The M.A. in Art degree in the School of Art and Design requires a minimum of 30 semester hours of graduate work. Students choose one of the three specializations offered, which are described below.
Check departmental information for any additional requirements.
The School of Art and Design Studio Area seeks candidates with a wide range of perspectives and experiences offering unique contributions to a creative environment. Students who select the specialization in studio art must pass a portfolio examination during the first academic year or prior to the completion of 15 graduate semester hours for continuance in their M.A. degree program.
Admission
In addition to the requirements for general admission to The Graduate School at NIU, the M.A. in Art with specialization in Studio Art requires applicants to submit the following:
Three letters of recommendation
Digital portfolio
Portfolio identification sheet
Statement of intent for the degree
Artist statement
CV/Resume (optional, but encouraged)
The GRE is not required for admission to the M.A. in Art program. For further details about these items please consult the school website.
Students must take 3 semester hours in this course.
Additional Requirements
Students must register for ART 699 during the term of the one-person exhibition or presentation and documentation. Continuous enrollment in ART 699 is required until the work is completed.
The student’s graduate advisory committee must consist of at least three members. The majority of the committee members must be regular faculty members at NIU; a majority should be members of the graduate faculty in the School of Art and Design; and the chair should be a faculty member with Senior Graduate Faculty status in the School of Art and Design and an appropriate specialist in the specific discipline.
The format of both the M.A. one-person exhibition or presentation, and its documentation, must be approved by the student’s graduate advisory committee. The student must document the one-person exhibition or presentation, in the approved format, and that documentation must be approved by a majority of the student’s graduate advisory committee.
The documentation of the M.A. one-person exhibition or presentation, and its approval, must be reported to the graduate coordinator by the student’s committee chair by the end of the term that the work is completed.
Specialization in Art History and Visual Studies Research
The specialization in art history and visual studies research offers preliminary study for the doctoral degree for students intending to be professional art historical researchers and educators. Applicants with little background in art history but who have done exceptionally well as undergraduates in other disciplines will also be considered. Students in the specialization in art history and visual studies research must: complete a minimum of 30 semester-hours of graduate work; complete a thesis or master’s research project; pass a comprehensive exam; and demonstrate a reading knowledge of one modern foreign language (traditionally, French, German, or Italian is the language chosen by students interested in pursuing doctoral study; however, another language may be substituted with the approval of the student’s graduate advisory committee). Students who have not taken ARTH 486 as an undergraduate must take ARTH 586.
Admission
In addition to the requirements for general admission to The Graduate School at NIU, the M.A. in Art with specialization in Art History and Visual Studies Research requires applicants to submit the following:
Three letters of recommendation
Statement of purpose
Writing sample
CV/Resume
The GRE is not required for admission to the M.A. in Art program. For further details about these items please consult the school website.
Continuous enrollment in ARTH 699A or ARTH 699B is required until the work is completed.
Specialization in Art History and Visual Studies Teaching at the Two-Year College Level
The specialization in art history and visual studies teaching at the two-year college level provides preparation for teaching at the two-year college level where the doctoral degree is not required. Applicants with little background in art history but who have done exceptionally well as undergraduates in other disciplines will also be considered. Students in the specialization in art history and visual studies teaching at the two-year college level must: complete a minimum of 30 semester-hours of graduate work; complete two qualifying essays; pass a comprehensive exam; and demonstrate a reading knowledge of one modern foreign language. Students who have not taken ARTH 486 as an undergraduate must take ARTH 586.
Admission
In addition to the requirements for general admission to The Graduate School at NIU, the M.A. in Art with specialization in Art History and Visual Studies Teaching at the Two-Year College Level requires applicants to submit the following:
Three letters of recommendation
Statement of purpose
Writing sample
CV/Resume
The GRE is not required for admission to the M.A. in Art program. For further details about these items please consult the school website.
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