Graduate ProgramsThe Department of Art and Art History offers the master of arts degree in art history and in studio art.
General Nature of the ProgramIn studio art, the program offers emphasis in drawing, painting, graphic arts, printmaking, photography and electronic media. In art history, coursework in both Western and non-Western art is available.
Applications for Graduate StudyStudents are admitted to graduate study within a specific program of study, either studio art or art history.Applications for graduate study in the Department of Art and Art History should be submitted at least one semester in advance of the application deadline. Applicants in studio art should apply by March 1 for the fall semester and by October 15 for the spring semester. There is no summer semester admission. Portfolios must be included with the applications. After portfolio review and classification by the department, an appointment for advisement will be arranged.
Studio Art Classification of Entering StudentsIn all cases, evidence of adequate preparatory work in the area of the proposed course is required. Admittance to graduate-credit classes is given only after a review of transcripts and portfolio. A student with an accredited B.A. in art or B.F.A. in art (or with equivalent studio background) may enroll in Art 495 or Art 498A-498N for graduate credit. Instructor's approval for each course is required, and this is contingent upon previous training (normally at least 28 hours of junior-senior studio work) and proven performance.
Requirements for GraduationAll degree candidates are required to take a minimum of 36 graduate credits, including at least three courses in art history and Art 5599, Research and Thesis. Additional courses are determined in consultation with the adviser and the supervising committee for the thesis.
Art History Classification of Entering StudentsAdmission to the graduate program in art history requires a B.A. or equivalent degree and sufficient undergraduate study in art history to provide a sound foundation for advanced study. Ideally, this foundation would include a solid grounding in the history of Western art, some study of non-Western art, and sufficient advanced-level work to indicate that a student can succeed in the specialized or topical courses and seminars associated with graduate study. Admission review is done by a committee of the faculty.The applicant should have, in addition to a good general education in the humanities, 18 to 24 credit hours in art history with a grade-point average of 3.0 or better. Students with fewer hours and/or a restricted exposure to other humanities and fine arts courses, or having inconsistent grades, are eligible for admission to the graduate program on the basis of recent evidence indicating the potential for success, such as performance in UMKC 400-level courses, or through papers and exams for courses elsewhere. If there are some deficiencies in preparation that can be met readily by one or two undergraduate survey courses, a student will be admitted to graduate study. However, the survey courses must be taken for undergraduate credit before the student is allowed to take the qualifying examination that is required for advancement to degree candidacy. Applicants lacking the minimum preparation deemed necessary for admission to graduate-level study in art history may make up their deficiency through enrollment in selected undergraduate courses offered by the department. These will be determined after consultation with a faculty adviser and in all cases must include 400-level work. Progress will be reviewed at the end of each term, and if warranted, reclassification to graduate status will occur prior to the start of the next semester.
Requirements for GraduationAll degree candidates are required to take a minimum of 30 graduate credits, including Art 5501, Scope and Methods of Art History; and Art 5599, Research and Thesis. Other courses are determined in consultation with the adviser and the supervising committee for the thesis. In addition, a foreign language examination is required.
Special RequirementsRequirements for RetentionA student must maintain a graduate grade-point average of 3.0. In extenuating circumstances, a student may petition the Department of Art and Art History to be continued as a graduate student for one term (or 6 hours) if the graduate GPA falls below 3.0. The deficiency must be remedied during the approved probationary period if the student is to be continued.
The Qualifying ExaminationThere are two different qualifying examinations, one for each degree program. These are scheduled on demand. Students must have completed at least 9 hours of graduate study to be eligible, and the exam should be taken before 15 hours of graduate study applicable to the program are completed. A major purpose of the qualifying exam is to determine the readiness of students to be degree candidates; therefore, the examination is a review, both of the general competency of a student in the chosen field of study and of the plans for the thesis. Based on the results of the qualifying examination, a planned program will be prepared; if appropriate, a foreign language examination in art history will be assigned; and a supervisory committee will be appointed. Specific details concerning each qualifying examination will be publicized at the time that the examinations are scheduled.
The Thesis or Final ProjectIn the last term of candidacy, a student must complete an approved project that demonstrates capacity for independent work of a suitably high level of proficiency. This project, selected in conjunction with the thesis adviser, may range from production in a selected studio medium to a research project in art history. If it is the latter, its presentation must conform to the requirements of the School of Graduate Studies. If a production thesis is selected, students must present a written statement of purpose and make an oral defense of thesis before their supervisory committee. In addition, a photographic record of the project must be made and presented to the department to be held in its visual resources collection.
Graduate CreditInstructor's approval for each course is required, and this is contingent upon previous training (normally at least 28 hours of junior-senior studio work) and proven performance.
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