Program Overview

M.A. in Art History

The School of Art is thrilled to launch the new Master of Arts in Art History specializing in the Arts of the Americas in partnership with Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.

Overview

The Art History M.A. degree is an accredited two-year residency program in partnership with Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and specializing in the arts of the Americas. The program aims to give students the interdisciplinary training and robust work experiences that they will need to thrive with an M.A. degree in industries that value visual literacy, creativity, communication, collaboration, and research.

Funding

Thanks to the generous gift from the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation, students in the M.A. art history program receive tuition waivers and opportunities for additional funding support through graduate assistantships, fellowships, and research and travel grants.

How to Apply

The School of Art application is free and submitted through Slideroom, a web-based portfolio and document submission system. Application requirements include:

• Personal Statement: detailing motivation for pursuing graduate research in art history
• Writing Sample: demonstrating preparedness for advanced research in art history
• Curriculum Vitae or Resume
• Recommendations: three letters of recommendation addressing the applicant's preparedness for graduate education
• Unofficial Transcripts: from all previous colleges and/or universities attended, with a minimum GPA of 3.0
• English Proficiency Test Scores: if English is not the native language or the baccalaureate was not completed at an institution where the language of instruction is English

About the Program

Program Mission

The program is committed to thinking about the arts and creative practice in a global context, with a specialty in arts of the Americas. The program educates students to productively intervene in the inheritance of art historical research and to expand the range of perspectives included in art institutions.

Learning Outcomes

Students in the program will develop:

• The ability to analyze works of art, visual culture, and related material
• The ability to conduct advanced research
• The ability to situate works of art and related material in historical and cultural contexts
• The ability to formulate original ideas and clearly articulate them in a variety of forms of writing and oral presentations for diverse publics
• A thorough understanding of methodological approaches informing art historical scholarship
• A critical understanding of current debates in the field of art history
• The capacity to approach art, visual culture, and related material from interdisciplinary perspectives
• Practical experience in areas of art history related to student career objectives

Internships

All incoming students will be matched with local arts organizations for a minimum 8-10 hour-per-week internship during their second semester in the program.

Travel

Students will take a 10-day January intersession course focusing on sites and collections in the Southern U.S. or participate in international travel courses when offered.

Curriculum

Students admitted to the M.A. degree program must complete a total of 36 credit hours to graduate, including 5 required core courses and 7 additional courses informed by themes such as environment, heritage, power, circulation, structures and systems, identity, and community.

Additional Requirements

• Language Proficiency: reading proficiency in a minimum of one world language (other than English) is required
• Qualifying Paper and Public Presentation: a 25-page Qualifying Paper and a formal presentation of the paper at the graduate student symposium
• Comprehensive Oral Examination: a 1-hour oral defense of the project, demonstrating comprehensive knowledge of the research area explored in the Qualifying Paper

Faculty

Full-time faculty in Art History include:

• John Blakinger, Endowed Associate Professor of Contemporary Art and Director of the Art History Program
• Davida Fernandez-Barkan, Teaching Assistant Professor
• Jennifer Greenhill, Endowed Professor of American Art; Graduate Director; Director of Museum + Strategic Partnerships for the School of Art
• Lynn Jacobs, Distinguished Professor
• Abra Levenson, Assistant Professor
• Kelvin Parnell, Endowed Assistant Professor in Arts of the Americas
• Ana Pulido Rull, Endowed Associate Professor
• Alexis Salas, Endowed Assistant Professor of Arts of the Americas
• Janine Sytsma, Assistant Professor of Art History

Curatorial staff at Crystal Bridges and Art Bridges Foundation include:

• Austen Barron Bailly, Chief Curator, Crystal Bridges
• Alejo Benedetti, Associate Curator, Contemporary Art, Crystal Bridges
• Mindy Besaw, Curator of American Art, Director of Fellowships, Research, and University Partnerships, Crystal Bridges
• Ashley Holland, Curator and Director of Curatorial Initiatives, Art Bridges Foundation
• Josie Johnson, Assistant Curator, Modern Art, Crystal Bridges
• Jen Padgett, Windgate Curator of Craft, Crystal Bridges
• Javier Rivero Ramos, Associate Curator, Art Bridges