MFA in Art History by DL

My Sister-in-Law is seeking this degree but does not want to move. She is very dubious if there is a DL program out there, but I thought I would try anyway. She has a degree and her certification in interior design, if this helps. Thanks

 

I don't know if an MFA is an appropriate degree for art history. Someone near and dear to me has undergrad degrees in art history and interior design and might be interested. Don't MFAs always have a major creative element?

 

Dennis, regretfully I do not know much about it. I am pretty sure that this is what she was looking for, but I may have gotten it wrong....
She does want a masters, this much I know for sure. I also know that she wants something to do with art history because that interests her, and it is still somewhat work-related.

Any thoughts??

 

Take a look at the CSUDH DL MA in Humanities - It looks like one could study art in close to half the required credits (including thesis).

 

Schools that offer Masters degree programs in Art History include:
U. of Kent at Canterbury
U of Melbourne
UNISA
U of Wales -Lampeter
All but the first are described as being non-residential. What is not clear to me however, is whether these are MA degrees or MFA degrees (does it really matter?). My casual understanding is that MFA derees are generally "creative" degrees like in painting or sculpture or writing, etc. and not in more academic disciplines such as "history." On the other hand, I could be way, way off. It certainly wouldn't be the first time.
Jack

 

Ideas..

University of Glasgow has a BA in Art History available via DL--the long-promised MA in same, however, has not yet materialized.

Otherwise, there's the very pricey Syracuse MA in Illustration, DL style...but what is she really really after?

--Orson

 

There's also...

John's new page on the sciences and arts. It lists the CQU program in "visual culture" which seems to focus more on contemporary art history. Here's his new page.

Chris

 

Vermont College MFA

Vermont College of the Union Institute has a low-residency MFA in Visual Art. A ten-day residency is required at the beginning of each six-month semester, after which the student takes on creative projects from home:

Vermont College MFA

My impression, like those above, is that an MFA entails a major creative work and is considered a terminal degree. So, an MFA in Art History doesn't seem possible.

John

 

More MA Ideas

Another idea came to mind. If her interests include work-related art history issues, a program like "Museum Studies" or "Cultural Heritage Studies" might be appropriate. Check my Arts and Sciences Page under the category "Archaeology, Museum, and Heritage Studies." As I've discovered with DL, when in doubt, broaden the search.
John

 

Thanks for the input, I will forward all comments to her.
The goal, as I understand it, is that she wants to teach interior design at the college-level. I will speak with her more in-depth to better understand what she wants, but I know that that is the end goal.

 

OK, that's different. There is a distinct possibility that a "MFA in Design" degree program would be more suitable to this goal than a Masters in Art History degree. Check that out.
Atlantic University
Bennington College
CSUDH
DeMontfort University
Maine College of Art
University of Kent at Canterbury
University of Melbourne
UNISA
University of Teeside
University of Wales-Aberystwyth
Jack

 

An option might be the Academy of Art College's online MFA in Interior Architecture and Design.

http://online.academyart.edu/degrees.html

This program is not RA, but it is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD), the DoEd recognized professional accreditor for studio arts, as well as by by the (CHEA recognized) Foundation of Interior Design Education and Research (FIDER), which is a big deal in the profession.

http://www.fider.org/

 

Here's a page from the American Society of Interior Designers dealing with education:

http://www.asid.org/learning/design_schools/planning_course_design_study.asp

It discusses choosing a school, accreditation (FIDER is the biggie here) and provides a list of FIDER accredited programs. 22 states plus DC and PR currently have certification boards and exams for interior designers, and this seems to be a growing national trend. State requirements are listed.

There's also a short and rather dismissive discussion of DL:

http://www.asid.org/learning/design_schools/home_study.asp

This makes the new Academy of Art College programs all the more interesting, because they are online BFA/MFA programs coming out of a FIDER accredited department. If FIDER actually signed off on this, it may signal a new development in the interior design profession.

Here's the Interior Design Educator's Council. They may be the people to answer questions about choosing a graduate program appropriate for college teaching.

http://www.idec.org

They have a listing of graduate programs in interior design:

http://www.idec.org/gradprograms.htm