Art History MA

An image depicting work at the School of Art + Design.
The School of Art + Design's master of arts in art history is a step-by-step experience offering a thorough education in the history and theory of art. During your first year in the program you'll establish a broad knowledge of art history by enrolling in range of courses exploring various time periods, geographical regions, and aesthetic principles. Year Two is when you'll identify an area of interest, engage in individual study, and contribute an original piece of work to the scholarship of art history.

Exploration is a key component of our master's program. In addition to courses in art and architectural history, you'll enroll in a number of electives. All courses will be selected in consultation with a faculty advisor, who will help you design an individualized curriculum that best reflects your intellectual curiosities. While many of students choose to focus on Western art, other common areas of interest include Pre-Columbian, East Asian, or African art. Prior to graduation, each student must submit an approved master's thesis and pass a comprehensive exam in one of the following fields of art:

  • Ancient (Greek, Etruscan and Roman)

  • Medieval (Early Christian, Byzantine, and Western Medieval)

  • Northern European (1300 to 1600)

  • Italian Renaissance (ca. 1250-1600)

  • European Baroque and Rococo (c. 1600-1750)

  • European (ca. 1750-1900)

  • American to 1940

  • 20th Century (European and American to 1940 and contemporary)

  • African

  • East Asian

We seek applicants with serious interest in contributing to the contemporary conversations of art historians. We prepare candidates to advance in careers as teachers and curators, as well as matriculate into doctoral studies. Please be aware that you will need to pass a language proficiency exam during your first few weeks in the program.

Resources in Art History

Graduate students in art history can take advantage of many supplemental resources on campus. These include:

  • The Illinois Program at The Phillips Collection Center for the Study of Modern Art, Washington, D.C., allows students to take courses in studio arts and modern art history at this museum of nineteenth and twentieth-century art.
  • The University Library, the largest public university library in the U.S., includes many branch libraries in specific subjects such as History and Philosophy, Modern Languages, Education and Social Sciences.
  • The Ricker Library of Art and Architecture is a branch of the University Library, and its collection includes more than 120,000 books, 33,000 serials, and a wide selection of videos.
  • The Manuscript and Rare Book Collection, also part of the University Library, includes original illustrated books and rare artists' editions of books from the fifteenth through twentieth centuries.
  • The Krannert Art Museum has a permanent collection of over 8,000 works of art from all areas of the world and hosts an ongoing schedule of rotating exhibitions.
  • The Spurlock Museum is an ethnographic museum with a diverse array of functional and art objects that represent past and present cultures from around the globe.