Degrees Offered

BA in Art History

How can an object made thousands of years ago help us understand the culture from which it came? What is the connection between what an artist intends to say with their work and what a viewer grasps? As a Tyler Art History student, you’ll learn how to look closely, think critically and conduct research about the historical contexts for works of art in order to build your understanding of the history of culture within a global perspective. The program is designed to encourage a lifelong understanding of the arts as a fundamental form of human expression in a world in which visual literacy is vitally important.

Because the Art History Program is part of one of the country’s top art schools and a leading research university in Temple, our students have access to outstanding research resources and opportunities for studio work. The program’s expanded classroom includes the culturally rich array of museums, galleries, public art and other resources in Philadelphia, New York and Washington, D.C.; opportunities to study abroad at Temple’s campuses in Rome and Tokyo; and a sophisticated and ever-evolving array of new digital technologies. Our students find jobs in museums, galleries, libraries, auction houses and publishers and earn placements in the most competitive graduate programs.

For more information, contact undergraduate advisor and Associate Professor Erin Pauwels at erin.pauwels@temple.edu.

 

Art History Minor

The Art History minor is available for any Temple student who wishes to explore art through the ages with a global perspective. By completing courses across a number of significant periods in art, you'll gain a better understanding of the visual arts and modes of artistic expression from ancient to modern, and from the African diaspora experience in the Caribbean to the Mediterranean, Europe, Latin America the Islamic world and beyond. 

Interested in learning more? Explore the Art History minor requirements or contact undergraduate advisor and Associate Professor Erin Pauwels at erin.pauwels@temple.edu.

MA in Art History (research track)

Tyler’s Master of Arts (MA) in Art History is a two-year program that can either serve as a gateway to the best PhD programs in the discipline for students seeking careers in higher education or research, or as a stand-alone option for students seeking positions in museums, galleries, non-profits, archives, libraries and other institutions.

Students in the program develop a deep geographical and chronological understanding of art history that is rooted in historical, cultural, stylistic and ethical analysis, and will graduate with an understanding of and ability to conduct original research and organize a sustained project, working collaboratively with artists, administrators, educators, students and the public. Tyler’s distinguished Art History faculty are committed to one-on-one mentorship, and offer students access to a broad range of research expertise, from ancient to contemporary, and from Latin America and the African diaspora in the Caribbean to Europe, the Mediterranean, the Islamic world and North America.

Students can supplement their Art History MA with Temple’s Cultural Analytics Graduate Certificate.

As a Tyler graduate student, you will have access to the resources of a world-class art school; a large, public research university; and an affordable city that’s rich with opportunities for primary-source research, professional advancement and personal enrichment.

NOTE: Reporting your GRE scores is optional.

For more information, contact Assistant Professor Mariola Alvarez at mariola.alvarez@temple.edu.

MA in Art History/Arts Management track

A specialized degree pathway for students seeking to advance artists, art and audiences by becoming leaders in arts management, Tyler’s MA in Art History/Arts Management track is directed by faculty member John Hatfield, who has 30 years of experience in arts administration with leading institutions in New York City. Students learn the forces that shape arts institutions, from philanthropy to facilities.

The program combines a study of art history with courses that allow students to understand how art and artists function. These courses may be taken within Tyler's Architecture or Art Education departments, or in the College of Education, Fox School of Business, or Klein College of Media and Communication, depending on the individual course of study devised between the student and program director. Students develop an understanding of leadership, the local environment for the arts in non-profit and commercial sectors and the ethical and legal issues confronting arts managers—and they learn how to apply those ideas through internships.

At a time of dramatic change in audience demographics, business models and the civic role of cultural institutions, Tyler’s arts management program prepares students to enter a field with the full range of skills needed to work and collaborate across constituencies and sectors.

NOTE: Reporting of GRE scores is optional.

For more information, contact Professor John Hatfield at john.hatfield@temple.edu.

PhD in Art History

The Doctorate (PhD) in Art History program at the Tyler School of Art and Architecture at Temple University provides the broad-based training needed for teaching, research and curatorial positions at the highest levels of the discipline.

Tyler doctoral students work with faculty with diverse and global areas of expertise, including new and emergent digital technologies, with specialists in the ancient Mediterranean; the Islamic world; Renaissance and Baroque Italy, Spain and Germany; modern and contemporary art, especially in North and Latin America; and the art of the African diaspora in the Caribbean. Tyler’s Art History PhD program is small; each student’s primary advisor is committed to providing one-on-one mentorship and career development.

At Tyler, graduate students have access to both the intimacy and collaborative spirit of a world-class school of art and architecture—with opportunities to study side-by-side with artists and designers—and the resources of a large, public, comprehensive, Research-1 university. Students can supplement their Art History PhD with Temple’s Teaching in Higher Education Certificate, Temple’s Cultural Analytics Graduate Certificate, arts management coursework from Tyler and more.

Tyler students students take full advantage of the extraordinary research opportunities opened up by Tyler’s location in Philadelphia—an affordable and vibrant center of art, culture and history strategically situated near New York, Washington, D.C. and Baltimore—and at Temple University Rome, a leading center for interdisciplinary research and study abroad (fellowships are available).

NOTE: GREs are optional; please do note that if you submit your GRE scores to the department, they are automatically included in the application for University Fellows.

For more information, contact Assistant Professor Mariola Alvarez at mariola.alvarez@temple.edu.