Canadian Schools

[Eliza123]

I am trying to decide between MA in Art History at UBC, UofT or McGill. I only have funding for McGill and UBC (twice the amount McGill is offering...). Any advice? Has anyone completed a program at any of these schools?

[equestrian19]

Hi isadoraduncan,

 

I did my undergrad at UofT and would highly recommend the department if you're pursuing either Medieval/Byzantine (Adam Cohen, Linda Safran) or Modern/Contemporary (Mark Cheetham, Elizabeth something). UofT's graduate faculty come from all three campuses and not just St. George. Although as an undergrad at St. George campus I did take a few art history credits at UTM, which has an excellent art history faculty as well (Jill Caskey, John Ricco, Alison Syme). The resources in Toronto and not just in terms of the library cannot be matched at either McGill and definitely not at UBC.

 

UBC has a good faculty and a sizable fellowship adds to the resume. I am now in Vancouver so I can tell you the department has some amazing people and then some not so amazing. If money is an important factor then you have your answer. Finally, with McGill you cannot go wrong. Amazing people, amazing department, open to new ideas and everything in-between. Amelia Jones, Will Straw, and so on. Although, I have only heard of McGill second hand and not from my own experience, so take what I say with that in mind.

 

As for the cities, I am partial to Toronto but for many other reasons, you shouldn't have any trouble with either Vancouver (other than the horrid rains!) or Montreal (except for the snow!).

 

I hope this helps!

Edited March 7, 2013 by equestrian19

[poliscar]

If your area is Modern/Contemporary or Northwest Coast Indigenous go to UBC; Serge Guilbaut, John O'Brian, Charlotte Townsend-Gault, and Jaleh Mansoor are all badass. There is also a very active curatorial program (which I don't think is matched by anything offered at U of T or McGill) and a lot of the MA and PhD students take the curatorial studies courses. 

In other cases however, I would go to McGill or Toronto. UBC doesn't really have an early modernist at the moment, and isn't a particularly strong department for Medieval or Classical art. There are some really cool scholars in Asian Studies if you're working on Asian art/material culture, but by and large the Art History department isn't particularly stellar in that area either. 

 

Edited March 8, 2013 by poliscar

[kunstgeschichtedude]

If your area is Modern/Contemporary or Northwest Coast Indigenous go to UBC; Serge Guilbaut, John O'Brian, Charlotte Townsend-Gault, and Jaleh Mansoor are all badass. There is also a very active curatorial program (which I don't think is matched by anything offered at U of T or McGill) and a lot of the MA and PhD students take the curatorial studies courses. 

In other cases however, I would go to McGill or Toronto. UBC doesn't really have an early modernist at the moment, and isn't a particularly strong department for Medieval or Classical art. There are some really cool scholars in Asian Studies if you're working on Asian art/material culture, but by and large the Art History department isn't particularly stellar in that area either. 

 

 

 I am happy to announce that one of my professors at Stony Brook University, Joseph Monteyne, will be joining the UBC Art History faculty as the new Early Modern scholar. He's a fantastic teacher! I  don't think I would be as overjoyed for him if I wasn't a senior. He is also very well read in the Northern Renaissance period, and has recently developed an interest in Baroque/Early Modern New Spain. Stony Brook is losing a great instructor and man!

[Shelley Burian]

Although I am a McGill grad and love the school, I would suggest that unless there is a particular professor you really want to study with there I would do one of the other schools. It's not a good time to studying at any Quebec university frankly, as the funding situation is so uncertain and there is still a lot of tension over higher education financing. I would not be surprised if McGill is forced to cut future graduate funding. McGill's art history program is also not nearly as well known as Toronto's is in terms of PhD studies down the road. I would also concur that there is less curatorial experience as the program does not have a direct affiliation with either MBAM or MAC, although you certainly can get introduced to people and make those ties yourself, as I did.

[ereissoup]

Sorry for the necro (I guess I'm in a similar situation to the OP now, though), I would add that something to consider is that while the MA programs at McGill and UBC are both 2 year, thesis-based programs, the MA at UofT is 1 year, course-work based. I'm not sure how this would affect potential PhD applications moving forward from those degrees, although it seems like it would be harder to garner recommendation letters at UofT because of the application cycle timeline.

 

Thoughts?

[Melian4]

As someone who has lived both in Montreal and in Vancouver, I think you should also take into consideration the cost of living in both cities. Vancouver is massively more expensive that Montreal, especially when it comes to renting an apartment (it's one of the most expensive cities in the world). As a city, I much prefer Montreal -- better food, better museums, better cultural life, etc. Being on the East coast also has advantages, as you're closer to the Boston and NY universities for conferences, lectures, etc. 

 

In the end however these considerations are trivial and like other people said above, you should go with the university that is stronger in your area of specialization. 

 

Let me know if you have questions about living in either city or about UBC and McGill in general! 

Edited February 18, 2014 by Melian4

[gleefullygloomy]

Has anyone done the 1 year MA at U of T? I have been accepted to both U of T and Concordia with funding, and am weighing the pros and cons for both. I am worried that going for my PhD in a year means I will have less time to connect with profs for letters of recommendation, and will make it almost impossible to apply for SSHRC (given the PhD deadline is 1 November). What do you all think?

[bnaebain]

Has anyone done the 1 year MA at U of T? I have been accepted to both U of T and Concordia with funding, and am weighing the pros and cons for both. I am worried that going for my PhD in a year means I will have less time to connect with profs for letters of recommendation, and will make it almost impossible to apply for SSHRC (given the PhD deadline is 1 November). What do you all think?

 

 

I've also been admitted to the 1 year MA at U of T, and have the same concerns.  I'm still waiting to hear about funding, as well as from other schools, but the Toronto program was one of my top choices.  If anyone has any advice regarding getting a MA in one year, please share....

[ereissoup]

U of T is definitely very appealing, but all I can do is echo your concerns about the awkward timing of recommendation letters in a 1-year program. If you are planning on taking a gap year after the MA to learn a language or research etc., then I think it would be less of a potential issue.

[bnaebain]

U of T is definitely very appealing, but all I can do is echo your concerns about the awkward timing of recommendation letters in a 1-year program. If you are planning on taking a gap year after the MA to learn a language or research etc., then I think it would be less of a potential issue.

 

That was one of my ideas, I'd love to do the Toronto MA and then take a year off to study in Germany or something.  I think it that's probably my most viable option, depending on what other programs I hear from (which are all two year MAs)...Thanks!

[gleefullygloomy]

That was one of my ideas, I'd love to do the Toronto MA and then take a year off to study in Germany or something.  I think it that's probably my most viable option, depending on what other programs I hear from (which are all two year MAs)...Thanks!

 

I am hoping to do something similar through the DAAD, which would look great on any CV. I am not too keen on the year off, though. The major issue that I have been thinking about is how it would look to not have written a thesis when applying for PhD programs. When I asked them about this they seemed less concerned about that, and more concerned about promoting themselves as a step towards American schools for PhD programs. They are the only school I applied to that has been so big on encouraging me to go state-side for schooling, which I hadn't previously given serious though.

Edited February 26, 2014 by gleefullygloomy

[bnaebain]

I am hoping to do something similar through the DAAD, which would look great on any CV. I am not too keen on the year off, though. The major issue that I have been thinking about is how it would look to not have written a thesis when applying for PhD programs. When I asked them about this they seemed less concerned about that, and more concerned about promoting themselves as a step towards American schools for PhD programs. They are the only school I applied to that has been so big on encouraging me to go state-side for schooling, which I hadn't previously given serious though.

 

That's really interesting.  I'm actually from the US, and really see the MA program at Toronto as a step towards a PhD program here.  Actually, I'm attending a school that has a top US Art History program, and know several of the PhD students, who are from Canada have their MA from Toronto.  

 

I've also looked into DAAD, and others.  I'm just so hesitant to take a year off though.  I guess we'll see.