Color your career with one of the nation's best online master's in art and art history degrees.
Are you captivated by visual art and its long, complex history? Do you believe we should interpret art through the frame of history? Can you envision yourself in a museum promoting better education on the arts?
Then a master's in art and art history may be for you!
What kind of online master's in art history degree should you get?
If there are special editorial call-outs, please be sure to go over the word count limit to include them. For example in psychology, you cannot be a practicing psychologist in the United States without an advanced degree, and an online program will require hands-on training.
Art history students can pursue degree concentrations in museum studies or specific historical studies. Some of the best degree programs in art history don't require any specialization, but specializations make students more marketable to specific employers.
Accredited Online College Programs
Explore our featured online programs and find the right match for you today.
A specialization in museum studies prepares students to work as museum personnel. They learn about the ways museums acquire their collections, ethical issues involved in operating a museum, and how to effectively manage those collections. This type of program often comes before a doctoral program, as a museum curator will sometimes need a PhD.
Historical studies programs let students focus on a specific theme, period, or region's artwork. These programs allow students to specialize in topics like German art from multiple eras, or European artistic movements. In these courses, students look at the ways in which artists in their chosen area were influenced, as well as the ways in which they influenced future work. They also learn how to conduct research on art history.
How much money can you make with an online master's in art history degree?
With an art history degree, you can move on to work in various museum and gallery roles. Common job titles within the field include museum curator, archivist, museum technician, and conservator. The median salary for workers in this field in 2018 was $48,400 per year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Museum curators tended to draw higher salaries than other personnel.
The job outlook for museum personnel is relatively good. Current data projects 13% growth in museum jobs between 2016 and 2026, which is higher than average.
What can you do with an online master's in art history degree?
Common positions for art history graduates include museum curator, conservator, and archivist.
Museum Curator
Museum curators acquire, store, and exhibit a museum's collections. Their work includes negotiations for new pieces, media representation of works, and authentication of art objects. Some curator positions may require a doctoral degree, though others may not.Conservator
Conservators use specialized equipment to handle and preserve works of art. This job can also involve a heavy research element, as they document findings, look into appropriate means to preserve specific works or materials, and write for scholarly journals.Archivists
Archivists focus on the preservation of documents and other works. This job can often be supplemented by a specialization in a specific historical era.
What are the requirements for an online master's in art history degree?
- Undergraduate Degree:
A degree in a related field from an accredited institution will usually be required. Some schools will also expect a minimum GPA, ranging from 2.75 to 3.0.
- Letters of Recommendation:
Two to three letters of recommendation will be required at most institutions.
- GRE Scores:
Students should expect to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) before applying
- Statement of Intent:
Whether referred to as an artist's statement, statement of intent, or cover letter, students should expect to write a statement of what they intend to do in the program.
Writing Sample: Most schools will want a writing sample that covers art or art history topics, or a related topic like aesthetics.
What are the best online master's in art history degrees?
If you've resolved to pursue a master's degree in art history online, use these rankings to find the programs with the best overall value. Drawing on data available from U.S. News & World Report and Payscale.com, these rankings use a mix of academic quality and return on investment to determine which programs really have the best offerings.
To place highly in these rankings, schools must match value, satisfaction, and academic quality. Higher-ranking schools deliver solid post-graduation salaries with low tuition cost, have strong reports of student satisfaction, high graduation rates, and solid student-to-faculty ratio.
Ranking
See our rankings methodology page.
