Art History Program

The Master of Arts in Art History is a joint degree program with The University of Alabama at Birmingham. You can enter the art history degree program through application to either university.

Applicants to the graduate MA program in art history must satisfy admission policies established by the Graduate School of The University of Alabama. Applicants should have completed 24 undergraduate hours in art history or related courses with an overall grade point average of 3.0 or better and a grade point average of 3.5 in all art history coursework. A BA degree in art history is not a requirement for admission. Students with fewer than the minimum required number of hours in art history are eligible for admission on the condition that they make up any deficiency in the first semester of their graduate career.

Graduate Application Materials and Deadline

Completed applications for fall admission are due April 15. Students who wish to be considered for competitive funding packages are strongly encouraged to submit their applications in early January.

All application materials — including transcripts of all academic work completed, a writing sample and a statement of purpose, along with three letters of recommendation from professionals familiar with the applicant’s academic accomplishments and able to comment on the applicant’s suitability for graduate study — should be submitted to the UA Graduate School. The Graduate School’s website includes an online application and downloadable forms.

For more information about admission to the graduate program in art history, contact Director of Art History Programs Dr. Rachel Stephens.

Studio Art Programs

Applicants to the either the Master of Arts (MA) and Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree programs in Studio Art must satisfy admission policies established by the Graduate School of The University of Alabama. It is recommended that a prospective graduate student hold a degree in art, having maintained at least a “B” average in art. Residency is required of all studio art students.

All new graduate studio art students enter the MA program. Applicants to the graduate MA program in studio art must satisfy admission policies established by the Graduate School of The University of Alabama.

Graduate Application Materials and Deadline

Each studio applicant must submit a comprehensive portfolio of work directly to the Department of Art and Art History; this portfolio should include a minimum of 20 works of art in the proposed major. (Request graduate program application packet for detailed submission instructions). Additional courses may be required of the applicant, which would make acceptance into the program conditional. Residency is required of all studio art students.

Admission to the MFA program is by recommendation of a faculty review committee, which meets at the time of the candidate’s MA thesis exhibition. Find more information on the Studio Art Application page.

For more information about admission to the graduate program in studio art, contact Director of Studio Art Programs Wade MacDonald.