Arthistoryiscool

international schools are sometimes cheaper for MA- Courtauld in London is a 10month program that is super cheap even for American students and is very well respected in the US. However, doing virtual at a school abroad sounds like it wouldn't be worth it depending on how things go, so look into if these schls allow deferrals? Also they require you to apply to up to 3 specific concentrations within art history, so you need to be willing to commit to this. Also a good thing to know that is not well advertised is that the first year for art history MA is usually extremely expensive and then the second year is like 10k because you are just doing your thesis and not necessarily taking anymore classes (ex - Williams, Columbia) so they end up being the same as if you went to a school that was only 30-40k/yr but still an expense I know).

I am also interested in potentially doing a phD in the UK in art history as well! I just spoke to some USA phD students who were saying that it sounds like there typically isn't as much support at UK programs and you need to go in really knowing what you what to write about and you get out in 3yrs vs in the USA where you are taking a lot of classes, teaching, building your network, taking fellowships etc x 8yrs. Also (depending on field and school you go to there) it may make it more difficult for you to get professor teaching jobs in the US because they know the rigor and teaching experience isn't the same over there. However, there are always exceptions, one of my old profs got his PhD from Courtauld and was able to teach to at a good American school, but I bet his studying there was very relevant to his area of expertise. I hear Goldsmiths, Courtauld, Royal College are all good. I am probably leaning more towards curatorial work than teaching so am still open to doing it. I also am curious if there are any ways to get funding as an international student out there.

This could be a boost! I had a BFA from art school and am now in an art history MA program, a few of my fellow students were also either art majors or other random fields, one of them was even a textiles major too in art school. Just try to show how having this knowledge base/interest will help support and guide you in art history MA program. Good luck!

Absolutely! I went to art school and graduated with a BFA, explored other paths and then am now in an art history MA program. Your experience in the art world through this program will set you apart, use it to your advantage. it is especially helpful if you are interested in learning more about costume/textile/fashion/conservation components. I would recommend trying to do some kind of internship or volunteer position if you can, take the GRE and you are good to go! There are several art school grads in my MA art history program right now. Also have you looked into the NYU Costume Studies masters? looks super cool. Good luck!

Andrew McClellan (Tufts) - he is a top scholar in this field and has written textbooks on the subject. I believe he went to Courtauld for phD so you may want to see who he studied under there too. Janet Kraynak (Columbia)

Ugh same here, so stressful. I am bummed out that they kept pushing the start of selections, I applied 4 months ago... hoping for the best but am currently dispossessed.

I too am hoping to get a refresher for Euro art history this summer. I. started by reading over an old AH1/11 textbook to refamiliarize myself with the canon and am planning on reading Edward Said's Orientalism and maybe flipping through some old articles from my undergrad AH classes. Let me know if you have any recs! I am also hoping to work on my foreign language skills again. Often prof profiles on school websites list their recent or most notable works, may not hurt to also check those out too.

Hello! Good to know about 7/24! That's what I thought, but in one of their recent emails they said that graduate housing would be "extremely limited" due to a lot of grad students opting to keep their current on-campus housing this year. I also saw that they are doing "reduced capacity" at the dorms so i would think they would be doing the same with grad housing but who knows. I am going to go for it because my rent honestly isn't that much cheaper here and if I want to be able to kind of experience the campus even if it's very minimal. I also heard that apparently some NYC museums are planning to open in Aug which would be a nice resource to have access to as well. But I guess the silver lining is that if we get denied housing we can do online anyway.

Has anyone heard back from campus housing yet to see if you got approved for grad school housing? I am getting stressed about finding a place since it sounds like spots will be few and far between this year...

I think your profile is very strong. I would focus on a strong statement and use your artistic background to your advantage to stand out of the crowd. Also sometimes giving a refresher to your recommenders on who you are, your goals, your achievements/character can help to make their letters more personalized. Also, I would not get discouraged if you do not get into your top choices this application cycle as who knows how many students will defer this year and take spaces away from new admits. I am also an art major going into art history - it iS possible! Best of luck to you!!!

Hello! I will be attending Columbia MODA in the fall and although it is a major bummer that it won't be exactly the same, I am still excited and hopeful! Main issue is finding housing as we are coming from the West Coast. Hopefully it won't be too hard to try to get to know others in the program and have good class discussions, given mostly online/social distancing! Best of luck to everyone, hang in there and I look forward to seeing everyone this fall!

Totally. My fear personally is that we still won't have a vaccine/cure in 1 yr. and what do I do at that point? I'm just thinking of going for it and hoping for the best.

Congrats on your acceptance! I am in a similar boat but for MA. I have heard from some MA students at other schools that they could defer, but that they may not receive the same funding offer. I feel like for phD you may want to start sooner rather than later especially since you will have many years there to take advantage of all the resources the university has to offer to your research and connecting with faculty, etc. The reason i am undecided about doing online courses for MA program is I wanted to be able to experience the campus and the libraries and it is a short program. Just something to think about! Also my fear is that what if we DO defer and we still don't have a vaccine next year and. schools are still virtual. But man do I hear you about the virtual classes, it is a BUMMER. It's just not the same quality for grad level courses. I would definitely reach out to the school and ask about your funding situation next year if you defer and get it iN WRITING if they say your funding is still guaranteed. Best of luck to you!

So glad to hear! Yes I kept hearing these rumors about Columbia being a cash cow and getting no attention from profs, but after speaking with several current/recent students in the program this doesn't seem to be true at all! I have chosen Columbia and couldn't be happier with my decision, I think it will be a great fit for me!

As I contemplate master programs and my future I will likely do my MA here in the states and go abroad for phD as it is shorter and there are faculty that teach there whose interests align well with my own. However, I noticed that phD programs there are typically about 22k pounds per year and that students are usually only given 5-10k in funding. I also imagine that many native students are getting grants from the UK, but that would of course not apply to me. Anyone know of good resources/ways to get funding and stipend for a phD abroad that is actually attainable? Obviously couldn't go 200k in debt just to get a phd...Thank you!!!