192 Art MA Degree Programs in USA

Our 39-credit Museum Professions Degree is designed to both prepare students for careers in museums and to further refine and enhance the current museum professional’s skill set.

As a passionate and purpose-driven arts manager, you help artists find their voice, audiences find their bliss, organizations attract and animate their funding, and communities build thriving and creative places to live, learn, and work. AU’s Arts Management Program will prepare you to make a positive difference in the visual, performing, media, community, online, or emerging arts, and position you to change the art world for the better. Learn and work in the global cultural hub of Washington, DC, alongside business-savvy arts leaders, a vibrant and diverse network of global professionals, and world-respected and innovative faculty. Explore the powerful intersection of research and professional practice through a curriculum that blends them both with hands-on work experiences and real-world insights of alumni and other leading professionals.

Emerson College’s online MA in Business of Creative Enterprises is tailored for artists eager to navigate the business side of their creative fields. Whether you’re a musician, designer, actor, or writer, you'll acquire essential business skills to transition your artistic expertise into a successful career. Housed in the School of Communication, the program features cross-departmental faculty who teach leadership strategies and foster a positive work culture based on empathy and equity. Whether you're looking to launch your own venture or advance in your current role, you'll gain valuable experience in strategic planning, finance, marketing, and more.

The MA in Art Education supports a new generation of art teachers who value the unique processes and knowledge that come with a robust studio practice and the subsequent integration of those skills into the classroom. Aspiring and seasoned art educators hone their commitment to the studio and classroom and strengthen their research and contribution to the field of art education.

The Art History MA degree is designed to give students an advanced understanding of western art history. The program offers specializations in ancient art, medieval art, renaissance art, baroque art, 18th and 19th-century art, and pre-war modern art. The art historical curriculum is paired with six credits of fine art studio classes, which allow our students to become familiar with traditional methods of fine art production including painting, printmaking, and sculpture. This marriage of art history and fine art studies offers a perspective through which art and its historical trajectory can be uniquely evaluated and appreciated. Students will complete their degree by writing an M.A. thesis, with the support and advisement of an Art History faculty member. The thesis will be written in the student's chosen area of art historical specialization demonstrating independent scholarly research and highlighting their joint understanding of art and its creative process.

Study Modern and Contemporary Art History at Azusa Pacific University The MA in Modern and Contemporary Art History is an innovative online program that focuses exclusively on modern and contemporary art. The program’s comprehensive curriculum introduces students to current scholarship and provides them with an understanding of art historical methods and research practices while building skills in visual analysis, critical thinking, research, and written and verbal communication.

The MA in Fine Arts can be completed with an emphasis in Drawing and Painting. This degree program provides students with the creative and technical skills needed to thrive in today’s art world. Students will leave with professional-level portfolios and an understanding of the business of art.

Situated in the heart of the culturally rich city of Washington, DC, the Master of Arts (MA) program in Art History at the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design provides students with unique opportunities to study the arts. Students learn to apply visual and historical analyses to artworks, as well as incorporate relevant and current theoretical and methodological approaches to research.

The MA in Illustration provides the skills to develop portfolios with samples in Children’s Book, Editorial, Licensing, Package Illustration, Concept Art, Book Covers, Preliminary Art, Advertising, or Institutional Art portfolios. Both representational and stylistic approaches for print and or web are taught. Students graduate with a portfolio created in a personal style and medium of choice that is market appropriate.

Our Master of Arts in Art Education degree will help you grow both as an artist and as an educator. You will study and explore art education programs in schools, communities, and museum settings by carefully examining theories and best practices through a global perspective lens. Your Capstone project will envision, create, implement, and document your vision of a successful education arts program.

The MA in Photography program provides professional practice and intensive study of the photographic medium. The core curriculum covers historical perspective, in addition to advanced theoretical and conceptual development in traditional, experimental, and digital photography capture, post-production, and output with a focus on the development of a signature portfolio in the student’s area of interest (Fine Art Photography, Documentary, or Art for Commerce).

Established in 1976, the Master of Arts in Museum Studies at George Washington University responds to the evolving museum profession by combining hands-on training with future-focused theoretical engagement. Students gain foundational knowledge about the state of museum work today, practical skills, and the ability to critically engage with developments in the field. Coursework offers both breadth and depth in Collections Management, Museum Management, Exhibitions and Visitor Experience, and Public Engagement.

Prepare to navigate challenges emerging across the museum landscape with Johns Hopkins University's MA in Museum Studies. This graduate program includes customizable courses and electives focusing on museums in the digital age, fundraising, and immersive technologies that will transform the museum experience. You will engage in an innovative curriculum that includes 9 online courses and an on-site seminar led by highly regarded practitioners. Get started now to finish in 20 to 24 months.

As one of the largest graduate programs of its kind in the country, Emerson College’s on-campus Theatre Education & Applied Theatre MA and MFA programs prepare you to use theatre to create learning experiences that transform lives and communities. Housed in the Department of Performing Arts in the School of the Arts, the programs allow you to grow and refine your craft as an artist and an educator. Coursework focuses on principles like social justice, anti-racism, and youth-led activism. We offer three graduate programs, an MA in Theatre Education & Applied Theatre, an MA in Theatre Education: Licensure, and an MFA in Theatre Education & Applied Theatre.

The MA Jewelry & Metal Arts program introduces professional practice in studio coursework, design, and concept. Graduate students focus on fabrication and casting skills, laser-cutting techniques, and exploring material choices.

The MA program provides students an opportunity to work in 2D Animation & Stop Motion, 3D Animation, 3D Modeling, or Visual Effects, while focusing on storytelling with an emphasis on exhibiting technical skills and eliciting emotional responses.

Museums today need visionary leaders. This program offers the theory and practice of all aspects of the museum field, teaching innovative skills and knowledge to meet the challenges of the 21st century.