Art History (MA)

The Art History MA degree is designed to give students an advanced understanding of western art history. The program offers specializations in ancient art, medieval art, renaissance art, baroque art, 18th and 19th century art, and pre-war modern art.

The art historical curriculum is paired with three credits of fine art studio classes, which allow our students to become familiar with traditional methods of fine art production including painting, printmaking, and sculpture. This marriage of art history and fine art studies offers a perspective through which art and its historical trajectory can be uniquely evaluated and appreciated.

Students will complete their degree by writing an M.A. thesis, with the support and advisement of an Art History faculty member. The thesis will be written in the student's chosen area of art historical specialization demonstrating independent scholarly research, and highlighting their joint understanding of art and its creative process.

Master of Arts (MA) Degree
Major Classes

This program is available online

School of Art History

AHS 600

Art History Methodologies and Theory Major/3

Learn art-historical methods and historiography, with an emphasis on the historical development of current practices, interpretive methodology, critical theory, debates within the field, and cross-disciplinary dialogues. You will consider the definition of and approach to art-historical problems from the late Renaissance to the present.

AHS 750

Midpoint Thesis and Research Major/3

Students will prepare, research, and edit their thesis proposal, culminating in the presentation of their Midpoint Review. Passing the course and Midpoint Review will allow students to move on and enroll in their respective AHS Directed Study, in which they will use the work they've completed in AHS 750 to write an original MA Thesis.

GLA 601

Classical Aesthetics and the Renaissance Major/3

Examine the ideas that helped shape the Renaissance. Considering the art and ideas of ancient Greece, Rome, and Medieval Europe as the foundation, you'll analyze the art of the Renaissance and its transition to the modern world.

GLA 602

The Art and Ideology of the 20th Century Major/3

What is art? Or modernism? You'll take a deep dive into the 20th century, exploring the artists, philosophers, cultural phenomena, stylistic movements, and world of ideas that shaped the century.

GLA 606

Crossing Borders: Art and Culture in a Global Society Major/3

Explore the relationships between Euro-American culture and other cultures. You'll examine how post-colonialism, transnationalism, and globalism have shaped the production, circulation, and consumption of art.

Degree Requirements

Unit Requirements	Units
Major Coursework	30
Directed Study	3
Art & Design Breadth	3
Total	36

MA ART HISTORY DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

Successful completion of Final Thesis Project
Minimum grade of C in all required 36 units
Minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA and the following Academic Study requirement:
1 Art Historical Awareness & Aesthetic Sensitivity course

Additional Information

Graduate Liberal Arts

Admission to the graduate program

Students applying to the M.A. Art History program will have completed a Bachelor of Arts in Art History (or equivalent) or have completed a minimum of twelve (12) units in Art History. At least six (6) of these undergraduate Art History units must be at the upper-divisional level and must be passed with a C- grade or higher. Applicants to the MA will also be required to submit a statement of intent, at least one academic letter of recommendation, and a writing sample on an art historical or related topic.

Applicants must submit TOEFL scores or official transcripts demonstrating they have attended an English platform institution for a minimum of 4 years at the high school level or higher. For acceptance to the MA in Art History program, the TOEFL score must be 80 or above.

Applicants who do not meet the above criteria will be required to make up any deficiencies by enrolling in one to six Graduate School Preparatory classes to be determined by the department director.

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduate students will meet the following student performance criteria:

Art Historical Knowledge

Demonstrate advanced specialized knowledge of a specific period or field of art history, including the creative process and related intellectual issues, through a final written thesis.

Research and Analysis

Research and persuasively analyze/argue an art historical issue and/or theoretical position
Apply theoretical and methodological approaches to the interpretation of Western art and architecture.
Conduct independent scholarly research, highlighting a joint understanding of art historical issues and the creative process through a written thesis in the student's chosen area of specialization.

Communication Skills

Clearly express their ideas through scholarly writing and researched presentations.

Professional Readiness

Apply acquired specialized as well as broader art historical knowledge and research skills in a variety of contexts (scholarly, educational, curatorial, connoisseurial).