M.A. Degree Requirements

I. Degree Requirements: Plan I (Thesis Option)

A minimum of 30 semester hours must be completed, of which 21 must be completed in residence on the Boulder campus. Requirements and regulations include:

A. Theories of Art History (FINE 6929), must be taken during the first semester. This course may be taken twice for up to 6 credit hours.

B. Visiting Scholars Seminar (FINE 6919), must be taken during the second semester. Students are encouraged to repeat this course.

C. At least one 3-credit 5000 or 6000 level course in five of the following areas of art history: Ancient art; Medieval art; Renaissance art; Baroque art; Art of the Americas; Modern art; Contemporary art; Asian art; Tribal arts; American art; Critical Theory.

D. Where appropriate, Teaching Practicum, two credits per semester while teaching, not to exceed 8 credits.

E. At least one 3-credit 3000 level or above course in a department outside of the Department of Art and Art History which supplements the Major or Minor areas of specialization.

F. Comprehensive Exam (see below).

G. M.A. Thesis (FINE 6959): 4-6 credit hours.

H. No more than 9 hours of independent study credit may be applied toward the M.A. degree.

I. Pass/Fail courses do not count toward the M.A. degree.

J. FINE 5087 (Selected Topics) courses do not count toward the M.A. degree.

K. A limit of 9 hours of transfer credits may be applied toward the M.A. degree.

L. Students are encouraged and expected to attend undergraduate lecture courses as needed to prepare themselves for graduate seminars and for the comprehensive exam.

M. Language requirement (see below).

II. Degree Requirements: Plan II (Project Option)

Same requirements as above, with the following exceptions:

A. A minimum of 36 semester hours is required.

B. The Project replaces the Thesis.

III. Sequence for Completion of Degree

A. Coursework: The following schedule of coursework and requirements is recommended:

Fall semester of entrance to program:
1. FINE 6929, Theories of Art History.
2. Two graduate seminars.

Spring semester of entrance to program:
1. FINE 5929, Visiting Scholars Seminar.
2. Two graduate seminars.
3. First year review at the end of the semester.

Fall semester of 2nd year in program:
1. Comprehensive exam.
2. Two graduate seminars.
3. One course outside the department (if not fulfilled earlier).

Spring semester of 2nd year in program:
1. Thesis or Project.
2. Thesis Defense.

B. Advisor: Upon admission, students are assigned a faculty advisor. Students should remain in close contact with the advisor as regards course registration and program requirements. At the end of the second semester of full time study, students should select a Thesis Advisor (or Project Advisor) from among the art history faculty. This faculty member will direct the student thesis or project, and chair the student's First Year Review committee.

C. First Year Review: During the last two weeks of April, students are evaluated during the First Year Review. This is a one hour meeting which is chaired by the student's Thesis Advisor and consists of other art history faculty with whom the student has taken courses (2-3 faculty members are suggested); graduate students are also invited. The First Year Review focuses on a review of student coursework and performance, on selecting the Major and Minor areas of study in preparation for the Comprehensive Exam (see below), and on selection of a thesis topic.

Students are responsible for organizing and scheduling the First Year Review meeting, including obtaining the First Year Review form from the Graduate Secretary, and having the form signed and completed by all faculty members of the First Year Review committee during the meeting.

If student coursework and performance is found to be unsatisfactory during the First Year Review, the art history faculty will vote on student continuance in the M.A. Program. Students may be asked to leave the program at the culmination of the First Year Review. They have the right to appeal by submitting a petition in writing to the Fine Arts Graduate Committee, which will request a written response to the petition from the First Year Review Committee. The decision of the Fine Arts Graduate Committee is final.

D. Comprehensive Exam: This exam is given to measure the graduate student's knowledge of art history at the M.A. level. It consists of two parts: 1) a slide test, and 2) essay questions pertinent to the Major and Minor areas of study. It is given once per year during the second week of October. Students must schedule the Comprehensive Exam with the Area Coordinator in Art History by September 15. Students must pass the Comprehensive Exam in order to be eligible to register for thesis hours.

Major and Minor Areas: After successful completion of the First Year Review, the student will choose Major and Minor areas of concentration in art history. Areas of concentration are: Ancient art; Medieval art; Renaissance art; Baroque art; Art of the Americas; Modern art; Contemporary art; Asian art; Tribal arts; American art; Critical Theory. Students should have taken coursework in their chosen Major and Minor areas, in preparation for the Comprehensive Exam and for the thesis.

Slide Test: This test consists of 40 slides selected by the art history faculty (approximately five slides per faculty member) from their areas of concentration. The slides will be selected from those chosen by the art history faculty and assembled in a slide carousel which will be available for viewing in the Visual Resources Center, at the beginning of the Fall term. Each slide will be shown for 4-5 minutes and students will be tested on their identification of the slide (name, date, title, etc.) as well as justification for their identification.

Essay Questions: The essay portion of the Comprehensive Exam consists of two essay: a 90 minute essay in the Major area, and a 60 minute essay in the Minor area. Questions for the essays are drawn from the lists of questions assembled in the Comprehensive Exam Package (see Graduate Secretary for a copy); at the exam, students will be given a choice of 3 questions per Major and Minor areas.

E. Thesis: In consultation with the Thesis Advisor, the student will select, develop, and defend an art history thesis. This consists of the following:

Thesis Abstract: Upon initial formulation of the thesis in consultation with the Thesis Advisor, the student will prepare an abstract of approximately 2 typewritten pages, and attached bibliography, outlining the thesis topic and method of inquiry. The Thesis Advisor will distribute the Thesis Abstract to all art history faculty, who will vote to accept or reject the thesis proposal. Once the Thesis Abstract is approved by a majority vote of the art history faculty, the student may proceed to writing the thesis paper.

Thesis: This should demonstrate scholarly research and writing in art history, should be based on independent study and analysis, and should represent the equivalent of 4-6 credit hours. In most cases, the master's thesis is the equivalent of a 40-50 page paper, exclusive of endnotes, bibliography, and illustrations.

Thesis Defense: In consultation with the Thesis Advisor, the student will select a thesis committee for the Thesis Defense, an oral examination that consists of not less than 3 members of the art history graduate faculty, including the Thesis Advisor. Three weeks before the MA Thesis Defense, the Exam Report (notification of date and time of Thesis Defense) is due in the Department of Fine Arts. This lists all the members of the Thesis Defense committee, and the date and time of the Thesis Defense. The form is sent by, and must be returned to, the Graduate Program Coordinator, who forwards it to the Graduate School.

Other details:

A. The Exam Report, signed by the Graduate School Advisor, must be presented and signed at the Thesis Defense.

B. The M.A. Thesis must be submitted in draft form to all members of the Thesis Defense committee at least one week before the Thesis Defense.

C. Graduate School guidelines ("Specifications") must be used to prepare the M.A. Thesis. Copies of these guidelines are available from the Graduate Program Coordinator.

D. The M.A. Thesis is turned in to the Graduate School according to annual deadlines and is catalogued in Norlin Library.

E. The M.A. degree must be completed within 4 years of beginning coursework in the graduate program. (Graduate School requirement).

F. Language Requirement: The candidate for the M.A. degree in Art History is required to demonstrate an adequate reading knowledge of French, German, or another appropriate language by satisfactorily passing coursework equal to three progressive semesters at the college level or above, or by passing an approved language examination. Minimum scores on the Graduate Student Foreign Language Test are: French 425, German 450, Russian 380, Spanish 425. Other languages, such as Italian or Chinese, may be arranged with the art history faculty on an individual basis. The Graduate Student Foreign Language Test is administered by Testing Services at Willard Hall.