Art History

The Art History M.A. Program prepares students for professional careers or further advanced study. We welcome applicants with an outstanding scholastic record from an accredited college or university and expect that you will have a BA degree in Art History or a cognate discipline suitable to the study of art history and visual studies. The two-year competitive program culminating in a scholarly thesis offers students an opportunity to develop a specific research focus among the visual cultures of East Asia, ancient Imperial Rome, Middle Ages and Byzantium; Early Modern Europe (Renaissance and Baroque); Modern and Contemporary Europe, Latin America, and the United States (18th to 21st centuries). The curriculum is oriented towards an interdisciplinary global perspective.

The MA degree in Art History is comprised of 36 semester credit hours composed of core coursework, area/period directed studies, and thesis research. Each student will consult with a faculty mentor for advising throughout her/his time in the program.

Required courses:

• Six semester credit hours of ARTH 6810 (3 credit hours each) taken in the fall and spring semesters of the first year.
• Three semester credit hours of ARTH 6800  taken in the fall semester of the first year, unless waived by the Director of Art History Graduate Studies. Completion of the course with a passing grade will count towards the 24 semester credit hours.
• Six semester credit hours of ARTH 6970, Thesis Research for students who have successfully passed the qualifying exam and been admitted to candidacy.
• A total of 24 twenty-four semester credit hours of graduate-level classes in the Art History Program. With pre-approval by the supervisory committee, one three-credit graduate course in another department may be substituted for an art history course.
   

Other degree requirements include:

• Verification of advanced proficiency in a foreign language approved by the Art History supervisory committee. Any class in foreign language instruction does not count toward the MA degree minimum 24 credit hour requirement.
• Passing score on a written qualifying paper
• Successful oral defense of a thesis approved by the Art History supervisory committee

Coursework must be taken for a minimum letter grade of “B-.” Credit/no credit is not an option for art history courses. Graduate students must maintain a grade point average of 3.0 or higher in coursework in the MA degree program. To continue active status, students must enroll for at least three semester credit hours each fall and spring semesters until all degree requirements are completed.

• A bachelor's degree from a regionally-accredited U.S. college or university or from an institution recognized by the Ministry of Higher Education in their home country. The Office of International Admissions will determine if applicants with international degrees meet the Graduate School's requirement of a recognized bachelor's degree.
• At least a 3.0 or higher undergraduate weighted mean GPA on a 4.0 scale. If the undergraduate GPA is below 3.0, a GPA will be calculated for the last two years attended if schooling was done at a foreign institution, and based upon the last 60 semester hours (90 quarter hours) if the student attended a U.S. institution.
• 6.5 on the IELTS
• 80 on the TOEFL iBT
• 550 on the TOEFL pBT (paper-based)
• Statement of purpose to explain your preparation, interests, and goals in the graduate study of art history. You should also identify one or two faculty members in the Art History Program who you believe would be best suited to mentor you in your area of interest within art history.
• Curriculum vitae (résumé) with your academic background and other educational experiences
• Academic writing sample (e.g., an undergraduate research paper) to show your most mature approach to research and writing
• Two letters of recommendation by professors or instructors who are familiar with your academic work and can speak to your ability to succeed in a rigorous academic program [submitted online separately by your evaluators]

Scholarships

The Department of Art & Art History offers financial aid for incoming and second-year students in the form of teaching assistantships, fellowships, research and conference travel grants, and summer language study. The teaching assistantships provide students with both a stipend and at least 50% off of in-state tuition. Assistantships are dependent upon departmental needs and are made on either a semester or annual basis. Other sources of graduate funding include the Excellence Through Diversity Fellowship from the Diversity Office and Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships in Asian Studies and Latin American Studies.