Art History, BA / Art History, MA Accelerated Graduate Degree
Students who know early on that they will go on to a master’s degree program in art history should consider the accelerated program. In this program, students can earn both the bachelor’s and master’s degree in five years instead of six.
Accelerated master’s degrees (AMDs) allow high-achieving students to begin graduate-level work before completion of the undergraduate degree. By double-counting some credits for both the bachelor’s and the master’s degree, students can earn both in five years total instead of the usual six.
The curriculum is quite structured in an AMD – specific classes need to be taken at specific times – so early planning is critical to be able to benefit from the time savings built into the program. Students should begin planning in their first year and be prepared to start at an advanced level of art history that same year.
Students begin the program working on the undergraduate coursework needed for the bachelor’s degree. By the third year, students are taking advanced undergraduate coursework and some graduate coursework at the same time.
Admissions to the AMD will be determined at the start of junior year and is dependent upon meeting the normal criteria for graduate school admissions such as GPA. Students who aren’t admitted to the AMD can continue on in the undergraduate program to earn just the bachelor’s degree as long as they are in good academic standing.
You can read more about AMDs and our FAQ via the UWM Graduate School website.
Program Type
Accelerated Graduate Degree
Program Format
On Campus
Advantages of an Accelerated Master’s Degree:
- Cost Savings — finishing two degrees in five years instead of six saves one full year of tuition cost
- Time Savings — completing both degrees a year early gets you started in your career faster
- Boosted Salary — starting your career with a master’s degree can garner you a higher starting salary
- Rigorous Curriculum — the pace and courses are well-suited to gifted and advanced students
Overview
The Art History AGD will be jointly administered by the Department of Art History's Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUS) and Director of Graduate Studies (DGS). The DUS and DGS hold regular semesterly advising meetings with the Art History UG major and G cohorts. All tracking of internal requirements for the AGD will be done by the DUS and the DGS. The DUS and DGS will communicate all relevant information to potential and enrolled Art History AGD students.
Students enrolled in the Art History Accelerated Graduate Degree (AGD) program will gain a comprehensive foundation in the discipline, complete an internship at an area arts institution and, in consultation with a faculty advisor, prepare a standard MA thesis or MA thesis exhibition with catalog. The AGD is designed for undergraduate students determined to pursue a career in academia or in the Art Museum / Gallery field. The AGD offers an opportunity to prepare more quickly for success at the doctoral level and to earn a credential (the MA) increasingly required by employers in the field of the arts writ large. While we do not expect that the program will contribute greatly to UG recruitment to UWM, we believe it will play an important role in retention. We emphasize to our UG majors early on the necessity of an MA degree to prepare for a future in the discipline or to compete for jobs in related fields. Many apply to our MA program for this reason. We intend to present the AGD to such majors as an opportunity to earn the MA at a lower cost with all the same curricular benefits of our standard MA curriculum. The program will be advertised through traditional advising, our departmental website and twitter account, and other digital media platforms. We also intend to explore advertising on the website of the College Art Association and American Association of Museums.
Advancement to Major/Admission
Undergraduate Requirements
Interested students must meet with an academic advisor to determine eligibility for the accelerated graduate degree. To be permitted to enroll in courses at the graduate (“G”) level during a student’s junior year with the intention of forward sharing those courses toward the master’s degree the student must meet the following criteria:
- Have declared the major in Art History
- Have a UWM cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher
- On schedule to complete all GERs and 105 credits by the end of the junior year
Graduate Admissions Requirements
Admission to the Graduate School and the graduate phase of the accelerated Art History program will be selective and occur in January of the junior year. Students should apply by January 15th to be considered for funding and priority registration. To be considered for admission to the graduate phase students must meet the following requirements:
- A cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher
- Two letters of recommendation, preferably from UWM Art History faculty
Students who are not selected for the graduate phase of the program may complete the BA with a major in Art History.
Double Counted Courses
This accelerated graduate degree involves the following bachelor’s and master’s degrees: Art History BA and Art History MA. There are 6 forward-shared credits and 15 backward-shared credits for a total of 21 shared credits.
Eligible Forward-Shared Courses
Courses must be taken at the graduate (G) level and will count toward the Art History MA as well as fulfill the Art History BA undergraduate requirement.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Courses approved for forward-shared credit | ||
| ARTHIST 307G | Film Directors: | 3 |
| ARTHIST 308G | Film Styles: | 3 |
| ARTHIST 312G | Minoan and Mycenaean Art and Archaeology | 3 |
| ARTHIST 313G | Greek Art and Archaeology | 3 |
| ARTHIST 314G | Art and Archaeology of the Ancient Near East | 3 |
| ARTHIST 315G | Art and Archaeology of Ancient Egypt | 3 |
| ARTHIST 316G | Roman Art and Archaeology | 3 |
| ARTHIST 323G | Age of Apocalypse: Western European Art after the First Millennium | 3 |
| ARTHIST 324G | Early Christian and Byzantine Art and Architecture | 3 |
| ARTHIST 325G | Early Medieval Art in the West | 3 |
| ARTHIST 326G | Chivalry and Spirituality: French Gothic Art and Architecture | 3 |
| ARTHIST 327G | Caliphs, Emirs, & Kings: Art & Architecture of Medieval Spain | 3 |
| ARTHIST 329G | Late Medieval Art and Architecture | 3 |
| ARTHIST 333G | High Renaissance Art in Italy | 3 |
| ARTHIST 341G | Art of the Dutch Golden Age | 3 |
| ARTHIST 342G | Art and Society in Renaissance Florence | 3 |
| ARTHIST 343G | Art and Culture of Spain and Latin America, 1500-1750 | 3 |
| ARTHIST 349G | American Postmodernism 1960-2000 | 3 |
| ARTHIST 353G | American Art: Colonial Period - 1870 | 3 |
| ARTHIST 354G | American Art: 1870 - Present | 3 |
| ARTHIST 355G | American Folk Art | 3 |
| ARTHIST 356G | American Architecture | 3 |
| ARTHIST 357G | Rococo to Revolution: European Art, 1750-1850 | 3 |
| ARTHIST 358G | Realism to Post-Impressionism: European Art, 1850-1900 | 3 |
| ARTHIST 364G | Modernism and the Avant-Garde, 1900-1960 | 3 |
| ARTHIST 365G | History of Photography | 3 |
| ARTHIST 366G | German Painting, 1800-1933 | 3 |
| ARTHIST 367G | Latin American Modernisms | 3 |
| ARTHIST 368G | History of Modern Design | 3 |
| ARTHIST 369G | Introduction to Contemporary Art | 3 |
| ARTHIST 370G | Trends in Contemporary Architecture | 3 |
| ARTHIST 371G | African Art | 3 |
| ARTHIST 372G | Art of the Inca and their Ancestors | 3 |
| ARTHIST 373G | Art of Ancient Mexico and Central America | 3 |
| ARTHIST 375G | Art of the Aztec Empire | 3 |
| ARTHIST 376G | History and Theory of New Media Art | 3 |
| ARTHIST 377G | Art and Performance | 3 |
| ARTHIST 380G | Chinese Painting | 3 |
| ARTHIST 382G | Chinese Art and Architecture | 3 |
| ARTHIST 383G | Japanese Art and Architecture | 3 |
| ARTHIST 384G | Art and Immortality in Ancient China | 3 |
| ARTHIST 386G | Art, Ritual, and Ethnicity of China | 3 |
| ARTHIST 387G | Buddhist Art and Architecture | 3 |
| ARTHIST 412G | Cities and Sanctuaries of Ancient Greece | 3 |
| ARTHIST 413G | Greek Sculpture | 3 |
| ARTHIST 431G | Renaissance Architecture in Italy | 3 |
| ARTHIST 447G | Topics in Early Modern Art: | 3 |
| ARTHIST 458G | A Comparative History of Architecture and Urbanism: | 3 |
| ARTHIST 462G | Frank Lloyd Wright | 3 |
| ARTHIST 463G | Cubism and its Inheritance | 3 |
| ARTHIST 465G | Dada and Surrealist Art | 3 |
| ARTHIST 469G | American Artists Revealed: | 3 |
| ARTHIST 470G | Topics in American Art: | 3 |
| ARTHIST 474G | Maya Art | 3 |
| ARTHIST 481G | Topics in Chinese Art: | 1-3 |
| ARTHIST 482G | Topics in Non-Western Art: | 3 |
| ARTHIST 497G | Study Abroad: | 1-12 |
| ARTHIST 603G | The Art Museum: History, Theory, Practice | 3 |
Eligible Backward-Shared Courses
The following courses may be used to fulfill College of Letters & Sciences (L&S) electives for the undergraduate degree.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Courses approved for backward-shared credit | ||
| ARTHIST 703 | Introduction to Art Museum Studies I | 3 |
| ARTHIST 704 | Introduction to Art Museum Studies II | 3 |
| ARTHIST 710 | Colloquium in Ancient Art and Archaeology: 1 | 3 |
| ARTHIST 720 | Colloquium in Medieval Art/Architecture: 2 | 3 |
| ARTHIST 730 | Colloquium in Renaissance/Baroque Art/Architecture: 3 | 3 |
| ARTHIST 740 | Colloquium in Latin American Art: 4 | 3 |
| ARTHIST 750 | Colloquium in American Art: 5 | 3 |
| ARTHIST 760 | Colloquium in Modern Art/Architecture: 5 | 3 |
| ARTHIST 761 | Colloquium in Film History, Theory, Criticism: 6 | 3 |
| ARTHIST 770 | Colloquium in Non-Western Art: 4 | 3 |
| ARTHIST 891 | Art Museum Internship 7 | 3 |
- 1
Fulfills UG Ancient requirement. Fulfills G Ancient/Medieval.
- 2
Fulfills UG Medieval requirement. Fulfills G Ancient/Medieval.
- 3
Fulfills UG Renaissance-Baroque requirement. Fulfills G Renaissance-Baroque.
- 4
Fulfills UG Non-Western requirement. Fulfills G Non-Western.
- 5
Fulfills UG 19th-20th Century requirement. Fulfills G Modern/Contemporary.
- 6
Fulfills UG Film requirement. Fulfills G Modern/Contemporary.
- 7
Fulfills UG Internship (ARTHIST 691) requirement.
Letters & Science Advising
During your time at UWM, you may have multiple members of your success team, including advisors, peer mentors and success coaches. Letters & Science students typically work with at least two different types of advisors as they pursue their degrees: professional college advisors and faculty advisors. L&S college advisors advise across your entire degree program while departmental faculty advisors focus on the major.
College advisors are located in Holton Hall (or virtually for online students) and serve as your primary advisor. They are your point person for your questions about navigating college and completing your degree. College advisors will:
- Assist you in defining your academic and life goals.
- Help you create an educational plan that is consistent with those goals.
- Assist you in understanding curriculum, major and degree requirements for graduation, as well as university policies and procedures.
- Provide you with information about campus and community resources and refer you to those resources as appropriate.
- Monitor your progress toward graduation and completion of requirements.
Faculty advisors mentor students in the major and assist them in maximizing their development in the program. You will begin working with a faculty advisor when you declare your major. Faculty advisors are an important partner and will:
- Help you understand major requirements and course offerings in the department.
- Explain opportunities for internships and undergraduate research and guide you in obtaining those experiences.
- Serve as an excellent resource as you consider potential graduate programs and career paths in your field.
Students are encouraged to meet with both their college advisor and faculty advisor at least once each semester. Appointments are available in-person, by phone or by video.
Currently enrolled students should use the Navigate360 website to make an appointment with your assigned advisor or call (414) 229-4654 if you do not currently have an assigned Letters & Science advisor. Prospective students who haven't enrolled in classes yet should call (414) 229-7711 or email let-sci@uwm.edu.
Students are encouraged to supplement their classroom learning with experiential learning through relevant part-time jobs or internships. Experiential learning is built into the curriculum of the accelerated master’s degree, but additional experiences will enhance a resume and better prepare students for their first professional job.
We encourage you to begin exploring career options when you declare your major or at the start of your sophomore year, whichever comes first.