Graduate Programs

Columbia University in New York City offers two MA programs–the MA in Art History and the MA in Modern and Contemporary Art: Critical and Curatorial Studies (MODA). Below are links to each program website.

https://arthistory.columbia.edu/content/ma-art-history

https://arthistory.columbia.edu/content/ma-modern-and-contemporary-art-critical-and-curatorial-studies-moda

MA Art—(Specializations in Art History Research or Teaching at the Two-Year College Level), Northern Illinois University, School of Art and Design https://www.niu.edu/art/graduate-programs/ma-art-history.shtml

Expand your art history expertise and career options by joining our close-knit academic community. You’ll find resources and support as you prepare to pursue advanced research in art history or to teach at a two-year college.

Our alumni teach at colleges and universities around the country. Some are employed in museums, while others study in Ph.D. programs throughout the United States and abroad. When you graduate, you’ll be well-prepared for the next step in your professional journey.

Our program features:

Accomplished faculty members who will encourage you to excel.
Courses on interpretation and communication in diverse cultures and contexts.
Financial support through assistantships.

Program Options
You can pursue a Master of Arts degree in art with a specialization in art history research or art history teaching at the two-year college level. The program includes 30 hours of graduate coursework. You can choose to complete a thesis as part of your degree.

We also offer certificates to enhance your art history knowledge:

Graduate certificate in art history
Graduate certificate in museum studies
Whichever path you choose, you’ll benefit from the depth and variety of our art history courses.

MA & PhD RASC/a (Rhetorics of Art, Space, and Culture), SMU—Meadows School of Art, Dallas https://www.smu.edu/meadows/areasofstudy/arthistory/graduatestudies

• Click the Image to see the brochure PDF

MA & PhD Art History & Criticism, Stony Brook University, Long Island, NY https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/art/graduate/art-history.php

• Click the Image to see the brochure PDF

Funded MA in Classics at Tulane University, New Orleans https://liberalarts.tulane.edu/classical-studies/academics/graduate

• Current stipend is $20k.

PhD in Visual Studies at the University of California, Irvine https://www.humanities.uci.edu/visual-studies

• Click the image to download the PDF

MA in Art History, University of Massachusetts at Amherst https://www.umass.edu/art-history/academics/graduate

• Click the image to view the brochure PDF

MA or PhD in Art History, University of Texas at Austin https://art.utexas.edu/academics/graduate/art-history

MA & PhD in History of Art, Design, and Visual Culture, University of Alberta https://www.ualberta.ca/en/graduate-programs/art-and-design.html

• Click the image to open the brochure PDF

MA & PhD in Art History, and MA in Critical and Curatorial Studies, University of British Columbia https://ahva.ubc.ca/graduate/

As a Canadian institution, tuition is much less than that of American universities. ($10,000/year for non-Canadian students, a third of which is covered by automatic awards. Additionally, Ph.D. students are guaranteed $24,000/year for 4 years, based on a combination of funding sources—TAing, awards, etc.)

Depending upon the advisor, students have the opportunity to obtain additional funding through research/assistant positions. 

Regent’s University London will launch the Global Art Markets MA course in September 2025 with just 15 student places available. Applications opened in mid-October 2024.

This is a new, innovative postgraduate course designed to prepare students for dynamic careers in the international art market. It blends art business, law and connoisseurship to foster the expertise and global perspective required to thrive in this fast-paced, ever-evolving sector.

• MLitt & PhD in the History of Art,  University of Aberdeen https://www.abdn.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-research/research-areas/880/history-of-art/
  • Research the history of art, architecture and visual culture, from the Middle Ages to the present day, and become part of a thriving and supportive research community.
• Related Program: MLitt in Christianity and the Visual Arts https://www.abdn.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-taught/degree-programmes/1936/christianity-and-the-visual-arts/
  • • Click the Image to view the brochure: DHPA PG Guide 2024

  

MA History of Art virtual presentation, https://youtu.be/lldbuikbMzc

• MA History of Art, https://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/graduate/taught-degrees/history-art-ma
• MSc Conservation of Contemporary Art and Media, https://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/graduate/taught-degrees/conservation-contemporary-art-and-media-msc
• MPhil/PhD History of Art, https://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/graduate/research-degrees/history-art-mphil-phd

The University of Leicester (UK) offers two MA courses, and has an excellent track record of students subsequently going into related professions, such as archaeology, the museum and heritage sector, education and academic research:

• • MA Archaeology and Heritage https://le.ac.uk/courses/archaeology-and-heritage-ma-dl/2025
  • MA Ancient History and Classical Archaeology https://le.ac.uk/courses/ancient-history-and-classical-archaeology-ma-dl/2025

Both our degrees are part-time (over 2 years) and by Distance Learning, meaning that it is possible for US-based students to study with us alongside paid work or caring responsibilities. The programmes each comprise 4 modules and a Dissertation, and are asynchronous, so that, while you will be supported through each module by a member of our academic staff, recorded lectures and reading materials are available round-the-clock. This means that students in different time zones can manage their study around their commitments. The links above provide information about fees, the structure of the course, and how to apply.