contemporary chinese art history - best programs?

[mf2232]

So, I'm planning on applying to art history grad programs this fall with my focus being on contemporary chinese art (I'm still figuring out whether I want to go for an ma or phd). Does anyone have experience doing an ma or phd with a focus on 20th century Chinese art? what schools would you recommend? Thanks!

[annbkim]

University of Chicago. It actually boasts the school's strength in that field on its department website.

[Eggleston]

I second that recommendation. Wu Hung is fantastic.

[mooncake88]

Wu Hung <3

[mf2232]

thanks for the help/wu hung love. yeah, i am probably applying to uchicago, though i seems they only have a phd program, no masters option. any other places with strong faculty in contemporary chinese art? i appreciate any in-depth feedback. thanks!

[londonWill]

This is a bit of a long shot, but if you were considering going for a Masters the Courtauld in London is launching an MA in contemporary chinese art:

http://www.courtauld.ac.uk/degreeprogrammes/postgraduate/ma/specialistareas/remadeinchina.shtml

It's kind of a specialised course, dictated to a large degree by the research interests of the particular lecturer- in this case, a young academic who received her PhD in 2011. However, Julian Stallabrass (a more senior professor at the Courtauld) is also interested in globalised contemporary art (notably from China and India), and you would have the opportunity to forge connections with academics in other University of London colleges (UCL and SOAS). Of course cost and location may be overriding factors, but it's worth noting that the Courtauld has a very good record of placing its MA students in top American PhD programs- a sampling of graduate student profiles on department websites (Columbia, Harvard, Berkelely et al.) attests to that. Also its effectively a 9 month program (October-July), so you would be done soon enough and in a strong position for the next application cycle. Just a thought...