MA Art History at University of California, Riverside

Programme overview

The History of Art department offers an MA with an emphasis on the history of art and architecture from the early modern period to the present.

Faculty: College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences | Department: History of Art | Duration: About two years full-time (first year coursework, second year thesis) | Intake: Fall | Study mode: full-time | Location: Riverside, CA, United States

What you will study

The MA requires 44 units of coursework, including AHS 251A (Proseminar in Historiography), AHS 251B (Proseminar in Methodology) and AHS 280 thesis-writing seminar in year two, plus three additional art history seminars, two outside the specialization. Students show proficiency in one language relevant to their field.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

GRE not required or evaluated. At least three letters of recommendation. Graduate Division (university-wide): bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution or recognized international equivalent; minimum 3.0 undergraduate GPA (some programs set a higher standard); transcripts, statement of purpose and letters of recommendation; English proficiency (TOEFL iBT or IELTS Academic 7 with no component below 6) unless the prior degree was taught in English; GRE/GMAT only where the program requires it (many no longer do). Source: graduate.ucr.edu/admission-requirements.

UC Riverside operates a quarter system. Summer begins mid-June, Fall late September, Winter early January and Spring late March/early April. Most graduate programmes admit and begin in the Fall quarter only.

New domestic applicants: Fall January 5 (fellowship consideration) / June 1 (admission only), Winter November 1, Spring February 1, Summer May 1. New international applicants: Fall January 5 (fellowship consideration) / June 1 (admission only), Winter September 1, Spring December 1, Summer March 1. A few programmes have deadlines after June 1 and some have earlier programme deadlines. The Winter 2027 and Spring 2027 applications are open for select programmes only; the Summer/Fall 2027 application opened September 1, 2026, with rolling review for most programmes.

Apply through the official page: https://grad.ucr.edu/apply/

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