Graduate > Art History Frequently Asked Questions

Is my art history background adequate? Almost without exception, competitive applicants have a good general background in art history. Applicants need NOT have an undergraduate major in art history, but should have a solid background in art history course work. In our program we define a “good background” for our undergraduate majors as 55 quarter credits of art history classes distributed among major fields of study offered in our department. This figure should serve only as a general reference point, however; we do not expect all applicants to have exactly the same background and course distribution as our undergraduate majors. Studio art classes and work experience in art-related fields can enhance your application, but in most cases will not substitute for a good background in academic course work.

What about languages? New graduate students in Western art are required to take an intermediate-level language proficiency exam in French, German or Italian during their first quarter in the program. (“Intermediate level” means able to score 3.0 or better at the end of a second-year university-level language course.) Degree candidates specializing in Native American art may substitute Spanish for one of the three. If you do not pass a language exam your first quarter, you will be asked to make verifiable progress toward this goal and pass an exam as soon as possible. You may be asked to curtail art history course work if satisfactory progress toward satisfying language requirements is not made. Evidence of ability to pass language exams will be a major consideration in your application. Note also that petitions for exemption from the second language requirement for the M.A. degree will be considered as warranted by the needs of different fields or projects.

For applicants interested in Chinese or Japanese art history, Chinese or Japanese may be substituted for French, German and/or Italian. For information about studying Japanese art, contact Professor Cynthea Bogel, cjbogel@u.washington.edu.

Do I need to take the GRE examination? Yes. GRE exam scores in and of themselves will not make or break an application, but are an important factor in your application evaluation.

What about writing samples? Papers produced for art history classes are generally the most useful evidence for reviewers of your written work. Other helpful submissions include art-history-related articles, catalogue essays, museum publications or other writing dealing with art-historical topics. If none of the above are available, submit samples of writing you feel would be most useful for those evaluating (a) your ability to express yourself clearly in writing, and (b) your ability to deal with subject matter relevant to art history.

How many applicants are accepted and how competitive is the program? We have no set formula for number of applicants to be accepted annually; in recent years we have accepted between ten and forty percent of applications received. The University of Washington Graduate School sets a ceiling on enrollments in all graduate programs, but these figures have not thus far handicapped our selection process. In reviewing each year’s pool of applicants, the overall strength of an individual application is the most important factor, but we also must consider the balance of faculty resources—that is, ratio of students interested in a particular field or area to faculty currently available to accommodate those needs.

What financial aid will be available? Our main source of departmental financial support for our graduate students is a limited number of TAships. These, however, are hardly ever awarded to first-year students. A majority of our graduate students have outside jobs (some within the University), at least for part of the year. Additional information and advice about financial aid can be found in the UW web site under Prospective Students, Financial Support.