Since 1960, the MA program in the history of art at Tulane has prepared outstanding students for careers in research, teaching, and museum work. About a third of our graduates have continued toward their doctoral degrees either at Tulane or elsewhere. The program welcomes students who have majored in fields other than art history. The MA stipend is about $18,500 a year.
| Course ID | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Eight 6000 or 7000 level courses | 24 | |
Three of which should be with the student's faculty advisor or in the student's thesis area | ||
| ARHS 6910 | Independent Study | 3 |
| ARHS 9980 | Master's Research | 6 |
Curriculum:
The MA requires 30 credit hours (8 courses), including 24 credits (8 courses) at the 6000 and 7000 levels, plus 6 credits of Masters Research and a thesis.
Distribution requirements call for art history MA students to take at least one class in each of the following three areas: 1) art of Ancient and Medieval Europe and Asia, the Pre-Columbian Americas; 2) art of Renaissance, Baroque, and 18th-c. Europe, Early Modern Asia, the Colonial Americas; 3) modern art of Europe, Asia, and the Americas, especially the U.S., Caribbean, Latin America, and the African diaspora. Students are also expected to take three classes with the regular faculty teaching in the area that most closely relates to their own research, and who will most likely be on their thesis committee.
The 7000-level courses are for graduate students only and are sometimes taught in tandem with 3000-level courses for undergraduates. The 6000-level courses are taken by juniors and seniors as well as graduate students. Both include seminars on special topics. With the permission of their graduate advisor, students may take two courses outside the art history program.
Language Requirement:
Reading proficiency in at least one foreign language relevant to the student's work is required. French, German, Italian, Latin, and Spanish are especially useful for research in art history. The requirement is satisfied by passing a reading exam. Because reading knowledge of foreign languages is necessary for research in most art-historical fields, students are urged to take their language exam early.
Thesis:
An important step in the MA program is the writing of a thesis and its subsequent oral defense. The thesis may be the outgrowth of a seminar paper, or it may focus on a special interest of the student insofar as it falls within the area of competency of the faculty. Students work with their graduate advisors in selecting the appropriate topic, establishing the three-member thesis committee, and preparing the thesis prospectus by the end of the first year. One member of the thesis committee may be from another department or school in the university. While moderate in length and considerably more limited in scope than a doctoral dissertation, the MA thesis should demonstrate the student's ability to do research of publishable quality. The defense usually takes place a month before the end of the last semester.