Degree requirements

The MA in Art History is a two-year degree, with coursework to be completed during the first year and the thesis to be written in the second.

 

1. Credits

A fully qualified candidate is required to complete a minimum of 45 credits.

2. Residency

The minimum residency requirement is three terms of full-time study, or the equivalent in part-time study.

3. Language requirement - Pass/Fail

Reading knowledge of English and French is mandatory. The program requires a French language examination prior to graduation. Students will have the opportunity to write the exam in the fall and winter sessions and it is recommended that they do so early on in their program. At the time of the exam, students are given a French text to read and are asked to answer questions pertaining to the text. The answers may be written in English and students are allowed to use a French/English dictionary. Students whose first language is French may apply to the Graduate Program Director to have the examination waived.

4. Courses - 21 credits

Coursework consists of 5 regular seminars, plus 1 Independent Study (ARTH 647) with the student's thesis supervisor, which results in the Annotated Review of Sources and Documents (see below). Ideally, students will complete all coursework in the first year, however it can be spread out over two years. Seminars are highly participatory and students are encouraged to partake in class discussions. Seminar formats change depending on the instructor.

5. Thesis Seminar (ARTH 655)
The thesis seminar is designed to introduce students to the intellectual and professional aspects of graduate school and academia (such as writing a thesis, giving a conference paper and applying for grants). Students attend the seminar during the first half of their first and second semesters, but are only assigned a grade once they give their thesis presentation.

6. Thesis Proposal

The thesis proposal is written once the student has chosen a supervisor, and discussed the thesis topic with that professor. A thesis proposal should be 1 to 2 pages in length (double-spaced) and should also include a 1-page bibliography of primary and secondary sources and contacts, as appropriate. The proposal should consist of the following: a description of the topic, a statement of objectives, a description of methodology (including research strategies and intellectual framework), and the relation of the thesis to existing scholarship. Thesis proposals are first submitted to the supervisor, and then to the department, for approval.

7. Annotated Review of Sources and Documents

Each student will register for an Independent Study course (ARTH 647) with their supervisor, at the end of their second term in the program. A meeting between supervisor and student is scheduled during the month of April, to determine the list of scholarly texts and/or archival materials to be addressed by the student over the summer. The student returns at the end of the summer with the completed annotations, together with a 10-page essay which provides a synthesis of the annotated material. The review would normally include approximately 15 annotations of scholarly texts, although the precise number and approach is to be determined by the supervisor. At the end of this course, the student receives a grade from the supervisor.

8. Thesis Presentation - Pass/Fail
Once the student has begun researching and writing his/her thesis, an oral presentation of work-in-progress to students and faculty members in the program is required. Each presentation lasts 20 minutes, and will be followed by a 10 minute question period.

9. Thesis - 24 credits

The MA thesis is a scholarly research essay, consisting of 40 to 45 pages of argument, with additional pages devoted to endnotes, bibliography, appendices and figures. The MA thesis should identify and develop a specific topic or case-study, and be situated in relation to existing debates and discussions within the discipline of art history and, as appropriate, in broader networks of intellectual exchange. The scope and length of the thesis can be considered as equivalent to a publishable scholarly article.

To peruse past MA Art History theses, visit Theses and Dissertations.

10. Timeline

University regulations stipulate that all requirements must be completed within four years for full-time students and five years for part-time students.