Art History, MA

Program Overview

The Art History MA program at George Mason University combines traditional research with new media skills, museum studies, and professional internships. Students explore a wide range of art-historical periods, theories, and methods, preparing them for careers in art museum and gallery work or further doctoral studies. The program emphasizes the application of new media and digital humanities, providing graduates with competitive skills for the modern art world.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

Art History MA students combine traditional research with the application of new media, while accessing the opportunities offered through the cultural resources of the Washington, D.C. area. The program emphasizes new media skills, museum studies, and pre-professional internship training. Students study a broad range of art-historical periods, theory, and research methods. Faculty specialize in periods from ancient to contemporary, and in areas covering Europe, North and South America, Asia, and the Middle East. Graduates are well-prepared for art museum and gallery professional work, where a master's degree is now routinely required, or for further study in doctoral programs.

Outline:

Core Courses:

• ARTH 600 Methods and Research in Art History (3 credits)
• ARTH 601 Colloquium in Art History (3 credits)
• ARTH 599 Special Topics in Art History (3 credits) or ARTH 699 Topics in Art History (3 credits)

Applied Preprofessional Learning:

• Three credits in one of the following:
• ARTH 593 Internship in Art History
• ARTH 594 The Museum
• Other coursework approved by the program director
• Students who enter the MA program through the accelerated MA option, and received credit for ARTH 494 The Museum (Mason Core) as an undergraduate, are expected to fulfill this requirement with an internship or alternate course rather than ARTH 594 The Museum.

Technology and New Media:

• HIST 696 Clio Wired: An Introduction to History and New Media (3 credits) or HIST 697 Data Analysis for History or HIST 680 Introduction to Digital Humanities (3 credits)

Electives:

• Select four to five electives (12-15 credits)
• HIST courses
• ARTH courses
• AVT courses
• ANTH courses (2 credits)
• CULT courses (2 credits)
• Students who choose to write a thesis complete 12 elective credits; others complete 15.

• Students may choose electives in AVT, ANTH, or CULT with prior written permission of the graduate director.

Research Language Proficiency:

• Students must demonstrate reading ability in one relevant research language that must be approved by the graduate director.

• To meet this requirement, students must either achieve a satisfactory score on a proficiency exam or present coursework equivalent to a grade of B or better in an intermediate-level foreign language course (202 or higher at George Mason).

Written Comprehensive Exam:

• Students who do not pass may retake the exam once, following the original process.

• The second exam must be taken within 12 months of the first exam.

Optional Thesis:

• Students who choose to write a thesis should be aware of the policies governing theses as stated in AP.6.9.3 Master's Thesis policies.

• They must follow the thesis enrollment policy of the university and once enrolled in ARTH 799 Master's Thesis, maintain continuous enrollment.

• ARTH 799 Master's Thesis (3 credits)

Assessment:

• Students will be able to demonstrate visual analysis skills.

• These include the understanding of the principles of formal composition and design, iconography, and historical context.

• Students will be able to understand the history, purpose and function of museums as cultural and social institutions.

• They will be able to engage with the development, installation, and evaluation of exhibitions.

• Students will demonstrate writing skills.

• They will be able to conceptualize a research question, engage with past and current scholarship, and develop a coherent and logically defended thesis.

Careers:

• Graduates are well-prepared for art museum and gallery professional work, where a master's degree is now routinely required, or for further study in doctoral programs.

Other:

• The program does not permit a reduction of credit based on a previously-conferred graduate degree.

• Students should be aware of the specific policies associated with this program, located on the Admissions & Policies tab.

• Highly qualified undergraduates may be admitted to the bachelor's/accelerated master's program and obtain a BA/BS in a chosen major and an MA in Art History in an accelerated time-frame after satisfactory completion of a minimum of 138 credits.

• Students in an accelerated degree program must fulfill all university requirements for the master's degree.

• For policies governing all graduate degrees, see AP.6 Graduate Policies.

• Students will be considered for admission into the BAM Pathway after completion of a minimum of 60 credits and meeting with the Art History BAM coordinator, undergraduate director and graduate director.

• Students who are accepted in the BAM Pathway will be allowed to register for graduate level courses after successful completion of a minimum of 75 undergraduate credits.

• Students already admitted in the BAM Pathway will be admitted to the MA program, if they have met the following criteria, as verified on the Bachelor's/Accelerated Master's Transition form:

• To maintain the integrity and quality of both the undergraduate and graduate degree programs, undergraduate students interested in taking graduate courses must choose from the following:
• Advanced Standing courses (up to 12 credits)
• ARTH 599 Special Topics in Art History (may be repeated for up to 12 credits when topic differs)
• ARTH 600 Methods and Research in Art History (3 credits)