<p>I need some advice. I was a biochem major before switching to an art history major my senior year. Initially I was interested in going into dentistry, but after going through some personal problems and really asking myself if that's what I wanted to do I found out that- I wasn't. </p>
<p>I have always been interested in art history and all my GEs are art history classes. After speaking with grad students, professors, and sitting in on grad courses, while also interning at museums I'm now strongly interested in working in the museum field and would like to pursue a masters in art history. As soon as I changed my major I've been working diligently, gaining internship experience in museums and completing my art history coursework really well. </p>
<p>I was just wondering how much weight is given to the overall GPA when art history graduate schools look at apps? Some professors I spoke with told me to focus on my personal statement and my writing sample and said that those two were the most important. But I can't get over the fact that my transcript looks so messy with several W's and few F's in my bio coursework. My overall gpa will probably be a 2.6 by the time I graduate next year, while my current art history major GPA is a 4.0. I've been doing so well in my major: aced all my upper division classes, but recently got an F in one of my lower division classes, but I plan to retake it and ace it. Really upset that my art history record is marred by the F although I'll still graduate with a major gpa of 3.8/3.9 after the retake. </p>
<p>I'm interested in the NYU IFA and Columbia Art History programs. Both those programs have professors working in the field that I'm strongly interested in. I plan to apply for the Fall 2012 admission, but now am having serious doubts because of my GPA and the F I got in my lower division art history class. Should I just apply anyway and focus on my personal statement and writing sample? I know I can get awesome rec letters from my art history professors too. Its just that my ugly transcript and gpa is freaking me out!</p>
<p>You should probably set your sights lower than those two institutions. A lot of universities have a hard 3.0 cutoff, and I suspect NYU and Columbia would be among them. At any rate, those two programs are likely flooded with applications from students with stronger qualifications.</p>
<p>That doesn’t mean you can’t end up at one of those schools for a Ph.D, though. Seek out and apply to masters’ programs at less competitive schools. Rock your MA studies and write a strong thesis, and your undergraduate GPA will become much less consequential.</p>
<p>You need to really focus on your studies for the next year, to show as much improvement trend as you can. If you earn a 3.5 in the next year, you can argue that you have overcome your previous unfocused approach to academics. Also, keep seeking out internships and volunteer work in the field. Those letters of rec will come in handy.</p>
<p>The 3.0 is the general rule. I just wouldn’t bet everything on NYU and Columbia. Your professors are right- your writing sample and statement of purpose are much more important as well as your letter of recommendations. Do you have languages?</p>
<p>Either way, I would apply to more MA programs than PhD. Art history is very difficult to get into all around because the field is so small and the jobs are scarce. I know of two graduates from my university in art history. Both had gone onto a very respected MA program (same one but at different times). Both are now in excellent PhD programs (Brown and CUNY-Graduate Center). They couldn’t be more happier with their MA experience.</p>
<p>Also, having the MA will help you a lot more in getting a job in the art world, if the PhD doesn’t work out. But the art and museum world are still all about connections so make sure you stay in touch with all of your internship supervisors and connect with others in their networks.</p>
<p>Thanks so much for your reply. I looked into those schools because they seem to be strong in East Asian art history as that is my area of focus and NY is where the Met Museum is located and somewhere I would like to work at in the future. Would you happen to know any masters programs that are strong in East Asian Art?</p>
<p>Hi ticklemepink,</p>
<p>Thanks for your reply too! I’m fluent in Korean and am studying Mandarin at the moment. One of my friends suggested that I go for a MA in East Asian Languages and Culture or East Asian Studies to strengthen my background and languages before applying for phD program in Art History. </p>
<p>I’m definitely applying to MA programs first. No PhD programs for me as of right now. I don’t have much of a chance to improve my overall because I’m graduating in March next year with a BA in Art History. However, I do have a chance to write an honors thesis but I would have to remain an extra quarter which puts a strain on finances for me… or I also have the opportunity to take more graduate courses at an institution close to my home. I’ve taken a graduate course before and aced it. How do graduate programs view this as? Would it be better writing the honors thesis and staying an extra quarter or take more graduate courses? I’m also interning and volunteering at museums and definitely doing my best networking.</p>
<p>Sorry, I dont know anything about art history programs - definitely not my field :)</p>
<p>You can only help your application by taking graduate classes as a non-degree student, assuming you do well in them. But don’t go overboard - you usually can’t transfer more than 12 credits into a masters’ program, and graduate schools are pickier about accepting credit.</p>
<p>Your language knowledge should be a big plus, too.</p>
<p>You should definitely still apply to NYU/Columbia - just don’t put all your eggs in that basket. I have a pretty unspectacular GPA too, just above 3.0, and though I think I have a shot at some big-name programs in my field, I’m also applying to a couple smaller, less selective schools I’d be happy at.</p>
<p>Write the honors thesis. Spend your money on that, not more graduate level courses. You need to demonstrate that you can be independent with your research projects and that is one of the primary things they’re looking for.</p>
<p>Consider something out in SF Bay Area, where the Asian Art Museum. Try to find MA programs near Asian art galleries and museums.</p>
<p>(Note - I’m in the biomed field, but with UG friends in your field)
It seems to me that you are more interested in museum studies than art history (are you interested in art history research? writing a master’s thesis?). I have a friend who was an art history major and now in a museology masters program and loving it. If you want to end up working in the art museum field, perhaps something like SFSU’s program with internship at the Asian Art Museum (which is great by the way). There are multiple museum studies programs out there. There is also the option of trying to get a job at a museum for a year or two before applying - remember, there is no requirement for you to go straight into grad school.</p>