MA Program in Art History

Foreign Language Requirement:

Since graduate students in art history may be required to use materials published in foreign languages they are expected to have a reading knowledge of one appropriate foreign language (normally German or French for European & American art history and Chinese or Japanese for Asian art history). This reading knowledge may be demonstrated in one of two ways. The student may pass a proficiency exam in a language, or enroll at the appropriate level in a foreign language and complete the fourth semester course with a grade of B or better. (Undergradaute coursework will not count.) The proficiency exam will be given during the advising/enrollment period of each semester by the art history department. Students are expected to take the proficiency exam or enroll in a language course during their first semester in the program. In the proficiency exam, the student will be expected to translate, with the aid of a dictionary, a passage of art historical writing in the foreign language in a set time. The translation will be graded on its overall accuracy. The proficiency exam must be passed before the M.A. comprehensive exam is taken. Foreign language credits numbered below 500 will not apply to the 30 credit M.A. requirement; those numbered above 500 may count.

The foreign language requirement at the Master's level is a departmental requirement. Students who plan to continue their graduate program past the Master's level should be aware of the fact that the Graduate School requires two languages for the doctoral program. Students may use the language acquired during the Master's program as one of those languages; however, qualifying examinations, language courses, etc. that have been completed five years prior to the doctoral comprehensive examination will not be acceptable as current knowledge of the research skill. The student will need to have the skill revalidated in some manner.

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