MA in Art History

Situated in the heart of the culturally rich city of Washington, DC, the Master of Arts (MA) program in Art History at the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design provides students with unique opportunities to study the arts. Students learn to apply visual and historical analyses to artworks, as well as incorporate relevant and current theoretical and methodological approaches to research. The program's proximity to DC’s many museums and galleries means that the permanent collections and exhibitions of some of the most important art institutions in the world often serve as the backbone of student coursework and study. The curriculum covers a wide swath of the history of art, but has specific areas of focus in Renaissance, Islamic, South Asian, American, and modern and contemporary art. We are committed to building and nurturing a diverse and inclusive scholarly community that is critical for innovation, insight, and progress. The rigorous and supportive scholarly program places special emphasis on developing individual students’ critical analysis, research, and writing skills.

For some students, the MA is a terminal degree in preparation for curatorial or education careers in galleries and museums; for others, it is preparation to enter a PhD program elsewhere.

Who We Are

At GW’s Columbian College of Arts and Sciences , research thrives, critical thinking is endemic, collaboration is constant, and real-world training goes hand-in-hand with learning. Because of the college’s enviable location in the heart of the nation’s capital, active engagement begins in the classroom and continues within the halls of government, the galleries of museums, the laboratories of NIH, NASA, and DOE, the embassies of international diplomats, and the backrooms of the Smithsonian and other venerable institutions.

The college is the intellectual and creative backbone of the university, a place where the arts, the humanities, the social sciences, and the natural sciences come together to form a nexus of ideas and opportunity. As a leader among the nation’s liberal arts institutions because of an innovative curriculum that emphasizes perspectives, analyses, and communication, undergraduate students are equipped with the competencies needed to be effective and responsible citizens of the 21st Century. At the professional and doctoral level, graduate students partner with a faculty of scholars that include Fulbright recipients, award-winning choreographers, published researchers, and critically acclaimed authors to advance a spectrum of research on topics ranging from controlling greenhouse gas emissions to delving into autism’s causes, prevalence, and treatment.

Welcome to Columbian College Graduate Studies

Graduate programs in GW's Columbian College of Arts and Science are a magnet for top scholars and a catalyst for learning and discovery in a wide spectrum of arts, humanities, and social and hard science fields. Our degrees and certificates integrate the highest caliber of education, from our world-renowned programs in subjects like History, Political Science and Public Policy, to our pioneering work in Art Therapy, Forensic Sciences, and LGBT Health Policy and Practice. An advanced degree from one of GW's 82 Arts & Sciences Programs is unlike any other graduate school experience.

Not only are we step from the most influential institutions in Washington, D.C., but our faculty and alumni networks include an extraordinary variety of internationally-recognized leaders. At Columbian College, you will be given the tools to thrive both intellectually and professionally.