Graduate Funding and Research Support

Pollak exhibit

All applicants to the two MA programs who intend to enroll full-time are considered for 9-month graduate teaching and research assistantships that include tuition support (excluding fees) and a stipend. Some awards are for two years, some for just one but with the possibility of renewal for the second year (based on the student’s performance and the availability of funds). Continuing students are strongly encouraged to apply for VCUarts scholarships that may be used to cover the cost of fees. Information about scholarships, with upcoming application deadlines, is regularly distributed to current students and may be found at the VCU Scholarship Hub (search for art history). 

Students participating in professional workshops, conferences, and symposia are encouraged to apply for Graduate Student Travel Grants, funded by the VCUarts dean’s office or Graduate Student Travel Grants offered by the Graduate School. Students engaged in research for their MA qualifying papers are encouraged to apply for departmental and VCUarts research grants; upcoming grant application deadlines are regularly distributed to current students.

In recent years, graduate students have been awarded funding to present papers about their research or professional projects at these annual conferences:

American Alliance of Museums

Arts Council of the African Studies Association

College Art Association

Southeast College Art Association

Southeastern Council of Latin American Studies

They have been awarded funds to conduct research in Atlanta, Chicago, New York, and at sites in California, Hawaii, North Carolina, and Texas, as well as internationally in London, Paris, and Munich.