Graduate Program
Welcome to the Master of Arts in Art History at the University of St. Thomas!
Our approach to the history of art is forward-looking and innovative. The program emphasizes an inclusive perspective that encompasses a range of media and global cultures, as well as a contextual approach to art that examines its social, economic,
political, and religious importance. We focus on an interdisciplinary study of all the arts, led by our own faculty’s research into areas as diverse as Greek vase painting, northern European textiles, Ecuadorian architecture, early twentieth-century typography, modern religious architecture, non-western art, and museum studies. Our faculty prides itself on collaboration with our students and many conference papers and journal articles have come out of these partnerships.
political, and religious importance. We focus on an interdisciplinary study of all the arts, led by our own faculty’s research into areas as diverse as Greek vase painting, northern European textiles, Ecuadorian architecture, early twentieth-century typography, modern religious architecture, non-western art, and museum studies. Our faculty prides itself on collaboration with our students and many conference papers and journal articles have come out of these partnerships. We train our students to become independent researchers, rather than experts in a certain topic area. Our seminars focus on instilling skill sets that can be applied successfully to any topic: critical thinking and reading, writing for different audiences, and giving engaging and challenging oral presentations. We have a flexible plan of study – only four courses are required, leaving seven electives that allow each student to shape their area of focus prior to writing their qualifying paper. Electives consist of additional seminars, undergraduate courses, internships, or independent studies.
Since enrolling our first class in the fall of 1998, our students have found the quality of their education to be high, their colleagues to be diligent and focused, and the Twin Cities to be an engaged arts community. Their contributions to the profession have been just as outstanding as they have found positions as adjunct faculty, Ph.D. candidates, and curators.
Director, Master of Arts in Art History
Summer Grad Course Offering
