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What Can You Do With Your Degree in Art History?

Master's Degree

Recent graduates have gone on to PhD programs at institutions such as

  • New York University (Institute of Fine Arts)
  • Columbia
  • Princeton
  • Bryn Mawr
  • City University of New York Graduate Center
  • Indiana University
  • University of Maryland
  • University of Minnesota
  • University of Virginia

Our graduates hold positions in museums and agencies such as

  • National Gallery of Art (Heads of Loans and Curatorial Records Departments)
  • Smithsonian American Art Museum (Editorial Assistant, American Art)
  • Phillips Collection (Director of Education)
  • Historical American Buildings Survey (Chief)
  • Corcoran School of Art
  • Library of Congress
  • Getty Art Information Program (Director)
  • Art Institute of Chicago
  • Museum of Modern Art, New York

Our graduates have taught at

  • Smith College
  • George Mason University
  • Newcomb College (Tulane University)
  • University of Maryland
  • Corcoran School of Art

Other graduates are in the forefront of visual resources information and technology. These include Kathe Albrecht, who is a nationally recognized project coordinator for the Museum Educational Site Licensing Project, and a spokesperson for the Visual Resources Association; and Eleanor Fink, Director of the Getty Art History Information Program.

The master's degree in art history is the appropriate preparation for a wide range of professional careers. Many positions in museums and other art institutions require an MA (not a PhD) in art history. The MA is also suitable for such specialized areas as visual resources, art libraries (in conjunction with a library science degree), conservation, and historic preservation. The master's degree also provides a solid foundation for those who decide to continue graduate study toward the doctorate.

Bachelor's Degree

Graduates with a BA in art history are equipped for a wide range of professional careers — in museums, galleries, auction houses, or publishing (although advanced study is usually necessary for professional progress in these fields). An art history major is not only a sound preparation for any professional field, it may also provide a distinct advantage for entry into those fields, given the increasing preference of law, medical, and professional schools for students with a broad intellectual background.

Our graduates have held positions at:

  • Metropolitan Museum of Art
  • Smithsonian American Art Museum
  • National Gallery of Art
  • Phillips Collection

Graduates have been accepted into the following Art History MA and PhD programs:

  • Courtauld Institute
  • CUNY Graduate Center
  • Hunter College
  • Sotheby's Institute
  • University of Virginia
  • University of Maryland

Internship Opportunities in the D.C. Area

Graduate and Undergraduate students have held internships positions at: 

  • Anacostia Community Museum – Smithsonian Institution
  • Archives of American Art – Smithsonian Institution
  • Arlington Arts Center
  • Art Museum of the Americas
  • Freer Sackler Galleries – Smithsonian Institution
  • Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden – Smithsonian Institution
  • Kreeger Museum
  • Library of Congress Junior Fellows Program (Summer)
  • National Gallery of Art
  • National Museum of African Art – Smithsonian Institution
  • National Museum of Women in the Arts
  • National Portrait Gallery – Smithsonian Institution
  • Smithsonian American Art Museum
  • The Phillips Collection