Program Overview
Art History, MA
The Art History MA program at George Mason University combines 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.
Admissions
Applicants to all graduate programs at George Mason University must meet the admission standards and application requirements for graduate study as specified in the Admissions section of the catalog. For information specific to the MA in Art History, see Application Requirements and Deadlines.
Policies
For policies governing all graduate degrees, see Graduate Policies.
- Banner Code: LA-MA-AH
Degree Requirements
- Total credits: 30
- Students should be aware of the specific policies associated with this program.
Core Courses
- Course List Code | Title | Credits
- ARTH 600 | Methods and Research in Art History | 3
- ARTH 601 | Colloquium in Art History | 3
- ARTH 599 | Special Topics in Art History | 3
- or ARTH 699 | Topics in Art History
- Total Credits | 9
Applied Preprofessional Learning
- Course List Code | Title | Credits
- Three credits in one of the following:
- ARTH 593 | Internship in Art History | 3
- ARTH 594 | The Museum | 3
- Other coursework approved by the program director
- Three credits in one of the following:
- Total Credits | 3
Technology and New Media
- Course List Code | Title | Credits
- HIST 696 | Clio Wired: An Introduction to History and New Media | 3
- or HIST 697 | Data Analysis for History
- or HIST 680 | Introduction to Digital Humanities
- Total Credits | 3
Electives
- Course List Code | Title | Credits
- Select four to five electives
- HIST courses
- ARTH courses
- AVT courses (with prior written permission of the graduate director)
- ANTH courses (with prior written permission of the graduate director)
- CULT courses (with prior written permission of the graduate director)
- Select four to five electives
- Total Credits | 12-15
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.
- Course List Code | Title | Credits
- Three credits of
- ARTH 799 | Master's Thesis | 3
- Three credits of
- Total Credits | 3
Program Outcomes
- Students will be able to demonstrate visual analysis skills, including 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.
- Students will be able to engage with the development, installation, and evaluation of exhibitions.
- Students will demonstrate writing skills, including the ability to conceptualize a research question, engage with past and current scholarship, and develop a coherent and logically defended thesis.
Bachelor's Degree (any)/Art History, Accelerated MA
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.
Overview
See AP.6.7 Bachelor's/Accelerated Master's Degree for policies related to this program.
- 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.
BAM Pathway Admission Requirements
Applicants to all graduate programs at George Mason University must meet the admission standards and application requirements for graduate study as specified in Graduate Admissions Polices and Bachelor's/Accelerated Master's Degree policies.
- For information specific to the accelerated MA in Art History, see Application Requirements and Deadlines on the departmental website.
- 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.
Accelerated Master's Admission Requirements
Students already admitted in the BAM Pathway will be admitted to the MA program if they have met the following criteria:
- Minimum overall GPA of 3.50
- Completion of at least two 300-level art history courses with a minimum grade of B+ in each
- Successfully meeting Mason's requirements for undergraduate degree conferral (graduation) and completing the application for graduation.
Accelerated Pathway Requirements
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 595 Curating an Exhibit (may be repeated for up to 6 credits when topic differs)
- Reserve Graduate Credit courses (up to 6 credits) taken while an undergraduate and will only count for the graduate degree program
- ARTH 599 Special Topics in Art History (may be repeated for up to 6 credits when topic differs)
- For more detailed information on coursework and timeline requirements, see AP.6.7 Bachelor's Accelerated Master's Degree policies.