Bard CCS vs Courtauld art history MA

[CHINESEGOLD]

Hello everyone,

So I'm faced with the very difficult task of choosing between these two programs, and was curious if anyone could chime in because I'm really torn. For some context, for the Courtauld, I was accepted into the Chinese contemporary art cohort. Essentially at the end of the day, although I love writing and research, I want to ultimately get into the museum/institutional side of things, not academia. Specifically within the field of contemporary art (as broad as that is). I don't really want a PhD but I'm open to it later on but I kind of want to just finish my MA and start working.

 

Bard is my strong first choice right now just because I mostly read/consume stuff from the New York art world and I have a strong interest in net/post-net art and theory. In general the school's intellectual profile seems to along more strongly with mine, both in syllabus and faculty. The other pull for me is the program's vocational elements,  summer externships, "practical" skill development etc. The main cons I'm looking at is that I'm nervous that because there's no grad thesis paper, it will hamper me in proceeding towards a PhD if I choose to after. The second con is kind of weird one. Specifically, I'm fresh out of undergrad with very little art world experience and I'm afraid I'll drown in a program that seems to mostly have post-grad students and people with art world experience.

 

Courtauld pros are one year length, brand name and the fact that I'll produce an MA paper. That's about it. The specialization I was accepted to is something I care about but not as strongly as net/post net art and I'm further hampered by the fact that I've been accepted into Chinese contemporary but speak nor read Mandarin. I'm sure they accepted me into this stream for a reason but it still seems like something that will hamper me. It doesn't really have a vocational element either. I've heard talk of the "Courtauld Mafia" but I have no idea how to navigate the gap between a writing/research based degree and employment. Bard seems to have a ton of networking built in.

 

Money isn't a factor here, my family is helping me out + I won't know my Courtauld funding package for a couple more weeks.

 

Thanks!!

[Surreal Estate]

You seem much more excited about the Bard program. Perhaps there is an option there to do a semester of independent study with one or more professors who can help you devise and develop a thesis-length paper?

I personally don't think you need to worry about a lack of art-world experience. Certainly it can help to have it, but the purpose of school is to train you and bring you up to speed with the kinds of conversations that are happening in your field (in your case, contemporary art). You might feel uncomfortable or outranked at times, but being around peers with more experience will be part of your education, and you'll learn a ton about opportunities that are available and what pitfalls to avoid, based on their experience. 

[Artgirl87]

Go to Bard; you can always write a paper later.

Moreover, most art history PhDs in the US only ask for a 20 or 25 page paper in the admission application (which is far shorter than an MA thesis; my UK masters' paper, for instance, was ~ 60 pages). 

Also, if you aren't interested in Chinese art long term, then going to the Courtauld doesn't really make sense, as their coursework is very specific.

[raye237]

You are definitely more excited about Bard, even though the Courtauld would be great too. It seems like you might regret choosing the Courtauld if your heart is really set on Bard, which also has a great alumni network for contemporary specifically. Also, I don't know if you've visited Bard but you may want to keep in mind that Bard is in a very rural area not super close to NYC (as opposed to the Courtauld which is in the center of London). Another factor to consider this year is what the fall semester will look like at each school in response to COVID-19. I am personally waiting on depositing for the Courtauld MA as long as I can until there is more information available.

[annarchy666]

1 hour ago, raye237 said:

You are definitely more excited about Bard, even though the Courtauld would be great too. It seems like you might regret choosing the Courtauld if your heart is really set on Bard, which also has a great alumni network for contemporary specifically. Also, I don't know if you've visited Bard but you may want to keep in mind that Bard is in a very rural area not super close to NYC (as opposed to the Courtauld which is in the center of London). Another factor to consider this year is what the fall semester will look like at each school in response to COVID-19. I am personally waiting on depositing for the Courtauld MA as long as I can until there is more information available.

Bard proper is in rural NY, but the Bard graduate center is in Manhattan.

Edited April 20, 2020 by annarchy666

[raye237]

1 hour ago, annarchy666 said:

Bard proper is in rural NY, but the Bard graduate center is in Manhattan.

Yes but Bard CCS is on the Bard campus in Annandale-on-Hudson. The Bard graduate center does not give the curatorial MA.