Accelerated Master of Arts in Art History (European and American/Global Modern and Contemporary)
Only current KU undergraduate students are eligible to apply to the Accelerated M.A. program. If you are not a current undergraduate student at KU, please review the M.A., M.A./Ph.D., and Ph.D. program catalog pages.
The Accelerated M.A. program enables qualified KU students to earn B.A./B.G.S. and M.A. degrees in art history in 5 years. 12 hours of 500-level-or-above coursework in the major completed in Year 4 of study count towards both the B.A./B.G.S. and M.A. degrees. The M.A. degree is completed in Year 5 with 18 additional hours of coursework.
The M.A. provides students with a broad and deep knowledge of the visual arts, as well as study of the basic concepts, theories, and methods of the discipline. The M.A. may be pursued as a terminal degree or as preparation for subsequent doctoral studies.
Only current KU undergraduate students are eligible to apply to the Accelerated M.A. program. If you are not a current undergraduate student at KU, please review the admission requirements for History of Art’s M.A., M.A./Ph.D., and Ph.D. programs.
Application Deadline
Careful course selection (e.g. prioritizing 500-level courses taught by faculty members in Art History by the second semester of the sophomore year) and steady progression through the undergraduate career is necessary to ensure all requirements for both the B.A./B.G.S. and M.A. degrees may be completed within the 5 years. All prospective students should discuss their interest in admission to the Accelerated M.A. program with both the Undergraduate Advisor and the Director of Graduate Studies no later than the second semester of the student’s Junior year.
Prospective students must apply to the Accelerated M.A. program by May 1st of their Junior year. The following program requirements must be met by this time:
- Major GPA of at least 3.50 and cumulative GPA of at least 3.00
- Accelerated M.A. aspirants should prioritize taking art history courses taught by art history faculty numbered 500+ no later than the first semester of the Junior year
- On track to complete the fourth semester of a language by the spring semester of the Senior year
- On track to complete all requirements for a B.A. or B.G.S. degree in History of Art from KU by the spring semester of the Senior year
Required Application Materials
- Three letters of recommendation (preferably from professors in the major). You will be asked to enter the names and e-mail addresses for your recommenders while completing the online application.
- Résumé or curriculum vitae
- A statement of personal and educational interests and career objectives. Address how the graduate program/faculty in Art History at KU would help you to achieve your goals. Please do not exceed 750 words.
- A writing sample, preferably from an art history course that you feel best represents your research, writing, and critical thinking skills. Your text (not including the bibliography, endnotes, and images) should be between 5-10 pages.
Upon review of the Application for Admission, the History of Art Department will notify the student of their eligibility to begin graduate-level coursework. Final admission to the graduate program for Year 5 will be contingent upon the following:
- Successful completion of all requirements for the bachelor’s degree
- Grades of B+ or above in all Art History graduate-level coursework taken during the student’s Senior year. Accelerated M.A. students are graded at the graduate level in their double-counting classes in Year 4.
Non-native speakers of English must meet Graduate Studies' English proficiency requirements.
The course requirements for this accelerated program are fulfilled by a combination of graduate-level courses taken for both undergraduate and graduate credit in Year 4, and graduate credit courses taken in Year 5. Numerous graduate-level courses are regularly offered that fulfill distribution requirements for both the B.A./B.G.S. and M.A. degrees.
The student must be approved to begin coursework toward the Accelerated M.A. prior to enrolling in any 500 level or above courses that are to count for both undergraduate and graduate credit.
Requirements for the B.A. or B.G.S. Major
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Foundation Courses | 9 | |
| History of Western Art: Ancient Through Medieval | ||
or HA 160 | History of Western Art : Ancient Through Medieval, Honors | |
| History of Western Art: Renaissance to Contemporary | ||
or HA 161 | History of Western Art: Renaissance to Contemporary, Honors | |
| and | ||
| The Visual Arts of East Asia | ||
Breadth Courses: Six courses total; at least two courses must be completed at the 500 level or above and at least two courses must be completed at the 700 level or above. A course or topic may fulfill only one requirement, either for geographical or chronological breadth. | ||
| 2. Breadth Courses, Geographical Regions: complete one course in three out of four geographical regions. | 9 | |
| A. Americas, Africa, Middle East | ||
| Modern and Contemporary African Art | ||
| African Art and Gender | ||
| Art of the United States | ||
| Special Study in African Art: _____ | ||
| Special Study in American Art: _____ | ||
| Archaeology and Art of Ancient Egypt and the Near East | ||
| Islamic Art and Architecture in Africa | ||
| African Design | ||
| Seminar: _____ | ||
| B. Europe | ||
| The Art and Architecture of the British Isles | ||
| European Architecture 300-1300 | ||
| Aegean Archaeology and Art | ||
| Greek Archaeology and Art | ||
| Roman Archaeology and Art | ||
| Italian Renaissance Art | ||
| Rococo to Realism: Painting in Europe c. 1750-1848 | ||
| Impressionism and Post-Impressionism: 1848-1900 | ||
| Renaissance Architecture in Italy | ||
| Baroque Art in Europe | ||
| Art in the Age of Rubens, Rembrandt and Vermeer: Northern Baroque | ||
| Special Study in Medieval Art: _____ | ||
| Special Study in Renaissance Art: _____ | ||
| Special Study in Baroque Art: _____ | ||
| Early Medieval and Romanesque Art | ||
| Gothic Art | ||
| Medieval Manuscripts and Early Printed Books | ||
| From Court to City: Northern Art | ||
| Humanism and Reform: 16th Century Northern European Art | ||
| The Spatial Arts of Urban Italy | ||
| Pompeii and Herculaneum | ||
| European Art, 1900-1945 | ||
| Seminar: _____ | ||
| C. East Asia | ||
| Special Study in Asian Art Before 1900: _____ | ||
| Manga: Histories and Theories | ||
| Ceramics of East Asia | ||
| Japanese Prints | ||
| Buddhist Art of Korea | ||
| Ceramics of Korea | ||
| Modern Korean Art and Culture | ||
| Art and Culture of Japan | ||
| Art and Culture of China | ||
or HA 468 | Art and Culture of China, Honors | |
| The Art of Buddhism | ||
| Japanese Painting | ||
| Modern and Contemporary Visual Arts of Japan | ||
| Special Study in Asian Art: _____ | ||
| Early Chinese Art | ||
| Chinese Sculpture | ||
| Chinese Painting | ||
| Japanese Sculpture | ||
| Proseminar in Korean Art: _____ | ||
| Proseminar in Japanese Art | ||
| Proseminar in Chinese Art | ||
| D. Cross-regional | ||
| Contemporary Art | ||
| Modern Sculpture | ||
| History of Photography | ||
| Art From 1945 to the 1980s: Modernism to Post-Modernism | ||
| Seminar: _____ | ||
| 3. Breadth Courses, Chronological Periods: complete one course in three out of four chronological periods. | 9 | |
| A. Pre-1400 | ||
| European Architecture 300-1300 | ||
| Aegean Archaeology and Art | ||
| Greek Archaeology and Art | ||
| Roman Archaeology and Art | ||
| Buddhist Art of Korea | ||
| Special Study in Ancient Art: ______ | ||
| Special Study in Medieval Art: _____ | ||
| Early Medieval and Romanesque Art | ||
| Gothic Art | ||
| Medieval Manuscripts and Early Printed Books | ||
| Archaeology and Art of Ancient Egypt and the Near East | ||
| Pompeii and Herculaneum | ||
| Early Chinese Art | ||
| Seminar: _____ | ||
| B. 1400-1850 | ||
| Italian Renaissance Art | ||
| Rococo to Realism: Painting in Europe c. 1750-1848 | ||
| Renaissance Architecture in Italy | ||
| Ceramics of East Asia | ||
| Japanese Prints | ||
| Baroque Art in Europe | ||
| Art in the Age of Rubens, Rembrandt and Vermeer: Northern Baroque | ||
| Special Study in Renaissance Art: _____ | ||
| Special Study in Baroque Art: _____ | ||
| Humanism and Reform: 16th Century Northern European Art | ||
| Seminar: _____ | ||
| C. Post-1850 | ||
| Impressionism and Post-Impressionism: 1848-1900 | ||
| Contemporary Art | ||
| Special Study in 20th/21st-Century Art: _____ | ||
| Manga: Histories and Theories | ||
| Modern and Contemporary African Art | ||
| Modern Korean Art and Culture | ||
| Modern Sculpture | ||
| History of Photography | ||
| Modern and Contemporary Visual Arts of Japan | ||
| Special Study in African Art: _____ | ||
| Islamic Art and Architecture in Africa | ||
| European Art, 1900-1945 | ||
| Art From 1945 to the 1980s: Modernism to Post-Modernism | ||
| Seminar: _____ | ||
| D. Cross-period | ||
| The Art and Architecture of the British Isles | ||
| Ceramics of Korea | ||
| Art and Culture of Japan | ||
| Art and Culture of China | ||
or HA 468 | Art and Culture of China, Honors | |
| Art of the United States | ||
| The Art of Buddhism | ||
| Japanese Painting | ||
| From Court to City: Northern Art | ||
| The Spatial Arts of Urban Italy | ||
| Chinese Sculpture | ||
| Chinese Painting | ||
| Japanese Sculpture | ||
| Seminar: _____ | ||
| 4. Complete a 500 level or above art history course approved for the Capstone requirement. (The Capstone art history course may also fulfill one of the breadth requirements above, in which case an elective course should be taken for the final 3 required hours of art history.) | 3 | |
| 5. Art history elective (0-3 hours; see number 4 above). | ||
| Total Hours: | 30 | |
Note: HA 100/HA 300 is a 1-semester survey of Western art history intended for non-majors and does not count toward the 30 required hours in art history. A student who takes HA 100 or HA 300 and then decides to major in art history must then also take either HA 150 or HA 151 (or both). A student who already has credit in either HA 150 or HA 151, however, should not take HA 100 or HA 300.
Major Hours & Major GPA
While completing all required courses, majors must also meet each of the following hour and grade-point average minimum standards:
Major Hours
Satisfied by 30 hours of major courses.
Major Hours in Residence
Satisfied by a minimum of 15 hours of KU resident credit in the major.
Major Junior/Senior Hours
Satisfied by a minimum of 12 hours from junior/senior courses (300+) in the major.
Major Junior/Senior Graduation GPA
Satisfied by a minimum of a 2.0 KU GPA in junior/senior courses (300+) in the major. GPA calculations include all junior/senior courses in the field of study including F’s and repeated courses. See the Semester/Cumulative GPA Calculator.
M.A. Degree Requirements
Proficiency in a foreign language is required for the M.A. degree. Students in the Accelerated M.A. program should complete at least the fourth semester of a relevant foreign language (normally French, German, Italian, or Spanish) with a grade of B or better by the end of Year 4 or be prepared to demonstrate proficiency by passing the department's language proficiency exam at the beginning of Year 5. Should the student not pass the proficiency exam, they will be expected either to enroll in the appropriate level of language study or establish a plan for passing the language exam at the start of the second semester of Year 5.
In addition to the 12 credit hours of graduate coursework taken during the senior year, students must complete an additional 18 credit hours of graduate coursework, for a total of 30 hours of graduate credit.
The full 30 hours must include:
- At least 4 graduate courses (12 credit hours) at the 500 level or above
- At least 4 graduate seminars (12 credit hours) at the 700 level or above
- At least 2 graduate seminars (6 credit hours) at the 800 level or above
See the Graduate Student Handbook for distribution requirements of graduate courses.
Written Comprehensive Examination
A general written examination in European and American/Global Modern and Contemporary art must be passed to earn the M.A. degree.
A detailed presentation of departmental degree requirements and regulations is included in the department’s Graduate Student Handbook.
Progression Requirements
Given the accelerated nature of this program, each student’s progress will be closely monitored at various points during the program:
1. The student applies to the Accelerated M.A. program by May 1 of Year 3. In anticipation of being approved to begin graduate coursework, the student meets with the DGS during the second semester of Year 3 to discuss their potential program of study for Year 4.
2. At the end of the final semester of undergraduate study (Year 4), the department will review the student’s performance in graduate-level HA courses taken in Year 4. The student, who has been graded at the graduate level, must earn a grade of B+ or better in each of these courses to be eligible for regular admission to the M.A. degree in Year 5. In anticipation of being admitted, the student meets with the DGS during the second semester of Year 4 to discuss their potential program of study for Year 5. The student will not be permitted to enroll in additional courses for graduate credit toward the M.A. degree until the B.A./B.G.S. degree has been conferred.
3. For those students who do not meet the minimum GPA requirement of 3.0 in the first semester of Year 5, the department may, at its discretion, devise a plan of study to address the student’s deficiencies, or may dismiss the student from the M.A. program.
4. The student must pass the M.A. Exam in January or May of Year 5 to graduate with the Accelerated M.A. within the 5-year period.
Students should complete all requirements for the Accelerated M.A. within one year of receiving the B.A./B.G.S. degree. If unforeseen circumstances prevent the timely completion of the M.A. degree, the student must consult with the Director of Graduate Studies to develop an alternative plan for completion.
| Freshman | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| HA 150 (Major Requirement, Core 34: Arts and Humanities (SGE))060 | 3 | HA 151 (Major Requirement) | 3 |
| ENGL 101 (Core 34: English (SGE))010 | 3 | ENGL 102 (Core 34: English (SGE))010 | 3 |
| Core 34: Social and Behavior Science (SGE)050 | 3 | Core 34: Math and Statistics (SGE)030 | 3 |
| 1st Semester Language in a relevant language - normally French, German, Italian, or Spanish (BA 2nd Language)6 | 5 | 2nd Semester Language in a relevant language - normally French, German, Italian, or Spanish (BA 2nd Language)6 | 5 |
| Core 34: Social and Behavior Science (SGE)050 | 3 | Core 34: Communications (SGE)020 | 3 |
| 17 | 17 | ||
| Sophomore | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| HA 166 (Major Requirement, Core 34: Global Culture (SGE))070 | 3 | HA 300+ Breadth Course (Major Requirement)2 | 3 |
| BA Quantitative Reasoning (QR)3 | 3 | Core 34: Natural and Physical Sciences (SGE)040 | 4-5 |
| 3rd Semester Language in a relevant language - normally French, German, Italian, or Spanish (BA 2nd Language) | 3 | BA Laboratory/Field Experience (LFE) | 1 |
| Second Area of Study/Elective/Degree/Junior-Senior Hours4 | 3 | 4th Semester Language in a relevant language - normally French, German, Italian, or Spanish (BA 2nd Language) | 3 |
| Second Area of Study/Elective/Degree/Junior-Senior Hours4 | 3 | Second Area of Study/Elective/Degree/Junior-Senior Hours4 | 3 |
| 15 | 14-15 | ||
| Junior | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| HA 300+/500+ Breadth Course (Major Requirement)2,5 | 3 | HA 300+/500+ Breadth Course (Major Requirement)2,5 | 3 |
| HA 300+/500+ Breadth Course (Major Requirement)2,5 | 3 | Core 34: US Culture (SGE)070 | 3 |
| Second Area of Study/Elective/Degree/Junior-Senior Hours4 | 3 | Core 34: Arts and Humanities (SGE)060 | 3 |
| Second Area of Study/Elective/Degree/Junior-Senior Hours4 | 3 | Second Area of Study/Elective/Degree/Junior-Senior Hours4 | 3 |
| Second Area of Study/Elective/Degree/Junior-Senior Hours4 | 3 | Second Area of Study/Elective/Degree/Junior-Senior Hours4 | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Senior | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| HA 700+ Breadth Course (MA Requirement)2 | 3 | HA 550 (Major Requirement/MA Requirement)1 | 3 |
| HA 500+ Breadth Course (Major Requirement/MA Requirement)2 | 3 | HA 500+ Breadth Course (Major Requirement/MA Requirement)2 | 3 |
| Second Area of Study/Elective/Degree/Junior-Senior Hours4 | 3 | Capstone Requirement | 3 |
| Second Area of Study/Elective/Degree/Junior-Senior Hours4 | 3 | Second Area of Study/Elective/Degree/Junior-Senior Hours4 | 3 |
| Second Area of Study/Elective/Degree/Junior-Senior Hours4 | 3 | ||
| 15 | 12 | ||
| Year 5 | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| HA 500+ Course | 3 | 700+ Graduate Seminar | 3 |
| 700+ Graduate Seminar | 3 | 800+ Graduate Seminar | 3 |
| 700+ Graduate Seminar | 3 | 800+ Graduate Seminar | 3 |
| 9 | 9 | ||
| Total Hours 138-139 | |||
- 1
This requirement can be fulfilled by taking a graduate-level seminar
- 2
History of Art Breadth requires one course in 3 out of the 4 Geographical Regions and one course in 3 out of the 4 Chronological Periods for a total of 18 hours (6 courses). See Degree Requirements tab in the Catalog for course lists.
- 3
Visit this page for a list of courses that fulfill the BA Quantitative Reasoning requirement
- 4
Hour requirements (incl. 45 jr/sr hrs) are typically met through Core 34, degree, major, second area of study and/or elective hours. Students completing the BGS with a major must choose a secondary area of study. Individual degree mapping is done in partnership with your advisor.
- 5
500+ encouraged
- 6
For students completing the language requirement via the 3+1 language option, note that many first semester languages are 5 credit hours