History of Art & Design MS

Graduate studies in the History of Art and Design Department provide students with the skills and knowledge to pursue careers as art and design historians and professionals in museums, galleries, and libraries, or to pursue graduate work at the doctorate level. Through comprehensive study of global art and design within historical and cultural contexts and intensive research and scholarship in specialized areas, students develop a critical understanding of the field as well as research and analytical skills. Graduates demonstrate excellence in independent and critical thinking and understanding of the historic roles and responsibilities of art and design.

The Program's Structure
The History of Art and Design Department develops courses, organizes excursions, and establishes internships to take advantage of our extensive working relationship with the city's museums, galleries, and cultural organizations.

Dual Master's
Dual master's degrees with Fine Arts and Library Science are available resulting in a MS/MFA or MS/MS degree. For these programs 30 (instead of 36) credits of art and design history are required.

Museum Studies
The Certificate in Museum Studies (15 credits) will complement the master's degree by offering both a solid educational base in art and design history and a practical, in-depth experience in the museum world. Courses are drawn from History of Art and Design, Arts and Cultural Management, and the Information and Library Science.

Art's historical concern with materials and techniques exists naturally in connection with the programs in the practice of art. This is an emphasis in all our courses, but it takes specific form in our required Chemistry of Materials, Techniques, and Conservation course taught in collaboration with the Brooklyn Museum, which has one of the oldest and best-equipped conservation laboratories in the country. In addition, issues related to conservation problems in Venetian art history are explored with the help of local experts on site in our Venice program.

Pratt in Venice
Pratt in Venice is a six-week summer program that takes place in June and July. Art History of Venice (HA5901, 3 credits) and Materials and Techniques of Venetian Art (HA600I, 3 credits) are offered together with Painting (Art 5901, 2-3 credits) and Printmaking/Drawing (Art 5911, 2-3 credits). Graduate and undergraduate students enroll for 6-8 credits. We collaborate with Universita Internazionale dell'Arte and Scuola Internazionale di Grafica in Venice. Group visits to Padua and Bassano/Maser are included. The program fosters interaction between art history and the studio arts through group events, faculty/student discussions, visiting lecturers, and just by being there together. Participants experience the visual riches of Venice and have the opportunity to conduct research in extraordinary museums and libraries.

Mission Statement
The mission of graduate studies in the History of Art and Design Department is to provide students with the skills and knowledge to pursue careers as art and design historians and professionals in museums, galleries, and libraries, or to pursue graduate work at the doctorate level. Through comprehensive study of global art and design within historical and cultural contexts and intensive research and scholarship in specialized areas, students develop a critical understanding of the field as well as research and analytical skills. Graduates demonstrate excellence in independent and critical thinking and understanding of the historic roles and responsibilities of art and design. Internships at museums, libraries, non-profit art organizations and galleries provide opportunities for students to work in professional areas of their interests and prepare for future careers.

Learning Outcomes

• Graduates command of a body of knowledge that describes the forms and creation of valued and acknowledged works of art.
• Graduates have a historical understanding of subjects tied to changes in social, political, and economic contexts through time.
• Graduates demonstrate an understanding of the discipline’s tools and methods and are able to apply these to a specialized body of information.
• Graduates are able to read and translate texts in French or German.
• Graduates achieve the ability to research and write an in-depth thesis on a topic of their choice.

Degree Requirements

Applicants must demonstrate skills of observation and description, analysis and criticism, the potential to successfully complete the course work, and to design and present a graduate thesis of merit. Undergraduate study in art and/or design history is encouraged, and at least an introduction in those fields should be included in the completed undergraduate curriculum. The application package must contain a personal statement describing the selection of Pratt and motivation for the degree, a writing sample demonstrating analytic and communication skills, and recently earned scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE code R2669). Applicants whose first language is not English must submit results of the TOEFL exam. Competence in a research language, either French or German, must be demonstrated prior to submission of the thesis.

Course requirements - Master of Science, History of Art & Design

Core Required Courses - 9 credits

HA-602  Art Historical Methodology
HA-650  Material Techniques and Conservation (usually held at Brooklyn Museum Conservation lab)
HA 605  Thesis (Foreign language requirements must be completed before registering for thesis)

Other Courses must fulfill distribution requirements in:

    * Film/ Design/ Photography
    * Non Western design art and history
    * Architecture
    * Ancient/ Medieval World
    * Renaissance / Baroque
    * 19th / 20th / 21st centuries

Note: a course may fulfill more than one requirement.