After almost two years of thinking about and researching grad school the time to seriously get down to business came this fall. Applying to grad school is basically like taking another course on top of an already packed course load with all the research, preparation and writing that goes into it.
Initially I had planned on applying to lots of schools because they all had interesting programs each with their own merits. Carleton, University of Toronto, Queen’s, McGill and the Courtauld Institute of Art in England were on my list. However over time the list got much shorter. The Courtauld and their curatorial program was my dream school but the cost of going to a school in London with international fees and living expenses made it unrealistic and that’s even if I got into the highly competitive and small program, but I still applied. I ruled out University of Toronto, Queen’s and McGill for various reasons. Either the city didn’t appeal to me, the program wasn’t exactly what I was looking for or the lack of a major art institution like the National Gallery of Canada made it a deal breaker. In the end none of the other schools made the final cut, not because they aren’t all great schools with good programs but because I wanted to go to another school even more.
National Gallery of Canada
Carleton is where I’ve spent the last three and a half years and it has become my home. I’ve gotten to know the faculty very well and they are all extremely approachable and willing to help you with so much. Even if you’re coming from a different university the professors in the art history department are welcoming and easy to talk to. I know the MA program will be much different than the BA with new challenges and new students but I’m looking forward to it. Carleton is a community and the small art history program at Carleton really shows that.
2015 Art History Graduate Students Society Conference
Importantly the resources made available to students at Carleton make it my prime choice. We get access to the National Gallery of Canada, the Carleton University Art Gallery, Library and Archives Canada, the Ottawa Art Gallery as well as many other national and local cultural institutions. One of the ways students get access to these institutions is through the Practicum program, which is an important component of the MA program. The new curatorial concentration is really what changed my mind about getting my MA at Carleton. My plans are to pursue a career in curating and the new program gives students amazing access and it is taught by great professors who have experience curating exhibitions and working in museums. Another great aspect of the program is the Art History Graduate Students Society that runs a grad conference each year and has their own online journal, Render that gives students a chance to get published. For all these reasons and many more I am choosing Carleton again to continue my academic career.