Normally, the degree requirements may be completed in two years of full-time study. Students will normally complete the M.A. degree before applying for candidacy to the Ph.D. program. Students who are accepted with an M.A. degree from an accredited art history program may enter the Ph.D. program directly. Upon petition, minor fields may be tailored to the student's special interests. Candidates for the Ph.D. must pass written examinations in German and either French or Italian.
Candidates then produce a dissertation, which is defended in an oral examination.