credits/requirements for all ma programs
	ma in art history
	ma in modern art: critical and cruatorial studies
	application requirements and information

Credits/Requirements for all MA programs

Full-time students are expected to complete all requirements for the MA degree in two years, of which the second year requires at a minimum part-time study as the student engages in researching and writing the MA thesis. Part-time completion of the MA is also possible, and part-time students typically complete the degree in three to four years. The program for all MA candidates is determined in discussion with the student’s advisor and is a mix of seminar and lecture courses.

The MA program requires ten courses (30 points of credit) and no fewer than 2 cumulative Residence Units of registration. In the first year, the standard full-time program includes a total of eight courses. Of the ten courses required for the degree, at least three should be lecture courses at the 3000, 4000 or 6000 level (no more than two at the 3000 level). The MA in Critical and Curatorial Studies requires the Critical Studies Colloquium and the Curatorial Colloquium, both for a letter grade. Up to two of the lecture courses may be taken for R (registration) credit. Students must demonstrate proficiency in at least one foreign language through a translation examination in order to complete the degree. The translation examination is given through the department and consists of two portions, a translation and a précis, of art history texts selected and evaluated by the faculty. With the approval of the advisor, students may take courses in the culture, literature, history, and philosophy of their areas of interest. Language courses and studio art courses do not count towards the degree. In the second year of full-time study, or final year of part-time study, students must register for one thesis course in each semester as they work under the close supervision of a faculty advisor thus completing the ten-course requirement.

Note the minimum admission requirements described in the GSAS Bulletin and on the Questions and Answers page. Recipients of the non-sequential MA will be considered for admission to the Ph.D. only upon separate application to the PhD program in the department.

MA in Art History

About the Program
The department offers a Master’s degree in art history in fields other than modern art. Students may focus on any field of study represented in the department, such as architectural history, Italian or Northern Renaissance, ancient, South or East Asian. Students are accepted into the program and mentored by a faculty member in the proposed field of study. The course and thesis requirements are the same as the MA in Modern Art, however the student is not required to take the MA Colloquia. Recipients of the terminal MA in Art History will be considered for admission to the Ph.D. program only upon re-application. Students who are interested in earning a Ph.D. are advised to apply to the [ Ph.D. program ] directly, where they earn their MA degree in the first year.

Application Procedures
All application materials must be received by February 3.

Note the minimum admission requirements described in the GSAS Bulletin and on the Questions and Answers page. Applicants interested in an MA in Modern Art should apply to the MA in Modern Art: Critical and Curatorial Studies.

Sample Program
10 courses (30 points of credit), one MA thesis required for graduation

MA in Modern Art: Critical and Curatorial Studies

About the Program
This program is founded on the conviction that critics engaged with modern and contemporary art need to understand curatorial strategies and that curators must be able to write with full knowledge of critical theory. Taking advantage of both Columbia's location in one of the world's major centers for the production and display of modern art, and the department's close ties with the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and other institutions, the program immerses students in the art world of New York City. At the heart of the program are the two MA colloquia described below.

The MA Critical Colloquium, required of all students in the program and taken in the first term of study, is designed to explore issues of historical and critical method by focusing on them through the lens of a particular area of concern within the modernist field. These “lenses” will change from year to year, but an example would be the rise of photography within modernism. Another example might be notions of “primitivism,” which would encompass discussion of ethnographic models in contemporary art; or contemporary architecture and theories of urbanism. The structure of the colloquium combines reading and analysis of texts by the major theorists and critics, among them several members of the department faculty.

The MA Curatorial Colloquium, required of all students in the program and taken in the second semester of study, focuses on the theory and practice of museum and gallery display and is taught through consortorial arrangements with institutions in New York City, including MoMA and the Whitney Museum of American Art. In addition to department faculty, curators from MoMA, the Whitney, the International Center for Photography, and other institutions regularly participate in the colloquium.

Credits/Requirements
Full-time students are expected to complete all requirements for the MA degree in two years, of which the second year requires at a minimum part-time study as the student engages in researching and writing the MA thesis. Part-time study for the MA is also possible, and part-time students typically complete the degree in three to four years. The program for all MA candidates is determined in discussion with the student’s advisor and is a mix of seminar and lecture courses.

The MA program requires ten courses (30 points of credit) and no fewer than 2 cumulative Residence Units of registration. In the first year, the standard full-time program includes a total of eight courses. Of the ten courses required for the degree, at least three should be lecture courses at the 3000, 4000 or 6000 level (no more than two at the 3000 level). The MA in Critical and Curatorial Studies requires the Critical Studies Colloquium and the Curatorial Colloquium, both for a letter grade. Up to two of the lecture courses may be taken for R (registration) credit. Students must demonstrate proficiency in at least one foreign language through a translation examination in order to complete the degree. The translation examination is given through the department and consists of two portions, a translation and a précis, of art history texts selected and evaluated by the faculty. With the approval of the advisor, students may take courses in the culture, literature, history, and philosophy of their areas of interest. Language courses and studio art courses do not count towards the degree. In the second year of full-time study, or final year of part-time study, students must register for one thesis course in each semester as they work under the close supervision of a faculty advisor thus completing the ten-course requirement.

Note the minimum admission requirements described in the GSAS Bulletin and on the Questions and Answers page. Recipients of the terminal MA will be considered for admission to the Ph.D. only upon separate application to the PhD program in the department.

Sample Program
10 courses (30 points of credit), one MA thesis required for graduation

Application Requirements and Information

All application materials must be received by GSAS by February 3rd. Applications and information are available online [ here ].

Application Information
The GRE and TOEFL code for the Graduate school is 2162. There is no department code.

For admission to all graduate programs, the prerequisite is a minimum of 4 courses in art history or studies closely related (e.g., archaeology, architectural history, art-historical anthropology). An undergraduate major in art history is not a requirement. It is also advised that students have prior knowledge of at least one foreign language at the time of applying.

Application Requirements
In addition to the application the following must be sent to the Graduate School:

• 3 letters of recommendation
• Official Transcripts
• GRE scores
• TOEFL (for international students)
• Personal Statement (no more than 2 pages)
• Writing Sample (10-15 pages) – this should be an example of your best scholarly writing and should be a complete text
• Optional CV

International applicants please visit the International Students and Scholars Office website for details regarding studying at the University including visa and registration requirements.