The Master of Arts program draws students from throughout the country and the globe, and from a variety of disciplines. Many are committed arts professionals seeking the opportunity for intellectual growth or to enrich their practice through the creation of theoretical and historical context. After their studies, graduates go on to further study and university teaching, to arts administration careers, to the museum professions, to writing and criticism, and to teaching at the secondary and collegiate levels. Students soon find their passions, and the faculty to share them. They must pass a rigorous comprehensive examination and demonstrate knowledge of a foreign language.
Study culminates in a thesis or in a pair of qualifying papers.
The program is ordinarily completed within two years of full-time study. In addition to the libraries of the University of Illinois at Chicago, graduate students have access to those of other major universities in the Chicago area, as well as to the specialized collections at the Newberry Library, Art Institute, Chicago Historical Society, and Field Museum of Natural History. Return to top. In addition to Graduate College requirements, applicants must take the GRE exam, show an acceptable undergraduate grade point average, and submit a personal Statement of Purpose. Many applicants choose to include a writing sample as well.