Graduate Studies: Art History

Master of Arts degree in Art with Concentration in Art History

(code ART_MA01, 39 units)

In this degree program, the student develops a personalized program of study within established curricular parameters, and with the consultation and approval of the student’s Thesis.

Goals

Our MA in Art with Concentration in Art History is centered on the following goals for student learning outcomes:

  1. Students develop a broad general knowledge of the history of art, and extensive knowledge in an area of specialization.
  2. Students become versed in historiography and methods of scholarship.
  3. Students demonstrate reading proficiency in a minimum of one foreign language.
  4. Students develop advanced abilities in undertaking, synthesizing, and effectively disseminating independent research.

Duration

Graduate degree program duration is contingent upon the number of units completed per semester, and time taken to complete Thesis. The MA degree usually is completed in 4 to 8 semesters.

Certificates

The department also offers a graduate-level Certificate Program in Museum and Curatorial Studies (code ART_CT02). This Certificate may be pursued independently, or in combination with a program of study directed toward the achievement of one of the department’s degrees.

Admissions Review Process

Admission to a degree program at CSULB is a two-part process that requires application to and acceptance by both the University and the Department of Art into a specific degree program.

For graduate programs, the Department of Art accepts applications for Fall admission only, with applications being accepted January 1 through 31. Application forms are available on the web (www.art.csulb.edu).

Department of Art application materials must be sent to the Department of Art Student Services Office, FA4Ð106.

University Application must be made to the CSULB Office of Enrollment Services, Brotman Hall. Call (562) 985-4145 or 1655 to obtain a CSU application booklet, or apply online at www.csumentor.edu There is a $55.00 fee for the University application process. (Do not send the Department of Art this fee; we will send it back to you.)

Program may conduct applicant interviews, in which case they will contact you directly. Acceptance decisions are normally sent out by March 15th.

Acceptance to a degree program in Art: After submitting the Department of Art application materials, those who pass the program review are recommended by the faculty to be admitted as either Classified or Conditionally Classified. A Classified Graduate has satisfied all prerequisites. A Conditionally Classified Graduate has outstanding prerequisites to complete. Acceptance is not complete until the applicant has received both notification of acceptance from the Department of Art and a formal letter of acceptance from the CSULB Office of Enrollment Services.

NOTE: The Department of Art requires a GPA of 3.0 in upper-division (junior and senior level) art prerequisite units for acceptance to our graduate program. All applicants must be accepted by the Department of Art in order to be officially accepted by the University. There is no fee for the departmental application process.

International Students must be accepted by the Department of Art and pass the TOEFL examination (minimum score of 550) before they can be admitted to the University. International students must apply to CSULB through the Center for International Education at (562) 985-5476.

CSU general requirements include: a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution; a grade point average of at least 2.5 in the last 60 semester units taken; and good standing at the last college attended.

General Prerequisites

An applicant may be accepted if, in addition to having satisfied specific prerequisites set by the Department of Art for the degree concentration, the applicant has satisfied the following minimum university standards:

To qualify for admission in conditionally classified graduate standing, a student must:

  1. Applicant holds an acceptable baccalaureate degree from an institution accredited by a regional accrediting association or has, as determined by an appropriate CSULB authority, completed equivalent academic preparation in a university outside the United States;
  2. Applicant has attained a grade-point average of at least 2.5 (A = 4.0) in the last 60 semester (90 quarter) units attempted;
  3. Applicant has been in good standing at the last college attended.

Special Action: In rare and compelling circumstances, an applicant who doesn’t qualify for admission under the previous provisions may be admitted by special action if on recommendation of the appropriate faculty of the department/college concerned and in the judgment of the Associate Vice President for Graduate and Undergraduate Programs or his/her designee there exists acceptable evidence that the applicant possesses sufficient academic, professional, and other potential pertinent to her/his educational objectives to merit such action, as shown through aptitude scores, recent academic performance, and experiential background.

Art History Prerequisites

NOTE: Courses taken as prerequisites for a graduate degree may not be counted toward the graduate degree program of study.

An applicant who has deficiencies in prerequisites for a concentration, but who in the judgment of the Department of Art can meet these prerequisites with additional preparation specified at time of admission, may be admitted with conditionally classified graduate standing. Students who have deficiencies in prerequisites for a concentration, but who are willing to engage in additional preparation to meet prerequisites, are encouraged to apply.

Applicants must complete 36 units of coursework approved by the Art History faculty, and to include:

  • 3 units from AH 447 or 547 Historiography of Art History
  • 3 units from AH 448, 449, 450, 548, 549,or 550 (theory/criticism courses)
  • 9 units additional upper-division Art History
  • 9 units upper-division Art or Art History electives
  • 12 units (or the equivalent) of foreign language.
  • Applicant must have a minimum 3.0 GPA in prerequisite courses.

NOTE: Art History applicants should have completed at least two years (or a minimum of 12 units) of college-level French or German with an average grade of ÒBÓ or better. Students without this preparation are advised that all students accepted for the Art History MA must pass the In-house Foreign Language Exam within the first three semesters of study. (With approval from the Art History faculty, another language may be substituted.)

Departmental Application Requirements

January 1 through 31 prior to the fall term for which the applicant seeks admission, applicant must submit departmental application materials as follows:

  • Department of Art Application
  • Statement of purpose
  • writing sample
  • transcripts
  • two letters of recommendation

Transcripts

When you formally apply to the University, two official (sealed) sets are required; send one to Enrollment Services and one to the Department of Art.

Transfer Units

Transfer units are allowed on a case-by-case basis. With faculty approval, up to 12 post-baccalaureate units from another university may be accepted into the MA degree program.

General Degree Requirements

  1. A minimum overall GPA of 3.0, with no grade below a "C".
  2. Successful fulfillment of the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR) by passing the Writing Proficiency Examination (WPE), usually completed in the first semester in residence at CSULB and required to be fulfilled prior to Advancement to Candidacy. Students unable to pass the WPE may be able to fulfill the requirement by completing a special GWAR course.
  3. Successful completion of an Advancement to Candidacy review. Reviews generally occur when a student has completed between one third and one half of the units required for the degree, and require the submission of a complete list of coursework for the degree. Additional advancement requirements: Art History majors present a qualifying paper and satisfy the language requirement in either French or German (or an approved substitution).

If all scheduled units for the MA degree have been completed but the final written component has not been approved and submitted, registration in GS-700 (I unit, no credit) through University Extension is required in order to maintain in enrollment until the semester of graduation. Care should be taken not to exceed the University limit of seven years for all masters’ degrees.

Additional information may be found in the ÒDepartment of Art Graduate Guidelines,Ó given to each student accepted into a master’s program.

Art History Concentration for the MA

  • 39 units of approved graduate and asterisked (*) upper-division units to include:
  • 3 units 546 Art History Methodologies and Writing
  • 9 units AH 597 Seminar in Art History
  • 15 units approved graduate-level or asterisked (*) upper-division Art History
  • 6 units approved graduate-level or asterisked (*) upper-division Art or Art History
  • 6 units AH 698 Thesis as culminating experience within degree program.
  • At least 24 of the 39 required units must be 500/600 level courses taken at CSULB.
  • Graduate-level or asterisked (*) upper-division courses in other CSULB departments may be approved as course substitutions with approval of student’s Thesis Committee.
  • Advancement to candidacy is contingent upon satisfactory completion of an approved qualifying paper, and satisfying foreign language proficiency requirements.

NOTE: A student may concurrently pursue the Art History Concentration for the MA and the Graduate Certificate in Museum and Curatorial Studies, and may, with approval of both the Museum and Curatorial Studies Program and the MA Thesis Committee, count up to 15 units of coursework toward both the degree and the certificate. A student may also pursue the Art History Concentration with an Emphasis in Museum and Curatorial Studies (see below), or may pursue the Graduate Certificate in Museum and Curatorial Studies independent of a degree (see section on Graduate Certificate Program in Museum and Curatorial Studies).

Museum and Curatorial Studies Emphasis for the Art History MA

  • 39 units of approved graduate-level or asterisked (*) upper-division units to include:
  • 3 units 546 Art History Methodologies and Writing
  • 18 units specially tracked 500 level courses in museum studies
  • 3 units AH 539 Art of Mid to Late Twentieth Century
  • 3 units AH 550 Western Art Theory and Criticism mid Twentieth Century to Present
  • 3 units AH 597 Seminar in art History
  • 3 units Art History or other approved elective
  • 6 units AH 698 Thesis as culminating experience within degree program.

Graduate Certificate Program in Museum and Curatorial Studies

code ART_CT02

The Certificate Program in Museum and Curatorial Studies is primarily directed toward graduate students in Art History and the visual arts, but does not exclude students in other fields. The specifically tracked course of study has an emphasis placed primarily on contemporary art.

A student may pursue the Certificate Program in Museum and Curatorial Studies as a program of study in itself, or in combination with a program of study directed toward the achievement of one of the department’s degrees. A student may, with approval of both the Museum and Curatorial Studies Program and the student’s Project or Thesis Committee, count up to 15 units of coursework toward both the degree and the certificate.

Admission to the program is by permission of the Museum Studies faculty and the head of the Art History Program. Applicants wishing to pursue the Certificate Program in Museum and Curatorial Studies should apply for the desired degree program during the regular Department of Art graduate application window of January 1 through 31, and should indicate interest in pursuing the Certificate Program in Museum and Curatorial Studies concurrently.

Applicants wishing to pursue the Certificate Program in Museum and Curatorial Studies separate from a degree program should contact the Department of Art Graduate Advisor.

Requirements

A total of 30 units to include:

  • 3 units AH 530 Introduction to Curatorial Practices
  • 3 units AH 531 History of Museums and Exhibitions
  • 3 units AH 542 Internship in Museum Studies
  • 3 units AH 539 Art of Mid to Late Twentieth Century
  • 3 units AH 545A Exhibition Practicum
  • 3 units AH 545B Exhibition Practicum
  • 3 units AH 597 Seminar in Art History
  • 3 units from AH 547 or 550 (historiography or theory/criticism mid-twentieth century to present)
  • 3 units AH 599Q Special Problems in Museum Studies or approved substitution
  • 3 units approved graduate-level or asterisked (*) upper-division Art History.