Admissions - Graduate
Applicants to the MA program must submit an application form, Statement of Purpose (one to two pages), two letters of recommendation, transcripts of academic work, and a sample of art historical writing with the applicant as sole author (no more than 20 pages of text plus relevant images and bibliography). A faculty committee evaluates the file, giving priority to the candidate’s overall academic background in the humanities, foreign language competency, letters of recommendation, and motivation and interest. NOTE: The Statement of Purpose is the same as the “personal statement,” a document specific to the application to our department M.A. program. The 600-word “Graduate School Short Essay” is a separate statement on your relationship to community required of all UMASS graduate applicants by the university.
The Statement of Purpose should include:
- Aspects of your professional, academic, and personal background that may be relevant to a career in the history of art and architecture, including your foreign language preparation.
- Your primary area(s) of interest and your understanding of the major critical issues involved.
- Your reason for choosing History of Art and Architecture at UMASS, Amherst, rather than another graduate program.
- Your career plans.
- Applicants who wish to be considered for the Graduate Diversity Fellowship should indicate this in their Statement of Purpose.
Questions regarding the graduate program can be addressed to the Graduate Program Director, Karen Kurczynski (kurczynski@umass.edu).
https://www.umass.edu/graduate/apply/how-apply
Application Deadline: January 15