Art History, MA

Location(s): Main Campus

The program aims to foster innovative teaching and research, and to develop scholars, teachers, museum curators, and heritage and planning professionals capable of interpreting the role of art, architecture, visual culture and cultural production in the broadest sense. Because of its programmatic links with other interdisciplinary research centers and graduate programs within the University, our program offers a unique opportunity to graduate students wishing to undertake innovative studies of a cross-disciplinary nature, with a stress on the development of critical theoretical and historical perspectives in relation to the visual arts, photography, architecture, planning and the wider built environment at local, national and global levels.

Essential to our integrated program is the active working relationship between faculty and students in an intellectual environment. Students are offered a unique opportunity to engage in advanced studies and research in theory and criticism, the social history of art, feminist interpretations of art, the history and theory of photography, architectural history, the study of museums and art world institutions, media studies and digital art history from early modern to modern and contemporary.

Admission Requirements

Applications are invited from students in a variety of disciplines concerned with the history and theory of art, architecture and cultural production. Taking account of different backgrounds, students may be directed toward additional courses or supervised reading programs designed to broaden their knowledge of the field.

Program Requirements

Course Requirements

Students pursuing the MA in Art History must take a minimum of eight graduate-level courses (32 credits), which includes:

Seven courses (including at least six art history seminars; taken with at least four different faculty members in art history)

ARTH 500 - Theory and Methods

Foreign Language Requirements

Students must pass an examination demonstrating an ability to read research literature in their areas of interest in an appropriate language of scholarship in addition to English. The examination must be taken by the end of the second semester ( or after completing 24 credits). Work in certain fields may require additional language skills. Students may seek a waiver of the language requirement by petitioning the graduate committee in writing and providing appropriate documentation of their competency in the language in question.

Master’s Comprehensive Examination

The master’s comprehensive examination has been incorporated into the mandatory seminar on theory and methods. All students are required to pass ARTH 500 Theory and Methods with a grade of B or better. At the discretion of the Art History Graduate Committee, students failing to achieve the required grade may be asked either to repeat the course or, in exceptional cases, to redo the examination assignment.

Master’s Thesis

Students are required to produce a master’s thesis, finished to a professional standard and approximately 30 pages in length. The paper will be supervised by a selected art history faculty member and refereed by a second reader assigned by the departmental graduate committee. The final thesis must be approved by both readers and submitted electronically in accordance with Graduate School regulations (with a hard copy required by the department). Students must be registered for at least one credit of Thesis (ARTH 599) during the semester in which the degree is completed.

Degree Completion

All MA students must submit the Graduate Application for Degree (GAFD) during the semester in which they intend to complete their master’s program. Students should review their record of matriculation requirements with their supervisor, who will also notify the director of graduate studies of their intention to complete. The departmental file should contain all records indicating that the student has passed all required courses and examinations. A completed signature page is required to show that the thesis has been approved by both readers. The director of graduate studies has the responsibility of attesting that all requirements have been met, before a degree can be awarded.

Additional Information About the Program

Courses for the program must be taken for a regular letter grade, not Pass/Fail. A student must receive a grade of B- or better for an ARTH course to count toward the degree. For courses outside the department and all independent studies, students submit a petition to the graduate committee. Students are expected to maintain a B average or better.

For more information on the Art History MA program, please refer to the Art History website for more information. To apply to the Art History MA program, please visit the University Admissions website.