Programs

Applicants should have a strong liberal arts background, with a minimum of six art history courses as prerequisite for admission. Students may be asked to make up deficiencies prior to or in the first year of the graduate curriculum by taking advanced undergraduate courses for graduate credit, auditing undergraduate classes, or through supervised readings. Although not a prerequisite, reading proficiency in one foreign language must be demonstrated within the first year of the program. For the M.A. track in Cultural Heritage and Preservation Studies, which is multidisciplinary in focus, applicants with a strong interest or experience in preservation issues from disciplines other than art history are encouraged to apply. 

Requirements for the Ph.D. include 14 courses, worth 48 credits; a qualifying examination in one of the major art historical periods; and acceptance of the dissertation. In addition, students must have a reading knowledge of two foreign languages (in certain fields, German will be required). One proficiency examination must be taken by the second semester of study. After the student completes eight courses, the faculty will review his or her work to determine if the student will be allowed to continue for the Ph.D.

Ph.D. candidates are strongly encouraged to complete a minor field. A student's major and minor fields should be reasonably distinct from one another, separated by some combination of media, geography, time period, or other factors as appropriate. Definition of the major and minor fields, although proposed by the student, must have the approval of the primary faculty adviser and the graduate program director. Successful passing of the minor field option consists of two classes in the minor field and a written qualifying paper which can be an extension of a seminar paper written for class.

The M.A. program is designed for those who do not plan to pursue the Ph.D. in the immediate future and for those pursuing the certificate in curatorial studies or the certificate in historic preservation/cultural heritage. Requirements include 10 courses (30 credits), one foreign language, master's essay, and a comprehensive examination. The M.A. track in Cultural Heritage and Preservation Studies is a 30-credit program that combines coursework with supervised internships. Requirements include a master's thesis, examination, and 6 credits of internship/field study. A dual-degree program is offered jointly by CHAPS and Rutgers Law School in Newark. A four-year course of study, this program leads to the M.A. in art history with a specialty in Cultural Heritage Preservation and to the juris doctor (MA./J.D.).  The law school will accept 9 credits from the M.A. program and CHAPS will accept 12 credits from the law school. Students are accepted independently for both graduate professional programs after separate application to each. The Law School Admission Test (LSAT) will be accepted in place of the Graduate Record Exam (GRE).

The certificate program in curatorial studies is designed to prepare students for a wide array of positions in the arts--including at museums, galleries, nonprofits, academia, and the private sector--and enable them to stand out in an increasingly competitive job market.

Developed in collaboration with the Zimmerli Art Museum, the curriculum provides a balance between academic and practical training. Typically, students enroll in this program while taking courses for the M.A. degree in art history, though this two-year curriculum may also be taken at any time during the student's doctoral studies.

The curatorial studies curriculum includes the following courses:

• Curatorial Training Seminar (3 credits)
• Exhibition Seminar (3 credits)
• One of the following CHAPS courses: 1) Seminar in Global Cultural Heritage, 2) Cultural Resource Management and Global Cultural Heritage Preservation, (Global) Heritage and the Role of Museums in the 21st Century, or 3) Special Topics in Historic Preservation: Laws of Cultural Heritage and Preservation (3 credits)
• Approved graduate art history seminar or second CHAPS course (3 credits)

Additionally, students are required to complete two internships with the expectation that they will not only gain curatorial experience, but will develop professional networks for future career advancement. In recent years, students have held internships at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Morgan Library, the New York Historical Society, the Whitney Museum, the Frick Collection, and the Brooklyn Museum of Art, and the Zimmerli Art Museum among others. Students in the M.A. and Ph.D. programs are eligible to pursue a curatorial studies certificate.

The certificate in cultural heritage/historic preservation, under the auspices of CHAPS, is also awarded separately, and requires two core courses, two elective courses, and an approved internship. Electives are chosen from an approved list.

There are no residency requirements for either degree program. Students who have earned an M.A. degree elsewhere are welcome to apply for admission to the Ph.D. program. The curriculum is flexible and allows students to explore interests in such areas as African studies, American studies, Asian studies, classics, archaeology, gender studies, medieval studies, Renaissance studies, baroque studies, Russian and Slavic studies, and theory and criticism. 

Further information on program requirements may be obtained from the art history graduate office in Voorhees Hall or online at http://arthistory.rutgers.edu.