Requirements for the Degrees
Requirements for the MA degree in Art History consist of 27 credits of course work plus three Master’s Paper credits, satisfactory completion of the foreign language requirement (one language), and satisfactory completion of the Master’s Paper. All students will be required to take 27 credit hours, of which at least 21 hours must be Art History graduate courses. With prior permission from the Director of Graduate Studies, students may substitute one or more courses in such related fields as Anthropology, Early American Culture, Historic Preservation, History, Museum Studies, and Philosophy. The degree requirements should be completed within two years of full-time study.
For students seeking a PhD in art history, the Department offers two routes to degree completion. One is designed for students who hold an MA in art history or its equivalent. The other, the Direct PhD Program, is designed for students who hold a Bachelor’s Degree in art history, or a related field, and are seeking a PhD in Art History. Students admitted to the Direct PhD Program have the option of stepping out of the program at the MA degree.
Requirements for students in the Direct PhD program consist of a minimum of 36 credits of graduate course work and satisfactory completion of the language requirement (two languages), the Master’s Paper, and major and minor PhD field exams. At least 30 of the course credits are to be in Art History seminar courses and the other six to be selected from additional seminars, graduate lecture courses, or independent study courses, or a combination of these. In addition to the 36 credits of graduate course work, three credits of ARTH 870 - Master’s Paper (3cr.) and nine Dissertation Credits are required. Candidates then produce a dissertation, which is defended in an oral examination.
Requirements for the PhD for students holding an MA include a minimum of 24 credits of graduate course work beyond the MA and satisfactory completion of the language requirement (two languages) and major and minor PhD field exams. At least 18 of the course credits are to be in Art History seminar courses and the other six to be selected from additional seminars, graduate lecture courses, or independent study courses, or a combination of these. In addition to the 24 credits of graduate course work, nine Dissertation Credits are required. Candidates then produce a dissertation, which is defended in an oral examination.
