Graduate Student Funding

Shimomura lecture

For incoming students

All applicants to the Kress Foundation Department of Art History graduate program will be considered on a competitive basis for departmental and university scholarships/fellowships and Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) and Graduate Assistant (GA) positions (See Graduate Studies' 3G benefits webpage and 3G benefits policy to learn more about GTA and GA benefits). No separate application is required to be considered for funding; the department makes decisions based upon the information provided in the graduate application.

The Graduate Admissions Committee may nominate, on behalf of the department, exceptional incoming students for Graduate Studies and other available university fellowships.

For current students

Each year, the department recognizes the academic excellence of continuing graduate students through several awards. They include the Timothy Mitchell Memorial Art History Award, the Chu-Tsing Li Award for Academic Excellence in Chinese Art, and the Award for Academic Excellence in Asian Art. Outstanding contributions to the educational mission of the department are recognized through the Marilyn J. Stokstad Award. All of these monetary awards are paid against tuition, through payroll, or issued as a check.

All graduate students (MA, MA/PhD, and PhD) are eligible for funding for the following purposes/types of travel:

  • to deliver papers at appropriate professional conferences and symposia
  • to take part in special training projects
  • to visit and study art-historically significant sites, architecture, collections and/or exhibitions pertinent to their program of study
  • to conduct research in museums, libraries, and archives
  • to consult or interview artists and art professionals

For MA students, the career allocation for this funding is not to exceed $2,000. Any unspent funds from the MA allocation will carry over if the student pursues the PhD.

For PhD students, the career allocation for this funding is not to exceed $4,000.

Students admitted to the MA/PhD track are eligible for $2,000 while pursuing the MA and an additional $4,000 once they have been admitted to the PhD (any unspent funds from the MA allocation carry over).

All doctoral students become eligible for up to $5,000 in additional research funding support after the successful completion of their comprehensive exams.

Please see the Funding Support/Aid section of the Graduate Student Handbook for more information.

Potential funding opportunities

  • By application
    • GTA positions (no separate application required for incoming students)
    • Internship positions (GAs) in the Spencer Museum of Art (SMA), selected by the SMA staff
    • Foreign Language Area Studies (FLAS) grants for the study of East Asian languages, administered by the Center for East Asian Studies
    • Other positions within the University, such as in the Art & Architecture Library
    • The department encourages all graduate students to seek other University and external funding as appropriate. The Hall Center for the Humanities provides internal funding opportunities and updates each year a comprehensive list of fellowships for graduate students in the humanities.
    • The Office of Graduate Studies provides links to funding sources within KU, external funding sources, and resources that are helpful in looking for and applying for funding
    • Departmental travel funds for research, conferences, and symposia (as described above)
  • Appointed by the faculty
    • GA and hourly positions in the Visual Resources Facility
    • Judith Harris Murphy GRA position
    • Franklin D. Murphy GRA position

Learn More