Careers

Departmental Resources

The Department of Art History provides a wealth of career resources. Students can arrange for mock interviews and job talks. The department regularly hosts roundtables and workshops aimed at a variety of career tracks in the arts. Recent events have included intensive editorial workshops with a university press editor for graduating students and alumni, and a series of panels featuring alumni careers in fields related to architecture and urbanism.

University Resources

The University’s Career Advancement office offers scheduled appointments, walk-in hours, workshops, sample cover letters, curricula vitae, and resumes to download, and a list of useful publications for graduate students seeking both academic and non-academic positions. The diverse alumni community from the University of Chicago is a valuable resource for networking and mentorship.

UChicagoGRAD

UChicagoGRAD focuses exclusively on helping graduate students and postdocs advance their careers. With events ranging from career fairs to information sessions to preparatory seminars they support a wide range of career paths. Individual counseling tailored for graduates and postdocs assures that career needs of all graduates are met. 

Center for Teaching

The Chicago Center for Teaching provides pedagogical workshops, training, and resources for graduate students, postdocs, and faculty.

Interfolio

The University of Chicago has contracted with Interfolio, Inc. to maintain dossiers, for students seeking jobs or fellowships. A confidential credentials file allows each of your recommenders to write one letter, which is stored and may be used repeatedly for any period of time. You may also elect to keep copies of transcripts, teaching evaluations, or sample syllabi in your file. You can consult with your dissertation advisor for advice on preparing the dossier.

The Chronicle

The Chronicle of Higher Education includes articles on job search strategies and advice for job seekers, as well as job listings by discipline (the previous week's are accessible without charge).

College Art Association

CAA promotes excellence in scholarship and teaching in the history and criticism of the visual arts. The association sponsors a yearly conference, where many of our students and faculty present their research. The CAA website includes current listings of internships, grants, and jobs, as well as professional advice, in the sections 'Career Development' and 'Resources and Opportunities'. Note: you must be a CAA member to obtain full job listing information.

H-ArtHist Network

The H-ArtHist Network is an information network for art historians all over the world. Besides conference announcements and calls for papers, email subscribers receive ads for a variety of jobs

Further reading

Career Alternatives for Art Historians

The Art Newspaper: Jobs

The Academic Job Search Handbook, 4th edition, by Jennifer S. Furlong and Julia Miller Vick (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2008)

From Dissertation to Book, by William Germano (Routledge, 2005)