The Department of Art provides students with instruction in studio practice, history, and theory of the visual arts. Founded in 1921, a half century after formal instruction in art began at Howard University with an 1871 course in freehand drawing; the Department of Art has educated artists for eight decades.

Affirming that individual growth is central to the creative and intellectual development of students, the Department of Art presents a program of study that respect traditional academic requirements while considering the personal creative interests of students and their career objectives. Students are required to take liberal arts and career-oriented courses that frequently draw upon the resources of agencies, businesses, and cultural institutions of the Washington, DC area, thus establishing links between the classroom and the actual world.

The Department offers quality instruction in the practice, history, and criticism of the visual arts, and creates an environment conducive to self-motivation for students whose artistic and academic potential is high. The Department’s faculty is dedicated to quality teaching, research, and creativity, while developing highly-skilled, knowledgeable graduates who are prepared to compete for professional positions and engage in entrepreneurial endeavors in the arts and related fields.

Please contact the Department of Art History for changes relative to the graduate program
in Art History.

Students applying for acceptance into the Master of Fine Arts program must have a cumulative minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 for admission into the program.

Applicants with GPA ratings between 2.5 and below 3.0 will be considered for admission when in the judgment of the faculty, the applicant's portfolio is considered to be outstanding. The student will be required to take one or two undergraduate courses without graduate credit. In order to remove the probationary status, students must receive satisfactory report from instructors for compensatory courses and obtain a GPA average of 3.0 during their first and second semesters in the MFA program.

Failure to maintain the required grade point average(3.0) by any student will result in the denial of admission to candidacy and suspension from the MFA program.

Applicants must submit:

1. A portfolio of 20 slides with no more than two views of any one work, presented in a clear plastic slide page. The slides should be clearly marked as to title materials, size, and date.

2. A biographical essay, typed and double-spaced consisting of no more than two pages.

3. Two letters of recommendation.

Applicants who wish to specialize in ceramics, design, electronic studio, painting, photography or sculpture must complete 60 credits of graduate coursework. The required categories of coursework includes:

36 credits in Studio (24 credits in concentration area and 12 credits in elective studio courses)

12 credits in Art History 6 credits in Thesis Seminar. 6 credits with the Thesis advisor and Thesis Committee. The Master of Fine Arts Thesis is a cohesive body of creative works in studio art accompanied by a written exposition of ideas, analysis, placed in associated context. The creative visual work is considered to be of primary importance, it is required that the candidate support position and hypothesis with secondary source materials. The studio work of the candidate is expected to be stylistically cohesive and should demonstrate a mastery of studio art-making methods, materials and processes. The thesis outline must be unanimously accepted by the committee and should bear the signature and date of the acceptance by all members. A copy is filed in the student's folder in the Art Department Office and each committee member will be provided a copy. Any subsequent adjustment or change of the document requires a simple majority approval of the committee. The thesis committee chair, a senior faculty member in the field of concentration or sub-field, will be responsible for the flow of documents, communication among the committee members, and progress reports to the Department Chair and faculty. The committee chair recommends that candidate to the faculty for approval for awarding the MFA degree.

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Admission and residency in the graduate program in Art History are guided by the General Admission Requirement and Rules and Regulations for the Pursuit of Academic Degrees in the Graduate School. Students are strongly encouraged to consult and familiarize themselves with these rules and regulations.

Applications to the Department of African Studies are evaluated on the following considerations:

1. The applicant’s official transcripts.
2. Applicants with a B.A. or B.Sc. from an accredited university and a minimum average of 3.0 are eligible for admission into the M.A. degree program. Applicants with a B.A. or B.Sc. degree who wish to do a Ph.D. must first complete the M.A. degree program prior to applying for the Ph.D.
3. Applicants with an M.A. degree from an accredited university and a minimum average of 3.5 are eligible for admission into the Ph.D. degree program.
4. Three letters of recommendation, preferably from members of the academic community familiar with the applicant’s academic performance.
5. An autobiographical sketch and statement of purpose indicating his/her desire to join the graduate program in the Department of African Studies. The Department concentrates in the following three areas (1) Development and Public Policy (2) Africa in World Affairs (3) Language, Literature and the Arts.
6. TheGraduate Record Examination (GRE) score.
   

Categories of Admission

1. Degree Student-Regular: Student who holds the required University degree(s) and who meets the department’s admission criteria.
2. Degree Student-Provisional: A student who does not meet the requirements for regular student, but, who, on other grounds, the Committee concludes, is capable of completing a graduate program, may be accepted on a provisional basis. The student shall be limited to take 6 credits. It is recommended that most credits be taken from the core courses of the program. After completing these courses, the Graduate Studies Committee shall review the student’s academic performance. The student will be notified of the final decision within four weeks. If a student is admitted as a regular student, the 6 credit hours will be applied to the student’s course requirements.

To apply, click HERE for information on procedures and forms

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1. Master of Arts
   
   Students must complete a minimum of 36 credit hours, with 30 hours devoted to course work and 6 to a thesis on an African topic. Twenty-four of the thirty hours of course work must be taken within the Department of African Studies. Six hours may be taken in other disciplines. Students are also required to complete all the appropriate courses of the core program, to pass a comprehensive examination, and to demonstrate proficiency in an African language.
   
   
2. Doctor of Philosophy
   
   Students must complete a minimum of 48 credit hours beyond the Master's degree or 78 hours beyond the baccalaureate degree, including 12 hours devoted to a dissertation topic based on original research. Thirty hours of the thirty-six hours of post-M.A. work must be taken within the department. Students are also required to complete all the appropriate courses of the core program, and to demonstrate proficiency in basic computer literacy (statistics) and an African language or in two foreign languages, one of them an African language.
   
    

For both programs, the M.A. and the Ph.D. program, students are required to take two mandatory Howard University seminars. The first is the English Language Proficiency and Expository Writing Program, which is an examination of writing skills. Students who pass the initial examination are not required to take the seminar. However, students who fail the exam are required to participate in further workshops. Additionally, each student must attend the Responsible Conduct of Research Workshop and submit the Certificate of Attendance in order to complete the M.A. or Ph.D. program.

Transfer of Credit

The Department of African Studies may approve transfer of credits for graduate courses earned in other graduate programs, where the grade is B or better. However, it must be the considered judgment of the Department of African Studies that the work is relevant and meets the objectives of comparable courses. In no case may transfer credit hours exceed the limit specified in Article V., Section 5 (Master’s degree) and Article VI, Section 5 (doctoral degrees) of the Graduate School’s regulations. Such transfer may not be used to satisfy the residency requirement specified in Article V, Section 1A and Article VI, Section 1A and must be approved by the Graduate School.

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• In addition to the requirements listed above you must submit the following:

  • Official transcripts, final certificates and/or mark/grade sheets must be sent directly from the college or university to the Office of Graduate Recruitment and Admissions, and must show proof of degree(s) earned, courses taken and marks/grades received. Also, ALL transcripts must be evaluated by World Education Services (www.wes.org) or AACRAO (www.aacrao.org) and be forwarded to Graduate Recruitment and Admissions.
  • If the documents are not in English, they must be accompanied by an official translated copy.
  • All documents must bear the same name that appears on the admissions application unless an official document so submitted indicating a change of name.
  • TOEFL Scores (Minimum computer-based score of 213 is required and only official score reports are accepted within 2 years of the test date) www.toelf.org. TOEFL scores must be sent directly from ETS (HU code: 5297).
  • The TOEFL test is not required if you received a degree in the U.S.
  • Statement of Financial Resources Form ( click here ) – A completed form that verifies proof of financial support (sufficient funds to cover expenses for one full year - $29,132 in US Dollars only) and supporting financial documentation indicating sources of funds while attending Howard University (such as a certified bank statement dated within three months of registration).
  • Verification of six months history with bank.

  For information on how to apply and where to send materials for other graduate and professional programs at Howard University, please click here:

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The Board of Trustees of Howard University on September 24, 1983, adopted the following policy statement regarding applications for admission: "Applicants seeking admission to Howard University are required to submit accurate and complete credentials and accurate and complete information requested by the University. Applicants who fail to do so shall be denied admission. Enrolled students who as applicants failed to submit accurate and complete credentials or accurate and complete information on their application for admission shall be subject to dismissal when the same is made known, regardless of classification."

All credentials must be sent to:

 
Howard University Graduate School,
Office of Graduate Recruitment and Admissions
4th and College Streets, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20059

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