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The College of Design has developed two new options for students looking to get more value from their time at the University of Oregon. The goal? To give high-achieving art history majors and planning, public policy and management majors an opportunity to earn a BA and MA within five years.
"I enrolled in the Accelerated Art History Master's Program, as I am eager to pursue research and scholarship beyond the undergraduate level to further challenge myself intellectually," explained Kait Huntington, MA Art History '27. "I am passionate about the discipline, and this program allows me to refine and strengthen my research and writing skills while simultaneously expanding my academic and professional opportunities within the field of Art History."
The University of Oregon, and by extension the College of Design, is devoted to providing novel opportunities for our students to get the most out of their education, especially in today's competitive job market. The creation of the Accelerated Master's Programs in both the Department of the History of Art and Architecture (HAA) and the School of Planning, Public Policy and Management (PPPM) sets students up for future success in five years, as they graduate with both a bachelor's and master's degree and enter the workforce with a leg-up on other graduates.
"I was drawn to this particular program's integration of museum studies and the opportunity to earn a certification concurrently with a bachelor's and a master's degree," said Huntington. "During my time in undergrad, I received meaningful mentorship and recognition from faculty who encouraged and affirmed my preparedness for a more rigorous academic path."
Applications are open for the Art History and the Nonprofit Management programs. While students will see a heavy courseload, accelerated master's programs are popular for their ability to allow students to get the most value from their educational journey.
“It’s rigorous," explained Dyana, "but also a remarkably fiscally sound option for students. The programs promise a path to a master’s degree while the student is immersed in the final years of their bachelor's, giving high-achieving students the chance to earn an additional distinction and, potentially, more money as a professional in their chosen fields."
PPPM's candidates are passionate undergraduate students who have the desire to lead organizations, serve communities, and change the world with graduates routinely in high demand by nonprofit employers, while HAA candidates and graduates are able to seamlessly work in numerous fields, thanks to the broadly applicable skills learned in their program. Both programs have access to career services to further a student's ability to enter the job force on time and prepared.
"I am particularly interested in a graduate-level course of study as a way to engage in a more focused and individualized art-historical education, one that supports my growing interest in museology and contemporary methodologies of museum practice," said Huntington. "I am confident in my ability to succeed in this program and look forward to all of the opportunities that will contribute to my development as a researcher and an emerging professional in the discipline."
Both programs are open and accepting applications.