If you aspire to advanced research and scholarship using objects, we recommend that you attend the Winterthur Program before going on to doctoral programs. Although doctoral programs provide advanced training in research, critical thinking, and academic teaching, most emphasize historiography, texts, and theory rather than exposure to objects and field-based or hands-on learning. After studying as a Winterthur Fellow, you may decide you do not need to spend 5-8 years working on a doctoral degree and writing a dissertation, but if you do pursue a doctoral degree, you will definitely know more about how to look at things than most of your peers and some of your professors. Typically, one or two Fellows pursue a doctoral degree after graduation, usually in art history, history, or American studies, most aspiring to careers in academic teaching or art museums.
