offer Department of Art and Archaeology students a five-year program of full tuition, including health insurance, and an annual twelve-month stipend (including the summer months, as long as academic work is performed).

In addition to regular university support, the department has several endowment funds of its own that can provide limited support for research away from Princeton if external fellowships do not come through.

Travel funding from the department’s Spears Fund is available to every graduate student in our department. Each enrolled student is entitled to one travel grant after successful completion of two years of coursework to be used during their period of enrollment (including DCE status). Students often begin to use this fund during the summer or breaks to visit museums or archives to test out a dissertation topic. This Spears travel grant is used for any type of transportation: air, rail, car rental, bus, metro, etc. Graduate students are also entitled to funding for photographs and/or a digital camera; this may be used at any time after the general exams but before enrollment ends. Applications must be endorsed by the dissertation adviser and approved by a faculty committee. Spears funding is not awarded on the basis of need or relative merit.

For incoming students, the department will provide funding for a Princeton summer language course. For enrolled students, the department will fund the costs to attend professional meetings (including travel, hotel, and registration fees); travel to special collections and archives for research; and seminar trips with a faculty member to New York, Philadelphia, and/or Washington, DC, museums and galleries. All first-year enrolled graduate students receive a fund to purchase books. Funding for books is to be used exclusively for course textbooks or books related to the dissertation research. For students who have won outside grants (CASVA, Kress, Dedalus, DAAD), the department will top up the stipend for research in the Euro-zone.  Finally, the department will offer students who are post-enrolled, on a competitive basis, a one-semester finishing grant.

Students may also augment their stipends with teaching and research assistantships. Although we do not require students to T.A., most do it at least once during their time here; it is an important part of a student’s formation as a future professor. Teaching assistantships are awarded on the basis of student preparation and departmental needs. Financial need does not have to be demonstrated.

IN THIS SECTION

• Graduate School Dissertation Fellowships
• External Fellowships
• Department Funding
• Travel Funding
• Professional Development and Scholarly Travel Grants
• Other Funding

Graduate School Dissertation Fellowships

The Graduate School offers numerous fellowships, listed below (all dates are approximate). Students who wish to apply for dissertation fellowships must have passed their generals and their dissertation proposals to be considered for nomination.

US Fulbright Program

The US Fulbright Program is administered by the Institute of International Education (IIE) for U.S. citizens who must pursue dissertation research in foreign countries with which the U.S. has diplomatic relations. Graduate students typically apply for the Research Grant. Most students apply for one country, although graduate students may propose a multi-country project, provided that the countries selected are within the same geographic region.

Hyde

The prestigious Donald and Mary Hyde Research Fellowships and Research Awards are for research-based study abroad. To be considered for a Hyde Academic Year Research Fellowship, students must complete an application through the Global Programs System (GPS). Application rules and procedures are sent to relevant departments via memo by the dean each year in early February, at which time the applications will be made available on the Global Programs System (GPS) website. Awarding of the Academic-Year Research Fellowships and Summer Research Awards are contingent on the policies for permissible University-sanctioned travel.

The fellowship is to support post-generals dissertation work. Preference is given to projects requiring residence in England, although awards are not limited to that country. Applications should be sent directly to the Graduate School. If students are entering their first year of DCE status, they must have their eligibility verified by the Graduate School. If granted these funds for dissertation research, students must be in absentia for the duration of the award period (academic year and/or summer).

Academic Year Research Fellowship

The Academic Year Research Fellowship provides $44,000 over the 10-month academic year, August through May (this amount is $4,100 greater than the regular academic-year stipend).

Summer Research Award

These fellowships are endowed Graduate School funds that replace the normal University stipend and are not external funds that would qualify a student for a year of Dissertation Completion Enrollment (DCE) funding and provide $11,500 over two months, June and July (this amount is $3,500 greater than the regular summer stipend).

Honorific

Students must be nominated by their department to be considered for an Honorific Fellowship. The department is informed in February. The deadline is April.

Eligibility

Applicants must be Ph.D. students still in their first five years of regular enrollment in one of the eight departments listed above, must have passed their general exams by the time the award period begins and must be eligible for guaranteed University stipend support.

Ph.D. students entering their first year of DCE status are eligible to hold a Hyde Academic-Year Research Fellowship and/or Summer Research Award if they qualified during regular enrollment to defer a year of their guaranteed University Fellowship support to their first year of DCE under the external fellowship policy.

In addition, Ph.D. students currently enrolled in their first year of DCE status may apply for the Hyde Summer Research Award if they are otherwise eligible to hold University Fellowship funding during the summer months of their first year of DCE status.

Students entering or currently enrolled in their first year of DCE status may wish to verify their eligibility by contacting Lisa Franzman in the Graduate School before submitting their Hyde Fellowship applications.

Students may apply for and receive both an academic-year and a summer research award, as relevant for their research plans, but each must be applied for separately.  If funds are granted for academic-year dissertation research, students must be enrolled in absentia for the duration of the award period. Students may apply for awards to support research-related travel to any country or group of countries.  Among equally strong applications, priority is given to projects requiring residence in England.

Number of Nominations

Each department may nominate up to two candidates for Honorific Fellowships, if there are eligible students of sufficient distinction. The departments of Art and Archaeology, English, and History will each be allowed up to three Honorific nominees. If nominating more than one student, the department indicates their ranked order with respect to one another.

Nomination and Notification Procedures

Students must login to Global Programs System (GPS) and complete an application.  The application form and required documents (CV, transcript, research proposal, dissertation summary, and two letters of recommendation) for either the Academic Year Research Fellowship or Summer Research Award must be submitted in GPS.

Department procedure: In February, the Graduate Program Administrator informs students and faculty of the fellowship rules and how to be nominated by the adviser. The department graduate committee decides on the nominee. The coordinator notifies the nominee and gives instruction on the application procedure and the deadline date.

Notification

All applicants will be notified of the award decision by mid-April.

Dean's Completion Fellowship/Postgraduate Research Associate (DCF/PGRA)

The department may nominate a certain number of candidates for the DCF/PGRA each year.

External Fellowships

Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts (CASVA)

The deadline to CASVA is October 15. The department is informed in late August.

CASVA offers nine fellowships for support of dissertation research in the history, theory, and criticism of art, architecture, and urbanism: David E. Finley (Western art, three years); Paul Mellon (Western art, three years); Samuel H. Kress (European art topic before the early 19th century, two years); Wyeth (American art, two years); Ittleson (non-Western art, two years); Andrew Mellon (non-Western art, two years); Robert & Clarice Smith (Northern European art between 1400 and 1700, one year); and two Chester Dale (Western art, one and two years). Most fellowships require residency in Washington.

Applicants must have completed their residence requirements and coursework for the Ph.D. as well as general examinations before the date of application. Students must have certification of competence in two foreign languages. Applicants must be either United States citizens or enrolled in a university in the United States.

The Graduate Program Administrator (GPA) informs the students and faculty in early September of the fellowship rules and how to be nominated by the adviser. The department graduate committee decides on the nominee. The GPA notifies the nominee and gives instruction on the application procedure and deadline date. Student applications must be read by faculty advisers before they are given to the graduate coordinator for final distribution to CASVA.

DAAD - German Academic Exchange Service

Princeton normally offers two DAAD exchange fellowships to students, based upon recommendation from the DAAD. One fellowship pays full tuition and required fees only; the second pays full tuition, required fees, and a standard ten-month stipend. The tenure for both of the awards is one academic year, September through June.

The DAAD permits Princeton to nominate two priority candidates for the Study Scholarship and/or Research Grant program(s). U.S. or Canadian citizens affiliated with colleges or universities in the U.S., in all disciplines, are eligible to apply for six to 10 months of support in Germany. You must first secure the department's nomination and letters of support from appropriate faculty members (director of graduate studies and adviser), provide three original transcripts each from both undergraduate and graduate institutions, and write a project statement. If there are more than two nominees, the Graduate School's fellowship subcommittee will evaluate candidates and choose the two priority nominees. However, the remaining applications may be submitted for the general competition. There are also other grant opportunities offered by DAAD.

A nomination package consists of: (1) a formal letter of nomination from the director of graduate studies, (2) a letter of support from the student's adviser, and (3) a two-page summary of the student's project statement.

You will be notified if your nomination is accepted, and you can proceed with the application at that time.

Dedalus Foundation, Inc. (Robert Motherwell)

The department is informed in mid-September.

The deadline to the apply to the Dedalus Foundation is December 2. Annual stipend is $20,000 for 12 months.

The fellowship is to support research and study of any aspect of the modernist tradition. The department nominates one student. The nominee must have completed all course requirements and general examinations. Students will need two letters of recommendation, one from the adviser.

The GPA informs the students and faculty in September of the fellowship rules and how to be nominated by the adviser. The department’s graduate committee decides on the nominee. The GPA notifies the nominee and gives instruction on the application procedure and deadline date.

Samuel H. Kress Foundation Fellowship Program

The department is informed in mid-September. Only two-year (24 months) History of Art at Foreign Institution fellowships are normally offered. Annual stipend is $30,000.

The Kress is a predoctoral fellowship for completion of dissertation research in association with a foreign institution and is restricted to U.S. citizens or individuals enrolled at U.S. institutions. Students must be nominated by the department.

Department procedure: The GPA informs students and faculty in September of the fellowship rules and how to be nominated by the adviser. The department’s graduate committee decides on the nominee. The GPA then notifies the nominee and gives instruction on the application procedure and deadline date.

Department Funding

Sixth Year Funding

Department funding may be available to students in their sixth year in the program. Students may receive this funding only once. The application, which the student submits to the graduate coordinator in their fifth year, includes a research statement (two pages), a detailed budget, and a letter of support from the dissertation adviser. The graduate committee reviews and determines the recipients of the grants and the funding amounts. The application deadline is coordinated with Graduate School reenrollment, usually in late March/early April. The graduate coordinator will send out the call for applications, and, once decided, will inform applicants of the outcome.

Students in their first year of DCE can be either in absentia or in residence at Princeton. To be eligible for a sixth year of funding, graduate students in residence in the Princeton area (including New York City and Philadelphia) may be required to serve as preceptors.

Students in their second year of DCE are not eligible for funding.

As you complete your reenrollment application, please keep in mind, per the Graduate School guidelines, that only students who have handed in at least one completed chapter of their dissertations will be allowed to enroll for the sixth and seventh years on DCE status. While the department will consider requests for sixth-year funding of eligible students, such support will be predicated on fulfillment of the Graduate School’s enrollment requirement. The department does not provide any funding for the seventh year, but it will consider paying the DCE fee.

Finishing Grant

All enrolled students in the Department of Art and Archaeology with the status of either first- or second-year DCE (that is, in the sixth or seventh year of the program) are eligible to apply for a one-semester finishing grant. University policy stipulates that an unenrolled student may not receive funding; therefore, finishing grants must be paid to students no later than July of their seventh year. If awarded a finishing grant, students must take a leave of absence from their full-time jobs.

Acceptance of a finishing grant should result in scheduling the FPO examination in the semester in which the funding is used or the beginning of the following semester. Each student may receive a finishing grant only once. The number and amount of grants each year depends on available funds. There are two application periods, each preceding the semester in which the grant is to be used.

Students are considered for the grant on a competitive basis. Contact your dissertation adviser before submitting your application to the department and discuss whether your dissertation qualifies for a finishing grant.

Students must have finished, and presented to their adviser, 75% of their dissertation. A table of contents of the thesis identifying the chapters written should be enclosed with the application.

To apply, an applicant submits a two-page statement that provides a status report on her/his dissertation (including a schedule for finishing the dissertation within the time frame described above) and a letter of support from his/her adviser. The letters should be addressed to the director of graduate studies.

Supplement to Competitive Grants

The department will increase funding, as funding allows, for students who receive competitive research grants (University Hyde, CASVA, Kress, etc.) that are not adequately funded. The amount of added funding will depend on the amount of the grant, length of the student's stay abroad, and available funds within the department. Students must apply to the graduate committee, explaining the reason for the needed supplement and providing a detailed budget and a short statement of recommendation from the adviser.

Travel Funding

Travel Funding Application Process

All applications All applications for departmental travel funding must be submitted through Princeton University's SAFE system. Graduate students must follow the University Permissible Travel Guidelines when planning their travel and must register their intended travel plans through Princeton University's Enroll My Trip system. No funds will be released to graduate students without demonstrated advanced enrollment of travel plans in the Enroll My Trip system. 

Students are responsible for ensuring that advisers have adequate time to prepare and submit a brief statement of support for the proposed travel. The amount of time required by an adviser to prepare and submit a statement of support may vary, but the department’s submission deadlines and timeframes for review will remain consistent for all students at all times. 

Per University policy, airline tickets should be booked as far in advance as possible (ideally 14 days or more) in order to obtain advance purchase discounts and optimal travel times. Students are encouraged to plan well in advance in order to secure affordable rates for accommodations. 

Application procedures for various types of travel funding appear below. For more information about SAFE, please review the SAFE reference guide. For departmental assistance, please contact Gina Migliaccio-Bilinski. 

Dean’s Fund for Scholarly Travel

Students may apply on a quarterly basis to the Dean’s Fund for Scholarly Travel, which provides modest grants ($800 maximum per year) to allow students to travel to present a paper on their own work at a conference or symposium. The deadlines are August 1 (for travel between August 15-November 14), November 1 (for travel between November 15-February 14), February 1 (for travel between February 15-May 14), and May 1 (for travel between May 15-August 14.)

Applicants must be regularly enrolled Ph.D. candidates in years three through DCE1 at the time of application and proposed presentation. Applicants must be giving a talk or delivering a paper on their own work. Graduate students who are delivering a poster presentation, participating in a panel discussion, or giving a job talk are not eligible to apply.

Students apply for the dean’s travel fund through SAFE. Submission materials should include proof of acceptance to the conference or a copy of the conference program.

A&A Summer Travel Funds

Students who successfully complete their first and second years of study (i.e., rising G2 and rising G3 students) are eligible for departmental Summer Travel Grants of up to $3,000 per summer to support their research. In order to be eligible for summer funding, students must be in good standing, with no incompletes. Students may apply for Summer Travel Grants after submitting all required work for spring semester courses. Students must follow the University Permissible Travel Guidelines when planning their travel and must register their intended travel plans through Princeton University's Enroll My Trip system. No funds will be released to graduate students without demonstrated advanced enrollment of travel plans in the Enroll My Trip system. Summer Travel Grants are to be used for transportation and lodging related to research and are intended to assist students in exploring potential dissertation topics. Written application must be made via Princeton University’s SAFE system. Summer Travel Grant applications should be addressed to the Director of Graduate Studies and the Graduate Program Administrator, and should include a statement of research objectives, a budget, and an outline of travel plans. Applications for Summer Travel Grants will be reviewed twice annually, on or around May 15, and on or around June 15. The final application deadline for Summer Travel Grants is June 15. Funding will be made available upon approval by the DGS and will be issued up front via the SAFE system. Funds from a Summer Travel Grant may not be used to cover travel costs incurred before the grant was awarded. Before the start of the fall semester following summer travel, students must submit detailed, dated receipts via SAFE. Students who do not use the full amount of a Summer Travel Grant are required to reimburse the department for the unused portion of the grant. Before the first day of fall classes following summer travel, students who receive Summer Travel Grants must submit to the Graduate Program Administrator a paragraph reporting on the research conducted over the summer. 

Department Research Funds

The purpose of the Department Research Fund is to support travel for research with accountability and to underwrite certain expenses in connection with research. These expenses include intercontinental travel by the least expensive mode, surface travel, and research photographs. Eligibility has changed over the years, depending on available funds.

Camera Grant

One camera grant of $500 will be issued to all graduate students during the first five years of enrollment. Students are strongly encouraged to consult with the department's photographer, John Blazejewski, [email protected], before selecting a camera and to schedule a training session with him. 

Travel Grant (SPEARS)

Upon successful completion of their coursework, enrolled graduate students in the department become eligible to make use of monies allocated to them from the Department Research Fund. Graduate students must follow the University Permissible Travel Guidelines when planning their travel and must register their intended travel plans through Princeton University's Enroll My Trip system. No funds will be released to graduate students without demonstrated advanced enrollment of travel plans in the Enroll My Trip system. The funds available to an individual student will depend upon the primary geographical area of that student’s research (see below). Department Research Fund Travel Grants are to be used to cover transportation and lodging expenses for research travel. The sum allocated to each student will remain available until the allotment is exhausted. Students are encouraged to use these funds for cost-sharing purposes when applying to the Princeton Institute for International and Regional Studies (PIIRS) or other funding bodies. For example, a Department Research Fund Travel Grant may be used to pay for the cost of transportation and lodging, while resources from other funding streams might be used to support living expenses. Applications for Department Research Fund Travel Grants will be reviewed monthly, September through June, on or around the 15th of the month. Applications may be considered in July and August to address exceptional cases involving extenuating circumstances. Applications are to be submitted via SAFE. Students are responsible for ensuring that advisers have adequate time to prepare and submit a brief statement of support for the proposed travel. The amount of time required by an adviser to prepare and submit a statement of support may vary, but the department’s submission deadlines and timeframes for review will remain consistent for all students at all times. Funds from a Department Research Fund Travel Grant may not be used to cover travel costs incurred before the grant was awarded. Detailed, dated receipts are required for reimbursement. Receipts must be submitted via SAFE within 30 days of expenditure for reimbursement.
The amount of the grant is set according to the primary geographical location of your research:

•    North America (including the Caribbean): $4,500
•    Europe: $5,500
•    Asia, Africa, Central and South America, Australia: $6,500
 

Travel to Scholarly Conferences and Professional Meetings

The Graduate School provides support to enrolled doctoral students in years G3 through and including DCE-1 who have been invited to present a scholarly paper at a conference or meeting via the Dean’s Fund for Scholarly Travel. The A&A Department provides additional annual funding up to $1,000 for G3 through DCE-1 students once they have exhausted the support available from the Graduate School in any given year. Additionally, the A&A Department provides funding up to $1,000 annually for G1, G2, and DCE-2 students who have been invited to present a scholarly paper at a conference or meeting. In 2024-25, the Department will also provide funding to students with the exceptional status of DCE-3, which has been granted to students who faced interruptions and delays to their dissertation research due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In exceptional instances, funding may be granted to students who have organized a conference session but will not be presenting a scholarly paper. If not presenting a paper, the student must demonstrate that there was a selective process for being chosen as an organizer and must provide a detailed account of the work and the timeline involved in organizing the session. Graduate students must follow the University Permissible Travel Guidelines when planning their travel. No funds will be released to graduate students without demonstrated advanced enrollment of travel plans in the Enroll My Trip system. Reimbursable expenses include transportation, lodging, and conference registration fees. Meals are not included.  Conference travel may not conflict with coursework, including the 502 departmental lecture series and seminar.

Applications for support for travel to scholarly conferences and professional meetings will be reviewed monthly, September through June, on or around the 15th of the month. Applications are to be submitted via SAFE.  Students are responsible for ensuring that advisers have adequate time to prepare and submit a brief statement of support for the proposed travel. The amount of time required by an adviser to prepare and submit a letter of endorsement may vary, but the department’s submission deadlines and timeframes for review will remain consistent for all students at all times.     

Museum and Special Travel to Collections/Archives for Course-related Research

The department will automatically disburse $75 per semester in the first and second years of study for course-related travel (New York/Philadelphia) for seminar paper research. The funds will be placed in the SAFE system for the student to accept. This will eliminate the need to apply for this $75 as a reimbursement. This is intended to facilitate travel and reduce staff/student time in processing reimbursements.

To support graduate students’ research during the years of coursework (i.e., before their Department Research travel funds are available), the department will reimburse students up to $500 per annum for transportation and lodging expenses relevant to seminar paper research. These funds are not to be bundled with other monies available, either from the department or other University sources. Applications are to be submitted via SAFE.  Students are responsible for ensuring that advisers have adequate time to prepare and submit a brief statement of support. The amount of time required by an adviser to prepare and submit a statement of support may vary, but the department’s submission deadlines and timeframes for review will remain consistent for all students at all times. Applications will be reviewed monthly, on or around the 15th of the month. 
 

Other Funding

Book Fund

All first-year enrolled graduate students receive a fund of $1,500 to purchase course textbooks or books related to dissertation research.

Princeton University Summer Language Courses

Pre-Generals students are eligible for departmental funding to cover the tuition for Princeton University summer language courses. Students may apply to the Princeton Institute for International and Regional Studies (PIIRS) for funding for summer language courses not offered by Princeton University.

Reproduction and Photography Fee Fund

The fund supports the cost of reproduction and photography fees charged by collections for images that enrolled A&A graduate students publish in peer-reviewed journals or other significant venues. To apply, students email a letter of application to the Director of Graduate Studies that describes the publication venue, a list of images, institutions, and costs, and attach an approval from their adviser. The Director of Graduate Studies and, when necessary, the Graduate Committee will review applications on a rolling basis; if granted, the amount may be full or partial. Approved reimbursements will be processed through SAFE, after students submit receipts in the SAFE system.

Students are encouraged to consult with advisers and colleagues on how to obtain images or permissions and are also welcome to reach out to Visual Resources ([email protected]) for guidance and advice. When requesting image permissions, it is entirely appropriate to identify oneself as a student with limited funding, which may help bring the cost down.

Working/Research for a Faculty Member

An enrolled graduate student may work as a research assistant for a faculty member up to 10 hours per week while receiving a University stipend. The faculty member will notify the Graduate Program Administrator prior to work being performed, and the Graduate Program Administrator will explain the payroll procedure to the student. The faculty member will approve a research assistant’s time by email to the Graduate Program Administrator prior to each payment from the department. The office will not make payment for back hours.
 

Students may not work if they are in absentia or on leave of absence. If in absentia status continues throughout the summer into the fall term, they may not continue to work without permission from the Graduate School.
 

Note: To receive payment for train travel costs associated with an exchange scholar program, the student must submit a written request to the graduate committee prior to the beginning of the course.

IN THIS SECTION

• Inter-University Doctoral Consortium
• Princeton-Rutgers Exchange Program
• IvyPlus Exchange Scholars Program
• International Partnerships and Exchanges
• The Metropolitan Museum of Art | Alexis Gregory Curatorial Practice Program

Inter-University Doctoral Consortium

The purpose of the Inter-University Doctoral Consortium (IUDC) is to facilitate doctoral arts and science students taking needed coursework at one or several of the other institutions. The members of the consortium include: Columbia University (see note below), Teachers College, Columbia; the Graduate Center, City University of New York; Fordham University; The New School; New York University; Rutgers-New Brunswick; and Stony Brook University, SUNY.

Guidelines and Eligibility

Students must have completed one academic year of full-time residence in a Ph.D. program in the humanities, social sciences, or natural sciences. Students wishing to take a course at Columbia University should apply through the IUDC exchange, not the IvyPlus Exchange Scholar Program.

Under ordinary circumstances, graduate students can take one course a year away from Princeton in years two and three of the graduate program.

Princeton-Rutgers Exchange Program

A reciprocal agreement between Princeton and Rutgers permits graduate students from one institution to take one regularly offered graduate course per term at the other (with tuition charged by the home institution) with the recommendation of the departmental director of graduate studies and subject to the approval of the dean of the Graduate School and the course instructor.

The University also has exchange programs with the Institute for Advanced Study and Westminster Choir College.

IvyPlus Exchange Scholars Program

The IvyPlus Exchange Scholars Program enables Princeton Ph.D. students to study for up to one academic year at one of the following institutions: the University of California at Berkeley, Brown, Chicago, Columbia, Cornell, Harvard, M.I.T. (School of Science only), the University of Pennsylvania, Stanford, and Yale. The academic experience, including courses taken and/or research conducted with particular faculty at one of the institutions above, is noted on the student’s academic record and official transcript at Princeton.

Students are eligible for this exchange program only after completing one year of residence; post-generals status is preferable in all but the most exceptional cases. Students are regularly registered at their home institution and hold special nondegree status at the host institution. Any financial aid provided must come from the home institution. Participation in the program requires the approval of the director of graduate studies (or the department chair), the student's adviser, and the graduate school dean at both the home and the host institutions.

International Partnerships and Exchanges

• Berlin Graduate School of Ancient Studies
• DAAD-German Academic Exchange Service
• Ecole Normale Superieure Paris (ENS)
• Fondation Nationale des Sciences Politiques (Sciences Po)
• Freie Universitaet Berlin
• Hebrew University of Jerusalem
• Princeton-Humboldt Exchange
• Scuola Normale Superiore (SNS)
• University of Tokyo

The Metropolitan Museum of Art | Alexis Gregory Curatorial Practice Program

The Alexis Gregory Curatorial Practice Program introduces graduate students to diverse aspects of curatorial practice within the context of a museum. Drawing on the richness of The Met’s collections, which represents thousands of years of human creativity from across the globe, as well as the depth and breadth of its staff’s expertise, this program explores the complexities of curating in the present by focusing on object-based analysis, research, exhibition planning, collection building, gallery display, and curatorial methodologies. Course content foregrounds some of the most pressing ethical, social, and political matters facing curators and museums today. Course information and applications are distributed in advance of the fall and spring semesters.

While work with the Curatorial Practice Program does not appear on the student's Princeton University transcript, the department notes student participation (i.e., which semester/year they participated) and the grade received. Participation in the Curatorial Practice Program can be indicated on a graduate student's CV, and the Graduate Program Administrator can also provide a supporting letter indicating participation/the grade received for any future applications. The department also sponsors travel funding from Princeton to the New York City. 

Curatorial Leadership

• Kelly Baum: Cynthia Hazen Polsky and Leon Polsky Curator of Contemporary Art Sarah Lawrence, Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Curator in Charge of European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

Program Coordinator

• Laura Corey: Project Manager for Curatorial, Conservation, and Science Initiatives, and Senior Researcher, Director’s Office

 
Please send any questions to [email protected].