Admission to Graduate Studies in Art History

4 + 1 Program: Application Requirements

  1. The student must have an undergraduate major in Art History and a minimum GPA of 3.0 overall and 3.25 in the major by the fall semester of their junior year in order to be considered for acceptance.
  2. The student should apply to candidacy for the fifth-year MA no later than fall semester of the student's junior year.
  3. Applicants complete an online application form available from the Graduate School and submit it along with the application fee found on the Tulane School of Liberal Arts Prospective Graduate Students web page. There is no fixed deadline but ideally this should happen before the end of the junior year. In the blank for Specialization, the applicant puts “4+1.” No GRE scores or official transcripts are required. However, a statement of purpose is required, as are two letters of recommendation and a writing sample (e.g., term paper).

Master of Arts Program in Art History: Admission Requirements

Application to the program is made online through the Graduate School following this link to the Tulane School of Liberal Arts Prospective Graduate Students web page. The following must be received by Janurary 10, along with the application fee:

  1. a completed application form, including a Statement of Purpose
  2. three completed recommendation forms
  3. the Art History program requests a writing sample (e.g., a term paper) which should be uploaded with the application
  4. copies of transcripts of all undergraduate records and any previous graduate work should be uploaded; official transcripts will be required upon acceptance to the program

To be competitive, applicants should have earned strong grades as an undergraduate, typically achieving an overall 3.2 grade-point average and at least a 3.4 in the major.


PhD in Art History and Latin American Studies: Admission requirements

A Joint Program of the Art History Program of the Art Department and the Stone Center for Latin American Studies

The program is small and selective, accepting only one or two highly qualified applicants each year. Successful applicants must demonstrate an ability to work in a critical and imaginative fashion and to conduct original, clearly articulated research that will advance the frontiers of knowledge. Prospective students must apply through the Stone Center of Latin American Studies following this link to the Stone Center of Latin American Studies Ph.D. in Art History and Latin American Studies web page. Along with the Graduate School application form, applicants must submit transcripts, three letters of recommendation, a statement of purpose, evidence of ability in a foreign language (such as college coursework, papers, or standardized tests), and an MA thesis or two substantive research papers. Please submit these materials to the Stone Center for Latin American Studies via the Slate application system.

Students may enter the program in one of four ways: directly with a BA, coming to the program with an MA conferred by another university, transferring to the program with an MA conferred by another Tulane department, and progressing from the MA programs in Art History or Latin American Studies.

A six-person faculty committee (convened by the Director of the Program) evaluates applications. Members of this admissions committee include the Graduate Coordinators in Art History and Latin American Studies and faculty (two from Art History and two from Latin American Studies) with whom the candidate will potentially work. Applicants who are coming from Tulane's MA programs in Art History and Latin American Studies must be able to secure the support of two faculty members who will agree to direct his/her studies if accepted to the program.

{revised 12.15.2022}



Frequently Asked Questions About Applying to the Graduate Programs in Art History