How to Apply

Before Applying

Graduate study in the Department of Art History and Archaeology can be pursued only as a full-time student during the fall and spring semesters; there is no provision for part-time or summer graduate study. Students interested in a part-time degree in the Humanities may look into the Master of Liberal Arts (MLA) program offered by the University.

If you are thinking of applying to our graduate program, please consider getting in touch with the faculty members who teach in your areas of greatest interest (see the faculty pages of this website, and the list below). They can tell you more about the program, and you in turn can explore through these contacts if we might be the right place for you. If you consult pertinent faculty members before you apply, your application will probably be more specific, and may have a higher chance of success.

Please note: Because we require that you take the first foreign language reading exam early in the first semester of graduate study here, please be sure to have one research language ready for use upon arrival at the university. If you have questions about which languages are suitable for your program of study, contact Dr. John Klein, Director of Graduate Studies.

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Online Application

Application Process

For more information on the applying process, please refer to the Admissions Page for the Office of Graduate Studies in Arts & Sciences. 

Admission may be granted by the Office of Graduate Studies in Arts & Sciences after recommendation of the department or program to which application has been made. 

To apply for admission to the Washington University GSAS, you must:

  1. Determine your area(s) of interest and the appropriate degree program.
  2. Research departmental information on appropriate department websites.
  3. Submit the following information:
  • completed on-line application and statement of purpose
  • three letters of recommendation (may be submitted on-line)
  • official transcripts from all previously attended colleges or universities. Please note: Applicants are free to submit unofficial transcripts at this stage of the 
    application process. Applicants who are admitted will be asked to submit official transcripts to the Office of Graduate Studies in Arts & Sciences at a later date.
  • The GRE is optional for application to both the MA and PhD programs, and applicants are not required to take the exam or report scores. For those applicants who choose to submit scores the Institutional Code & Name is: 6929 Washington U Arts & Sci, and the Department Code & Name is: 2301 (Copy for Art History and Criticism).
  • official TOEFL scores for international students who did not obtain their BA from a university in the United States
  • writing sample (15-20 pages; a seminar paper, for example)
  • Transcripts may be mailed or sent electronically

Please have all transcripts mailed to the Office of Graduate Studies in Arts & Sciences at:

Office of Graduate Studies in Arts & Sciences
ATTN: Admissions
Washington University in St. Louis
MSC 1187-0112-02
One Brookings Drive
St. Louis, MO 63130

OR have them sent electronically through a credentialing service to ArtSciGrads@wustl.edu.

Direct general admissions questions to the Office Graduate Studies in Arts & Sciences
Office of Graduate Studies in Arts & Sciences
Washington University
Campus Box 1187
One Brookings Drive
St. Louis MO 63130-4899