4+1 Programs
Art History for Museum Professionals 4+1
This accelerated program combines the requirements of the Master of Arts in Art History and the certificate in Museum Studies in order to prepare art historians for a variety of art museum careers, such as collections management, museum education, exhibit design and installation, marketing and communications. Requirements for this M.A. program consist of 30 credits of coursework plus 3 internship credits, and satisfactory completion of the foreign language requirement (one language). This program is designed for a 4+1 option only. Students admitted to the program complete all the requirements for the B.A. in Art History prior to the start of their fifth year of study, and should complete the requirements for both the B.A. and the M.A. in five years. Upon successful completion of the 124 credits required for the Art History major, students will be eligible for the B.A. degree. After completing the remaining requirements for the Master's program, students will be eligible for the M.A. degree.
NB: Art History majors interested in curatorial careers are recommended to apply to the curatorial track of the direct Ph.D. program.
Applicants to the 4+1 MA in Art History for Museum Professionals must be at least in their junior year of study at the University of Delaware, enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History, and should have an overall undergraduate Grade Point Average of 3.0 or better for at least 60 credits, and an undergraduate average of 3.25 or better in at least four Art History courses. In addition, applicants should have taken or be enrolled in ARTH301.
Students are admitted to the graduate program in Art History on the basis of consideration of a combination of all of the following materials: a writing sample; a personal statement outlining their goals and objectives for pursuing this program; three letters of recommendation (of which at least one must come from a professor in the Department of Art History); and undergraduate transcripts. Candidates may be interviewed by one or more members of the graduate admission committee before a final decision on the applicant's portfolio is made.
Admission is selective and competitive, and on rolling basis without a fixed deadline. However, no application will be considered after November 1st of the senior year, and usually not later than June 1st after completion of the junior year. Those who meet stated academic requirements are not guaranteed admission nor are those who fail to meet those requirements necessarily precluded from admission if they offer other appropriate strengths.
33 credits are required for the MA in Art History for Museum Professionals. Students must take a minimum of 30 credit hours of graduate coursework, of which 21 credit hours must be Art History seminars, following the same course distribution requirements of the MA in Art History. In addition, students must take 9 credit hours of Museum Studies courses, including MSST600 and at least one more core course. Completion of a Master's Paper (3 credits) is optional; if completed, these 3 credits apply towards the 21 credits of Art History graduate coursework. An additional 3-credit internship (ARTH663) is usually completed after the end of the senior year.
Students in this 4+1 program take their 400-level seminar for the Art History major as a 600-level course, which simultaneously count towards the BA and the MA programs. At least one more 600-level ARTH seminar must be taken in the senior year, as well as two Museum Studies graduate courses (at least one of them must be a core course). These two MSST courses count towards the BA overall credits and, if appropriate, towards the Art History related work requirements for the Bachelor's program. The minimum grade for dual-counted courses is B+. Art History majors seeking a minor in Museum Studies should take their MSST graduate credits for the 4+1 MA program in addition to those counting for the minor.
To be considered for admission, the application must include: an Unofficial UD Transcript, Current UD overall GPA, a Personal Statement (outlining goals and objectives for pursuing this program), and Writing Sample (a recent scholarly art history paper). In addition, applicants must submit a complete Graduate Course Approval Form for 4+1 Admission Application and an Art History 4+1 Program Supplemental Document, listing all the Art History and Architectural History courses taken, the average in those courses, language proficiency, and the names of three references who can submit Letters of Recommendation on the applicant's behalf. The Department will directly request letters from the recommenders listed in this form.
Students seeking a M.A. in Art History for Museum Professionals are not eligible for University Graduate Fellowships and Assistantships.
