Art History MA Programs, BA, & BFA | Art History, Theory, & Criticism Department

A group of students and an instructor discuss a sculpture at the AIC

Art History, Theory, and Criticism: Art History MA Programs, BA & BFA

Welcome to the Department of Art History, Theory, and Criticism at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago—the largest department of art history specializing in modern and contemporary art in the United States. Our diverse curriculum explores global art across all media, design, architecture, and visual cultures, enriched by contemporary theories. Students take classes with our internationally renowned faculty whose expertise range from Asian, African, Latin American, European, and North American art and design.

As part of SAIC's Art History MA and undergraduate programs, you'll engage in research at a prestigious art school linked to one of the world’s most renowned museums. Collaborate with our dedicated faculty, specializing in modern and contemporary art and design, to challenge, debate, and redefine the field. Join us and immerse yourself in our diverse and vibrant community of researchers.

Undergraduate Admission Deadline: January 1

Submit your application and portfolio by January 1 for priority fall 2025 merit scholarship consideration.

Apply Now

Graduate Programs Application Deadline: January 10

Apply to SAIC's Graduate and Post-Bacc programs by January 10 for fall 2025 admission.

Apply Now

File Your FAFSA

In order to be eligible for need-based aid such as SAIC, state and federal grants, loans and work study you need to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at fafsa.gov.

Learn More

Undergraduate Programs

Art History is a central part of all students’ education at SAIC. The Bachelor of Arts in Art History degree program draws on the depth and diversity of offerings that only a major art school connected with a world-class museum can provide. Substantial coursework in art history, supported by additional coursework in liberal arts and in studio departments, define the SAIC Art History course of study.

The Department of Art History, Theory, and Criticism newly offers BFA students the option to supplement their studio curriculum with an Art History thesis.

Learn more about SAIC’s undergraduate degree program requirements and art history curriculum.

Master's In Art History Programs

SAIC's Art History MA programs offer an exceptional exploration of global art and design across all media, immersing students in a vibrant context of creativity and cultural expression. As the largest modern and contemporary art history department in the nation, we pride ourselves on a rich curriculum that is both rigorous and expansive.

Guided by our internationally renowned faculty, who are deeply engaged in their fields, students benefit from the dynamic Chicago environment—the Art Institute of Chicago and other world-class museums, the historic architecture, captivating public sculptures, extensive libraries, and a thriving gallery scene.

Our graduates emerge as leaders in the art world, carving out successful careers as curators, professors, writers, critics, publishers, gallerists, arts administrators, and activists.

Graduate students can pursue a Master of Arts in Modern and Contemporary Art History or a graduate Dual Degree option in Modern and Contemporary Art History and Arts Administration and Policy. Learn more about SAIC’s master’s degree in art history programs.

Art History, Theory, and Criticism Faculty

Full-time faculty members are scholars with global reputations. Their research is on the cutting edge of present trends in the field with specialties covering Africa, Latin America, Southeast Asia, East Asia, Europe, and North America. Their teaching engages with interdisciplinary perspectives such as race, gender and performance studies, decolonization and the transnational, experimental media, and design history.

Meet Our Faculty

Four people sit in a louge surrounded by books.

Graduate Thesis Projects

The thesis project is a central component of our MA program and involves in-depth, original research on a topic of the student’s choosing. Visit the SAIC Thesis Repository to browse thesis projects and abstracts submitted since November 2013.

Explore Student Projects & Opportunities

Person reading book sitting at table in large library

Meet Our Alums

Alivé Piliado (MA 2023)

Alivé Piliado (MA 2023) is a Mexican art historian with a dual master's degree in Arts Administration and Policy and Modern and Contemporary Art History. Before arriving in Chicago, Alivé served as a curator at the National Museum of Art (MUNAL) and the National Museum of San Carlos, both in Mexico City. She is interested in providing research and exhibition spaces for Latin American women artists and championing the importance of Mexican art in the history of global modern art. Alivé advocates for inclusive discourses and promotes diversity both within arts organizations and in terms of audiences and community outreach.

A picture of the modern wing of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Margarita Lizcano Hernandez (BAAH 2018)

Margarita Lizcano Hernandez is a curator and scholar based in New York focusing on Latin American art and global artist networks. She is currently a curatorial assistant at the Museum of Modern Art. In her previous role at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation, she was part of the core team working on the forthcoming Guggenheim Abu Dhabi museum. There, she focused on collection management, protocol building, collection strategy research, and proposing works for acquisition.

A sculpture on a pedestal in a gallery surrounded by colorful paintings

Works by Michael Casey, Josiah Ellner, and Deo Rai

Advanced Curatorial Practice

This professional curating practicum examines today’s complexities in making exhibitions in museums and carrying out projects in public spaces. It gives special attention to the interests and needs of artists and the potential for their voices to affect the cultural climate we live in. This course is supplemented by field trips around Chicago and visits with other working curators at varying levels of experience, institutional integration, and methodologies.

View Art History, Theory, & Criticism Courses

A group of students standing in front of some archways.

Study Trips

Faculty-led study trips take place during winter and summer holidays and provide students with dynamic opportunities to experience international travel and build intercultural competency. Students can earn credits towards their degree completion and the off-campus study credit requirement.

View Study Trips