FAQs & Funding Information

Is there an applications deadline?   Yes, in January each year. For this year's date, please click here.

Can I apply if my previous degree is not in History of Art?  Yes, students apply with a variety of backgrounds.

What are the costs?  Costs include tution fees, college fees and living costs.

Can the courses by studied part-time or online? Only the DPhil can be studied part-time. None of the courses can be studied online.

Who do I contact regarding DPhil study and research interests?  Profiles of the academic staff are shown here: https://www.hoa.ox.ac.uk/academic-and-admin-staff

Will I be interviewed if I apply for any of the postgraduate programmes?  Interviews are not normally held as part of the MSt admissions process.  Assessors may get in touch with an applicant directly via email in case of any queries, but this is rare.  For the DPhil programme, interviews may be arranged for some applicants as part of the admissions process. If travel to Oxford is not convenient, interviews can take place in person, by telephone or via Skype.

All specific questions regarding a prospective or current research student application (including queries regarding offers, status of application, withdrawals and deferrals) should be addressed to the Faculty of History Graduate Office graduate.admissions@history.ox.ac.uk 

If you have a query about applying to be a recognised student within the Department of History of Art, please direct your query to the Faculty of History Graduate Office as they are responsible for these requests.  Email graduate.admissions@history.ox.ac.uk 

Sources of funding information for prospective and current students

• Fees, Funding, Prizes and Awards - University of Oxford general information page
• Funding in the Humanities for graduate students
• Clarendon Award for International Graduate Students
• The Slade Bursary for MSt applicants. No application necessary - awarded on merit.
• The June and Simon Li Graduate Scholarship in the History of Chinese Art. These scholarships are awarded on merit. Please apply to University of Oxford graduate admissions in the usual way. Further details about admissions can be found here.
• Sir Denis Mahon Award at Oxford University. This scholarship covers a year's tuition fees and is available to one UK student, commencing the MSt History of Art, who is interested in studying the Baroque and/or UK post-WW2 artists. The student will need to meet and engage with the Trustees of the Sir Denis Mahon Foundation during the course of their studies at Oxford. 

Sources of funding for current matriculated History of Art students

• Funding, Bursaries and Scholarships (link requires single sign on)
• Laurence Binyon Prize 2024 for travel to Asia or another area outside Europe to extend knowledge and appreciation of the visual arts. Open to all matriculated student members of the University who have not exceeded 21 terms from their matriculation; for travel to Asia or another area outside Europe (not related to course syllabi or subject of academic research) to extend knowledge and appreciation of the visual arts; up to £1,000.  Deadline/competition has now passed.  Details for 2025 will be published in 2025.
• Waddesdon Manor/ Department of History of Art Research Internship 2024.  In association with the Department of History of Art, Waddesdon Manor is offering an internship to one student completing their University of Oxford course (BA or MSt) in Trinity Term 2024 from the Department of History of Art, Faculty of History, Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages or Faculty of Classics whose area of study is or has been  art-historically orientated. Full details available to view here.  Deadline noon Friday 24 May 2024.  Please note that this internship is open to matriculated University of Oxford students only.
• For current graduate students, please note that all travel insurance requests are approved by the Faculty of History, not the Department of History of Art.  To find further details about research abroad, risk assessments, and travel insurance applications, please visit the information page on the Oxford Historians Hub here.   If you have any further questions about risk assessments or travel insurance for your research abroad, please contact reception@history.ox.ac.uk