Masters in Art History Online

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A few of the biggest dilemmas when deciding to enroll in a master’s program are which program to pursue, which school to pick, and which university to enroll in. And then, there are other considerations such as cost, placements, starting salary, employment rates, acceptance rates, etc. We at OMC went through all these matrices and created a list of the best online master’s in art history programs. There are no absolutes such as the best online master’s in art history degree programs or the greatest; it all depends on the criteria a student decides to value most and pick up a program accordingly. These criteria could be ease of commute or yearly tuition, or simply an asynchronous program that the student is looking into. Here is a list of the best art history masters online including best art history MA programs: 

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Source – Integrated Post Secondary Education Data System & University Data
*Tuition rates are for in-state and per year. Program specific rates may apply.
**NA – data not available

The master of art history will provide students with a comprehensive understanding of art history as well as the methodological tools unique to art history. It also allows them to specialize in a field that will prepare them for curatorial work in the future. For those with a passion for the arts and cultural history, an online art history degree will transform that passion into a career. This degree will build abilities that will prepare individuals for professions in the field or for pursuing a Ph.D. by completing a master’s paper or thesis, as well as foreign language fluency and coursework. 

Students can pick from a broad range of topics while pursuing a master’s in art history online, from ancient to contemporary art and architecture in Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa, and Oceania. Museum studies, history, iconology, criticism, connoisseurship, and research methodologies are among the other courses available. An online art history degree advances a student’s career in museums, galleries, education, publishing, academia, criticism, or other arts-related disciplines. 

Masters in Art History Degree Types

A master’s in art history online has a few variants depending upon the choice of specializations and the university of study. And accordingly, the major and the minor subjects change. The credits required would usually be around 30, and the time taken to complete the course would be about 24 months.  

There are typically two-degree types that can be pursued depending on the field of study. They are: 

The GRE general test and the GRE subject tests are taken by individuals applying to graduate programs, including business and law. For more than 60 years, GRE scores have been used by admissions and fellowship panels at thousands of graduate programs across the world to supplement an applicant’s undergraduate grades and other qualifications for graduate study.  

Graduate programs would typically require a GRE score to get into the masters in art history program. But nowadays, universities would skip the GRE scores required for admission to their graduate programs. Most schools attribute this change to the fact that nowadays, a significant chunk of graduate students are full-time working professionals who do not have the time to prepare for the GRE. Therefore, the combination of work experience and undergraduate GPA covers grading them for graduate admission. Also, since online courses do not have a cap on the intake of students, universities have become far more open to students interested in pursuing higher studies. 

Below are a few masters in art history no GRE examples: 

• Master of Arts in Modern and Contemporary Art History — School of the Art Institute of Chicago 
• Mls Concentration in Art — Fort Hays State University 
• Master of Arts in Art History — The School of Art & Art History at the University of South Florida 

Those who are very motivated full-time art history students might be served well by enrolling in an accelerated master’s program in art history. However, these accelerated programs are very fast-paced and quite rigorous. They let high-achieving students earn graduate credits while still pursuing an undergraduate course. But these courses are not for everyone, and students must research well before getting into one of these programs. The Accelerated MA in Art History is one such example. 

The advantages of such fast-track programs are:

• Earning a master’s degree online and in half the time.
• Reducing costs in schooling and tuition.
• Simplifying the graduate school research process.

Sometimes we take education so seriously that we forget to realize that there are the best courses from the best institutions which are free. These institutions are using online platforms to increase free education to reach the maximum audiences. We look at a few of such master’s in art history online free courses:  

Harvard University 

Discovering History Through Artworks, Artifacts – Students would understand history, museum studies, and curation by looking at, organizing, and interpreting art, artifacts, scientific curiosities, and the stuff of everyday life. 

Cosmopolitan Tang: Aristocratic Culture in China – Students would explore the reunification of China under the Tang with a focus on aristocratic culture — from poetry to calligraphy to literature. 

Buddhism Through its Scriptures – Students would learn about the rich and diverse beliefs and practices of Buddhists across time and place. Experience Buddhism through its scriptures, both relationally as well as academically. 

Massachusetts Institute of Technology 

World Music: Global Rhythms – Students would learn to recognize, feel, and play rhythms from around the world.  

Keeping in mind the amount of student debt and the cost of education these days, and the amount of debt that each student carries, it is of prime importance how one chooses to fund their online master in art history program fees. The smartest way to fund education is a scholarship. For more information, students can refer to this link here for scholarships. 

It might happen that someone does not qualify for a scholarship; for such candidates, if they are working professionals, they can check with their employers to reimburse the tuition fee. Another way of funding an online art history master’s is to apply for a student loan. Students can also check if they are eligible for federal student aid through the FAFSA Application. 

A scholarship is a financial aid given to a student for study based on academic accomplishment or other criteria, including financial necessity. Merit-based and need-based scholarships are the two most frequent types of scholarships. 

We actively urge students interested in studying art or art history to apply for scholarships. These awards are based on merit and are evaluated and selected by appropriate committees. If qualified, students may apply for more than one grant; however, each student can only receive one scholarship award. 

Below are a few listed scholarships for an online masters in art history: 

Webster – Navarrete Excellence in Art History Award 

Seniors studying Art History in the department. An annual award of excellence was established in 2020 by Professor Susan V. Webster, Jane W. Mahoney Emerita of Art History and American Studies, and her husband Hornán Navarrete, a photographer. Awards are based on merit. A faculty committee will determine recipients and award amounts; no application is required.

Leslie Cheek Jr. Scholarship in Art History 

All declared majors who are studying Art History in the department. Leslie Cheek was the Chair of the Department from 1937-to 39, a distinguished critic, and the acclaimed director of the Virginia Museum of Fine Art. This award, established in 1979, is based on merit. Applications consist of a statement (500 words) of how one’s study of art history relates to one’s career objectives, a current transcript from BannerWeb, and one letter of recommendation from an Art History faculty member. 

Holmes Scholarship Need-based scholarship for Art and Art History majors to study abroad in Florence, Italy. Preference will be given to Art History concentrators in their Junior or Senior year. Awards are up to $3,200. Application deadlines vary for awards in spring, fall, summer, and academic years. 

Louis E. Catron Grant for Artistic Development These grants support the artistic growth of talented students in the creative and performing arts through off-campus educational experiences, either at a formal educational institution or through structured practical hands-on exposure. Although the number of awards and funding amounts vary, the maximum awarded is $5,000. 

There are a host of career opportunities that open post an art history online master’s program. – from the role of museum workers, curators, or archivists to senior positions like an art director or a director of a historical institution (like a museum or an art university). Highlighted below are a few such roles: 

Though there are no state or federal certification or licensing requirements to practice the vocation of art history, it is always advisable for newbies entering the industry to get certifications done from established professional organizations in their field of study. This will help them connect with established players and find greater acceptance in the industry. Below are a few certificate courses that students may pursue after their online life sciences masters: 

1. Seeing History Through Artists’ Eyes: Artists such as Picasso, David, and Goya came to grips with the political upheavals of their day with heroic and searing images that elicit our admiration or moral outrage.  
2. African Art Through the Centuries: The arts of Africa have been shaped by distinct creative insight as well as specific political, social, religious, and economic pressures, from the bright paintings found in Stone Age caves to the abstract sculptures created during the continent’s colonial history. 
3. Art and Kingship in Southeast Asia: This course examines ancient Southeast Asia’s cultural and artistic traditions from the earliest archaeological evidence to the beginnings of colonialism, with a focus on the royal arts of the great civilizations that arose within the borders of modern Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, Burma (Myanmar), Vietnam, Laos, and Malaysia. 

Post a masters in art history, it would be a great move forward to get associated with a professional organization in the field of study. Doing so immediately connects students to their industry peers as well as keeps them abreast with the latest trends happening in the industry. Accreditation is another crucial function of associations, helping professionals enhance and prove their capabilities. Here are a few organizations that can be of immense help: