Studio Practice or Art History: Which Path Fits You?

People often group "art school" together, but studying how to make art and studying how to interpret it are different disciplines. They share galleries, books and sometimes departments, yet they ask different things of you and award different degrees. This guide sets out the contrast so that you can pick programs that match what you want to do. It does not say that one path is better, and it makes no claim about jobs.

What each path centres on

Studio practice means making work: drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, print, ceramics, time-based media and so on. Your principal output is a body of work, typically shown in critiques and a final exhibition. At RISD, for example, the painting, sculpture and photography departments list BFA and MFA degrees. At Kent State, the MFA culminates in a solo thesis exhibition and the MA in a group exhibition.

Art history means researching and writing about works, makers and contexts, usually with languages, archives and museum collections. The principal output is writing: essays, a thesis or a dissertation. Stanford's PhD in Art History admission page, as an example, asks for a statement of purpose, three letters of recommendation, transcripts and a single writing sample of up to 20 pages. It makes no mention of a portfolio.

Many programs sit between the two. Florida Atlantic University describes its BA in studio art as broader, leaving room for a second major or minor, and RISD lists "Theory and History of Art and Design" as an undergraduate concentration within its structure rather than a separate degree. Such programs let a student combine making with scholarship.

Degrees you will see

Do not treat these titles as interchangeable: a BFA is not a BA, and an MFA is not an MA. See BFA versus BA and MFA versus MA.

How the application differs

A studio applicant is judged mainly on work. Northern Kentucky University, for instance, describes a portfolio review for entry into its BFA, tied to completed foundation courses and a minimum GPA. See preparing an art portfolio.

An art history applicant is judged mainly on writing and academic preparation. Language skill can matter; policy on languages differs by department, and many departments publish their own expectations. For doctoral study read applying for an art PhD.

Where the paths cross

• Studio programs include history and theory. Even a studio-heavy degree normally contains courses in art history or critical studies; check the share in the catalog.
• Art historians sometimes make. Some history programs encourage hands-on workshops or conservation placements, but check each program's own description.
• Practice-based research treats making as a method of inquiry, usually in a doctoral setting, with written text alongside the work. See practice-based research.
• Curating, criticism and museum work draw on both. They may be taught within history departments, studio departments or standalone programs. Do not assume that any degree leads to a particular museum post.

The College Art Association, a professional organisation for artists and art historians, publishes standards and guidelines and runs an annual conference and a career center. We cite it as a place where members of both fields gather, not as an authority on which degree to choose.

Questions to ask yourself

1. Do I want my main output to be objects, performances and images, or writing and research?
2. Which will I still want to do when it is difficult: a long studio day or a long archive day?
3. Am I prepared for the required languages, reading load and sustained writing in art history?
4. Do I want a degree with critique and shared studio space, or one with seminars and library work?
5. Do I want a mix, such as a studio BA with art history electives?

Questions to ask each school

• What share of the degree is studio, and what share is history, theory or electives?
• What is assessed at the end: an exhibition, a thesis, or both?
• Which application materials are required, and what format?
• For graduate study, does the program provide funding, and on what terms? See MFA funding.

Our subjects pages and choosing an art school can help you narrow the field. Always confirm program details with the school.