The graduate Art History program in the Ernest G. Welch School of Art & Design emphasizes the study of visual art in relation to the historical and cultural contexts in which it was created. Students receive training in various time periods and geographical areas of art history, while also gaining depth of knowledge in a particular specialization. The M.A. is a two-year degree program with thesis and non-thesis tracks. Coursework takes the form of mixed-level lecture classes, graduate-only seminars, including Methodology and Historiography of Art, and electives in subjects outside art history. The program is open to students with undergraduate degrees in art history as well as those with degrees in other fields who have completed upper-level coursework in art history. It provides a foundation for individuals who wish to pursue careers in museums and galleries, as well as undertake doctoral studies.

The graduate Art History program features established faculty with active publishing and research profiles. Students normally focus on one of the following areas: Early Modern (Renaissance) Art, Eighteenth- and Nineteenth-Century European Art, Modern and Contemporary American and European Art, or Contemporary African Art, and work closely with a faculty mentor when developing a thesis. Interested individuals are encouraged to make contact with the appropriate faculty member prior to applying. Highlights of the program include its urban setting, interface with local arts organizations and museums, the Art History Graduate Forum, an annual student-run visual culture symposium, assistantships and funding to present at conferences and symposia elsewhere. Many of the program’s diverse course offerings emphasize one or more of the following themes: gender, race, identity, the body and cities.