With an MA degree in Art History students can pursue a range of careers in the arts and culture sectors including museums, galleries, libraries and other civic and non-profit organizations, or undertake further graduate study in an academic or professional program. Recent Art History MA alums currently hold full-time positions at:

• The College of Idaho
• Flagler College, FL
• Granite School District
• Necmettin Erbakan University, Turkey
• San Diego State University
• Utah Museum of Fine Arts
• Utah Museum of Contemporary Art

And have continued on to PhD programs at:

• Duke University
• Graduate Center, City University of New York
• SUNY Binghamton
• University of California, Berkeley
• University of Oregon
• University of Texas, Austin

The Art History Program welcomes applicants with an outstanding scholastic record. We expect that you will have a BA degree in Art History or a cognate discipline suitable to the study of art history and visual culture and a sincere commitment to the demands of graduate study. For questions about the MA Program in Art History, please contact the Director of Art History MA Graduate Studies, Professor Paul (Monty) Paret.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 1, 2025.

The University of Utah uses an online graduate application process through "Slate." Please begin your application here. Once on the page, click on the "Create an Account" hyperlink. Questions regarding the application procedure may be directed to the Department Program Manager, Sandie Crook, at s.crook@utah.edu. In addition to the basic information required of all applicants to the Graduate School at the University of Utah, the Art History MA Program requires the following supplementary materials of its applicants. The online application system will prompt you to upload them at the appropriate time:

1. Statement of Purpose: You should use your statement to describe your background, interests, and goals in the study of art history. You should also identify a faculty member/s in the Art History Program who you feel will be best suited to mentor you in your area of interest within art history.
2. Curriculum vitae (résumé) listing your educational background and experience.
3. Academic writing sample (e.g., an undergraduate research paper) demonstrating your analytical writing skills.
4. [sent separately by your evaluators] Two letters of recommendation by professors or instructors who are familiar with your academic work and can speak to your ability to succeed in a rigorous academic program. Please note that Slate will ask you to enter the names and email addresses of your recommenders and will send them an online evaluation form. This form will not be sent out until you complete the "recommenders" portion of your application. We suggest that students enter their recommenders into the Apply Yourself system as soon as possible and independently notify their recommenders of the February deadline.

The Art History MA Program does not require GRE scores as any part of the application.

The Department of Art & Art History offers a limited number of Teaching Assistantships (TAs) for incoming and continuing students that include full tuition waivers, stipends, and benefits through the Tuition Benefit Program. Additional funding for MA research and conference travel is available from the Department’s Etta Keith Eskridge Travel Awards. Specialized language study in select languages is supported by FLAS (Foreign Language and Area Studies) grants.  Please consult the  Graduate School website for further information about University of Utah and other funding opportunities.

After acceptance into the program, you should speak with the Director of MA Graduate Studies to plan your first semester of coursework. All art history faculty members are available for consultation about the academic program, and we encourage you to meet with each of us to discover areas of mutual interest. We look forward to working with you as you navigate the more intense academic environment of the graduate experience.

-COURSEWORK

Overall requirements: The MA degree in Art History is comprised of a minimum of 30 credit hours. This must include 24 credit hours of graduate-level coursework in art history or related disciplines (8 courses at 3 credit hours per course) plus 6 credit hours of Thesis Research (3 credit hours per semester after advancing to candidacy). Remedial courses in art history or foreign language instruction fall outside the 30-hour requirement. All coursework used to fulfill the MA degree requirement must be numbered at the 5000-level and above. Students in their first year normally enroll in 3 graduate courses per semester (9 credit hours). Below is a model calendar of graduate study for the Art History MA:

Your first semester: After your admission to the Art History MA progam, the Director of Graduate Studies will work with you to plan your first semester of coursework. Generally, in your first semester,

You will enroll in ARTH 6800 Critical Theory and Methodology of Art History, a class that investigates differing approaches to and perspectives on the study of art history and visual culture, as well as ARTH 6810 Visual Intersections, an interdisciplinary graduate seminar, addressing selected problems, issues, and methods of interpreting and writing about images and objects. You will also enroll in the Art History Seminar, a 6000-level course that varies by semester (ARTH 6830, 6840, 6860, 6850, 6870, or 6880).

In your second semester, you will again enroll in ARTH 6810 Visual Intersections and the ARTH 6000-level course that meets with the Art History Seminar. You may select your third course from any graduate-level course in art history or a related discipline, with the approval of your advisor.

In your second year (third and fourth semesters), you will enroll in a combination of graduate-level courses, directed study credit hours, and a total of 6 credit hours of Project/Thesis Research (ARTH 6970). Please note that after advancing to candidacy, you must enroll in a minimum of 3 Project/Thesis Research credit hours per semester. Students receiving a Teaching Assistantship and participating in the Tuition Benefit Program must enroll in a minimum of 9 credit hours.

A "B" average must be maintained to satisfy the MA requirements, and Credit/No Credit is not an option for any coursework in art history.

Students are encouraged to check their degree progress periodically, using the Electronic Graduate Record File. Please bring any questions or concerns regarding degree progress to the Director of MA Graduate Studies.

-SUPERVISORY COMMITTEE

Towards the end of the first semester and no later than Spring Break of your first year, you should discuss with your advisor possible topics for your MA research. Your advisor will determine whether the topic is suitable to pursue as an MA Project or an MA Thesis. Working in consultation with your advisor, you should form the Supervisory Committee that advises you on the remainder of your coursework and MA research.

Your committee is crucial to your graduate program. It is responsible for helping you shape an effective course of study, assessing and approving your qualifying paper, reading and approving your MA research, and administering the final MA research defense. The committee serves as your chief advocate to the department, the College of Fine Arts, and the Graduate School.

You must form a three-member committee during your second semester in residence before Spring Break. In consultation with your advisor, you should approach prospective committee members best suited to mentor you on your research topic to determine their willingness and availability to serve on your committee. Two of the three (chair and another member) must be selected from University of Utah full-time Art History Program faculty. You are encouraged to consider a faculty member from another department as the third committee member, invited on the basis of special expertise in your declared area of concentration. You will be expected to consult with your Supervisory Committee Chair each semester, regarding your progress through the program. Once all three faculty members have agreed to serve on your Supervisory Committee, you must speak with the Department Program Manager about filing your proposal for a Supervisory Committee in the Graduate Degree Tracking System. The Dean of the Graduate School gives final approval on all proposed supervisory committees.

At this same time, you should discuss with your advisor possible topics for your MA research. Your advisor will determine whether the topic is suitable to pursue as an MA Project or an MA Thesis. Working in consultation with your advisor, you should submit a prospectus of your MA research to your committee no later than September 15.

-LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT

In the Art History graduate program, you must show standard proficiency in at least one foreign language approved by your supervisory committee. Standard proficiency assumes a reading-comprehension level expected of a student who has completed one year of college foreign-language instruction or the equivalent. Proficiency certification should take place in the second semester of graduate work. You may consult the Graduate Language Requirements for further information on standard proficiency and proficiency certification.

-QUALIFYING PAPER

In order to be advanced to candidacy by the Dean of the Graduate School, you must submit a qualifying paper to your supervisory committee. By June 15th (if not sooner) you must notify your advisor of which paper completed during your first year you will be revising and submitting to your supervisory committee as your qualifying paper. The qualifying paper must demonstrate competency in graduate level art historical research and critical writing necessary for MA research. All incompletes and failing grades must be rectified before the paper is submitted. Your qualifying paper must initially be approved by your advisor and should be submitted to your committee by August 15^th. After your qualifying paper has been approved by your entire committee, you will be advanced to candidacy. If your paper is not approved by your committee, you may resubmit it with revisions one time. It is not possible to submit a qualifying paper a third time. If a revised qualifying paper does not demonstrate competency for graduate level art historical research, then you will be dismissed from the program.

-ADMISSION TO CANDIDACY

Once your supervisory committee has approved your qualifying paper, you must speak with the Department Program Manager about filing your official Program of Study, Report of Comprehensive Examination (Qualifying Paper), and Application for Candidacy in the Graduate Records Tracking System. Each of these records will be forwarded to your Supervisory Committee and the Director of Graduate Studies for approval. You will be admitted to candidacy for the Master's Degree when these items have been approved by the Graduate School. At that time, you may contact the Director of MA Graduate Studies about thesis hour registration. Please note that students must be admitted to candidacy at least one semester prior to graduation.

-PROSPECTUS

After advancing to candidacy, you must present a brief (3-5 page) prospectus to your Supervisory Committee for approval. The function of the prospectus is to identify the MA research topic, outline the scope of the project, and specify the research to be undertaken. A preliminary bibliography should accompany your prospectus.

-TRAVEL AWARDS

The Art History and Visual Studies Program offers a limited number of Etta Keith Eskridge Travel Awards for graduate student research. The awards are intended for students whose research and MA thesis projects will directly benefit by research-related travel. The Eskridge Travel Award is intended to help subsidize, not cover, the full costs of a research trip. The maximum award amounts are $700 for domestic travel and $1300 for international travel. Awards will be made on the basis of the quality of the proposal and the availability of funds. Graduate students enrolled in the MA program in Art History and Visual Studies are eligible to apply. Preference will be given to students who have completed their qualifying paper and been admitted to candidacy with a well-defined project or thesis plan. The proposed travel schedule should not interfere with either regular coursework or teaching responsibilities. The art history faculty will review proposals for the Eskridge Award three times per year. Deadlines for complete proposals are September 15, February 1, and April 15.

Students who will present their MA research at a professional conference can apply for the Graduate Student Travel Assistance Award  from the Graduate School. Please note that both the Chair of your Supervisory Committee and the Chair of the Art and Art History Department will need to provide a signature in support of your application.

-THESIS PROJECT REQUIREMENT

MA candidates must complete a thesis project on an approved, specialized topic appropriate to the field of Art History and will enroll in ARTH 6970 Project/Thesis Research (minimum 6 semester credit hours in the second year).

The thesis project demonstrates independent research and typically consists of or includes a written report on a focused topic related to the study of artifacts and/or visual media. The thesis project can take different forms; both the format and focus of the MA Project is determined in consultation with the Chair of your Supervisory Committee (i.e., your advisor).

Many students write a traditional scholarly research paper for their thesis project. Such papers must present independent research and employ scholarly methods of historical and critical interpretation. Thesis project papers are typically about 30-40 pages in length and should adhere to the guidelines in the Graduate School’s Handbook for Theses and Dissertations.

Working closely in consultation with the Chair of the Supervisory Committee, students can also elect to produce a project that includes such things as, for example, the production of a museological object file, an exhibition prospectus, a pedagogical dossier with sample syllabi and literature reviews, primary archival research, or other professional scholarly studies as deemed appropriate by the Art History faculty. Regardless of the format, the M.A. thesis project should include a full bibliographic apparatus and adhere to scholarly guidelines appropriate to its form.

Once the Chair of the Supervisory Committee has approved a final draft of your thesis project for your defense, you will submit this draft to other members of your Supervisory Committee. Your Chair will work with you and Committee members to schedule the oral defense of your thesis project. As per Graduate School policy, the thesis project defense is always open to the University community; you and your committee chair must notify the Director of MA Studies to ensure that notices are properly posted two weeks before the oral defense date.

You should discuss your plans for your defense presentation with your advisor, who can provide further information and guidelines for the defense.

Following a successful defense and after all requested changes have been made to the project, your committee will sign the Supervisory Committee Approval of Thesis Project form, and the Chair of your Supervisory Committee (along with the Chair of Art and Art History) will sign the Final Reading Approval forms, to be submitted to the Director of Art History Graduate Studies for signature. A digital record of your MA Project will be presented to the Marriott Library for housing in the institutional repository and digital archive of the University of Utah. The Marriott’s digital asset management system allows content to be accessed on a limited basis, through campus IP or CIS login. Students also have the option of depositing their Project to USpace, an institutional repository of the University of Utah. This open-access archive gives greater visibility to your Project, ensuring that even individuals that don't have access to the University database can still access your work.

Although your committee chair is your principal advisor during MA research, you should keep all committee members regularly informed of your work-in-progress. A copy of your penultimate draft, including necessary images, should be submitted to each committee member at least two weeks before the public oral defense date, which is set by the Supervisory Committee Chair.

-DISMISSAL POLICY

All graduate students are expected to maintain standards of professional and ethical conduct, as specified in Article XI of the Student Code. Gross professional, legal, and/or ethical misconduct constitute grounds for dismissal from the program. Once you have successfully advanced to candidacy, you will be informed in writing of any concerns about or deficiencies in your work or conduct that could jeopardize your good standing or continued enrollment in the program. This notification will include advice as to how you can amend these deficiencies. Failure to effectively amend these deficiencies within 45 days will result in dismissal from the program. In the rare instance of dismissal from the Program (whether for academic reasons or misconduct), the dismissal procedure will be as follows:

• The Chair of Committee and Director of Graduate Studies will notify the student in writing, stating the reasons for dismissal, indicating a formal termination date at least 15 days after the date of the letter. A copy of the letter will be sent to the Department Chair.
• If the student is serving as a T.A., faculty will determine whether it is possible or advisable to continue with T.A. duties following dismissal. If appropriate, the Department will continue the current T.A support until the end of the termination semester, contingent on conscientious execution of T.A. duties.
• Student will vacate the graduate student office space in good condition, return all keys and any departmental equipment to the Department Office room 161 at the end of the termination semester.

For all Graduate School policies, please see the Graduate School’s Navigating Graduate School  and Graduate Policy pages concerning Family Leave, Masters Programs Calendars and Deadlines,

-MINIMUM REGISTRATION

By University policy, you must maintain minimum registration (Fall and Spring) of one course per semester until you complete all requirements for the MA in Art History. During your thesis preparation, you must register for at least one course each semester until, and including, the one in which you schedule your thesis defense. You do not have to register for any courses after you have defended your thesis, but will not graduate until all Graduate School requirements are satisfied. If you do not maintain minimum registration or submit an official Graduate Student Request for Leave of Absence for approval by the Graduate School, your Supervisory Committee will be terminated and you will be put on inactive status by the Graduate School. You would need to reapply to the Graduate School Admissions Office to reactivate your file. Graduate Records maintains your permanent file. Please note that teaching and research assistants must register for a minimum of 9 credit hours during each semester in which they are employed, in order to be eligible for the Tuition Benefit Program.

-GRADUATE SCHOOL PROGRAM AND THESIS CALENDARS 

Our program is designed to be completed in two years. The Graduate School requires that all work for the master's degree be completed within four consecutive calendar years. The Graduate School website includes additional information on degree requirements, calendars, and deadlines for graduating in a specific semester.

-SAFETY & WELLNESS

See the SafeU website for all safety related information, reporting and support resources, training and more at the University of Utah.

The University does not discriminate on the basis of sex in the education program or activity that it operates, as required by Title IX and 34 CFR part 106. The requirement not to discriminate in education programs or activities extends to admission and employment. Inquiries about the application of Title IX and its regulations may be referred to the Title IX Coordinator, to the Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, or both.

If you or someone you know has experienced sexual misconduct including sexual harassment, we encourage you to report it to the Title IX Coordinator in the Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action:
Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action (OEO/AA)
135 Park Building
Salt Lake City, UT 84112
801-581-8365
oeo@utah.edu

Online reports may be submitted at oeo.utah.edu.

For further information, please see:
https://www.utah.edu/nondiscrimination/
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