<p>This is ridiculously early, but I'm curious. Generally speaking, does one have to have an undergrad degree in a particular discipline in order to get the graduate degree? Here's the scenario: D2 is home sick and is perusing some of the brochures she's gotten from colleges. Case Western has caught her eye. They have the Classics major she is hoping for and also have an MA in Art History/PhD in Museum Studies. Her life's dream is to work in a museum and the proximity of Case to the Art Museum and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is quite a draw. Obviously, when the time comes she will ask the school, but I'm curious as to how this all works. Could someone (generally, not specifically to this school) with an undergrad degree in Classics be a candidate for a master's in Art History? Insight much appreciated.</p>
<p>I don't think they have to be exactly related.</p>
<p>My sister's undergrad degree was English, but she got her Masters in 'College Student Personnel' or something like that. Anyway, she works as Residence Hall Complex Director.</p>
<p>It depends on the program. Some programs are more flexible about this than others.</p>
<p>My impression is that humanities disciplines are less likely to insist that you have an undergrad degree in the subject, which is probably good for your D, zoosermom. But even in fields where they are pickier, it's doable. I went from brain & cog sci to computer science.</p>
<p>Without any question, yes. What the program wants to know is what you bring to the table that should make them select you over the hundreds (and hundreds) of other candidates they have. My d., who is headed to grad school in musicology actually had a concentration and honors thesis in composition. But if you don't have the same major, you just need to be able to "sell" your preparation, and the program you did major in. </p>
<p>A bigger issue is whether the Ph.D. program discriminates against accepting folks out of their own undergraduate program. Some of the better ones do. Watch the languages carefully, though. Virtually all art history programs will require German, and one other language (French or Italian). Some (like UChicago) will require three. Some will require the two, plus the language of the field you are working in (ancient Greek, etc.)</p>
<p>I know that some graduate programs require/prefer certain courses taken in undergraduate classes. She would want to check on this -- languages in particular.</p>
<p>I can't imagine applying for a PhD. in art history without having taken a fair number of art history courses, but I don't think a major would be absolutely required everywhere. A friend of mine who was an undergrad in art history at Harvard said the best thing she ever did was go somewhere else for grad school. It was not that Harvard was bad, but it definitely had an orientation at the time (connoisseurship) that was quite different from Yale's where there were a lot of people interested in the social context of art. She got a much better overview of the field. That said, Case's location might act in her favor and a double major, or a minor in art history, might make it an ideal place to attend.</p>
<p>"I can't imagine applying for a PhD. in art history without having taken a fair number of art history courses, "</p>
<p>Well the PhD would be in museum studies, the master's in art history. She was thinking of majoring in classics, minoring in art history, then perhaps the PhD in museum studies. The ultimate goal is for her to go from classics to employment in a museum. It's just a question of how to get from A to B cause I surely can't help her!</p>
<p>Classics to Classical Archaeology to Art History to Museum Studies is really not that big a stretch.</p>
<p>She could read the course catalogues for the programs she is interested in and see what the prerequisites are for her final goal and work backwards from there. I did that a bazillion years ago when I changed academic fields myself.</p>
<p>"She could read the course catalogues for the programs she is interested in and see what the prerequisites are for her final goal and work backwards from there. I did that a bazillion years ago when I changed academic fields myself."</p>
<p>Ohh. Hmmm. Great advice. Thank you!</p>
<p>My undergraduate major was Biology, and I have an M.A. in Art History. I took six Art History courses in college (we didn't have minors, so I'm not sure how that measures up), and my grad school didn't seem to mind in the least. Two languages were required for the M.A., one of which had to be German, since so much early art criticism was written in that language. (I already knew French, and took German once I was in grad school.) Now all of this was 30 years ago, so requirements may have changed, but I had no problems at all coming from a completely unrelated field.</p>
<p>Some graduate programs require prerequisites, and list those prerequisites in their info on their website.</p>
<p>I majored undergrad in government, and went to grad school for broadcast journalism, which didn't require any prerequisites. Journalism at the graduate level is probably an unusual major in that unless one is going for a doctorate and plans to teach or do research, it's an advantage to NOT have an undergrad journalism major.</p>
<p>Afterward, I entered a doctoral program in clinical psychology. To qualify for admission, I had to take several courses in psychology, something that I did via evening courses at a local public university. While many graduate programs didn't view nonpsychology majors favorably, the program that I went to did.</p>
<p>D2's plan sounds quite reasonable to me.</p>
<p>Northstarmom, </p>
<p>I do not know of any GRAD program (i.e. a PhD/research program) that has prereqs. A professional degree program masquerading as a PhD program, such as a clinical psych degree, will, of course, have them. If you know of exceptions, I'd love to know the specifics - department and school.</p>
<p>As others have said, few PhD programs care what you majored in. They care deeply that you can do the work, but that can be demonstrated in a wide variety of ways, even by work experience sometimes. </p>
<p>In fact, departments are often richer by having students with widely differing backgrounds. This is especially true as the traditional academic divisions have blurred - social scientists using tools from biology, chemists using quantum mechanics, biologists using advanced computation techniques, english majors using complex linguistic analysis algorithms and such.</p>
<p>I'm almost on that route... Your D should do a job shadow or sign up for an internship or volunteer work at the museum to see how she likes it and talk with a lot of different people. Museums really offer a lot of different opportunities and usually people can find their niche in just about anywhere. The most important thing is she has to have the passion for the public because that's the point of the job- dealing with the public.</p>
<p>She'll learned that museum people have a wide range of backgrounds, skills, and experience. She'll find some with PhDs in history, art history, or literature or anthropology or... whatever relating to the museum world. Some will just have a MA in Museum Studies. Many will have languages- one or two (or three or more for PhDs). What she does need to do is look at different jobs within the museum and find something that she can see herself doing. And then do what she needs to do to get that route. For example, someone in Museum Education would not necessarily have PhD, only a MA and several years of teaching/education experience. On the other hand, if she works with a curator, that person will usually have PhD and do a lot of research and writing. The more senior level the job is, the more likely a PhD would be required unless you have years of experience with that museum. </p>
<p>MA in Museum Studies programs usually have a core curriculum relating to museum theory and different aspects of the museum's workings such as the archives, administration, etc. Then the students do an internship and/or create a final project based on what they're interested in doing (like putting together an exhibit). Some programs emphasize on practical applications while others do theory (more likely to attract those while museum experience who are just there for the MA).</p>
<p>The decision for the PhD shouldn't come until at least your D finishes her sophomore year once she figures out what she likes better because the PhD is so specific and requires a lot of dedication and passion for that field. But the least she can do NOW is to start taking a language! Preferably something that will carry her a long way like German or French or Italian, depending on her art history interests.</p>
<p>However... it will be emphasized that if your D plans to do PhD relating to history, she's in for a long haul because many history programs (even in ancient history) are NOT quite accepting of the idea that the PhD can do much more than teaching/professorship so she might have to fudge a little or really try to stick with art history, which would be more accepting to the idea of museum work.</p>
<p>I speak from my own experience of working in 3 internships at some of the world's top museums over the course of 3 summers, and applying for the PhD this year. It's quite interesting- the professors are impressed with my CV (very heavy on research) but they give me crap about wanting to work in the museum and try to consider other options. Sometimes I can't help but wonder if it's the reason for my rejections...</p>
<p>This is incredibly helpful information. Thus far she loves classics, of course who knows what she will end up with? I'd just like her to have the opportunity to someday work in a museum. Ticklemepink, thank you for sharing your story. It's really good to know others' situations. She has volunteered at a local museum and taken classes at a top museum. her fantasy is to snag one of its high school internships,so who knows?</p>