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.

Curriculum

Requirements for MS Th/Crit/Hist of Art/Des/Arch, 2012

Semester 1

Complete these courses plus 2 Elective credits.

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HA-602 Art Historical Theory and Methodology

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COMPLETE 2 CREDITS FILM/DESIGN ELECTIVE CHOOSE FROM HD-501 OR
HD-505 History Of Modern Design OR
HD-506 Concepts Of Design OR
HD-511 History of Illustration OR
HD-551 Issues in Design History OR
HD-606 Concepts of Design II OR
HD-608 History of Industrial Design OR
HD-609 History of Interior Design I OR
HD-610 History of Interior Design II OR
HD-640 Aspects of Japanese Design OR
HD-651 Problems in Design History OR
HD-662 History of Communications Design OR
HA-514 Film Criticism OR
HA-517 Documentary Film OR
HA-552 Women in Photography OR
HA-551 Issues in Art History OR
HA-552 Women in Photography

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COMPLETE 2 CREDITS ARCHITECTURE ELECTIVE CHOOSE FROM ARCH-506 OR
ARCH-507 OR
ARCH-508 OR
ARCH-509 OR
ARCH-512 ARCH-528 ARCH 537 OR
ARCH-538 OR
ARCH-540 ARCH-566 HA-551 HA-651

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Semester 2

Complete these courses plus 4 Elective credits.

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HA-650 MATERIALS/TECHNIQUES/CONSERVATION

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COMPLETE 2 CREDITS NON-WESTERN ELECTIVE CHOOSE FROM HA-502 OR
HA-510 Chinese Landscape Painting OR
HA-512 African Art OR
HA-522 Pre-Columbian Art OR
HA-526 Native American Art OR
HA-533 HA-551 HA-651 HD-640 HD-651

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Semester 3

Complete these courses plus 4 Elective credits.

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COMPLETE 3 CREDITS PRE-RENAISSANCE ELECTIVE CHOOSE FROM HA-504 OR
HA-529 Roman Art OR
HA-531 Medieval Art I OR
HA-532 Medieval Art II OR
HA-551 HA-651 OR
HA631 OR
HD-551 Issues in Design History OR
HD-651 Problems in Design History

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COMPLETE 2 CREDITS RENAISSANCE/BAROQUE/ROCOCO ELECTIVE CHOOSE FROM HA-501 OR
HA-507 Art by Women: 15th Century to the Present OR
HA-515 Southern Baroque Art OR
HA-516 Northern Renaissance Art OR
HA-519 Drawings & Prints Seminar: Pisanello to Present OR
HA-523 HA-590I OR
HA-551 Issues in Art History OR
HA-623 Dutch Art Seminar OR
HA-630 Michelangelo Seminar OR
HA-632 Venetian Renaissance Seminar OR
HA-651 Problems In Art History OR
HD-551 Issues in Design History OR
HD-651 Problems in Design History

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Semester 4

Complete these courses plus 4 Elective credits.

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HA-605 THESIS

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COMPLETE 2 CREDITS 19TH/20TH/21ST CENTURY ELECTIVE CHOOSE FROM HA-509 OR
HA-511 Picasso/Matisse Seminar OR
HA-513 David to Delacroix OR
HA-520 American Art 1770-1940 OR
HA-551 Issues in Art History OR
HA-552 HA-553 OR
HA-627 Contemporary Art Seminar OR
HA-633 German Nineteenth Century Art OR
HA-634 The Beginnings of Abstract Art OR
HA-635 Creating Exhibitions OR
HA-651 Problems In Art History OR
HD-551 Issues in Design History OR
HD-651 Problems in Design History

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