The Bachelor’s-Accelerated Master’s program (BAM) in Art History is a demanding program aimed primarily at our best undergraduates who are planning to pursue a Ph.D.
The typical student will be a student writing an honors thesis who will use that project as the basis for developing their M.A. thesis. It is expected that the BAM program will be completed within five years. Effective in the 2019/2020 academic year, students receive the bachelor’s degree first, but begin taking graduate coursework as undergraduates, typically in their senior year. Because some courses are allowed to double count for both bachelor’s and master’s degrees (six credits, or two courses, may be shared between the two programs), students receive a master’s degree in less time and at a lower cost than if they were to enroll in a stand-alone master’s degree program after completion of their baccalaureate degree. In addition, staying at CU Boulder to pursue the BAM program enables students to continue working with their established faculty mentors.
If you have any questions about the BAM degree requirements or the application process, please contact art.grad@colorado.edu.
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Only currently enrolled, University of Colorado Boulder students may be considered for admission to the program. Transfer students must complete at least 24 credit hours as a degree-seeking student before applying to the program. Students enrolled in this BAM program cannot pursue a double major.
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Initial acceptance to the BAM program typically occurs during the junior year with an intent application. The application deadline is January 10th, in the second semester of the applicant’s junior year. Students must have a minimum overall undergraduate GPA of 3.3, a GPA of 3.6 or above in the art history major, and have completed all Minimum Academic Preparation Standards (MAPS) deficiencies. An approved intent application enables the student to begin taking graduate courses as an undergraduate and to double-count select courses toward the bachelor’s and master’s degrees, in accordance with the requirements listed below. Students interested in the BAM program should contact the Art and Art History Department for advising and intent application information.
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Prior to earning the baccalaureate degree, students are subject to undergraduate academic rules and full-time/part-time standards in effect in the Department of Art and Art History. Students are expected to be full-time (with an average of 24 credits per year), remain continuously enrolled, and they must maintain a minimum 3.3 GPA.
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Once formally admitted to and enrolled in the Accelerated Master’s program, students are subject to Graduate School rules, policies, and standards.
Degree Program Details
Deadlines to apply to graduate:
- February 1st (students graduating in MAY)
- March 1st (students graduating in AUGUST)
- October 1st (students graduating in DECEMBER)
These dates ensure that students can register along with continuing graduate students. However, applications will be accepted until the end of the semester in which the student is graduating.
Students pursuing double degrees or additional majors/minors at the undergraduate level are subject to college/school/program policies. This may result in a student choosing to discontinue the additional undergraduate degree, major or minor, or delaying formal admission into the graduate portion of the BAM program in order to complete the additional degree, major, or minor, or fulfilling the remaining requirements for the additional undergraduate credentials while at graduate status (graduate tuition, enrollment status, etc). Students should discuss these options with their advisor.
- During the final semester of enrollment for the undergraduate degree, students must apply to be formally admitted to continue with the accelerated master’s program. Students will be matriculated into the master’s program without additional departmental review, provided they meet the continuation requirement of 3.3 cumulative GPA. Students must met the GPA requirement to be admitted; there is no provisional admission for the accelerated master’s degree. International students must have approval from International Student and Scholar services (ISSS) prior to matriculation.
In the final semester of your bachelor’s degree work, complete these steps to continue with the master's degree:
- Apply to graduate with your bachelor's degree.
- Submit a master's continuation form.
- Submit a BAM supplement form to identify which courses you're double counting and which you're using toward the master's degree.
The last day to complete all three steps is:
- Oct. 1 for fall graduates
- Feb. 1 for spring graduates
- March 1 for summer graduates
You'll then finish your degree requirements in graduate status.
Students must begin the master's program within one academic year (three semesters, including summer) and must select their term of admission on the application.
- Prior to completing the baccalaureate degree, students are assessed undergraduate tuition rates. The approved intent application enables the undergraduate student to take up to and including 12 hours of coursework (as an undergraduate and at undergraduate tuition rates) which can later be applied to the accelerated master’s program.
- Once enrolled in the master’s program, students are assessed graduate tuition rates. (In-state graduate students are assessed resident graduate tuition, but do not receive COF.) In addition, graduate students receiving financial aid are considered “independent” and are no longer eligible for aid requiring undergraduate status.
The following template ensures that students will complete all degree requirements for the BA/MA in five years. Students may decide on a somewhat different sequence of courses in consultation with their academic advisor.
First Year:
- Fall semester: ARTH 1500
- Spring Semester: ARTH 1600, ARTS 1020
Second Year:
- Fall semester: ARTH 3000 level, ARTH 3000 level
- Spring semester: ARTH 3000 level, ARTH 4000 level
Third Year:
- Fall semester: ARTH 3009, ARTH 4000 level, ARTH 4000 level
- Spring semester: ARTH 4919, Out of department course 3000 level or above (general elective for BA/ MA requirement), formal application to BA/MA program
Fourth Year:
- Fall semester: ARTH 6929 (Theories), ARTH 5/6000 level
- Spring semester: ARTH 5/6xxxx (grad seminar), complete language requirement
- Research for thesis is strongly encouraged the summer preceding the fifth year
Fifth year:
- Fall semester: ARTH 5/6000 level, ARTH 5/6000 level, ARTH 5/6000 level
- Spring semester ARTH 6929 (thesis hours), ARTH 5/6000
- Comprehensive exam taken during the first week
- Thesis prospectus approved during the second week “pre-thesis review”
- Thesis submission and oral defense
Degree Requirements for the BA in Art History:
- Foundations 6 credits (ARTS 1010 and ARTS 1020)
- World Art 6 credits (ARTH 1300 and ARTH 1400)
- ARTH 4919 capstone seminar
- 3 - 3000-level ARTH courses
- 3 - 4000-level ARTH courses
- 2 - ARTH or ARTS electives
- Specific coursework may be required
- See faculty or advisor for more information
Degree Requirements for the MA in Art History:
- 30 credit hours (8 courses plus 6 credits in thesis hours)
- coursework must be distributed in four areas: Medieval, Early Modern (Renaissance & Baroque), Americas, Modern, Contemporary, Critical Theory/Museology
- one course must be out of the department at 3000-level or above
First Year review
- Comprehensive Exams in their major and minor fields
- Pre-thesis review (of thesis abstract);
- Thesis and oral defense.
Shared Courses between BA and MA:
Following University rules, six credits (two courses) may be shared between the two programs. In all other respects, students who successfully complete the B.A./M.A. program will have fulfilled all art history requirements for each degree, as follows. For the B.A./M.A., students are required to complete the same requirements. The two courses that count for both degrees are:
- One course out of the department at 3000-level or above
This counts as a general elective for the B.A. degree, a degree requirement for the M.A. - ARTH 6929 Theories of Art History
- This counts as an elective in the major for the B.A. degree, a required course for the M.A.
Application Requirements:
- Currently enrolled in BA Art History degree
- Minimum GPA of 3.3
- 3.6 GPA or above in the art history major
- Must have completed all MAPS deficiencies
To apply to the BAM program, please send the following materials in a single PDF to art.grad@colorado.edu:
- Contact information (email and phone number) of three recommenders
- Statement of intent
- GRE scores unofficial transcripts
- Writing sample (your best art history paper)
- A one-page prospectus detailing a possible research topic for an MA thesis
If you have any questions about the BAM degree requirements or the application process, please contact art.grad@colorado.edu.