IX. Graduate Programs
Art History and Visual Culture
MA Program
The MA program is intended to provide students with core knowledge about Art History and Visual Culture within an interdisciplinary research context beneficial for transition to higher levels of Art History-related education and research and/or for careers in a variety of Art History-related fields, for instance in art publishing, museums and galleries, or government agencies.
The program aims to prepare students for future study and research at the doctoral level, either in the core discipline or a related disciplinary program. It will provide students intending to go on to a variety of other academic and non-academic professional programs with expertise in Visual Culture, proficiency in a language other than English and advanced skills in research and writing. Further, it offers education for students intending to pursue professions in which knowledge about Visual Material and solid training in research is critical for success.
Towards this end, the objectives of the MA program are:
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To enable students to gain a command of visual literacy through global and critical understandings of art and its cultures and histories;
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To combine art historical methodology and visual and material culture perspectives in the study of objects—both past and present;
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To explore critically the assumptions underpinning writing about art history and visual culture.
Admission Requirements
Admission to the MA program in Art History and Visual Culture may be granted on the recommendation of the School of Fine Art and Music to:
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the holder of a BA degree (honours equivalent), or an honours BA (or its equivalent in art history) with a minimum of a 75% average; or
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in exceptional cases, the holder of a degree in another field who has completed a minimum of six one-semester courses in art history; or
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a student who has satisfied the requirements for transfer from the provisional-student category.
It is highly recommended that applicants complete at least eight semesters of courses in art history, cultural studies, or related areas prior to applying. Serious interest in, and substantial familiarity with, historical and contemporary issues in Art History and Visual Culture is expected.
Degree Requirements
Students enrol in one of two study options: 1) course work and major research paper, or 2) thesis.
Course Work and Major Research Paper (MRP)
In the course work and major research paper option students must complete the three (3) core courses, three (3) electives and a course-based major research paper (MRP) of 10,000-15,000 words.
Core Courses:
| AVC*6100 | [0.50] | Proseminar: Critical Methods I |
| AVC*6200 | [0.50] | Proseminar: Critical Methods II |
| AVC*6300 | [0.50] | Special Topics in Art History and Visual Culture |
Two (2) of the electives must be selected from the following list of courses. The third elective may also be from this list, or it may be an approved course from another College of Arts program. The courses selected must be acceptable to the school and the Board of Graduate Studies for graduate credit.
| AVC*6310 | [0.50] | Topics in Art & Visual Culture I |
| AVC*6320 | [0.50] | Topics in Art & Visual Culture II |
| AVC*6330 | [0.50] | Topics in Art & Visual Culture III |
| AVC*6340 | [0.50] | Topics in Art & Visual Culture IV |
| AVC*6350 | [0.50] | Topics in Art & Visual Culture V |
| AVC*6370 | [0.50] | Practicum I: Art Institutions |
| AVC*6400 | [0.50] | Practicum II: Art Institutions |
Students must complete a Major Research Paper (MRP) of 10,000-15,000 words. Students register for the following:
| AVC*6800 | [1.00] | Art History and Visual Culture Major Research Paper |
Students must obtain an overall average grade of at least 'B-' standing.
Thesis
In the thesis option, students must complete three (3) core courses, one (1) elective and a thesis.
Core Courses:
| AVC*6100 | [0.50] | Proseminar: Critical Methods I |
| AVC*6200 | [0.50] | Proseminar: Critical Methods II |
| AVC*6300 | [0.50] | Special Topics in Art History and Visual Culture |
Electives:
| AVC*6310 | [0.50] | Topics in Art & Visual Culture I |
| AVC*6320 | [0.50] | Topics in Art & Visual Culture II |
| AVC*6330 | [0.50] | Topics in Art & Visual Culture III |
| AVC*6340 | [0.50] | Topics in Art & Visual Culture IV |
| AVC*6350 | [0.50] | Topics in Art & Visual Culture V |
| AVC*6370 | [0.50] | Practicum I: Art Institutions |
| AVC*6400 | [0.50] | Practicum II: Art Institutions |
| AVC*6500 | [0.50] | Directed Reading |
One elective may be an approved course from another College of Arts program. The courses selected must be acceptable to the school and the Board of Graduate Studies for graduate credit. Students must obtain an overall average grade of at least 'B-' standing.
Thesis
Students will also complete a thesis, consisting of an extensive piece of research of 30,000-35,000 words, a public colloquium, and an oral examination. The thesis topic is subject to the approval of the MA Examination Committee, which includes an examiner from the profession. The thesis is a project of publishable quality. In essay form, it discusses the critical, historical, and theoretical aspects of the student's subject of research. Students are expected to present and defend their work orally in a manner appropriate to a professional art historian's public presentation.