The program is small and selective, accepting only one or two highly qualified applicants each year. Successful applicants must demonstrate an ability to work in a critical and imaginative fashion and to conduct original, clearly articulated research that will advance the frontiers of knowledge.  Prospective students should submit their application to the joint PhD program through the online application portal for relevant information on the application process and the link to the online application system.

Along with the School of Liberal Arts graduate program application form, applicants submit transcripts, three letters of recommendation, a statement of purpose, and an MA thesis or two substantive research papers, at least one in English. Applicants may also submit a CV/resume. The GRE is not required.  International applicants whose native language is not English must submit TOEFL or IELTS scores as part of their application. The application deadline is January 10 for admission in the fall.

The Ph.D. requires 54 credit hours (including an M.A. thesis or equivalent) in addition to qualifying examinations and the production of a dissertation. Of the 54 credit hours of coursework, at least 30 hours must have a Latin American content, including at least 18 hours in Latin American art; other Latin American courses can be taken in departments such as Anthropology, Economics, History, Political Science, Sociology, and Spanish and Portuguese; the School of Architecture; and Latin American Studies special offerings. Fifteen credit hours must be in art history pertaining to areas outside Latin America. The balance of credit hours are electives; they may be in art history and/or Latin America, but they may also pertain to other areas relevant to the student’s work (e.g., European history, Medieval thought, writing systems). The Latin American Studies core seminar is required, as is a course on art historical method and/or theory. All courses must be at the 6000 and 7000 levels.

Students must develop a primary concentration (e.g., Pre-Columbian, colonial, or modern) and a secondary one. The second concentration may be within Latin American art (e.g., Pre-Columbian, colonial, or modern), or it may cover a comparative area (e.g., modern Latin American art paired with modern European art, or colonial Latin American art paired with medieval and early modern European art). Twenty-one semester hours (7 courses) must pertain to the primary concentration, and 12 semester hours (4 courses) must pertain to the secondary concentration. These courses may be in Art History or other disciplines with Latin American content. For example, a student with a primary concentration in Precolumbian and a secondary concentration in colonial would take 7 art history and anthropology courses with a Precolumbian content, and 4 courses with a colonial content in art history, history, or literature.