Program Requirements
The Master of Art History and Curatorial Studies requires completion of 72 units, which must consist of:
12 to 24 units from completion of curatorial courses from the following list:
ARTH8025 – Curatorial Project (12 units) – Note that ARTH8025 can be taken more than once so long as the same version of the course is not repeated.
ARTH8030 – Art Museum Internship (12 units)
24 to 36 units from completion of research courses from the following list:
ARTH8026 – Sir William Dobell Research Seminar (12 units)
ARTH8027 – Research Focus (12 units) Note that ARTH8027 can be taken more than once so long as the same version of the course is not repeated.
Up to 12 units from the following elective courses:
ARTH6001 – Art History and Curatorial Studies In-Country (12 units)
24 units from completion of the thesis course:
THES8102 Thesis
Students must have the written agreement of an identified supervisor in order to enrol in THES8102 Thesis one semester in advance of the start date of the Thesis semester.
Students who do not have the written agreement of an identified supervisor one semester in advance, or whose agreed supervisor either subsequently leaves the university or is on leave from the university, will be transferred to the Master of Art History and Curatorial Studies.
Unless otherwise stated, a course used to satisfy the requirements of one list may not be double counted towards satisfying the requirements of another list.
12 units from completion of curatorial courses from the following list:
ARTH6045 Curatorship History and Evolution (12 units)
ARTH6057 The Art and Politics of Collecting (12 units)
12 units from completion of disciplinary courses from the following list:
ARTH6004 City Sites: studies in art design and urbanity (6 units)
ARTH6043 After the Bauhaus: Design from the Interwar Period to the Age of Climate Crisis (6 units)
ARTH6044 Art and Its Context: Materials Techniques Display (6 units)
ARTH6045 Curatorship History and Evolution (12 units)
ARTH6050 Photography and Art (6 units)
ARTH6052 Art of the Multiple (6 units)
ARTH6056 Art and Architecture of Southeast Asia: Tradition and Transformation (6 units)
ARTH6057 The Art and Politics of Collecting (12 units)
ARTH6059 Art of Asia: Histories and Traditions (6 units)
ARTH6061 The Postmodern and the Contemporary: World Art, 1970 to the Present (6 units)
ARTH6080 Art and Visual Culture of the Long Eighteenth Century, 1660-1815 (6 units)
ARTH6081 Art of the European Courts, 1500-1815 (12 units)
ARTH6082 Art, War and Conflict (6 units)
ARTH6097 Art of the Long Nineteenth Century (6 units)
ARTH6104 Asian Art In-Country (12 units)
ARTH6161 Contemporary Australian Art (6 units)
ARTH6162 Art in the Digital Age (6 units)
ARTH6167 Issues in Contemporary Craft and Design (6 units)
ARTH6168 Renaissance and Baroque Art (6 units)
ARTH6169 Introducing Asian Modernisms (6 units)
ARTH6170 Contemporary Asian Art (6 units)
ARTH6598 Australian First Nations Art and Culture (6 units)
ARTH8014 Art Museum Internship: Collection Management (6 units)
ARTH8015 Art Museum Internship: Audience Development (6 units)
ARTH8016 Readings in Art History and Curatorial Studies (6 units)
HUMN8034 Collaborative Storytelling and Cultural Production (6 units)
MUSC8018 Exhibition Design and Delivery (6 units)
24 units from completion of research courses from the following list:
ARTH8012 Methodologies of Art History (12 units)
ARTH8016 Readings in Art History and Curatorial Studies (6 units)
ARTH8020 Arguing Objects (6 units)
ARTH8021 Writing About Art and Creative Practice (6 units)
ARTH8022 Points of View: Independent Creative Art and Media Practice (12 units)
24 units from completion of the thesis course:
THES8102 Thesis
Students must have the written agreement of an identified supervisor in order to enrol in THES8102 Thesis one semester in advance of the start date of the Thesis semester.
Students who do not have the written agreement of an identified supervisor one semester in advance, or whose agreed supervisor either subsequently leaves the university or is on leave from the university, will be transferred to the Master of Art History and Curatorial Studies.
Unless otherwise stated, a course used to satisfy the requirements of one list may not be double counted towards satisfying the requirements of another list.
Master Research
The program includes 24 units from completion of the thesis course:
THES8102 Thesis
Master Research Training
The program includes the completion of 24 units of research courses from the following list:
ARTH8026 – Sir William Dobell Visiting Fellow Research Seminar
ARTH8027 – Research Focus – Note that ARTH8027 can be taken more than once so long as the same version of the course is not repeated.
Admission Requirements
Applicants must present one of the following:
- A cognate Bachelor degree or international equivalent with a minimum GPA of 6/7, and the approval of an identified supervisor for the research project/thesis
- A Bachelor degree or international equivalent AND a Graduate Certificate or Graduate Diploma in a cognate discipline with a minimum GPA of 5/7, and the approval of an identified supervisor for the research project/thesis
The GPA for a Bachelor program will be calculated from (i) a completed Bachelor degree using all grades and/or (ii) a completed Bachelor degree using all grades other than those from the last semester (or equivalent study period) of the Bachelor degree. The higher of the two calculations will be used as the basis for admission.
Additional information: In order to enrol in THES8102 Thesis, students must have the written agreement of an identified supervisor three months in advance of the start date of the semester of first enrolment in THES8102. Students who do not have the written agreement of an identified supervisor three months in advance, or whose agreed supervisor either subsequently leaves the university or is on leave from the university, will be transferred to the Master of Art History and Curatorial Studies.
Ranking and English Language Proficiency: At a minimum, all applicants must meet program-specific academic/non-academic requirements, and English language requirements. Admission to most ANU programs is on a competitive basis. Therefore, meeting all admission requirements does not automatically guarantee entry.
In line with the University's admissions policy and strategic plan, an assessment for admission may include competitively ranking applicants on the basis of specific academic achievement, English language proficiency and diversity factors. Applicants will first be ranked on a GPA ('GPA1') that is calculated using all but the last semester (or equivalent) of the Bachelor degree used for admission purposes. If required, ranking may further be confirmed on the basis of:
- a GPA ('GPA2') calculated on the penultimate and antepenultimate semesters (or equivalent) of the Bachelor degree used for admission purposes; and/or
- demonstrating higher-level English language proficiency
Prior to enrolment in this ANU program, all students who gain entry will have their Bachelor degree reassessed, to confirm minimum requirements were met.
Further information: English language admission requirements and post-admission support
Diversity factors: As Australia’s national university, ANU is global representative of Australian research and education. ANU endeavours to recruit and maintain a diverse and deliberate student cohort representative not only of Australia, but the world. In order to achieve these outcomes, competitive ranking of applicants may be adjusted to ensure access to ANU is a reality for brilliant students from countries across the globe.
Assessment of qualifications: Unless otherwise indicated, ANU will accept all Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) qualifications or international equivalents that meet or exceed the published admission requirements of our programs, provided all other admission requirements are also met.
Where an applicant has more than one completed tertiary qualification, ANU will base assessment on the qualification that best meets the admission requirements for the program. Find out more about the Australian Qualifications Framework: www.aqf.edu.au.
Unless otherwise indicated, where an applicant has more than one completed tertiary qualification, ANU will calculate the GPA for each qualification separately. ANU will base assessment on the best GPA of all completed tertiary qualifications of the same level or higher.
ANU uses a 7-point Grade Point Average (GPA) scale. All qualifications submitted for admission at ANU will be converted to this common scale, which will determine if an applicant meets our published admission requirements. Find out more about how a 7-point GPA is calculated for Australian universities: www.uac.edu.au/future-applicants/admission-criteria/tertiary-qualifications.
Cognate Disciplines
Anthropology, Architecture, Art History, Art Theory, Classics, Curatorship, Design,Digital Humanities, Fine Arts,History, Museum Studies, Visual Arts
Indicative fees
Domestic Tuition Fees (DTF)
For more information see: http://www.anu.edu.au/students/program-administration/costs-fees
- Annual indicative fee for international students
- $48,035.00
For further information on International Tuition Fees see: https://www.anu.edu.au/students/program-administration/fees-payments/international-tuition-fees
Fee Information
All students are required to pay the Services and amenities fee (SA Fee)
The annual indicative fee provides an estimate of the program tuition fees for international students and domestic students (where applicable). The annual indicative fee for a program is based on the standard full-time enrolment load of 48 units per year (unless the program duration is less than 48 units). Fees for courses vary by discipline meaning that the fees for a program can vary depending on the courses selected. Course fees are reviewed on an annual basis and typically will increase from year to year. The tuition fees payable are dependent on the year of commencement and the courses selected and are subject to increase during the period of study.
For further information on Fees and Payment please see: https://www.anu.edu.au/students/program-administration/fees-payments
Scholarships
ANU offers a wide range of scholarships to students to assist with the cost of their studies.
Eligibility to apply for ANU scholarships varies depending on the specifics of the scholarship and can be categorised by the type of student you are. Specific scholarship application process information is included in the relevant scholarship listing.
For further information see the Scholarships website.
Where better to study art history and curatorship than surrounded by Australia’s national cultural and collecting institutions? What’s more, where better to study Art History than in Australia’s premier practice-led research institution, the ANU School of Art and Design. Here, you will study the history of art while surrounded by the making of art.
At ANU you can take advantage of our strong connections to the National Gallery of Australia, the National Museum of Australia, the National Portrait Gallery, the National Library and the Australian War Memorial to participate in our renowned internship program.
And like many of our graduates before you, you might even find yourself working there.
Our leading Master of Art History and Curatorial Studies program offers courses in a range of fields including Australian and Asian art; 19th – 20th century Australian and European art and design; modernism and postmodernism; curatorial practice, all taught by our specialist art historians.
Career Options
ANU ranks among the world's very finest universities. Our nearly 100,000 alumni include political, business, government, and academic leaders around the world.
We have graduated remarkable people from every part of our continent, our region and all walks of life.
Employment Opportunities
A Master of Art History and Curatorial Studies (Advanced) will advance your career working in art galleries, museums and other cultural institutions; the arts, heritage and collections sectors; the commercial world of culture and art; and in teaching and education.
Learning Outcomes
- differentiate and critique at an advanced level the historical, social, cultural and political contexts of diverse periods, styles, and methods in Art History;
- closely analyse at an advanced level individual works of art, and interpret and communicate ideas to both specialist and non-specialist audiences using disciplinary language and conventions;
- construct comprehensive linkages between the study of Art History and the practicalities of curating; and
- complete a major piece of research in the field of Art History and Curatorial Studies.
Research Strengths
The program includes 24 units from completion of the thesis course:
THES8102 Thesis
