art_history
Art and Art History

Graduate Art History Program – M.A.

Admissions

  • December 15th is the postmark deadline to apply for the following fall
  • Applications are accepted only for the Fall semester; there are no Spring or Summer admissions.
  • A current GRE is required for application to the graduate program.

Application instructions

M.A. Program Eligibility
Applicants to the Master of Arts Program are expected to have completed an undergraduate degree in Art History or a related field with a broad range of undergraduate coursework in art history (18 hours in art history are recommended) and related fields.

M.A. Course Work
Four Master of Arts tracks are offered in Art History: a General Track, which allows students to cover diverse historical areas of art history; and three which allow students to specialize in specific areas: Ancient (Western and Non-Western), Medieval to Early Modern, and Modern. Each track requires thirty semester hours of coursework, including six hours of thesis and six hours of supporting work outside the Department. The Master's degree program of work is comprised of one semester of ARH 395 Art Historical Methods (required), four graduate Art History seminars, one art history elective, two approved courses outside the Department, and two courses in thesis research and writing (ARH 698A and ARH 698B).

M.A. Language Requirement
M.A. students must have reading/translation facility in at least one language in addition to English. The additional language will be relevant to the student's areas of study and will allow the student to understand the scholarship of his or her field. The language will be determined in consultation with the Graduate Advisor and the choice is subject to ratification by the Graduate Studies Committee. This requirement can be fulfilled in one of three ways: 1) four semesters of college-level language courses passed at grade B or above; 2) standardized testing; 3) A departmental exam to test translation proficiency in French, Spanish and German, and other languages as petitioned by students, three times each year (beginning and end of fall semester, once during spring semester) and be administered by two faculty members. Students should satisfy their language requirement by the end of the third long semester in residence.

Thesis
During the semester of enrollment in Thesis Research (ARH 698A), usually in the third long semester of residence and after the completion of eighteen hours of coursework, the student presents a topic for faculty approval in a Thesis Colloquium. The Thesis Colloquium begins with an informal presentation of no more than five minutes. Discussion of the student's topic with the faculty follows, after which the faculty presents the student with recommendations. The Colloquium is intended to be an informal conversation with the faculty concerning the topic, its feasibility, and potential pitfalls that might affect the student's ability to complete the research project successfully. This discussion will provide the student with ideas and suggestions that will help him or her in developing the thesis. Enrollment in Thesis Writing (ARH 698B) may take place only after an approved presentation.

For more details on courses, degree requirements, financial aid, and resources at the University of Texas at Austin, download the Guide to Graduate Studies in Art History (pdf).

For additional information on funding and financial aid, see Funding Graduate Studies in Art History.