I'm just going to ask it. Why would you pay for an MA in art history? Getting into a program with funding is a completely different story, but on a very pragmatic level (away from all the gushing humanist stuff), why would you invest 30,000+ in a field where the average starting salary starts in the mid-30s? I know there are exceptions to the rule, but I think you're smart for being scared of the cost of an MA. It looks like I'm going to have to get an MA at this point, but it will be on the cheap at an in-state public school.
I don't know, though. What about working in an art library?