Program Overview

Introduction to the Art History MA Program

The Art History MA program at Temple University is designed to encourage the study of historiography, critical theory, aesthetics, art production, and patronage. The program provides a foundational knowledge of the history of art, exploring connections among disciplines, geographies, and chronologies, as well as technological developments and social and political contexts.

About the Program

The MA in Art History offers two tracks: a Research Track and an optional Arts Management track. The Research Track is designed to provide a comprehensive understanding of art history, while the Arts Management track offers a specialized degree pathway for students seeking to advance artists, art, and audiences by becoming cultural organizers and leaders.

Research Track

The Research Track focuses on the study of historiography, critical theory, aesthetics, art production, and patronage. Students learn multiple methodologies for research, guided by a chosen faculty mentor, and focus on a particular problem for their final qualifying paper.

Arts Management Track

The Arts Management track provides a specialized degree pathway for students seeking to advance artists, art, and audiences by becoming cultural organizers and leaders. Students learn to engage the forces that shape the visual arts landscape by aligning their operations and programs with their mission and values. Core courses in the Arts Management track build professional practice skills, awareness of the history of the field, and perspectives on its future across a range of institutional models.

Resources

A number of resources are available at Temple to Art History MA students, including:

• The Loretta C. Duckworth Scholars Studio in Charles Library, which offers opportunities for research in the digital humanities with high-end computing and visualization resources, a virtual reality studio, collaboration spaces, and 3-D printing and media-capture capabilities.
• Expansive, world-class art and architecture buildings that provide direct access to all aspects of the creative process via fellow students and faculty artists and designers.
• Tyler's art history community, which is enriched by a steady stream of compelling lectures by leading scholars and practitioners.

Program Details

• Time Limit for Degree Completion: 3 years, although the degree is designed to be completed full-time in two years.
• Campus Location: Main.
• Full-Time/Part-Time Status: The degree program can be completed on a full- or part-time basis.
• Study Abroad: Many Tyler Art History graduate students take advantage of research opportunities at Temple University Rome and Temple's Japan Campus in Tokyo, among other locations.
• Accreditation: This degree program is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).

Admission Requirements and Deadlines

• Application Deadline: December 15 for consideration for awards; November 1 for general admission.
• Letters of Reference: 3 letters of recommendation are required, obtained from college/university faculty members, gallery directors, and/or curators familiar with the applicant's academic and artistic competence.
• Coursework Required for Admission Consideration: 5 courses in Art History are desired, including 2 general surveys and 1 upper-level course in each of 3 periods.
• Bachelor's Degree in Discipline/Related Discipline: A baccalaureate degree is required, but it need not be in Art History.
• Statement of Goals: A statement of approximately 500-1000 words, describing interest in Temple's program, research goals, future career goals, academic and research achievements, and how the applicant will contribute to the Tyler School of Art and Architecture mission.
• Standardized Test Scores: GRE scores are optional; for international applicants, minimum scores for a standardized test of English are required (TOEFL iBT: 79, IELTS Academic: 6.5, PTE Academic: 53, Duolingo: 110).
• Resume: A current curriculum vitae is required.
• Writing Sample: A writing sample demonstrating the ability to research and write a scholarly paper on a topic in Art History is required.

Program Requirements

• General Program Requirements: 30 credits are required for the MA with a focus on Research, or 36 credits for the MA with an optional concentration in Arts Management.
• Required Courses:
  • For the MA with a focus on Research:
    • ARTH 5601: Historiography of Art History 1
    • Electives (12 credits)
    • Art History Distribution Courses (12 credits)
    • Research Course (3 credits)
  • For the MA with an optional concentration in Arts Management:
    • ARTH 5351: Introduction to Arts Management Practice: Mission, Values and Community
    • ARTH 5601: Historiography of Art History 1
    • Art History Electives (12 credits)
    • Open Electives (9 credits)
    • Culminating Courses (6 credits)
• Language Examination: All MA students must demonstrate a reading knowledge of one foreign language.
• Culminating Events:
  • Qualifying Paper: For the research-focused master's degree, students enroll in ARTH 9995 and produce a qualifying paper that engages the student in acquiring an understanding of how to conduct research using primary and secondary sources.
  • Arts Management Concentration: The Arts Management concentration requires 6 credits of internship supervised by the Arts Management Concentration Advisor.