Art History Master of Arts (MA)

The mission of the graduate program in Art History at Wayne State University is to train the next generation of scholars, curators, and arts professionals. We are committed to providing an excellent public education that offers access to leading scholars in the field, small class sizes, rigorous requirements for research and writing, and the cultural resources of world-class arts institutions in Detroit. We uphold longstanding methods of art history, while encouraging students to develop new theoretical approaches based on first-hand examination of objects and informed analysis of critical texts and visual culture. At Wayne State University we believe that art history is most effectively taught in a diverse environment where students are exposed to different ways of seeing, writing, and speaking about art and visual culture.

The Art History graduate program includes courses that address a wide range of topics, from classical to contemporary, in the history and theory of the field and offers opportunities for engagement with world-class arts institutions such as the Detroit Institute of Arts, the fifth largest art museum in the nation, Cranbrook Art Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit,and other institutions that are part of the rich urban fabric of Detroit. Many of the program's students and alumni hold positions in galleries, museums, and arts organizations, or subsequently enter doctoral programs.

Degree overview, policies, procedures

An applicant must meet Graduate School requirements as outlined in the Graduate Bulletin plus departmental requirements to be considered for admission to the Art History graduate program.

Graduate Bulletin - Art History M.A. overview

Degree requirements

M.A. candidates may choose either of two plans to complete the degree requirements: Plan A (Thesis) or Plan B (Essay). 

Graduate Bulletin - Program requirements