Overview of MA Program

Since its inception in 1952, our free-standing Master’s Program in Art History has become a model for similar programs developed throughout the country.  Although Hunter College is part of the City University of New York, as many as half our new students each year are from outside New York City and have traveled here specifically for the purpose of pursuing a degree at Hunter. Due to the high number of applicants and the reputation of the program, admissions are highly selective.

The MA program offers students a solid grounding in advanced graduate study.  The program includes seminars and lecture courses that address a wide range of topics in Western and Non-Western art—from ancient to contemporary—and in the history and theory of the field.  Within these courses, students are encouraged to make maximum use of the extraordinary exhibition and research facilities of New York City.  Some courses are given outside the classroom, at institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the students also have the opportunity to participate in mounting exhibitions for the Hunter College art galleries.

All courses are given in the late afternoon or in the evening, which enables students to work or hold internships while they are obtaining their degree.  Students may take 1, 2, or 3 courses a semester.  Part-time attendance allows our students to earn a degree while holding full-time jobs.  Many of the program’s students and alumni hold positions in galleries, museums, art organizations, and publishing houses, and many of the program’s graduates subsequently enter doctoral programs at a wide range of universities, within and outside of New York City.