Art History (MA)

.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to:

  • Disciplinary Knowledge: Demonstrate mastery of the principal works, texts, methods, discussions and problems in a chosen field or fields of study within art and/or architectural history.
  • Disciplinary Knowledge: Demonstrate ability to analyze and critique discourse in a chosen field or fields of study within art and/or architectural history.
  • Disciplinary Knowledge: Demonstrate proficiency in at least one language beyond English, selected to facilitate advanced research and analysis in a chosen field or fields of study.
  • Disciplinary Knowledge: Demonstrate ability to develop and realize a comprehensive program of independent research as a means of establishing oneself as a part of a professional community.
  • Career Preparedness: Demonstrate awareness of relevant career options, job search networks, cover letter and CV preparation, interview techniques, and other relevant skills.
  • Career Preparedness: Demonstrate readiness to assume professional roles in the academy, the museum, and related institutions via conference and workshop presentations, publications, graduate certificates, and other relevant professional activities.
  • Engagement: Demonstrate knowledge, ethics, and skills to produce and disseminate scholarship representing diverse perspectives in a responsible and equitable manner.
  • Engagement: Demonstrate ability to convey the relevance of art and architectural works, histories, and methods (e.g., critical visual analysis) to diverse publics, within and beyond academia.

Master of Arts Requirements

Candidates for the MA degree must complete 45 credits in courses approved by the student's advisor, as well as satisfy the general requirements of the Division of Graduate Studies for residence. Of the 45 credits, a minimum of 36 must be graduate credits in research-based courses, taken for a letter grade.

  1. Thesis (ARH 503) or a terminal project, 9 credits
  2. Graduate Seminar Requirements and First-Year Seminar Series. Of the 36 graduate credits required, 16 must be in graduate seminars, including 4 credits in Graduate Studies in Art History (ARH 611), 8 credits in Seminar: [Topic] (ARH 607), and at least 4 credits (excluding ARH 611) in a course or courses led by your primary advisor
  3. Electives. A minimum of 12 credits of elective courses; a maximum of 8 credits may be taken outside of the department with an advisor's permission
  4. Distribution Requirement. Students must undertake course work in three of four historic areas: prehistoric-ancient, medieval, early modern, and modern-contemporary. Students may petition to apply a thematic or non-period-specific course toward the distribution requirement by demonstrating substantial work in the appropriate area. While it is not a requirement, students are strongly recommended to pursue both Western and non-Western courses to fulfill their distribution and elective requirements
  5. Foreign Language Requirement. The department requires that MA degree candidates demonstrate reading proficiency in at least one foreign language. The chosen language must be approved by the student’s advisor and should be relevant to the student’s scholarly interests. Language proficiency is typically demonstrated in one of several ways:
  • by passing a written language exam given by the department;
  • by providing an official transcript from the University of Oregon or elsewhere that shows satisfactory completion of the second or third year of the language, as determined by the student's primary advisor;
  • by presenting evidence of having achieved equivalent results on a standardized foreign-language placement test.

The foreign language requirement may be waived for a student who has completed a high school or higher degree that employed the target language as the primary language of instruction. Students who expect to pursue a PhD should also acquire a research capability in additional languages, as appropriate to the student’s area of study, as soon as possible in their academic program.

Additional information regarding the MA is available from the Department of the History of Art and Architecture office or on the website.