Art History MA

The MA in Art History provides advanced historical study in European and American art from the early Renaissance through the present, as well as Asian and other non-Western art, to prepare you for a doctoral program, curatorial position, or one of many other museum-related careers. You will develop an understanding of art historical methods and research practices while building skills in critical thinking, visual analysis, research, and written and verbal communication about art. Our program exposes students to innovative approaches to art history to foster a broad understanding of the discipline and its wide-ranging applications.
In this program, you will engage in scholarship and become a scholar. Students contribute to the annual Feminist Art History Conference and have numerous opportunities to present their own research, including the AU/GWU Graduate Symposium, the Middle-Atlantic Symposium on the History of Art, and AU’s annual student Mathias Research Conference.
The art history program is a close-knit community, and all students receive faculty mentorship throughout their time at AU. Our students work closely with their mentors to develop individualized courses of study in a wide range of historical periods, cultures, and media. The program includes thesis and non-thesis options, a wide variety of course offerings, and the opportunity for internships. In our small, dynamic program, you will work closely with knowledgeable and talented faculty members who are active and prominent in art history scholarship.