The Art History graduate program is organized into two major areas of concentration, each of which integrates several fields of specialization: Art of the Americas and Art of the Modern Age.
Art of the Americas: Art of the Americas brings together the arts of pre and post- conquest cultures. Along with the study of the acknowledged discontinuities in form and series brought about by European conquest, this concentration promotes the equally important study of architecture. The goal is to promote a clearer understanding of the Art of the Americas within the larger unity now perceived for American art traditions.
Art of the Modern Age: Art of the Modern Age encompasses the history of painting, sculpture, architecture, decorative art, drawing, graphic art, photography, and film in Europe and the Americas from 1750 to the present. It explores the democratization and consequent growth of intellectual and stylistic pluralism in the arts during a time of rapid technological, social, political, and aesthetic change. Current critical developments in the discipline of art history emphasize the need to re-examine works of art within their cultural contexts and to provide a theoretical framework for them while continuing the more traditional studies of the works in terms of characteristics of style, iconography, and medium.

Students may pursue a specialization within either of the preceding major areas of concentration. While focusing on a specialized field in preparation for their M.A. thesis or Ph.D. dissertation, students must also familiarize themselves with their general area of concentration. Students are also encouraged to select courses in other graduate units within the University.