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Home › Prospective Students › Degrees › M.A. – Art History

M.A. – Art History

The Master of Arts in Art History provides a broad based and methodologically critical foundation essential to pursuing a career in Art History, whether in a university or museum setting. The Art History faculty offers an extensive range of specialties, theoretical approaches, and methodologies. Students are encouraged to develop diverse critical methods and originality of thought as well as a thorough knowledge of the history of art. Graduate students may take advantage of course offerings in related departments such as Architectural History, History, Classics, Anthropology, Media Arts, Women’s Studies, Religious Studies, and English, among others. In addition, they may participate in the activities of the African-American Studies Program, the American Indian Studies Program, the Southwest Institute for Research on Women, the Latin American Area Center, the University of Arizona Medieval, Renaissance, and Reformation Committee, and the Group for Early Modern Studies Graduate Certificate Program.

THE MASTERS OF ARTS IN ART HISTORY CONSISTS OF TWO OPTIONS:

Option A

The thesis track is typically taken by those who are interested in continuing for a PhD or pursuing an advanced teaching career in Art History through stressing scholarly research skills.

Option B

The non-thesis with comprehensive oral examination track emphasizes breadth of knowledge and practical training for teaching at the community college level, and is typically for students interested in working in art museum education, galleries and other commercial visual arts enterprises.

SUBJECT AREAS

The course requirements are designed to provide you with the opportunity to develop a depth of knowledge in a major field, while also acquiring a breadth of knowledge about the history of art in general. MA students are strongly encouraged to take a range of courses from several different professors. The major field should be chosen with the assistance of the major advisor. Some of the criteria for limiting the major area might include geographic, chronological, medium, or methodological considerations. Courses are available in the Art History Division, as well as in other departments on campus.

Subject Areas within Art History:

  • American
  • Ancient
  • Architectural History
  • Contemporary Art and Theory
  • Latin American
  • Modern
  • Museum Studies (Certificate Program)
  • History of Photography

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

30 units are required to complete the Master of Arts in Art History degree.

Please see the Graduate Advising page, and the Art History Graduate Handbook for specific program requirements.

Program RequirementDescriptionRequired Number of Units
MethodsARH 511A or ARH 511B3 units
Major Field4 ARH courses in major field. One of these courses may be taken in a substantially different discipline, outside the School of Art12 units
Electives4 electives in art history to provide breadth12 units
Thesis or Oral ExamARH 909 or ARH 9103 units
SeminarsAt least 3 seminars in the coursework in addition to Methods are required.

Please see the Graduate Advising page, and the Studio Art Graduate Handbook for specific program requirements.

ACCELERATED MASTER’S DEGREE (UA uNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS ONLY)

The Accelerated Master of Arts in Art History provides an opportunity for high-achieving University of Arizona undergraduate students in the a BA in Art History or a BA in Studio Art to use 12 units of graduate coursework towards both their Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees, giving students the possibility to receive both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in 5 years. This program is intended both for students interested in enhancing their qualifications for careers in galleries, libraries, archives and museums, as well as for students interested in admission to other graduate programs (such as Library and Information Science, Conservation, and Arts Administration). Accelerated Master of Arts students must have an excellent academic record and the ability to balance their coursework in a face-paced program. Students will typically be invited by their art history professor to apply to the program.

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Degrees

  • B.A. – Art History
  • B.A. – Studio Art
  • B.A. – Design Arts & Practices
  • B.F.A. – Art & Visual Culture Education
  • B.F.A. – Studio Art
  • Minors in Art
  • M.A. – Art & Visual Culture Education
  • M.A. – Art History
  • Master of Fine Arts in Art
  • Ph.D. – Art & Visual Culture Education
  • Ph.D. – Art History
  • Museum Studies Certificate Program

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University of Arizona School of Art
1 day ago
University of Arizona School of Art

Our final VASE lecture of the spring will feature artist Walid Raad on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at the Center for Creative Photography. Details: vase.art.arizona.edu/walid-raad/

Arizona Arts The University of Arizona
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Our final VASE lecture of the spring will feature artist Walid Raad on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at the Center for Creative Photography. Details: https://vase.art.arizona.edu/walid-raad/ 

Arizona Arts The University of Arizona
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University of Arizona School of Art
2 days ago
University of Arizona School of Art

Regents Professor Sama Alshaibi presented to a packed house Saturday in Denver as the closing speaker for the Society for Photographic Education (SPE) Conference. The day before, speakers Clare Benson (MFA ’13), Tomiko Jones (MFA ’08) and Kaitlyn Jo Smith (MFA '20) and more alums joined Sama and Prof. Martina Shenal, grad student Nathan Cordova and others at Henry's Tavern for a reunion get-together! tinyurl.com/4p6bywwe

Arizona Arts The University of Arizona Society for Photographic Education
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Regents Professor Sama Alshaibi presented to a packed house Saturday in Denver as the closing speaker for the Society for Photographic Education (SPE) Conference. The day before, speakers Clare Benson (MFA ’13), Tomiko Jones (MFA ’08) and Kaitlyn Jo Smith (MFA 20) and more alums joined Sama and Prof. Martina Shenal, grad student Nathan Cordova and others at Henrys Tavern for a reunion get-together! https://tinyurl.com/4p6bywwe

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University of Arizona School of Art
4 days ago
University of Arizona School of Art

Ph.D. student Sedona Heidinger was among six presenters at today's "Collective" Art History Symposium at the University of Arizona Museum of Art. Other speakers were Barbie Kim, Bentley Brown, Shen Qu, Gabriel Quick and Dr. Gregory Sholette (keynote). Director Colin Blakely opened the event, which also included a Collective exhibition at the Palo Verde Gallery (Grad Studios). Go to tinyurl.com/2p9eeshm for more details. Congrats to the School of Art's Graduate Council and Art History Graduate Student Association for organizing the symposium and exhibition! Arizona Arts The University of Arizona ... See MoreSee Less

Ph.D. student Sedona Heidinger was among six presenters at todays Collective Art History Symposium at the University of Arizona Museum of Art. Other speakers were Barbie Kim, Bentley Brown, Shen Qu, Gabriel Quick and Dr. Gregory Sholette (keynote). Director Colin Blakely opened the event, which also included a Collective exhibition at the Palo Verde Gallery (Grad Studios). Go to https://tinyurl.com/2p9eeshm for more details. Congrats to the School of Arts Graduate Council and Art History Graduate Student Association for organizing the symposium and exhibition! Arizona Arts The University of ArizonaImage attachmentImage attachment
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University of Arizona School of Art
4 days ago
University of Arizona School of Art

Hooray to all our undergrads who presented their work at yesterday's BFA and UAUA exhibition reception at the Gross and Rombach galleries. And special thanks to Gallery Director lydia see! UAUA runs until March 24, and BFA ends April 3, so there's still time to see the shows! Arizona Arts The University of Arizona University of Arizona Museum of Art ... See MoreSee Less

Hooray to all our undergrads who presented their work at yesterdays BFA and UAUA exhibition reception at the Gross and Rombach galleries. And special thanks to Gallery Director lydia see! UAUA runs until March 24, and BFA ends April 3, so theres still time to see the shows! Arizona Arts The University of Arizona University of Arizona Museum of ArtImage attachmentImage attachment+Image attachment
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University of Arizona School of Art
5 days ago
University of Arizona School of Art

Art History Prof. Sarah Moore is a board member of the Institute for the Study of International Expositions (ISIE), which is holding its second annual online symposium March 23-24.

Moore will chair one of the sessions at the event, which features academic papers and top designers involved in exposition design. ISIE is the brainchild of UA Architectural History Prof. Lisa Schrenk.

Register by March 22 at shorturl.at/orwHV. Go to www.isie-global.org/ for the panel schedule and more info.

Arizona Arts The University of Arizona UA College of Architecture, Planning, and Landscape Architecture ISIE_Global
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Art History Prof. Sarah Moore is a board member of the Institute for the Study of International Expositions (ISIE), which is holding its second annual online symposium March 23-24. 

Moore will chair one of the sessions at the event, which features academic papers and top designers involved in exposition design. ISIE is the brainchild of UA Architectural History Prof. Lisa Schrenk.

Register by March 22 at shorturl.at/orwHV. Go to https://www.isie-global.org/ for the panel schedule and more info. 

Arizona Arts The University of Arizona UA College of Architecture, Planning, and Landscape Architecture ISIE_Global
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University of Arizona School of Art
5 days ago
University of Arizona School of Art

Read our March newsletter! ... See MoreSee Less

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SOA newsletter: Prestigious fellowships, Walton's chair and more!

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Newsletter March 2023 March 2023 Saracino receives prestigious fellowship Art History prof to work on 1st book manuscript at Huntington Library Jennifer Saracino spoke at Chicago's Newberry Library in
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