staxdo_21

What school said that to you? Right now, I am debating whether to reapply to BU. I was accepted to their MA program last year, but not their Ph.D. program, and did not receive funding. I couldn't justify the expense, though I am still interested in their program. I am eyeing a few other programs as well.

Good point, I have confirmed with the schools I am applying to for the first time, but not the potential repeats.

I was very happy to have been accepted to their MA program because that included being placed on a waitlist for a 50% tuition scholarship. However, the scholarship did not come through, and I wasn't able to justify the fees and chose not to enroll. I am not applying again to their Ph.D. program, and am thinking about how to retool my SOP to demonstrate growth. I do have a year long project to point to but am wondering about everything else. Has anyone been in a similar situation? How have you approached it?

I've deferred my acceptance to an MA program and, in the meantime, have decided to apply to a few Ph.D. programs. The ones I didn't have bandwidth to apply to last year are an easy choice, but I'm still debating on which programs to reapply to. Some of the curatorial projects I was just beginning last fall are now past, which I can discuss in my SOP. Besides that, not too much has changed. On the one hand, I've heard its best not to reapply to a program unless you've gone through significant growth. On the other hand, I've heard it can be a bit of the luck of the draw. For one of the Ph.D. programs I applied to last year, I was told that they strongly considered my app, but then only accepted me to the MA program because that particular professor could only take on a few students. I'm wondering if that will be the same story once again.. For me, the issue is that I am an older student and don't have time to wait a few years and go back, plus I have a offer on hold for next fall. How have others navigated their second or third application cycle?

Hello! I can't speak extensively on this topic since my focus is in Contemporary Latin American art, but I have noted places that seem to offer a lot of course work on the subject. I hope to take a couple of classes in Islamic art in grad school if I can fit it in. I've observed strong offerings at Hunter and Berkeley. Also, any program with a strong South Asian and Southeast Asian and/or African art curricula will most likely offer a few classes on the subject. You should also look at programs overseas.

Thank you for this reassurance! Its helped me adjust my thinking as far as school selections, though my top Ph.D program has always been a public school.

I'm in a different situation but am facing similar circumstances. I have a background in English and Studio Art but have been taking classes and building my profession experience in the Art History field for a number of years. I applied to a mix of MA and Ph.D. programs not knowing if I would be accepted to any. I was accepted to 2/3 MA programs I applied to (one where I was asked to apply to the MA program after being rejected from the Ph.D. pool). Only one of the schools put me on a scholarship list (School 1) and I'm not sure it will go through before April 15th. The other school is a highly regarded city school which would offer both a really strong academic experience and a highly affordable tuition rate. Both programs are great, I feel grateful to have offers from both considering I did not major in Art History. I recently met with a faculty member from School 1 and they said they strongly considered me for the Ph.D. program which honestly left me speechless. It made me wonder if I should also wait to enroll to any program and instead, apply to a wider number of Ph.D. programs next year. However, after sharing my thoughts with one of my mentors, he said that it would be better for me to go through an MA program so that I could further refine my research skills before advancing onto a Ph.D. program. I agree with him in all aspects except that I am an older student with loans from a Post-Bac program that I am still paying off. It makes the idea of taking on more significant debt really daunting. Yet, maybe I am crazy to think I can really get into any Ph.D program without an MA since I am switching fields? It's all very stressful!

I was accepted into an MA program at BU and was in touch with the financial aid department in the hopes of learning more about whatever loans I might qualify for. However, they explained they utilize an "active borrowing" model, meaning I will only find out what federal loans I qualify for after I enroll in classes, which I cannot do until closer to the start of the semester. I've never heard of this before and it makes me nervous. The last thing I want to do is take out private loans. Are there any BU Master's students who have navigated this? BU is so pricey that I can only go if my scholarship goes through anyway and now I feel even more unsure about committing to the program.

I was accepted into an MA program at BU and was in touch with the financial aid department in the hopes of learning more about whatever loans I might qualify for. However, they explained they utilize an "active borrowing" model, meaning I will only find out what federal loans I qualify for after I enroll in classes, which I cannot do until closer to the start of the semester. I've never heard of this before and it makes me nervous. The last thing I want to do is take out private loans. Are there any BU Master's students who have navigated this? BU is so pricey that I can only go if my scholarship goes through anyway and now I feel even more unsure about committing to the program.

I am potentially moving to NYC to attend Hunter this year, and am looking for older rooms (35 -45 yo). I will be working at least part-time during the program so will be busy but hope to find friendly roommates. I am also an artist and am trying to figure out if I'll have time to make any artwork at all during the program but I hope to as I am probably attending part-time for now.

I'm also deciding on Hunter and trying to work out if moving to NYC is a truly viable option. That said, I don't think a Ph.D. is necessary for becoming a museum curator, I know a number of professional curators who do not have a Ph.D.

Was BU upfront about their funding offer in your acceptance letter?

As far as recommenders, I would just be honest and say that you wish to build a mentor relationship with them but sometimes feel awkward or anxious because of the expectation you place on yourself. You can also just name this for yourself while pretending your find from the outside. As far as statements of purpose, that is a whole craft and there aren't a tone of great examples online. I can message you with some suggestions but one thing is to be really concise and specific. Talk a bit about what you've done, what you are doing now, and why the school you are looking at can specifically help with your next evolution as an artist. It actually takes a long time to write a good statement and even ones that I've read that are supposedly strong are pretty vague and generic. Mention specific elements of the program, specific faculty you wish to work with and how their practice informs your own. The more you can demonstrate understanding of your artist practice and your objectives and how that aligns with the program's specific attributes, the better. Don't just say location or reputation. In regards to reaching out, every program will have different policies but I find it better to email the art department more generally. Their point-person can let you know the department policies e.g. someone told me that faculty will not talk to prospective students while another person connected me with the chair. Sometimes you need to reach out the graduate office who will have students or alumni already assigned to talk with prospective students. It takes time, and sometimes you just get radio silence no matter what. Anyway, feel welcome to DM me and good luck!

Thank you so much for your response! Its good to hear some more perspectives on Hunter, especially since I've read a few assessments where the poster didn't count any program outside of the Ivies as worth pursuing. I'd love to hear more about your experience in the LatAm Art History field. I've actually never taken a formal class on the subject but have been a long time fan as an artist myself. My writing sample focuses on a Latin American artist, and I feel so grateful that it showed enough promise for Hunter to extend an offer. I'm still waiting on the actual offer, and am crossing my fingers in the hopes that they offer me at least some funding.

I was just accepted to Hunter's MA in Art History program and I am hoping that past and current MA students can share their experiences with me? I am looking to focus in Contemporary Latin American art, and Hunter seems like a very good fit for that. One of my former professors and mentors said that the school has a stellar reputation which I've also heard but I haven't found a ton of articles online regarding how it compares with other MA programs.

What did you decide? I just got accepted into Hunter and I too wish to focus in Contemporary Latin American Art. I'm still waiting to hear from a couple of other schools, though.

I also haven't been asked for any interviews which is very nerve racking. I've come to terms that I might need to apply again next year which isn't completely surprising given that I did not major or even minor in Art History. Instead I've been taking classes and organizing a bunch of independent curatorial projects. Anyone else in the same boat?

@art.historian.cat thank you, that's helpful to know. I'll look into those faculty members.

Thank you for that suggestion. I'd have to research Tulane as I've only been looking at highly progressive institutes but thats an intriguing program structure. I'll also check out UBC, thanks!

Hi there, I plan to apply to MA and Ph.D. programs in Fall 2021(not yet an option in Gradcafe profile settings) and am looking for programs and faculty that can support my interests. I hope to focus on contemporary art of the Americas, specifically contemporary Latin American and contemporary Indigenous North American art, through the framework of CRT and Decoloniality. After attending an art and design school for my post-bac, I am seeking out liberal arts colleges with strong Gender and Race Studies departments and strong Latin American Studies departments. I am already looking at UC Berkeley and UC Santa Cruz. I also had the privilege of attending the Vision and Justice Convening at Harvard, so I am well aware of the amazing Sarah Lewis and her work. Other schools I am looking at: UCLA BU Grad Center at CUNY CUNY Hunter I went to UC Santa Cruz during my junior year of college and would prefer to go there or somewhere out West, or in NYC, mainly because New England has been a weird place to have discussions on race and gender. Plenty is going on as far as public programming, but the actual dialogue can be weird. Any advice you can offer is extremely helpful!

@erikaash I've thought about applying for an MA before a PhD but, as you referenced, the length of an Art History PhD is so incredibly long in the States. I'm hoping to take a course on research methodologies next fall to better prepare myself, though I am wondering if I should hold off until I am actually in a program? Trying to be cost effective.

Hi Federico, Do you mean four courses? Four credits seems very low. I would imagine that Italy would have some fantastic courses in art history, and would reach out to universities in your area. Also, reach out to a few MA programs in the US to see how international credits would be evaluated, I would assume it would be fine from a reputable institution. Lastly, I'd say wait a couple of years before rushing in. You just graduated. Make sure its not a fleeting fancy.

I'd imagine that your eight art history courses will make a compelling case, especially if you did well in them. However, I would definitely submit a writing sample that focuses on art history in some direct fashion. I'm pretty sure that's a requirement unless you can somehow link your argument to an artist's work.

@neversure2 Still researching but thus far: CUNY, UC Berkeley, perhaps UCLA...

@manierata Are you a NY state resident, and, if so, do you think that had an impact on your scholarship package?