Program Overview

University of Denver Graduate Bulletin

The University of Denver offers a wide range of graduate programs, including the Master of Arts in Art History and the Master of Arts in Art History with a Concentration in Museum Studies.

School of Art and Art History

The School of Art and Art History offers two tracks in the Art History MA degree program: Art History and Art History with a Museum Studies concentration. The program emphasizes a collegial student-faculty atmosphere and provides courses in most areas of world art, with special emphasis on the arts of Europe, the Americas, the Islamic tradition, and global contemporary art.

Master of Arts in Art History

Degree Requirements

• Bachelor's degree: All graduate applicants must hold an earned baccalaureate from a regionally accredited college or university or the recognized equivalent from an international institution.
• Grade point average: The minimum undergraduate GPA for admission consideration for graduate study at the University of Denver is a cumulative 2.5 on a 4.0 scale or a 2.5 on a 4.0 scale for the last 60 semester credits or 90 quarter credits (approximately two years of work) for the baccalaureate degree.
• Program GPA requirement: The minimum undergraduate GPA for admission consideration for this program is a cumulative 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.

English Language Proficiency Test Score Requirements

• Minimum TOEFL Score (Internet-based test): 80
• Minimum IELTS Score: 6.5
• Minimum C1 Advanced Score: 176
• Minimum Duolingo English Test Score: 115

Coursework Requirements

• Core coursework requirements: 12 credits
  • ARTH 4301: Seminar in Art History Methods
  • ARTH 4302: Research Practicum
  • ARTH 4995: Independent Research
• Art History courses: 28 credits
• Art History seminars: 16 credits
• Total Credits: 56 credits

Non-Coursework Requirements

• Qualifying Examination
• Language Requirement
• Comprehensive Examination
• Master's Research Paper

Master of Arts in Art History with a Concentration in Museum Studies

Degree Requirements

• Bachelor's degree: All graduate applicants must hold an earned baccalaureate from a regionally accredited college or university or the recognized equivalent from an international institution.
• Grade point average: The minimum undergraduate GPA for admission consideration for graduate study at the University of Denver is a cumulative 2.5 on a 4.0 scale or a 2.5 on a 4.0 scale for the last 60 semester credits or 90 quarter credits (approximately two years of work) for the baccalaureate degree.
• Program GPA requirement: The minimum undergraduate GPA for admission consideration for this program is a cumulative 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.

English Language Proficiency Test Score Requirements

• Minimum TOEFL Score (Internet-based test): 80
• Minimum IELTS Score: 6.5
• Minimum C1 Advanced Score: 176
• Minimum Duolingo English Test Score: 115

Coursework Requirements

• Core coursework requirements: 16 credits
  • ARTH 4301: Seminar in Art History Methods
  • ARTH 4302: Research Practicum
  • ARTH 4651: Museum Methods and Principles
  • ARTH 4995: Independent Research
• Art History courses: 12 credits
• Art History seminars: 12 credits
• Museum Studies courses: 16 credits
• Total Credits: 56 credits

Non-Coursework Requirements

• Qualifying Examination
• Language Requirement
• Comprehensive Examination
• Master's Research Paper

Course Descriptions

The School of Art and Art History offers a wide range of courses, including:

• ARTH 3656: Curatorial Practicum
• ARTH 3661: Learning in Museums
• ARTH 3701: Topics in Art History
• ARTH 3702: Topics in Contemporary Art
• ARTH 3813: Arts of the American West
• ARTH 3815: Puritan, Shaker, Hindu: Material Religion in North America
• ARTH 3817: Gothic Art
• ARTH 3818: Art of Renaissance Europe
• ARTH 3822: Northern Renaissance Art
• ARTH 3825: Abstract Expressionism
• ARTH 3834: Global Contemporary Art
• ARTH 3838: Connoisseurship
• ARTH 3839: Topics in Modern Art
• ARTH 3840: Sacred Arts of Asia
• ARTH 3862: Olmec to Aztec: Mesoamerica
• ARTH 3863: Kings and Cosmology: Maya Art
• ARTH 3864: Buddhism(s) and Arts
• ARTH 3867: The Circle and the Four Corners: Native North American Art
• ARTH 3868: Art of the Andes
• ARTH 3871: Women in Art
• ARTH 3872: Introduction to Conservation
• ARTH 3875: History of Collections
• ARTH 3880: Mosques and Aniconism: Islamic Art and Architecture
• ARTH 3881: Dragons and Sultans: Islamic Art and Architecture
• ARTH 3910: Art History Travel
• ARTH 3991: Independent Study
• ARTH 4301: Seminar in Art History Methods
• ARTH 4302: Research Practicum
• ARTH 4312: Seminar: Indigenous American Art
• ARTH 4313: Seminar in Islamic Art
• ARTH 4314: Seminar in Medieval Art
• ARTH 4321: Seminar in Renaissance Art
• ARTH 4333: Seminar in 20th Century Art
• ARTH 4334: Selected Topics in Contemporary Art
• ARTH 4336: Seminar in American Art
• ARTH 4651: Museum Methods and Principles
• ARTH 4652: Museum Internship
• ARTH 4801: World Art I for Graduates
• ARTH 4802: World Art II for Graduates
• ARTH 4803: World Art III for Graduates
• ARTH 4991: Independent Study
• ARTH 4995: Independent Research