modmuse
-
Posts
35 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Everything posted by modmuse
-
CUNY Art Histoy MA. Passing on IFA and SVA for a less expensive/funded degree where I can take classes with the phd cohort and start to build connections with POI for the future!
-
Comparing Art History MA programs: BU, NYU(IFA), Tufts, Columbia
modmuse replied to ALA85's topic in Art History
Choose the school that best aligns with your academic interests. There should be professor(s) that engage with the focus of your studies, an of course the more specifically the better. I'm sure you know that this isn't a lucrative field, so if you have funding options in Boston (funding is a non-starter for MAs at the IFA and Columbia), then consider that too. Ultimately, while being in New York is helpful, you can always pursue summer internships here to build connections, and the best thing you can do for yourself is to be academically strong in your focus.- 6 replies
-
- 1
-
-
- art history programs
- comparing art history programs
- (and 4 more)
-
Your best bet, IMO, is to take art history classes at the community college over the summer (try to take 2 or even 3 if you can), and do really well in them. If you want to apply to an art history MA, you need to demonstrate that you can do well in those types of classes. This way, if you do well, you can explain that you were focused on your studio practice and use the good grades from the community college to demonstrate reinforce that. Otherwise, there's no reason why they're going to take you at your word regarding those grades (especially if you don't have a letter of rec from an art history prof., which you could also get by taking the community college classes).
-
@1401renaissance Maybe the best way for you to decide is to look up some of the people with your dream job and see where they've gone to school. That should give you a sense of how they got to where they are, and also show you if any patterns regarding school or type of program come up. Good luck!
-
I'd encourage everyone to keep in mind it's really busy at the museum since some exhibits are close to finishing up and others are in the last stages of being put together. Also, they're pretty quick about letting you know if they like you -- I was notified that I got the internship just three days after my interview.
-
So, this doesn't directly answer your question, but does address something you said -- that you're looking for a program that prepares you for the "real world". I would really discourage you for paying for a degree from an auction house program, unless you know for sure that you want to work in an auction house. They are virtually useless in the museum side of things. If you are really concerned about real world experience, then I would recommend applying for internships. Nothing trains you for the real world like the real world! Or, look into curatorial studies programs. Columbia has a "minor" in that, as does NYU. There's also Bard Center for Curatorial Studies, CalArts has a program too, and SVA has a curatorial practice program that, although new, has yielded successful alumni so far (one at The Kitchen and one at the Hirshhorn). Not trying to discourage you at all, I'm sure you know what's right for you, just sharing some alternatives that as an international student you maybe didn't know about!
-
Thanks for this! It is interesting to see in black and white, although if I were putting this list together, I think it would look a bit different. For example, a sizable chunk of the people you listed from MoMA are curatorial assistants. So, while they do have a lot of influence on the exhibits, at the end of the day the ones writing the exhibition proposals and really making those choices all have PhDs. I think to consider them full-blown curators is incorrect and you may end up cutting yourself at the knees jobs-wise if you choose to not pursue a PhD only because the entry-level curatorial positions don't require them. Just my two cents (from someone hell-bent on not doing a PhD until I did my internship, and quickly realized I would definitely need it to feel competitive in the market). I don't know, maybe all the PhD preaching finally got to me.
- 349 replies
-
- 2
-
-
- admissions
- admissions season
- (and 4 more)
-
Same, please re-share!
- 349 replies
-
- 1
-
-
- admissions
- admissions season
- (and 4 more)
-
Yeah, I'm having a super hard time deciding. I'm a curatorial intern at MoMA right now, and was an associate director of a contemporary gallery for 3 years. I'm not sure more curatorial experience is going to boost my application for both jobs or PhD. The Art History MA is at one of the CUNY schools, and has the option of taking classes with the PhD cohort after the first semester; it's both cheaper, and very enticing for that reason. BUT the curatorial practice program is way smaller (like, 12 students total vs. 90), and the professors are actual curators first and foremost, and I know at several students who are graduating already have curatorial assistant positions through the connections they've made. TL;DR - No idea whether to prioritize connections or a more "traditional" course of study. It's really a tough choice!
-
Does anyone have a strong opinion about doing an Art History MA vs. a Curatorial Practice MA, as far as doing a PhD later on goes? The Curatorial Practice program is way smaller, and the professors are people who work in the field first and foremost, and teach secondarily (so they have connections for jobs in their museums, etc). But, I feel like a more traditional Art History MA would be better for a future PhD (and it's a much more affordable program). I don't know which to pick!