Courses and research in the Department of History of Art and Architecture are grounded in the humanities, and intersect with study in visual art, global cultures, science and technology studies and the built environment. Our nationally renowned faculty scholars span diverse areas of study, and help to train students to become conversant in visual, historical and critical analysis across visual cultures, historical periods and geographic regions. Our alumni have gone on to successful careers as scholars, educators, arts administrators, intellectual property lawyers and museum curators among other rewarding professions in art and culture.
History of Art and Architecture
History of Art and Architecture
The Department of the History of Art and Architecture (HIAA) at Brown University is committed to the ongoing study of art, architecture, and material culture.
History of Art and Architecture
The Department of the History of Art and Architecture (HIAA) at Brown University is committed to the ongoing study of art, architecture, and material culture.
Academic Pathways
The architecture concentration places greater emphasis on technical training, and allows students to develop a broad understanding of the concepts and methods for the planning and design of buildings, landscapes and cities.
The History of Art and Architecture concentration trains students in the techniques of close-looking, visual description and interpretation, and critical analysis that are necessary to locate the work of art in history.
Brown's Ph.D. program in the History of Art and Architecture offers professional training in the history of art and architecture and, more broadly, in the history of visual and material culture and the built environment.
The application for the 2025-2026 academic year is now closed.
The application for the 2025-2026 academic year is now closed.
Recent News
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Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation
HIAA alum, Rebecca Barron, Director of Preservation at Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation
HIAA alum, Rebecca Barron, Director of Preservation at Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. Barron works at Taliesin West, a studio and home developed by Wright in Scottsdale, Arizona.
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Jones Architecture
HIAA alum, Peter Shanahan, Project Designer at Jones Architecture
HIAA undergraduate alum, Peter Shanahan, joined Jones Architecture as Project Designer in 2024. In 2023, Shanahan received his M.Arch. from the Rhode Island School of Design.
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Society for Experiential Graphic Design
HIAA Undergrad Alum, Ian Callender, Designer at SEGD
HIAA undergraduate alum, Ian Callender, is a designer with SEGD (Society for Experiential Graphic Design). Callender is a New York City-based artist and designer exploring the intersection of the built environment and digital technologies.
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Mailing Address
Brown University
Box 1855
64 College Street
Providence, RI 02912
Phone
401-863-1174
Fax
401-863-7790