MA in Art History: Thesis Track

Program Overview

The Master of Arts in Art History: Thesis Track prepares students for professional careers in the arts or to continue their scholarly pursuits in an Art History PhD program. The program emphasizes research, writing, and breadth of knowledge in the discipline of Art History and culminates in a thesis. Our internationally recognized faculty is committed to supporting and mentoring MA students in a wide range of areas, including Arts of Asia, Arts of the Americas, Medieval and Early Modern Art in Europe and the Mediterranean, and Modern and Contemporary Art in a Global Context. .

Degree Structure

The MA: Thesis Track program is designed to equip students with the intellectual tools and broad subject area knowledge necessary to conduct original scholarly research in Art History. MA: Thesis Track students must complete coursework, demonstrate an intermediate level of proficiency in one language related to the student’s field of study, and pursue extended individual research and writing under close faculty supervision. The program culminates in a thesis, defended in an oral examination before a committee, which demonstrates candidates’ abilities in original research, critical evaluation, and scholarly synthesis. Students have opportunities to gain valuable pedagogical experience through Teaching Assistantships. The time to degree completion is typically two years.

Degree Requirements

Coursework

MA: Thesis Track students devote the first four quarters of the program to completing required coursework in Art History and other complementary disciplines. Coursework provides a solid foundation in art history’s methods, critical approaches, and various subfields, while also allowing students to begin honing an area of specialization. Typically, students enroll in 10-15 of credits (equivalent to 2-3 courses) each quarter.

• The program for the MA: Thesis Track degree in art history requires a minimum of 50 credits: Minimum of 40 numerically graded credits numbered 400 and above and approved by the faculty adviser.
• Minimum of 10 credits of ART H 700 (Master’s Thesis). These 10 credits may, but need not be, taken all in a single quarter. Students must be registered for at least 2 credits during the quarter in which they complete and defend their thesis. ART H 700 is treated as continuing courses until satisfactory completion of the final examination and is available only for ungraded credit.

A maximum of 10 credits in related departments, in numerically graded upper-division courses, may be approved for credit in place of art history courses. No more than 12 credits of ART H 600 may be counted toward the minimum credit requirement for the Master of Arts: Thesis Track degree; ART H 597 may be substituted for up to 5 credits of ART H 600 with faculty approval. A minimum of 5 numerically graded credits must be taken in at least 3 of the major areas that are the Division’s focus: Arts of Asia, Arts of the Americas, Medieval and Early Modern Art in Europe and the Mediterranean, and Modern and Contemporary Art in a Global Context.

Language Proficiency

Across different fields of art historical specialization, languages are recognized as important research tools, offering access to sources and objects and enabling cultural and cross-cultural study, collaboration, and dialogue more broadly. All degree candidates are required to demonstrate proficiency in one language; for fulfillment of the language requirement, we accept ancient, Indigenous, and modern languages. The specific language required for your course of study will be determined at the start of the program in consultation with your faculty supervisor and the Graduate Program Coordinator. In some cases, English may be an appropriate choice. In keeping with the aims and ideals of a globalizing discipline, a student’s first language is not a factor in determining the language relevant to the course of study. The language requirement may be satisfied by passing a departmental examination, by completing the third quarter of the second year of the language as a graduate student at UW with a minimum grade of 3.0, or by taking graduate-level coursework conducted in the target language with a minimum grade of 3.0. For Indigenous languages, the method of instruction and assessment will be worked out on an individual basis depending on the availability of university or other institutional coursework and/or community-centered learning. To ensure timely progress and to facilitate work on the thesis, students are strongly encouraged to satisfy the language requirement during their first year in the program.

Art History Language Exam Protocol

Departmental language examinations are supervised and graded by faculty in the relevant research area or by faculty with particular expertise in the language in question. Exams last one hour and are evaluated as pass/fail, taking both speed and accuracy into account.

Students will have one hour to translate a 1-2 page excerpt from an art historical book or article, with the aid of a paper or online dictionary. The examiner and the student’s advisor should select a text of an appropriate length and difficulty, i.e., one that can be largely translated within an hour working at moderate speed. Students may use a word processor on a wifi-disabled computer to record the translation. Suppose students cannot finish translating the entire text in the time available. In that case, they should read the remainder of the selected text and write a brief summary of their understanding of its principal contentions.

Failing grades reflect serious misunderstandings of the text, or a clear inability to translate effectively. Students who fail the examination may retake it with a different text at a time negotiated between the student, the examiner, the student’s advisor(s), and the GPC.

Thesis

The thesis is the culminating product of the Art History MA: Thesis Track program. It may begin as a seminar paper that the student develops into a publishable article for an academic journal or publication. The thesis demonstrates the student’s ability to conduct rigorous research, indicates familiarity with bibliographical and reference materials, and shows a capacity for the synthesis and critical evaluation of the material under consideration. MA Thesis typically take a minimum of two quarters to complete.

Prerequisites

Students should discuss potential thesis topics with their faculty adviser during their first year in the program. When a topic is finalized, students should work out a timeline for completing the proposal. Thesis proposals are usually completed prior to the quarter before students plan to enroll for thesis credits. Students must complete all required coursework, satisfy the language requirement, and receive Supervisory Committee approval of a written proposal (see below) before they may begin taking thesis credits. To obtain registration codes, students must submit a signed ART H 700/598 approval form (available in the advising office) with their approved proposal attached to the academic adviser for graduate students. In the quarter prior to beginning thesis credits, they must fill out an MA progress form verifying that they have completed all of these prerequisites.

Proposal

Thesis proposals vary in form and/or content depending on the nature of the project and the expectations of the chair and committee members. There is no set format or length. Thesis proposals developed from seminar papers will typically be more detailed and specific than proposals based on future research. Students should ask their faculty adviser and/or chair for copies of recently approved proposals. All proposals will include:

• Statement of thesis topic and objectives
• Review of relevant scholarship
• Original contribution to the topic
• Sections overview and outline (this requirement may be modified if the proposal is based on future research)
• Timeline for completion
• Bibliography

Supervisory Committee

MA theses are guided and evaluated by a supervisory committee including a minimum of three faculty members. Students consult with the Graduate Program Coordinator and their faculty advisor to establish a committee consisting of a committee chair (typically their advisor), a second faculty member from Art History, and a third from Art History or another unit. Students are responsible for determining the potential committee members' willingness to serve.

The Graduate School does not require notification of the membership of this committee. The committee chair shall keep written records concerning any formal agreements or stipulations regarding the student’s program of study and thesis.

Before beginning work on a master’s thesis, the student must receive the Supervisory Committee's approval of a written proposal.

Final Draft

It is difficult to complete a thesis project in less than two quarters. Students should plan accordingly and expect to produce revised drafts of their theses. Once a student’s chair has approved a final draft, it can be submitted to committee members for their review and suggestions, allowing at least 30 days for review.

Defense

The final examination is an oral defense of the candidate's thesis conducted by the Supervisory Committee. Students are responsible for scheduling the defense in consultation with the committee chair. The defense date must be at least 30 days after the final draft was circulated to the full Supervisory Committee.

The graduate student and at least one Art History faculty member from their committee (or a substitute from the Art History faculty, if necessary) must be physically present at the defense. The Supervisory Committee must certify the results of the final examination by signing hard copies of two forms, generated through the online degree application process: (1) a warrant and (2) a Master’s Supervisory Committee Approval Form. The student is responsible for returning forms bearing the original signatures of all committee members to the academic adviser for graduate students in room 104 of the Art Building.

Degree Application

Students must apply online in MyGrad to the Graduate School for a master’s degree in the quarter in which they expect to graduate; detailed instructions are available on the Graduate School website. Students should submit their degree application as soon as the defense is scheduled. The application for graduation must be completed at least three weeks prior to the defense.

The filing of the online application (warrant) is the responsibility solely of the student, who must be registered for the quarter in which the degree is expected. Master's degree applications are valid for one quarter only; if requirements for the degree are not completed during this quarter, the student must file a new application.

The thesis must be submitted electronically to the Graduate School by the last day of final examinations of the quarter in which degree requirements are completed. Consult the Graduate School website for formatting requirements. It is the responsibility of the student to check with the Graduate School, the UW Library copyright office, Proquest, and any other guidelines on fair use practices, permissions, and inclusion of images.