Advice for an Art History MA SoP

[erg]

Hey. I see a lot of advice everywhere for a PhD, but not much for a terminal masters. I'm interested in a masters so that I can get a job at a museum or pickier gallery. I'm applying to a few programs that either focus entirely on museums or split it with art history, but the majority are devoted solely to art history.

My problem with my essay has to do with the first half. Following Donald Asher's advice, I started it with an anecdote about how I was exposed to arts and crafts at an early age through my family (but, maybe that's too passive since I wasn't the one making the art?). Then, I described how I became more interested in art on an intellectual level once I started taking classes. That should be common sense, I guess, but I do also mention how the art history BA was originally a stepping-stone to a film archival degree. I followed that with how my internship at a gallery was the deciding factor in my choosing a career in an art insitution, rather than one dedicated to something else.

I feel like the inclusion of the part about returning to school to focus on film is important, because then I couldn't even explain why I got into art history to begin with. But, I wonder if it draws attention away. Also, while I really do love research and am involved in a more research-intensive internship now, the gallery gig really inspired me to change my grad plans. But, I've been reading so much advice that seems to focus on research-based internships that I'm confused as to which I should acknowledge. And, I'd love to at least mention the new one (because it will culminate in a nice little project), but wouldn't that be too much?

Thanks!

[fullofpink]

Please do not include the anecdote about your exposure to the arts. This is a big no-no in the art history statement of purpose. I would start off strong by stating your intellectual achievements (Where you got your BA and how your coursework introduced you to film, which is what you want to get).

You also do not explain or at least mention in your post why the school you are applying to is a particularly good fit. I would spend a good portion of your Statement making a case for this.

Your statement isn't a statement about the deciding factors that make you want to go to grad school, it's about the qualifications you have to pursue graduate work and how the school you are applying to will best serve yours and its own purposes by accepting you. Faculty that study in your area, internship opportunities, and classwork the school offers are all valid to discuss.

Best of luck.

[erg]

Thanks, fullofpink. This is so confusing. So, I don't need some sort of hook at the beginning? What about making it a chronological narrative? I haven't been able to find one sample of an art history sop to use as a guide.

I returned to finish a BA after years away so that I could later pursue something in film, because it was something that I had wanted to do since I was a child. However, for practical reasons, I ended up in art history and found that I liked it. So, that is why I ask if I should even mention film. I would've probably studied something else has I not returned for film.

[fullofpink]

No need to justify your change of past plans, just explain how your studies have influenced you to the direction you are studying today -- including the internships. I wouldn't bog them down with any mishaps, they probably aren't going to really care. I wouldn't spend more than one paragraph mentioning undergraduate education. I would use a paragraph to talk about your internship experiences and how they have motivated you for your intended career choice. I would also spend a good chunk talking about the school you are applying to individually.

Livejournal use to have some good statements to look at, but most require an account to look at: http://applyingtograd.livejournal.com/tag/art%20history. Don't know how useful they may be.

[Bearcat1]

Everything fullofpink says is right. The only difference between an MA and a PhD SoP is that you don't need to be as focused on what you want to work on. For example, rather than having a viable dissertation idea, I think it's acceptable to say that you want to work on gender representations in nineteenth-century British portraiture. For a PhD, you'd want examples and more specifics, but most MA programs don't expect you to have as clear of an idea for a thesis. But do not start with a story about why you like art! That's the kiss of death.

[JosephineB]

Please do not include the anecdote about your exposure to the arts. This is a big no-no in the art history statement of purpose. I would start off strong by stating your intellectual achievements (Where you got your BA and how your coursework introduced you to film, which is what you want to get).

I don't necessarily think that's true. When I was applying to grad schools my advisors encouraged me to begin with an anecdote about how I became interested in Art History. I recounted a story about how my school librarian wouldn't let 3rd grade me check out a book on Van Gogh because she thought it was inappropriate. Everyone who revised my statements raved about how much they liked the anecdote. I got in (with funding) to every school I applied.

I think if you do it right without being cliche and have a strong voice as a writer, anecdotes can be a good thing.

[Shelley Burian]

What I found the most helpful,particularly with the anecdote stuff was to have an art history professor I was close to read it. If you can get feedback from your professors, they are absolutely the best people to look at your SOP because they have experience on the admissions side of things in the field. They can help you judge whether a particular segment will be well received or not. Its always a risk to accept someone's advice, because not everyone agrees, but I found that regarding the SOP most professors have a good general idea of what schools look for in candidates.