MIT Architecture

PhD in History + Theory of Architecture and Art HTC currently offers two tracks of study within the PhD program: History and Theory of Architecture and History and Theory of Art. Degree requirements and admissions procedures for both tracks are the same. The program in History, Theory and Criticism (HTC) draws upon the unique range of disciplines and professions within the Department of Architecture. The program emphasizes the study of Western (nineteenth and twentieth centuries) and Islamic art, architecture and urbanism, and methodological issues that inform or link historical and practical work. HTC was founded in 1975 as one of the first PhD programs in a school of architecture. Its mission is to promote critical and theoretical reflection within the disciplines of architectural and art history. HTC differs from other programs in that it has art historians on its permanent faculty. Visiting scholars are annually invited to teach, supplementing the core faculty. Continuous registration is required until completion of the dissertation. Generally all subject work is completed by the end of the second year of residency and all other requirements, except for the dissertation, are completed by the end of the third year. The final two years are devoted to dissertation research and writing culminating in a defense at the conclusion of the fifth year. Islamic Architecture and Urbanism Within the History + Theory of Architecture PhD track, there is a concentration in Islamic Architecture. The History, Theory and Criticism Section at MIT is one of the foremost Ph.D. programs in architectural history and theory in the US. Its mission is to encourage advanced historical research and to promote critical and theoretical reflection within the disciplines of architectural and art history. The concentration on Islamic architecture and urbanism is an integral part of the HTC section. Usually, one student a year is admitted to work on an Islamic subject and is funded through the Aga Khan Program endowment. Students are expected to fulfill all HTC requirements before embarking on their thesis project. Research projects vary in scope, method, and range from the classical period to the present. Recent Ph.D. topics include: architectural sensibility in eighteenth century Istanbul; planning colonial Beirut; Hasan Fathy's environmental concerns; the evolution of the Shrine of Shaykh Safi al-Din Ishaq in Ardabil, Iran; architecture and nationalism under Shah Muhammad Reza Pahlavi in Iran; Umayyad settlements in the Levant; and the villas of 10th century Cordoba. Faculty Advising Each student will be assigned an HTC faculty advisor upon admission. Generally it is the same faculty member designated to supervise research work. The advisor will consult on the initial plan of study and on each subsequent term's choice of subjects. He or she will monitor the student's progress through each phase of the degree and will assist the student in selecting a dissertation committee. This committee should be in place by the end of the fourth semester of residency. Admissions for PhD in History, Theory and Criticism Admission is based on an examination of applicants' graduate academic records and samples of their work. Many of our applicants already have a master's degree, although this is not a strict requirement. However, unlike other institutions, successful completion of the PhD program does not confer a master's degree for partial coursework. The applicant's statement of purpose and letters of recommendation are very important. Previous academic work should demonstrate the applicant's intellectual and scholarly goals and achievements. Four funded applicants are accepted each year in the Department of Architecture's PhD program in HTC. Successful PhD applicants are admitted with funding packages through MIT and the Department of Architecture (one in art history and two in architectural history). One additional architecture (or art) history placement is funded by the Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture. Candidates should expect to complete the degree in six years. Applicants do not need to obtain an academic advisor from the HTC faculty in order to apply to the program. Faculty advisors are assigned to students once admissions decisions have been made. Deadline and Submissions The application deadline is December 15. All application material must be received by deadline, with the exception of portfolios, which might be submitted by January 3. Late applications will not be reviewed. It is the responsibility of the applicant to be sure that the completed application forms and all supporting materials are at the following address by the deadline. Online Application Although we accept paper-based applications, we strongly prefer that all graduate programs applicants use the MIT graduate application website. The graduate application for 2011 is first processed through CollegeNet. To access the CollegeNet system, applicants will need to create a profile. Once begun, the online application can be completed at any point up until the December 15 deadline at midnight. Try not to begin your application on December 15. You don't want something to happen at 11 p.m. before the system closes. After submitting the application, applicants will not be able to alter the CollegeNet version of the application. CollegeNet will send a confirmation email upon submission, but this does not mean the Department has your information. Application Fee