Art History (MA)
Program overview
The MA in Art History trains students to think critically about the visual and material culture that is such an important aspect of our lives. Students in the program work alongside faculty members engaged in a wide variety of research initiatives and gain experience as teaching assistants. Montreal’s wealth of museums (Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Musée d'Art Contemporain) cultural institutions (McCord Museum) and cutting-edge art spaces (L'Arsenal, Phi Centre) offer countless opportunities to cultivate an individualized research focus. Together, coursework and a rich program of extracurricular activities enable students to create their own portfolios of exhibition reviews, journal articles and curatorial projects. Join a vibrant cohort of students, scholars and professionals who are pursuing their graduate studies on a full or part-time basis. The size of our program is one of its assets - large enough to provide a diverse selection of seminars, but small enough for students to actively participate in dialogue and debate.
Program details
- BFA or a BA with a major in Art History or approved equivalent with at least a B+ average in the major area.
- Proficiency in English. Applicants whose primary language is not English must demonstrate that their knowledge of English is sufficient to pursue graduate studies in their chosen field. Please refer to the Graduate Admission page for further information on the Language Proficiency requirements and exemptions.
Fully-qualified candidates are required to complete a minimum of 45 credits.
6 credits – Required Courses
ARTH 655 - Thesis Seminar (3 credits, pass/fail)
ARTH 654 - Annotated Review of Sources and Documents (3 credits)
15 credits – Seminars
The graduate program director or the student’s supervisor assists the student in choosing seminars.
Exceptionally, and with the approval of the graduate program director, students may register for one of the following options: a graduate seminar (3 credits) in another discipline or at another Quebec university, an internship or an independent study.
24 credits – Thesis
ARTH 656 - Thesis (24 credits)
Your completed application will include:
- Application form and fee
- Curriculum vitae (CV)
- Three Letters of Reference and assessment form. References from Art History professors are preferred. Once contacted by the university, referees have 14 days to submit their letters. After that, the link provided to them will no longer be valid. For any questions contact Art History.
- A statement of purpose (500 words) should explain why you have chosen to do graduate work in Art History at Concordia University, propose a thesis topic or area of special interest, and discuss your professional goals.
- A writing sample (8-10 pages), which usually takes the form of an art history undergraduate essay
- Transcripts for all post-secondary institutions attended
- Proof of Canadian citizenship (if applicable)
- Official language test scores for applicants whose primary language is not English, unless exemption applies.
Please apply and submit your documents online. Read the how-to guide for application procedures.
| DEGREE |
FALL (September) |
WINTER (January) |
SUMMER (May/June) |
| Art History | MA | Jan. 15 * | n/a | n/a |
| * The deadline to submit the online application form is January 15. Supporting documentation will be accepted until February 1. | ||||
For applications after this deadline, please contact the Graduate program director.
The MA in Art History provides you with an academically rich and collaborative learning environment, infused with professional development opportunities. Many of our classes integrate experiential learning components such as learning how to archive art text, building an art database, practicing curatorial writing, or developing websites.
Review the current MA seminars offered and consult the graduate calendar for a complete list of courses.
All new applicants will automatically be considered for a number of entrance fellowships, awards, and teaching assistantships. Students who wish to apply for provincial or federal funding should be aware that these applications must be submitted well before the program application.
Some in-course awards as well as subsidies for research travel and conference presentations are available to graduate students. Annual calls for applications are issued to students already registered in the program.
Please consult Concordia’s graduate funding page and departmental funding opportunities.
Faculty members are actively engaged in innovative research across a wide variety of areas:
- Indigenous art and expressive cultures
- Architecture and studies of the built environment
- Craft history, theory and methodologies
- Painting, sculpture and other media from the 16th to the 21st centuries
- Photographic history and theory
- Art theory and historiography
- Visual and material culture
- Museum and curatorial studies
- Cross-cultural studies and globalization
- Feminism, gender and sexuality studies
- Fashion and design histories
- New media art
- Canadian Art
The Department of Art History is home to the Gail and Stephen A. Jarislowsky Institute for Studies in Canada Art, and houses the Journal of Canadian Art History, and the Canadian Women Artists History Initiative, Graduate students benefit from these academically-rich environments and, through the Faculty’s Visual Collections Repository, have access to 300,000 circulating slides and digital images that range from the pre-historic to the contemporary.
Review an inspiring gallery of thesis topics and read about some of our exceptional graduate students.
The Art History Graduate Student Association (AHGSA) is the student representative body, while the department is home to student research groups including Ethnocultural Art Histories Research Group, (EAHR), Indigenous Art Research Group (IARG) and Architecture | Concordia (A | C).
Student research activities provide additional opportunities to curate exhibitions, publish journals, organize conferences and present papers.
Our alumni find success in a wide range of professional art careers. Graduates pursue careers as educators, curators, archivists, and gallery arts administrators.
See what our graduates are doing now.
Questions?
For administrative questions contact art.history@concordia.ca
For academic questions contact the Graduate Program Director, Nicola Pezolet
