Art (Art History), MA
drawing, medieval, museum, paintings
Cultivate ideas and critically engage with the history of visual arts and material culture across the globe, from the ancient to the contemporary, in this rigorous in-person program.
The Master of Arts program in art history is a comprehensive graduate degree program that fosters a critical understanding of visual art and material culture, and engages students in a rich and diverse curriculum. Inherently interdisciplinary, art history intersects with a variety of fields, including museum studies, archaeology, anthropology, media and performance studies, gender and ethnic studies, history, literature, philosophy and economics. Faculty members apply critical methodologies in their teaching of art history, encompassing transcultural exchange and technologies of production and reception. Faculty mentor students in the application of theoretical and methodological approaches to scholarly research, advise on their comprehensive literature review, and guide them as they determine their individual contribution to the field, culminating in a master's thesis. Students take advanced seminars that engage with critical issues in art history, preparing them to develop their research with a particular focus in the discipline of art history.
In addition to art history courses, the program includes interdisciplinary coursework in other disciplines across the university, especially in museum studies. The program is further augmented by internships offered by a wide variety of arts organizations, visiting artist and scholar lectures and public exhibitions supported by the School of Art galleries, the ASU Art Museum, the Ceramics Research Center and Archive and Pyracantha Press. These events and activities offer students the opportunity to develop their knowledge and appreciation of contemporary art and culture while building a professional network. The program is enriched by close proximity to cultural institutions in the Phoenix metropolitan area and nearby regions, such as the Phoenix Art Museum, the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art and the Heard Museum.
Successful applicants are considered for financial aid in the form of a graduate assistantship position or scholarship. Students should visit the art history areas of study page to learn more about the program and the faculty. Students who want to engage our creative community should subscribe to the School of Art newsletters and follow the school on social media.
- College/school:
Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts
- Location: Tempe
- STEM-OPT extension eligible: No
30 credit hours, a thesis and a foreign language exam
Required Core (3 credit hours)
ARS 501 Methodologies and Art History (3)
Focus Area Coursework (12 credit hours)
seminars (12)
Electives (6 credit hours)
Research (3 credit hours)
ARS 592 Research (3)
Culminating Experience (6 credit hours)
ARS 599 Thesis (6)
Additional Curriculum Information
This program requires a minimum of 24 credit hours in art history, with at least 12 of these earned in 500-level seminars.
Four courses in the areas shown below are required, and two of these courses must be outside the student's geographical area of specialization:
- ancient
- Asian
- contemporary
- global
- Latin American
- medieval
- modern
- pre-Columbian
- Renaissance
For elective coursework, students may choose to take either 500-level courses in art history or related areas, such as anthropology, history, museum studies or religion, or up to six credit hours of the following omnibus courses:
ARS 584 Internship
ARS 590 Reading and Conference
ARS 592 Research
Students must have a reading knowledge of one research language in addition to English. The selected language needs to be appropriate to the area of research concentration and must be approved by the faculty mentor. This requirement can be met by taking a language for reading knowledge course in the School of International Letters and Cultures with a grade of "B" or higher or by passing the Graduate Foreign Language Examination offered by SILC, which requires a fee.
Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts.
Applicants must have earned a bachelor's or master's degree from a regionally accredited institution. In addition, applicants must have an undergraduate major or minor in art history or at least four upper-division art history courses in which a GPA of 3.00 or higher was maintained.
Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program or a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program.
All applicants must submit:
- graduate admission application and application fee
- official transcripts
- three letters of recommendation.
- one formal research paper for review
- statement of intent
- proof of English proficiency
Additional Application Information
An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of their current residency.
The statement of intent should be one page and indicate the objectives for graduate study.
| Session | Modality | Deadline | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Session A/C | In Person | 01/15 | Final |
Program learning outcomes identify what a student will learn or be able to do upon completion of their program. This program has the following program outcomes:
- Students will propose original research within their focus area.
- Verbally communicate knowledge in the analysis of images and objects
- Will be able to write a thesis paper up to program capstone standards, which includes the development of a thorough bibliography and the extended examination of a single subject, conceptualized as a research question that engages with their field
More and more ASU graduate students are pursuing Global Education opportunities. Although participating in a Global Education program as a graduate student presents distinct challenges, it has the potential to deepen the student's educational experience, connecting a meaningful international opportunity with their career aspirations.
A master's degree is essential for many professional positions in museums, specialized nonprofit and commercial art galleries, foundations, archives and libraries, editorial work and auction houses, as well as for teaching at the community college and university levels. Some specialized high school curricula may require an MA in art history.
School of Art
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ART 102
soaadmin@asu.edu
480-965-8521
3 year programs
These programs allow students to fast-track their studies after admission and earn a bachelor's degree in three years or fewer while participating in the same high-quality educational experience of a 4-year option. Students should talk to their academic advisor to get started.
Accelerated master's
These programs allow students to accelerate their studies to earn a bachelor's plus a master's degree in as few as five years (for some programs).
Each program has requirements students must meet to be eligible for consideration. Acceptance to the graduate program requires a separate application. Students typically receive approval to pursue the accelerated master’s during the junior year of their bachelor's degree program. Interested students can learn about eligibility requirements and how to apply.
