M.A. students must maintain a g.p.a. of at least 3.50. Only one semester of academic probation is allowed. All M.A. candidates, including transfer students, must complete at least 24 s.h. in residence at the University of Iowa.

M.A. students in art history must earn a grade of B or higher in semester-long courses numbered 3000 or above in five of the following 10 distribution fields: African (including Oceanic), architecture, Asian, ancient (3000 B.C.E. to 300 C.E.), medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, 18th- and 19th-century European, American (including pre-Columbian, Native American, and African American), and modern/contemporary. These courses must be taken after the B.A. is granted.

M.A. students must complete a qualifying paper that demonstrates their ability to conduct scholarly research and convey ideas in writing appropriately for the discipline and for the student's specialization field.