Programs by Campus

Bloomington

Art History

College of Arts and Sciences

Visit our website: arthistory.indiana.edu

Contact us via email by writing to: arthist@indiana.edu

(Please note that when conferring University Graduate School degrees, minors, certificates, and sub-plans, The University Graduate School’s staff use those requirements contained only in The University Graduate School Bulletin.)

Curriculum

Curriculum
Courses
Faculty

Degrees Offered

Master of Arts (Art History), Dual Master of Arts (Art History) and Master of Library Science, and Doctor of Philosophy (Art History)

Special Departmental Requirements

(See also general University Graduate School requirements.)

Master’s Degrees

Master of Arts Degree (Art History)

Admission Requirements

Bachelor’s degree with a major in Art History. Students with majors in other disciplines with a demonstrable background in art history are also welcome to apply. GPA of 3.5 expected. Applications must include personal statement, C.V., writing sample, three letters of recommendation, and, for applicants using English as a second language, TOEFL scores. A minimum overall TOEFL score of 100 on the Internet-based exam or 600 on the paper-based exam is required. For the IELTS exam, a minimum score of 7.0 is required.

Grades

Students must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.5. Only those Art History courses completed with a grade of B or higher will count towards the degree. A student with a GPA lower than 3.5 may be placed on probation.

Course Requirements

30 credit hours in at least three areas (excluding language study) 

  • 6 courses at the 500- or 600-level in three areas, no more than two of which may be 500-level lectures: 18 CH
  • A500: Historiography: 3 CH
  • A510: Theory and Methods: 3 CH
  • A595 (Master’s Essay seminar) with A775 (advanced readings and research): 6 CH 

Foreign Language Requirement

Reading proficiency in one language. German or French are most common; however, students may choose another language with the approval of the Director of Graduate Studies. Proficiency must be demonstrated by the beginning of the third semester of coursework.

Essay and Presentation

The Master’s Essay is a 25- to 35-page research paper, notes and bibliography included. Often the Master’s Essay will be a continuation of research begun as a seminar project. Students prepare this essay under the supervision of a faculty advisor. They also must select a second reader for the essay. Selection of both the faculty advisor and the second reader must occur by October 15th of the student's second year of study. 

In the second semester of the second year, students will register for A595 and A775. In these courses students will be guided toward the timely completion of the Master’s Essayand will present their work in a public lecture.

Upon completion of the essay and presentation, the student’s work must receive formal approval by the faculty advisor and second reader.

Dual Master of Arts and Master of Library Science Degrees

This program permits the student to coordinate a Master of Arts degree in Art History with a Master of Library Science degree. The dual program requires that students complete 60 credit hours, with 30 credit hours in Art History and 30 in Library Science. Students complete all course and language requirements for each of the degrees and write an MA essay in Art History.

Admission Requirements

Students must apply for admission to both the Department of Art History and the Department of Information and Library Science and meet the admissions requirements established by each.

Requirements

Students must complete all course requirements for the Master’s Degree in Art History listed above as well as those stipulated by the Library Science program. Please consult the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering Bulletin for more information.

Doctor of Philosophy Degree

Course Requirements

63 credit hours distributed between major and minor fields

  • 30 credit hours maximum may be carried over from the M.A. degree
  • An additional 6 courses at the 500- or 600-level in two areas, no more than two of which may be 500-level lectures: 18 CH
  • Minor course requirement: 12 CH
  • A 775 (advanced readings – qualifying exam prep): 3 CH
  • Language study represents additional course work unless part of a minor field

Upon completion of major and minor field requirements students should have amassed 63 credit hours. Students must also complete language requirements by this time. After completing 63 credit hours and language requirements, students may proceed to Qualifying Exams. After passing their exams students, students must maintain continuous enrollment. Students may register in A775 for up to 16 CH, A779 for up to 16 CH, and A879 for up to 16 CH. Once students have met the Indiana University Ph.D. residency requirement of 90 credit hours, students may register for G901 for up to 6 semesters to maintain continuous enrollment.

Minor: Students are to complete at least 12 credit hours of coursework as well as satisfy any other requirements for a minor field in a department or program distinct and separate from Art History.

Areas

Ancient Art, Medieval Art, Renaissance and Baroque Art, Modern and Contemporary Art, Islamic Art, Asian Art, African Art 

Grades

Students must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.5 in the major field. Only those Art History courses in which the student earns a B or higher will count towards the degree. A student who has a GPA lower than 3.5 may be placed on probation.

Foreign Language Requirement

Reading proficiency in two languages. German or French are most common; however, students may choose other languages with the approval of the Director of Graduate Studies. The major field advisor may require additional foreign languages.

Qualifying Examinations, Dissertation Proposals, Proposal Defense

Qualifying examinations will cover three topics in the student’s the primary field of study, with the possibility of a subsequent oral examination at the discretion of the department.

Upon successful completion of the examination process, students must submit a brief dissertation proposal (ca. 2 pages) for general faculty approval. Following receipt of said approval, students submit a formal proposal to their dissertation committee and to the Director of Graduate Studies, who will schedule an oral defense of the proposal prior to the commencement of dissertation research.

Final Examination

Oral defense upon completion of the dissertation project.

Ph.D. Minor in Art History

A Ph.D. minor in Art History is available to students outside the department. Students must complete 12 credit hours of Art History coursework. They must take 2 lecture courses and 2 seminars. A seminar may always be used to fulfill a lecture requirement. All programs must be determined in consultation with the Art History Director of Graduate Studies. A grade point average of 3.5 is required.

Academic Bulletins

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