TYLER SCHOOL OF ART AND ARCHITECTURE

Learn more about the Master of Arts in Art History.

About the Program

The Research Track is designed to encourage the study of historiography, critical theory, aesthetics, art production and patronage by providing a foundational knowledge of the history of art. By exploring the connections among disciplines, geographies and chronologies as well as technological developments, and social and political contexts, students learn multiple methodologies for research, guided by a chosen faculty mentor to focus on a particular problem for their final qualifying paper.

The MA in Art History offers an optional Arts Management track, which 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; Art History requirements anchor the track in historiography and critical theory of art history.

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

• The Loretta C. Duckworth Scholars Studio in Charles Library 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 provide direct access to all aspects of the creative process via fellow students and faculty artists and designers.
• Tyler’s art history community is enriched by a steady stream of compelling lectures by leading scholars and practitioners.

Tyler graduate students in Art History may participate in Temple University’s Teaching in Higher Education certificate program to gain advanced training for a career in higher education or in the Cultural Analytics graduate certificate program offered by Duckworth Scholars Studio.

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, both among the oldest and largest facilities of their type. Other opportunities exist elsewhere around the globe as guided by faculty members' extensive connections.

Accreditation: This degree program is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).

Non-Matriculated Student Policy: Non-matriculated students must contact the Graduate Director for information.

Financing Opportunities: In keeping with Temple University’s commitment to access and affordability, Tyler’s graduate programs offer a competitive level of tuition with some opportunities for financial support. Rates are set annually and are affected by many factors, including in-state or out-of-state residency. For more information, contact the Graduate Director or the Associate Graduate Director for Arts Management, as applicable, and explore Temple’s graduate student financial information page. Eligible graduate students are encouraged to apply for work study.

Admission Requirements and Deadlines

Application Deadline:

Fall: December 15
Spring: November 1

Students wishing to be considered for awards are strongly encouraged to apply by December 15.

APPLY ONLINE to this graduate program.

Letters of Reference:
Number Required: 3

From Whom: Letters of recommendation should be obtained from college/university faculty members, gallery directors and/or curators familiar with the applicant's academic and artistic competence. The letters should be submitted by the referee at the time of application at https://apply.temple.edu/Tyler/.

Coursework Required for Admission Consideration: Five courses in Art History are desired for admissions consideration: two general surveys and one upper-level course in each of three periods, in any geographical area: ancient art (to circa 1400), art produced circa 1400-1800, and Modern/Contemporary art. Official transcripts from all universities/colleges attended, whether or not a degree was awarded and whether the courses were taken as an undergraduate or graduate student, must be sent as part of the online application.

Bachelor's Degree in Discipline/Related Discipline: A baccalaureate degree is required, but it need not be in Art History. Official transcripts from all universities/colleges attended, whether or not a degree was awarded, must be sent as part of the online application.

Statement of Goals: In approximately 500 to 1,000 words, describe your interest in Temple's program, research goals, future career goals, academic and research achievements, and how you will contribute to the Tyler School of Art and Architecture mission. Submit at https://apply.temple.edu/Tyler/.

Standardized Test Scores:
GRE optional. If you wish to submit scores as a supplemental item, your official scores should be sent directly from the Educational Testing Agency. Temple's institutional code is 2906.

For international applicants, the minimum scores for a standardized test of English are:

• TOEFL iBT: 79
• IELTS Academic: 6.5
• PTE Academic: 53
• Duolingo: 110

Applicants who completed an undergraduate degree in the United States or other English-speaking country are waived of the English-language testing requirements. Please contact Tyler Admissions to learn more.

Resume: Current curriculum vitae required. Submit at https://apply.temple.edu/Tyler/.

Writing Sample: The writing sample should demonstrate your ability to research and write a scholarly paper on a topic in Art History. The paper or excerpt submitted should be no more than 10 pages in length and fully referenced according to a professional, scholarly style manual. Submit at https://apply.temple.edu/Tyler/.

Transfer Credit: The Graduate School allows the transfer of a maximum of 6 credits taken within a five-year period before matriculation for credit toward the master’s degree. These credits must be in Art History, at the graduate level, with at least a final grade of "B," and must not have been used as part of the fulfillment of requirements for another degree awarded to the student.

Program Requirements

General Program Requirements:
Number of Credits Required Beyond the Baccalaureate: 30, or 36 if the optional concentration in Arts Management is pursued

Required Courses:

MA with a Focus on Research

Course List

Code	Title	Credit Hours
Core Course
ARTH 5601	Historiography of Art History 1	3
Electives 2		12
Art History Distribution Courses
In at least three distribution areas, select a total of four courses from the following:		12
Earliest to 1400
ARTH 5510	Topics in Ancient Art
ARTH 5520	Topics in Medieval Art
ARTH 5621	Archeological Program
ARTH 8610	Seminar in Ancient Art
ARTH 8620	Seminar in Medieval Art
ARTH 9183	Archaeological Program
1400-1800
ARTH 5530	Topics in Renaissance Art
ARTH 5540	Topics in Early Modern Art
ARTH 5630	Topics in Renaissance Art II
ARTH 8630	Problems in Renaissance Art
ARTH 8635	Problems in Northern Renaissance Art
ARTH 8640	Seminar in Global Baroque Art
1800-Present
ARTH 5097	Graduate Design: Graduate Design Theory
ARTH 5350	Topics in Arts Administration
ARTH 5351	Introduction to Arts Management Practice: Mission, Values and Community
ARTH 5370	Topics in Contemporary Art
ARTH 5403	History of Modern Crafts and Design
ARTH 5405	History of Photography
ARTH 5460	Topics in Contemporary Art
ARTH 5550	Topics in 19th-Century Art
ARTH 5560	Topics in 20th-Century Art
ARTH 5660	Topics in Modern and Contemporary Art
ARTH 5665	Modern and Contemporary Art in Latin America
ARTH 5670	Topics in Contemporary Art
ARTH 8401	Text + Image: Framing the Modern Illustrated Book
ARTH 8402	Introduction to Critical Thinking and Practice
ARTH 8460	Seminar in Contemporary Art
ARTH 8470	Seminar in Modern Art
ARTH 8475	Seminar in 19th-Century Art
ARTH 8480	Seminar in Early Modern Art
ARTH 8500	Seminar in Arts Management
ARTH 8560	Seminar in Modern and Contemporary Art
ARTH 8660	Seminar in 20th-Century Art
ARTH 8665	Seminar in 21st-Century Art
ARTH 8872	Arts Management Capstone
Transhistorical
ARTH 5408	The History of Printmaking and Print Culture
Research Course
ARTH 9995	Research for Qualifying Paper	3
Total Credit Hours		30

¹

Upon admission to the MA program, students are expected to complete ARTH 5601 during their first Fall term.

²

With approval from the Graduate Director, 6 credits of electives may be taken outside of Art History.

OR MA with Optional Concentration in Arts Management

Course List

Code	Title	Credit Hours
Core Courses
ARTH 5351	Introduction to Arts Management Practice: Mission, Values and Community	3
ARTH 5601	Historiography of Art History 1	3
Art History Electives		9
Open Electives		12
Culminating Courses
ARTH 8872	Arts Management Capstone	3
ARTH 9585	Internship Seminar	3
ARTH 9586	Internship Seminar	3
Total Credit Hours		36

¹

Upon admission to the MA program, students are expected to complete ARTH 5601 during their first Fall term.

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. The qualifying paper engages the student in acquiring an understanding of how to conduct research using primary and secondary sources; a knowledge of art history that is rooted in historical, cultural, stylistic and ethical analysis; and the skills to write critical evaluations of artwork in their historical, cultural and stylistic contexts.

Selection of the research project requires the approval of the student’s primary advisor, who is chosen by the end of a student's first year of study. The primary advisor guides the student in writing the qualifying paper, which is to be 25-30 pages in length. The qualifying paper entails rethinking, elaboration and expansion of a research project already composed for a class, with the addition of concentrated research time and/or a different methodological framework to extend the scope of the paper, producing a product that contains original work. The qualifying paper requires the approval of two readers.

Internship:
The Arts Management concentration requires 6 credits of internship supervised by the Arts Management Concentration Advisor. Three of these credits are taken in the second academic term of study, and three credits are taken in the last academic term concurrent with the required capstone class.

Contacts

Department Contacts: