Lady Gray

This is a little late, but to add my 2 cents: I have been told throughout my application process that having an MA is not at all an advantage when applying for a PhD - quite the opposite. Such candidates often need to justify why they went for a terminal masters, since this is indeed considered a less serious path. In all of academia, there is a real stigma against paying for graduate school, regardless of whether you can afford it. Serious students are supposed to be funded.

Has anyone heard anything from the IFA?

I must say I have been told rather the opposite: not only is it not a disadvantage to apply to PhD programs without an MA, it is sometimes a disadvantage to get a terminal master's and then apply to the PhD. Many see the MA as a less serious degree (which is why many top programs, you'll notice, don't even offer a terminal masters) and you will be required to explain why you didn't enter into a doctoral program to begin with. Some professors will assume, or suspect, that PhD candidates who already have an MA weren't initially strong enough applicants to go directly into a doctoral program. I realize this isn't true across the board, but, well, it should be emphasized that applying without an MA under your belt should absolutely not be a hindrance.

There are very few MA programs that offer any sort of funding at all. You have probably heard of the master's degree being the "cash cow" for a lot of schools. Awful but true. If self-funding is simply not an option for you, you may want to look at a few PhDs...?

Hey, I want to talk more about the CUNY program! I plan to apply this Fall for the PhD. ristastic, did you end up continuing to the doctoral program there? I know if I was in your place I almost certainly wouldn't continue to haunt a graduate admissions forum, but on the offchance that you are kinder than me, any thoughts to share? I hear good things about this program, too, but I am not yet convinced of its rigorousness or the quality of the students. How competitive are admissions? Anyone have any perspective?

Hi suilove. Since I'm just beginning this merry-go-round myself, I can't really offer much advice, but I thought I'd identify myself in response to your call for comrades. I'm looking at PhDs for Modern/Contemporary western art, possibly considering a curatorial focus where available (but slightly suspicious of that, as well). Think I'm looking at the NYU IFA, CUNY Grad Center, Harvard, Princeton, Bryn Mawr, U. Chicago. Unambitious, you could say. Where are you located, may I ask? There's a really neat-looking symposium on contemporary Chinese art at MoMA next month.

Hey there. I would ask your undergraduate professors if they can put you in touch with former students of theirs who are currently working on/have recently completed graduate degrees at the schools that interest you.