Program Description

Application Requirements

Program-Specific Instructions

Additional Information

Applicants to the MA in art history should hold a BA in art history or a minor in art history that includes two courses at the 400 level or have an equivalent background. Candidates without the requisite background may be admitted provisionally.

Applicants who have been academically terminated or dismissed from any George Mason University graduate program must wait a minimum of two years from the semester of termination/dismissal to apply to the MA in art history program.

Applicants must provide the names and email addresses (via the online application) of the two art history professors or others closely associated with the candidate’s pre-professional activities who will be submitting the required letters of recommendation. Please follow instructions on the online application for submitting this information.

Academically strong Mason undergraduates with a commitment to research or graduate or professional studies can apply for an accelerated Master’s program and earn a Bachelor’s and a Master’s in as little as five years.

Accelerated Master’s Application Requirements

Accelerated Master’s Program-Specific Instructions

See CHSS website for Additional Information.

Preparing to Apply

Prior to submitting your application, meet with the Bachelor’s/Accelerated Master’s (BAM) Coordinator, director of your undergraduate program and with the director of the master’s program. 

• Applicants must have completed at least two 300-level art history courses with a minimum grade of B+
• Applicants must submit:
  • Transcript
  • Three Recommendation Letters
  • Resume
  • Letter of Intent (Goals Statement)
  • Writing Sample
• Go over your schedule for completion of the undergraduate degree
• Plan appropriate graduate course work
• Be familiar with the: policies for accelerated master's programs

English Proficiency Requirements

All Mason students must have a full command of academic English to be successful in their studies. For this reason, Mason requires applicants to demonstrate English proficiency for admission consideration, regardless of citizenship. Click here to view the requirements.

International Transcript Requirements

All transcripts from colleges or universities outside the United States must be translated into English, if applicable, and submitted for evaluation to the Mason Office of Admissions. Mason will provide evaluation service free of charge for all international transcripts, however, some programs may request an outside evaluation be completed. Because of volume, more time may be needed to process applications requiring a Mason evaluation. You should submit your application 6 weeks prior to the deadline if you plan to utilize Mason’s free evaluation service. For expedited service, students may submit their documents to any NACES member organization at their own expense. If you decide to use an external evaluation service or if your program requires an outside evaluation, GPA and Degree equivalences must be included with your course-by-course evaluation. Mason evaluations are used for internal purposes and are not released to applicants. For information on international transcript requirements, go here.