MA in Art History

Admission to the Program

In addition to meeting the minimum university requirements for graduate study, applicants should hold a bachelor of arts degree from an accredited college or university. Admission is based on the academic record, GRE scores, two letters of recomendation from professors with whom work has been taken recently, a writing sample, and favorable judgements by the department graduate admissions committee.

Students whose records indicate a strong aptitude for graduate study, but whose undergraduate major was not in art history, will be required to complete at least 24 credit hours of art history before being considered for admission to the graduate program. At the department’s discretion, students who have completed at least 18 credit hours of art history may be considered for admission and, if admitted, may complete the 6 credit hour deficiency during the course of their MA program. 

The MA requires at least four semesters of full-time study. Part-time students are advised that an MA cannot be completed at night and graduate courses, except independent study or internships, are not offered during the summer sessions.

The program prepares students for varied career options, including further study at the PhD level, teaching in high schools or community colleges, diverse types of museum work (curatorial, development, education, registrar, etc.), historical preservation research, library and archival positions, editing, and other employment opportunities.

Degree Requirements

• 30-36 credit hours of approved graduate work. For the 30-credit hour program, students take 10 courses that focus on discipline oriented, research-based academic offerings, including the option of a three credit internship. The 36-credit hour program with a museum studies specialization requires two additional approved courses in museum studies, arts administration, conservation, or related fields. Both programs provide excellent grounding in art historical methods, analytical skills, and research practices with conventional period specializations in European and American art from early Renaissance through contemporary, plus a range of non-Western topics.
• Tool of research: intermediate-level French, German, or Italian must be demonstrated after 18 credit hours in the MA program through one of the following: four semesters of language course work, a written examination offered by the Department of Language Studies, or satisfactory completion of an approved graduate-level intensive reading course.
• Advancement to candidacy after completion of 18 credit hours with a grade point average of 3.00 or higher (on a 4.00 scale) and satisfactory completion of the tool requirement 
• Two written examinations: First exam - History of Western Art (Greek to Modern), with an optional essay on a non-Western topic, Second exam - student's field of specialization: Renaissance/Baroque, modern European, art of the United States, or non-Western art.
• Two substantial research papers in lieu of a thesis; one must be in the student’s field of specialization, the second in a different field with another supervising professor

Course Requirements

• ARTH-500 Approaches to Art History (3) 
• 6 credit hours from the following: ARTH-792 Research Seminar in Art History (3) and/or ARTH-793 Directed Research in Art History (3) or ARTH-690 Independent Study (3) 
• 9 credit hours in the field of specialization 
• 12 credit hours in additional approved courses
• For museum studies specialization: 6 credit hours of approved course work or internship