Art History MA
TYLER SCHOOL OF ART AND ARCHITECTURE
About the Program
The Tyler School of Art and Architecture at Temple University offers a gateway to the best PhD programs in the discipline for students seeking careers in higher education or research. Alternately, it is a stand-alone option for students seeking positions in museums, galleries, nonprofits and other institutions.
The MA in Art History offers an optional concentration in Arts Management, 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. In addition to Art History requirements, 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.
A number of resources are available at Temple to Art History MA students:
- The Loretta C. Duckworth Scholars Studio (formerly the Digital Scholarship Center) 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.
- Temple Contemporary, Tyler’s innovative exhibitions and public programs space, offers opportunities to learn curatorial practice.
- 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.
- State-of-the-art digital resources include 8,000 digital images and access to millions more via Tyler’s Artstor Digital Library membership.
- 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 a 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, your research goals, your future career goals, your 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: Due to testing limitations related to COVID-19, the Tyler School of Art and Architecture is temporarily waiving submission of GRE scores for applicants to the MA and PhD Art History programs. Applicants may still voluntarily submit GRE test scores, but scores will only be used as a supplement to required application materials. All other admission requirements, including submission of scores for a standardized test of English, if applicable, still need to be met. In some circumstances, the Graduate Admissions Committee may request additional supplemental application materials or an interview as part of the admissions process.
Applicants who earned their baccalaureate degree from an institution where the language of instruction was other than English, with the exception of those who subsequently earned a master’s degree at a U.S. institution, must report scores for a standardized test of English that meet these minimums:
- TOEFL iBT: 79
- IELTS Academic: 6.5
- PTE Academic: 53
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
| 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 | ||
| Topics in Ancient Art | ||
| Topics in Medieval Art | ||
| Archeological Program | ||
| Problems in Ancient Art | ||
| Problems in Medieval Art | ||
| Problems in Ancient Art II | ||
| Archaeological Program | ||
| 1400-1800 | ||
| Topics in Renaissance Art | ||
| Topics in Baroque Art | ||
| Topics in Renaissance Art II | ||
| Topics in Baroque Art II | ||
| Problems in Renaissance Art | ||
| Problems in Northern Renaissance Art | ||
| Problems in Baroque Art | ||
| Problems in Renaissance Art II | ||
| Problems in Baroque Art II | ||
| 1800-Present | ||
| Graduate Design: Graduate Design Theory | ||
| Topics in Arts Administration | ||
| Introduction to Arts Management Practice: Mission, Values and Community | ||
| Topics in Contemporary Art | ||
| History of Modern Crafts and Design I | ||
| History of Modern Crafts and Design II | ||
| History of Photography | ||
| International Cinema | ||
| Topics in 20th-Century Art | ||
| Picasso and Modern Masters | ||
| Topics in 19th-Century Art | ||
| Topics in 20th-Century Art | ||
| Topics in 19th Century Art II | ||
| Topics in 20th Century Art II | ||
| Modern and Contemporary Art in Latin America | ||
| Topics in Contemporary Art | ||
| Text + Image: Framing the Modern Illustrated Book | ||
| Introduction to Critical Thinking and Practice | ||
| Seminar in Contemporary Art | ||
| Seminar in Modern Art | ||
| Seminar in 19th-Century Art | ||
| Seminar in Early Modern Art | ||
| Topics in Arts Management | ||
| Seminar in Contemporary Art II | ||
| Seminar in Modern Art II | ||
| Problems in 19th-Century Art | ||
| Problems in 20th-Century Art | ||
| Problems in 21st Century Art | ||
| Problems in 19th-Century Art II | ||
| Problems in 20th-Century Art II | ||
| Arts Management Capstone | ||
| Transhistorical | ||
| The History of Printmaking and Print Culture | ||
| Topics in Asian Art | ||
| 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
| 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
Program Web Address:
https://tyler.temple.edu/programs/art-history
Admissions Information:
Tyler School of Art and Architecture
Graduate Admissions Office
2001 N. 13th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19122-6016
215-777-9090
Mailing Address for Official Transcripts:
Tyler School of Art and Architecture
Graduate Admissions Office
2001 N. 13th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19122-6016