Rules And Regulations (revised
and approved XXXXXX):
The University of
http://udcatalog.udel.edu/general/grad.html.
The following provisions explain the particular
features of the Department of Art History’s graduate programs, based upon and
consistent with the University Catalogue.
Admission to the M.A. Program
Those seeking admission to the M.A. program in Art History must hold,
or be a candidate for, the bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution,
and must give evidence to the Graduate Office of the University and to the
Department of having completed that degree prior to enrollment. Students will
normally have completed an undergraduate major in art history, or at least show
extensive preparation across a wide range of areas within the field. To be
considered, an application form must be presented, along with a brief personal
essay discussing the applicant’s reasons for pursuing graduate work in art
history, plans, and special interests within art history, letters of
recommendation from three persons familiar with the applicant’s academic work,
the Aptitude Test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), official transcripts
from all institutions attended, and a writing sample. The writing sample will
normally be an academic essay bearing upon the history of art or a related
field. The writing sample should be what the applicant considers his or her
best work in art history, demonstrating his or her ability to write cogently,
to conduct art historical research, and to present a critical reading or
interpretation. Applicants should also have a reading knowledge of one language
other than English adequate to read art historical scholarship (see language requirements). The
application deadline is January 1 for admission during the next academic year,
beginning the following September. Students are admitted only in the fall
academic term.
Admission to the Ph.D. Program
For students seeking a Ph.D. in art history, the department offers two routes to degree completion. One is designed for students who hold an M.A. in art history or its equivalent. The other, the Direct Ph.D. Program, is designed for students who hold a Bachelor’s Degree in art history, or a related field, and are seeking a Ph.D. in art history. Students admitted to the Direct Ph.D. Program have the option of stepping out of the program at the M.A. level, having fulfilled the requirements for the MA degree.
Applicants to the Direct Ph.D. Program in Art History must hold, or be a candidate for, the bachelor’s degree from an accredited
institution, and must give evidence to the Graduate Office of the University
and to the Department of having completed that degree prior to enrollment.
Students will normally have completed an undergraduate major in art history, or
at least show extensive preparation across a wide range of areas within the
field. To be considered, an application form must be presented, along with a
brief personal essay discussing the applicant’s reasons for pursuing graduate
work in art history, plans, and special interests within art history, letters
of recommendation from three persons familiar with the applicant’s academic
work, the Aptitude Test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), official
transcripts from all institutions attended, and a writing sample. The writing
sample will normally be an academic essay bearing upon the history of art or a
related field. The writing sample should be what the applicant considers his or
her best work in art history, demonstrating his or her ability to write
cogently, to conduct art historical research, and to present a critical reading
or interpretation. Although it is not a requirement that the writing sample
deal with material related to the applicant’s proposed area of specialization,
it is essential that it demonstrate the candidate’s ability to write well and
pursue art historical research at a high level. Applicants should also have a
reading knowledge of two languages other than English adequate to read art
historical scholarship (see language requirements). The
application deadline is January 1 for admission during the next academic year,
beginning the following September. Students are admitted only in the fall
academic term.
Applicants to the Ph.D. program in Art History must have completed, or be in the
process of completing, a Master’s degree. Usually this Master’s degree will be
in Art History, although students with degrees in other fields, such as in
History, American Studies, or Art may be considered, but must show extensive
academic preparation in art history.
Those whose M.A. degree is from another
institution must submit an application form, along with a brief personal essay
discussing the applicant’s reasons for pursuing graduate work in art history,
long-term goals, special interests within art history, letters of
recommendation from three persons familiar with the applicant’s academic work,
the Aptitude Test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), official
transcripts from all institutions attended, and a writing sample. The writing sample
will normally be an academic essay bearing upon the history of art or a related
field. The writing sample is particularly important. Although it is not a
requirement that the writing sample deal with material related to the
applicant’s proposed area of specialization, it is essential that it
demonstrate the candidate’s ability to write well and pursue art historical
research at a high level. Applicants should also have a reading knowledge of
two languages other than English adequate to read art historical scholarship (see language requirements). The
application deadline is January 1 for admission during the next academic year,
beginning the following September. Students are admitted only in the fall
academic term.
Students admitted to the M.A.
Program and who decide to seek a doctoral degree in Art History, must apply to
the Ph.D. Program, using the on-line admission application process provided by
the Office of Graduate and Professional Education.
Whether receiving their M.A. degree at Delaware
or at another institution, students admitted into the Ph.D. program are not
permitted to register for courses in the doctoral program nor to receive
financial aid unless they have already officially obtained their M.A. degree
prior to the first day of classes of the semester in which they are to begin
Ph.D. coursework. Students who are accepted to the Ph.D. program but who do not
complete the requirements for the M.A. degree by the fall semester in which
they are to begin Ph.D. work may make a one-time petition to defer enrollment
to the immediately succeeding spring term, if necessary.
Fellowships, Assistantships, and Scholarships
The Department of Art History, the Office of
Graduate Studies, and several outside donors and/or agencies offer a number of
graduate fellowships, teaching assistantships, research assistantships, and
tuition scholarships. All of these awards are determined each spring by means
of competitive application. Applicants for admission to the program must
indicate their wish to be considered for financial aid with their application.
Continuing students in the program must indicate their request for financial
aid in the coming year by February 1.
All graduate fellowships, teaching
assistantships, and research assistantships are accompanied by a grant of the
full cost of tuition and include a stipend. Tuition scholarships carry no
stipend. It is the policy of the Department to limit financial support to two
years for M.A. candidates, to three years for students who enter the Ph.D.
program with the M.A. in hand, either from
Foreign Language Requirements
The Department of Art History considers the
ability to read scholarly works in foreign languages essential. All graduate
students entering the M.A. program in the Department are expected to have upon
enrollment or to gain at the earliest possible moment the ability to read works
in the history of art in one language other than English, as approved by their
faculty adviser and the Director of Graduate Studies and as appropriate to
their course of study. All graduate students entering the Ph.D. program are
expected to have upon enrollment or to gain at the earliest possible moment the
ability to read works in the history of art in two languages other than
English, as approved by their faculty adviser and the Director of Graduate Studies
and as appropriate to their course of study.
Foreign language proficiency will be tested by
the Departmental language examinations. During a period of one hour, with the
use of a dictionary, the student must translate a passage of art historical writing.
The student will be expected to demonstrate a sound grasp of the language,
including its grammar, as well as a familiarity with the basic art historical
terminology in that language. The Department offers examinations at specified
times during the first weeks of the fall and spring terms, in September and
February, and may also offer the examinations at other times. Entering students
are expected to take the Departmental examination in at least one language in
September of the year in which they enter the program, that is, immediately
upon enrollment.
It is difficult to acquire knowledge of new
languages while fully engaged in a demanding graduate program in art history.
Students lacking sufficient language ability to satisfy the Department’s requirements
should consider gaining such ability before entering the program, if necessary
delaying application for admission until they have done so. Students will be
expected to read materials in the required languages in their seminar work from
the first semester of their first year of residence and must assiduously
prepare themselves to do so prior to their arrival. Those who do not satisfy
the foreign language requirement upon enrollment must present by October 1 of
their incoming year to the Director of Graduate Studies and to the designated
faculty coordinator of foreign language requirements a plan for achieving the
required proficiency prior to the beginning of their second year of study.
Failure to satisfy the foreign language requirement will be considered by the
faculty when reviewing students' progress and when allocating financial aid. No
student in the Ph.D. program will be permitted to take the Ph.D. examinations,
or to secure the approval of a dissertation topic, or to register for
dissertation credits, until all language requirements have been satisfied.
Travel Grants for Graduate Students in Art
History
If funds permit, the Department will provide
some support for graduate students who are presenting papers at scholarly
conferences, or conducting research with primary materials away from the
University campus. Funds are awarded twice each year, on the basis of
applications made to the Department, the deadlines for the receipt of
applications being October 15 and April 15. Applications should be made using
the form provided by the Department office, conference and research travel
grants having separate forms. Applications will be considered competitively.
Any grant awarded must be spent within one year from the date of notification
of the award to the student, or the grant will be rescinded. Students are also
advised that grants may also be available from other units of the University,
such as the Office of Women’s Affairs.
Conference Travel:
The Department encourages students to present
papers at scholarly conferences. Students who wish to do so are advised to
consult with their adviser or advisers in preparing an abstract, and in
preparing the paper for presentation. The Department will consider providing
funds for travel and registration only, not for food or lodging. No student
will be awarded more than five grants for conference travel support during
their career in the Department, and no student will receive total awards during
their career in the Department exceeding $3000.
Research Travel:
The Department has some funds available to
support travel for research. Awards are especially intended for, but are not
altogether restricted to, research related to a dissertation topic. The
Department will consider providing funds for travel and lodging only, not for
food and other expenses. No student will be awarded more than five grants for
research travel support during their career in the Department, and no student
will receive total awards during their career in the Department exceeding
$3000.
Special Problems and Independent Projects (ARTH
666, 860, and 866)
Individual or independent study courses under
the designation ARTH 666 or 866 are intended for intensive investigation of a
specific research problem that grows out of or is significantly different from
a regularly-offered course. Such courses cannot normally be used to satisfy
distribution requirements. It should be noted that these numbers are also used
when students enroll in regularly-scheduled courses at other institutions, for
example at
ARTH 860 (
Special permission forms for ARTH 666 and 866
are available from the Assistant to the Chair in the Department, and should be
filled out by the student. These forms require the signature of the student's
adviser, the faculty member agreeing to offer the course, and the Director of
Graduate Studies, as well as the student. These approvals must be obtained
prior to registering for the course.
Continuation in the Program
The progress of all students in the graduate
program is monitored regularly by the Departmental faculty and by the Director
of Graduate Studies. Graduate students in the Department of Art History will
receive grades for each course in which they enroll. Grades are intended to
convey the faculty member’s evaluation of the quality of students’ work. All
students are expected to do work of a high standard, which will result in the
grade of “A” (excellent) or “A-“ (very good) or at
least “B+” (satisfactory). A grade of “B” indicates a quality of work markedly
below this standard, while “B-“ indicates a very
serious failure to meet expectations. Any student might receive one or even
more than one “B” grade, but should take this assessment as a caution and an
admonition, and should seek advice from the professor who assigned the grade,
and/or from her or his primary faculty adviser as to attaining a higher level
of performance. A significant preponderance of excellent and very good grades
(”A” or “A-“) is an indication that at least in course work the student is
making good academic progress. Failure to earn a significant preponderance of
such grades indicates that the student is not making academic progress at the
standard expected by the Department. A pattern of taking incomplete grades,
especially if those incompletes are not finished promptly, also indicates that
the student is not making academic progress at the standard expected by the
Department.
Those students whose work taken as a whole falls
below the expected high level of achievement, indicated through grading and in
other assessments of performance, or who do not satisfy the requirements laid
down by the Graduate Office or these Rules and Regulations will not be
permitted to continue in the program. Termination because of sub-standard
academic performance will be preceded by written notification to the student by
the Director of Graduate Studies that she or he is not making academic progress
at the standard expected by the Department. The student will be given one
semester in which to demonstrate adequate improvement, or to complete
outstanding requirements. That is, students will be notified prior to the end
of the free add-drop period of either semester that they must improve their
performance during that semester or face termination in the program at the end
of that semester. Normally, such formal notification will come at the beginning
of the spring semester, but it may be given at any time of the year, if
warranted. Students should meet with their primary academic adviser and with
the Director of Graduate Studies as soon as possible after receiving such
notification, so that the problem and the possible means of addressing the
problem can be discussed. If the student fails to make adequate improvement, a
recommendation to dismiss the student from the program will be by vote of the
Department faculty, and will be conveyed to the Graduate Office for action (see
Graduate Student Probation and Dismissal Policy in the University Catalogue).
Academic Honesty
All students are expected to abide by the
University’s policies concerning academic honesty. The University’s policy on
academic honesty is found at:
www.udel.edu/stuguide/08-09/code.html#honesty
Requirements for the M.A. Degree
Requirements for the M.A. degree in Art History
consist of 27 credits of course work plus 3 Master’s Paper credits,
satisfactory completion of the foreign language requirement (see language requirement), and satisfactory
completion of the Master’s Paper.
All students will be required to take 27 credit
hours, of which at least 21 hours must be Art History graduate courses (see
course distribution requirements below). Beyond the required 21 credits in
regular Art History graduate courses, the other 6 hours may be selected from
additional Art History seminars or independent study courses or a combination
of these. With prior permission from the Director of Graduate Studies, students
may substitute one or more courses in such related fields as Anthropology,
Early American Culture, Historic Preservation, History, Museum Studies, and
Philosophy. A maximum of 9 graduate credits earned at another accredited
institution may be applied toward the M.A. degree at
The Department believes that students should be broadly
conversant in the diverse geographic as well as chronological areas and the
diverse methods of the discipline. Students are strongly advised to take
courses that will prepare them for professional work in art history.
Students enrolled in the M.A. Program must take at least one graduate seminar or graduate-level lecture course (600 or 800 level) in each of the following four time periods (if a course cuts across boundaries between time periods, it will count as one period only at the judgment of the faculty and in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies):
Before the year 1400
1400 -1700
1700 - 1900
1900 – present
Students in the M.A. program must take at least one course in three of the following five areas (if a course cuts across boundaries between areas, it will count as one area only at the judgment of the faculty and in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies):
European
Art of the
African
East Asian
Art of Islam
N.B. A single course may fulfill both a chronological and a geographical area distribution requirement.
At the beginning of each semester, all Department of Art
History courses will be identified as satisfying the requirement in one (or
none) of these areas. Students who wish to satisfy the distribution requirement
with courses taken outside the Department of Art History must petition the
Director of Graduate Studies in writing before enrolling in such a course, and
must receive approval for the satisfaction of the distribution requirement by
that course from the Director of Graduate Studies.
Master's Sustaining
After the completion of all course and other
degree requirements (including the foreign language requirement), and until the
Master’s Paper is submitted and approved, a master's candidate is required to
register for sustaining credit as follows:
UNIV 899, Masters Sustaining (0 credits), is
used to maintain active status in the program until the degree is earned. This
registration is designed to ensure that the student is active until he or she
completes the degree requirements. The student must register continuously until
the degree is received.
Application for M.A. Degree
An application for the master's degree should be
completed by the student and submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies at the
beginning of the term in which he or she expects to receive the degree prior to
the appropriate deadline announced by the Office of Graduate Studies. The
Application for Advanced Degree form can be obtained at the Office of Graduate
Studies, 234 Hullihen Hall, in the Department office, or on the web.
The Master's Paper
The Master's Paper (research essay) is intended to be a concise demonstration of the student's ability to carry out independent research and present his or her findings in a systematic and professional manner. The Master’s Paper may be, indeed most commonly is, an amplification of a research paper initially undertaken as part of one of the regular seminars. It could also be developed as a separate project. The Master’s Paper should be approximately 25-35 typed pages of text (6,250-9,000 words), including notes and bibliography, and must be of excellent quality. The completed Master’s Paper should conform to the latest edition of The Chicago Manual of Style.
The Master's Paper topic should be such that it
can be researched and written within a three- month period or less. In order to
complete the Master’s Paper in a timely manner, each student should select a
topic by the end of the second semester of graduate study, at the latest. It is
the responsibility of the student to propose a topic to a member of the
faculty, and to secure the agreement of that faculty member to serve as first
reader/adviser for a Master’s Paper on that topic. It is also the student’s
responsibility to secure the agreement of a second reader. At least one of the
readers must be a member of the Department of Art History at the
The Master’s Paper must be submitted no later
than 1 February and approved by a Departmental committee no later than 1 March
within the student’s second year of the program. Failure to meet these
deadlines is an indication that a student is not making adequate and timely
progress toward the degree. In order to be accepted as satisfying the
requirement for the M.A. degree, the Master’s Paper
must be evaluated and approved by a departmental committee of three members:
the adviser, second reader, and the Director of Graduate Studies.
IV. THE DIRECT PH.D. PROGRAM
Requirements for the Ph.D. Degree
The Direct Ph.D. student is required to be in
continuous residence at the
A minimum of 36 credits of graduate course work
is required, with at least 30 of these credits to be in Art History seminar
courses and the other 6 to be selected from additional seminars, graduate
lecture courses, or independent study courses, or a combination of these. In
addition to the 36 credits of graduate course work, 3 credits of ARTH870
Master’s Paper and 9 Dissertation Credits are required.
The Department believes that students should be broadly
conversant in the diverse geographic as well as chronological areas and the
diverse methods of the discipline. Students are strongly advised to take
courses that will prepare them for professional work in art history.
Students enrolled in the Direct Ph.D. Program must take at least one graduate seminar or graduate-level lecture course (600 or 800 level) in each of the following four time periods (if a course cuts across boundaries between time periods, it will count as one period only at the judgment of the faculty and in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies):
Before the year 1400
1400 -1700
1700 - 1900
1900 – present
Students must take at least one course in three of the following five areas (if a course cuts across boundaries between areas, it will count as one area only at the judgment of the faculty and in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies):
European
Art of the
African
East Asian
Art of Islam
N.B. A single course may fulfill both a chronological and a geographical area distribution requirement.
At the beginning of each
semester, all Department of Art History courses will be identified as
satisfying the requirement in one (or none) of these areas. Students who wish
to satisfy the distribution requirement with courses taken outside the
Department of Art History must petition the Director of Graduate Studies in
writing before enrolling in such a course, and must receive approval for the
satisfaction of the distribution requirement by that course from the Director
of Graduate Studies.
The Department of Art History considers the ability to read scholarly works in languages other than English essential. All graduate students entering the Ph.D. program are required to have upon enrollment or to gain at the earliest possible moment the ability to read works in the history of art in two languages other than English, as approved by their faculty adviser and the Director of Graduate Studies and as appropriate to their course of study.
Expected course of study for the Direct Ph.D. Program:
Year 1: coursework; pass one language exam
Year 2: coursework (complete at least 27 credits + 3 cr. ARTH870); complete Master’s Paper
Year 3: complete coursework; pass second language exam; pass Ph.D. exams
Year 4: submit dissertation proposal; dissertation research
Year 5: dissertation research and writing
Upon the successful
completion of 27 credits of coursework and 3 credits of ARTH 870, a language
exam, and the Master’s Paper, students will be awarded an M.A. degree.
The Master's Paper (research essay) is intended to be a
concise demonstration of the student's ability to carry out independent
research and present his or her findings in a systematic and professional
manner. The Master’s Paper may be, indeed most commonly is, an amplification of
a research paper initially undertaken as part of one of the regular seminars.
It could also be developed as a separate project. The Master’s Paper should be
approximately 25-35 typed pages of text (6,250-9,000 words), including notes
and bibliography, and must be of excellent quality. The completed Master’s
Paper should conform to the latest edition of The Chicago Manual of Style.
The Master's Paper topic should
be such that it can be researched and written within a three-month period or
less. In order to complete the Master’s Paper in a timely manner, each student
should select a topic by the end of the second semester of graduate study, at
the latest. It is the responsibility of the student to propose a topic to a
member of the faculty, and to secure the agreement of that faculty member to serve
as first reader/adviser for a Master’s Paper on that topic. It is also the
student’s responsibility to secure the agreement of a second reader. At least
one of the readers must be a member of the Department of Art History at the
The Master’s Paper must be submitted no later than 1 February and approved by a departmental committee no later than 1 March within the student’s second year of the program. Failure to meet these deadlines is an indication that a student is not making adequate and timely progress toward the degree. In order to be accepted as satisfying the requirement for the M.A. degree, the Master’s Paper must be evaluated and approved by a departmental committee of three members: the adviser, second reader, and the Director of Graduate Studies.
The Master’s Paper is
circulated to the entire faculty and discussed as part of the general review of
the student’s work in the fourth semester. This review is intended to ensure
that students are making satisfactory and timely progress toward the Ph.D. and
to provide appropriate feedback to students.
Satisfactory and timely progress includes: passing at least one language exam by the third semester; completion of at least 27 hours of coursework and 3 hours of ARTH870 hours by the end of the fourth semester with the majority of grades being A- or higher; and acceptance of the Master’s Paper by 1 March of the second year in the program. Students who do not satisfy these requirements in a timely and satisfactory manner will be notified that they are eligible to receive the M.A. degree only.
All students in the Direct Ph.D. Program must advance to candidacy by the end of their fourth year in order to remain eligible for funding from the University.
After consultation with the student, the Director of Graduate Studies will assign the student to a member of the faculty, normally someone familiar with the student’s area of special interest, who will serve as a temporary adviser. After having successfully completed all course requirements and foreign language examinations, the student will seek to secure the agreement of one member of the faculty to serve as her or his adviser for the remaining degree requirements, the comprehensive examinations, and the dissertation. The faculty adviser should be someone familiar with the general area in which the student intends to take the major field examination and to write the dissertation. It is the responsibility of the student to secure the faculty member’s agreement to serve. No faculty member is obligated to serve a student in this capacity. After an advisement agreement has been established between the student and a faculty member, the Director of Graduate Studies will be notified by both, and will thereafter assist both in the formation of committees for the comprehensive examinations and the dissertation.
Comprehensive Examinations
(Approved by the University Graduate Studies
Committee on
The Ph.D. student is required to take the Ph.D.
Comprehensive Examination (including both major and minor field examinations)
no later than the end of the second week of the second semester following the
completion of Ph.D. course work, but not before having completed the Ph.D.
course work and having satisfactorily completed the foreign language
requirement. Successful completion of both parts of the comprehensive
examination is required for admission to doctoral candidacy.
Both the major and minor field examinations are
assessed as either passing or failing. An affirmative vote for a passing grade
by a majority of the examiners is necessary for the examination to be
considered passing. Should the student fail either the major field or the minor
field examination, the student will be given an opportunity to take that
portion only for a second time. (The part already passed need not be retaken.)
The second attempt to pass the examination must be made not later than the end
of the first semester after the first attempt to pass that portion. That is,
for example, if an examination is failed at any point during the fall term, it
must be taken again by the end of the following spring term. Failure to pass
the examination on the second attempt will result in termination from the
program effective at the end of that term. No third attempt will be permitted.
A student’s major and minor fields should be
reasonably distinct from one another, separated by some combination of
geography, time period, media, or other factors as appropriate. Definition of
the major and minor fields, although proposed by the student, must have the
approval of the primary faculty adviser and the Director of Graduate Studies.
Students should indicate their intention to take
the comprehensive examination at least four weeks in advance, using a special
form available in the office. The major and minor examination may be taken with
a computer by arrangement with the Assistant to the Chair in the Department.
A. Major Field
The major field exam comprises written and oral
components, both administered by an examining committee. The members of this
committee will be determined by the primary faculty adviser and the Director of
Graduate Studies after consulting with the student. Typically the examining
committee will include the primary faculty adviser and two or three other
members. At least two (of the total 3 or 4) must be faculty in the Art History
Department or in another Department at the
The written component of the exam is designed to
test the student’s knowledge of the field (including works of art and
significant themes and issues in the scholarship) and critical thinking. After
consulting with the student the examining committee will define five to eight
broad areas or themes that will guide preparation for the exam. Each area
should encompass a broad segment of the field and command a substantial
bibliography (e.g. the reception of antiquity in the Renaissance; nationalism
in modern art; word and image in medieval art; portraiture and group
portraiture in Dutch art; transcendentalism and American art). A bibliography
usually containing 25 to 40 items (a mix of books and articles) for each theme
will be prepared by the student and approved by the committee. The exam itself
will consist of six questions designed by the examiners to engage the prepared
areas. The student will be expected to answer three such questions within a
period of six hours.
The oral component, a two-hour exam, will be
held no more than one week after the written exam is completed. It may return
to the questions posed in the written exam but is not restricted to them, and
the student may be asked to relate particular works to themes addressed in the
written exam.
B. Minor Field
The minor field examining committee will contain
two members of the department faculty determined by the primary faculty adviser
and the Director of Graduate Studies after consultation with the student.
Students should have taken seminars in the area of the minor field as part of
the preparation for the exam. Unlike major fields, minor fields may be defined
in a variety of ways that may be distinct from the major fields. The scope of
the minor field may be proposed by the student but must be approved by the
primary faculty adviser and the Director of Graduate Studies.
The minor field exam is modeled on the written part of the major field exam. Three to five broad areas or themes will be defined by the examining committee after consulting with the student. A bibliography containing 10 to 15 items for each theme will be prepared by the student and approved by the committee. The exam itself will consist of two parts and last for five hours. The first part will contain six questions designed by the examiners to engage the prepared areas. The student will be expected to answer three questions within a period of three and one-half hours. In the second part of the exam, the student will have ninety minutes to answer three of five questions based on specific works or groups of works which may be visual or textual.
Admission to Candidacy for the Ph.D. Degree (for
students in the Direct Ph.D. Program)
Upon the recommendation of the student's primary
faculty adviser and the Director of Graduate Studies of the Department, a
student may be admitted to Candidacy for the Ph.D. degree if he or she has (1)
satisfactorily completed 36 credits of graduate course work, including two
connected semesters of full-time graduate work, (2) demonstrated a reading
knowledge of two languages other than English, (3) passed his or her
Comprehensive Examination (both major field and minor field), and (4) had a
dissertation proposal accepted by his or her primary faculty adviser and the Director
of Graduate Studies. A student should request admission to candidacy prior to
the appropriate deadline announced by the Office of Graduate Studies.
Ph.D. Sustaining
Ph.D. candidates are required to register for
Ph.D. sustaining after the completion of all other degree requirements until
the dissertation is submitted to the Graduate Office. UNIV 999 Doctoral Sustaining (0 credits) is used for this purpose. This
registration is designed to ensure that the student is active until he or she
completes the degree requirements.
Application for Ph.D. Degree
An application for the Ph.D. degree should be
completed by the student and submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies at the
beginning of the term in which he or she expects to receive the degree, prior
to the appropriate deadline announced by the Office of Graduate Studies. The
Application for Advanced Degree form can be obtained at the Office of Graduate
Studies, 234 Hullihen Hall.
Dissertation
Students can begin investigation on a
dissertation topic at any time, but she or he can register for the 9
Dissertation Credits (ARTH 969) only after having been admitted to Candidacy.
The student can register for 9 credits of ARTH 964 (Pre-Candidacy Research)
during the semester when he or she is studying for the Comprehensive
examination, but this will only be converted by the Graduate Office to the
required Dissertation Credits (ARTH 969) if the student passes into Candidacy
(as described above) either during that semester or by the last day of the free
add-drop period of the following semester.
Students should confer with the primary faculty
adviser and other faculty members, as appropriate, on the selection of a
dissertation subject. If the subject appears to be suitable, the student will
be invited to submit a dissertation proposal to his or her adviser and the
Director of Graduate Studies. Such proposals are usually 5-10 pages in length,
and include major bibliography for the topic. If approved by the adviser and
the Director of Graduate Studies, the student will be notified. If not
approved, the proposal may be either rejected, or returned for revision. If
approved, the student should then notify the
For the Ph.D. dissertation, there are at least,
and usually, four readers: (1) the student's adviser, (2) a second reader
chosen because of his or her familiarity with the subject, and (3) third and
fourth readers. In addition, the dissertation must be read and approved by the
Department Chair. If the Chair is one of the four readers, then three other
readers will be a sufficient number. After consultation with the student, the
committee for the Ph.D. dissertation and dissertation defense will be selected
by the faculty adviser in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies.
The committee for the Ph.D. dissertation and dissertation defense will comprise
at least, and usually, four members, of whom at least half will be faculty
members of the
The adviser will work with the student to
prepare the dissertation. Candidates should follow closely the regulations
published by the Graduate Office, as well as conform to the latest edition of
the
Only after the Chair has signed the dissertation
can it be submitted to the Graduate Office. Two hard copies should be submitted
to the Department and then, after approval, one will be forwarded to the Dean
of the
Oral Defense of the Dissertation
Upon completion of the dissertation, a Ph.D.
final oral examination must be passed, consisting of a defense of the
dissertation and a test of the candidate's mastery of the area in which the
dissertation was written. In order to permit adequate time for the examiners to
review the dissertation, the requisite number of copies of the completed work
must be deposited in the Department office at least two weeks before the date
of the dissertation defense. That oral dissertation defense must take place not
less than one week before the deadline date established by the Graduate Office
for the submission of dissertations.
Normally, the oral defense of a dissertation is
based on the dissertation draft approved by the adviser. All readers of the
dissertation will participate in the oral dissertation defense. The defense,
moreover, will be open to all members of the Department or to any other
interested person, although only members of the candidate’s committee will be permitted
to pose questions or make any statements. The examination will normally last
approximately two hours.
The dissertation may be approved conditionally
at the final defense, subject to required corrections being made by the
candidate. If corrections or changes are suggested at the final defense, and if
the committee approves them, the adviser will check to see that the changes
have been made in the final copies submitted by the candidate.
Listing with College Art Association
On a card supplied by the Art History
Departmental office and left with that office for forwarding by December of
each year, each candidate should notify the College Art Association office (1)
when the topic of his dissertation is approved; (2) if the topic is changed;
and (3) when the dissertation is accepted. This information will be published
annually by the
V. THE PH.D.
Requirements for the Ph.D. Degree
The Ph.D. student is required to be in continuous
residence at the
A minimum of 24 credits of graduate course work
beyond the M.A. is required, with at least 18 of these credits to be in Art
History seminar courses and the other 6 to be selected from additional
seminars, graduate lecture courses, or independent study courses, or a
combination of these. In addition to the 24 credits of graduate course work, 9
Dissertation Credits are required.
The Department believes that students should be broadly
conversant in the diverse geographic as well as chronological areas and the
diverse methods of the discipline. Students are strongly advised to take
courses that will prepare them for professional work in art history.
Students who enter the Ph.D. Program with an M.A. in Art History (from another institution) must take at least one graduate seminar or graduate-level lecture course (600 or 800 level) in three of the following four time periods (if a course cuts across boundaries between time periods, it will count as one period only at the judgment of the faculty and in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies):
Before the year 1400
1400 -1700
1700 - 1900
1900 – present
Students must take at least one course in three of the following five areas (if a course cuts across boundaries between areas, it will count as one area only at the judgment of the faculty and in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies):
European
Art of the
African
East Asian
Art of Islam
N.B. A single course may fulfill both a chronological and a geographical area distribution requirement.
At the beginning of each
semester, all Department of Art History courses will be identified as
satisfying the requirement in one (or none) of these areas. Students who wish
to satisfy the distribution requirement with courses taken outside the
Department of Art History must petition the Director of Graduate Studies in
writing before enrolling in such a course, and must receive approval for the
satisfaction of the distribution requirement by that course from the Director
of Graduate Studies.
The Department of Art History considers the ability to read scholarly works in languages other than English essential. All graduate students entering the Ph.D. program are required to have upon enrollment or to gain at the earliest possible moment the ability to read works in the history of art in two languages other than English, as approved by their faculty adviser and the Director of Graduate Studies and as appropriate to their course of study.
Expected course of study:
Year 1: coursework; pass language exams
Year 2: complete coursework; pass Ph.D. exams; submit dissertation proposal
Year 3: dissertation research
After consultation with the student, the
Director of Graduate Studies will assign the student to a member of the
faculty, normally someone familiar with the student’s area of special interest,
who will serve as a temporary adviser. After having successfully completed all
course requirements and foreign language examinations, the student will seek to
secure the agreement of one member of the faculty to serve as her or his
adviser for the remaining degree requirements, the comprehensive examinations,
and the dissertation. The faculty adviser should be someone familiar with the
general area in which the student intends to take the major field examination
and to write the dissertation. It is the responsibility of the student to
secure the faculty member’s agreement to serve. No faculty member is
obligated to serve a student in this capacity. After an advisement agreement has been
established between the student and a faculty member, the Director of Graduate
Studies will be notified by both, and will thereafter assist both in the
formation of committees for the comprehensive examinations and the
dissertation.
Comprehensive Examinations
(Approved by the University Graduate Studies
Committee on
The Ph.D. student is required to take the Ph.D.
Comprehensive Examination (including both major and minor field examinations)
no later than the end of the second week of the second semester following the
completion of Ph.D. course work, but not before having completed the Ph.D.
course work and having satisfactorily completed the foreign language
requirement. Successful completion of both parts of the comprehensive
examination is required for admission to doctoral candidacy.
Both the major and minor field examinations are
assessed as either passing or failing. An affirmative vote for a passing grade
by a majority of the examiners is necessary for the examination to be
considered passing. Should the student fail either the major field or the minor
field examination, the student will be given an opportunity to take that
portion only for a second time. (The part already passed need not be retaken.)
The second attempt to pass the examination must be made not later than the end
of the first semester after the first attempt to pass that portion. That is,
for example, if an examination is failed at any point during the fall term, it
must be taken again by the end of the following spring term. Failure to pass
the examination on the second attempt will result in termination from the
program effective at the end of that term. No third attempt will be permitted.
A student’s major and minor fields should be
reasonably distinct from one another, separated by some combination of
geography, time period, media, or other factors as appropriate. Definition of
the major and minor fields, although proposed by the student, must have the
approval of the primary faculty adviser and the Director of Graduate Studies.
Students should indicate their intention to take
the comprehensive examination at least four weeks in advance, using a special
form available in the office. The major and minor examination may be taken with
a computer by arrangement with the Assistant to the Chair in the Department.
A. Major Field
The major field exam comprises written and oral
components, both administered by an examining committee. The members of this
committee will be determined by the primary faculty adviser and the Director of
Graduate Studies after consulting with the student. Typically the examining
committee will include the primary faculty adviser and two or three other
members. At least two (of the total 3 or 4) must be faculty in the Art History
Department or in another Department at the
The written component of the exam is designed to
test the student’s knowledge of the field (including works of art and
significant themes and issues in the scholarship) and critical thinking. After
consulting with the student the examining committee will define five to eight
broad areas or themes that will guide preparation for the exam. Each area
should encompass a broad segment of the field and command a substantial
bibliography (e.g. the reception of antiquity in the Renaissance; nationalism
in modern art; word and image in medieval art; portraiture and group
portraiture in Dutch art; transcendentalism and American art). A bibliography
usually containing 25 to 40 items (a mix of books and articles) for each theme
will be prepared by the student and approved by the committee. The exam itself
will consist of six questions designed by the examiners to engage the prepared
areas. The student will be expected to answer three such questions within a
period of six hours.
The oral component, a two-hour exam, will be
held no more than one week after the written exam is completed. It may return
to the questions posed in the written exam but is not restricted to them, and
the student may be asked to relate particular works to themes addressed in the
written exam.
B. Minor Field
The minor field examining committee will contain
two members of the department faculty determined by the primary faculty adviser
and the Director of Graduate Studies after consultation with the student.
Students should have taken seminars in the area of the minor field as part of
the preparation for the exam. Unlike major fields, minor fields may be defined
in a variety of ways that may be distinct from the major fields. The scope of
the minor field may be proposed by the student but must be approved by the
primary faculty adviser and the Director of Graduate Studies.
The minor field exam is modeled on the written part of the major field exam. Three to five broad areas or themes will be defined by the examining committee after consulting with the student. A bibliography containing 10 to 15 items for each theme will be prepared by the student and approved by the committee. The exam itself will consist of two parts and last for five hours. The first part will contain six questions designed by the examiners to engage the prepared areas. The student will be expected to answer three questions within a period of three and one-half hours. In the second part of the exam, the student will have ninety minutes to answer three of five questions based on specific works or groups of works which may be visual or textual.
Admission to Candidacy for the Ph.D. Degree
Upon the recommendation of the student's primary
faculty adviser and the Director of Graduate Studies of the Department, a
student may be admitted to Candidacy for the Ph.D. degree if he or she has (1)
satisfactorily completed 24 credits of graduate course work, including two
connected semesters of full-time graduate work, (2) demonstrated a reading
knowledge of two languages other than English, (3) passed his or her
Comprehensive Examination (both major field and minor field), and (4) had a
dissertation proposal accepted by his or her primary faculty adviser and the
Director of Graduate Studies. A student should request admission to candidacy
prior to the appropriate deadline announced by the Office of Graduate Studies.
Ph.D. Sustaining
Ph.D. candidates are required to register for
Ph.D. sustaining after the completion of all other degree requirements until
the dissertation is submitted to the Graduate Office. UNIV 999 Doctoral Sustaining (0 credits) is used for this purpose. This
registration is designed to ensure that the student is active until he or she
completes the degree requirements.
Application for Ph.D. Degree
An application for the Ph.D. degree should be
completed by the student and submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies at the
beginning of the term in which he or she expects to receive the degree, prior
to the appropriate deadline announced by the Office of Graduate Studies. The
Application for Advanced Degree form can be obtained at the Office of Graduate
Studies, 234 Hullihen Hall.
Dissertation
Students can begin investigation on a
dissertation topic at any time, but she or he can register for the 9
Dissertation Credits (ARTH 969) only after having been admitted to Candidacy.
The student can register for 9 credits of ARTH 964 (Pre-Candidacy Research)
during the semester when he or she is studying for the Comprehensive
examination, but this will only be converted by the Graduate Office to the
required Dissertation Credits (ARTH 969) if the student passes into Candidacy
(as described above) either during that semester or by the last day of the free
add-drop period of the following semester.
Students should confer with the primary faculty
adviser and other faculty members, as appropriate, on the selection of a
dissertation subject. If the subject appears to be suitable, the student will
be invited to submit a dissertation proposal to his or her adviser and the
Director of Graduate Studies. Such proposals are usually 5-10 pages in length,
and include major bibliography for the topic. If approved by the adviser and
the Director of Graduate Studies, the student will be notified. If not
approved, the proposal may be either rejected, or returned for revision. If
approved, the student should then notify the
For the Ph.D. dissertation, there are at least,
and usually, four readers: (1) the student's adviser, (2) a second reader
chosen because of his or her familiarity with the subject, and (3) third and
fourth readers. In addition, the dissertation must be read and approved by the
Department Chair. If the Chair is one of the four readers, then three other
readers will be a sufficient number. After consultation with the student, the
committee for the Ph.D. dissertation and dissertation defense will be selected
by the faculty adviser in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies.
The committee for the Ph.D. dissertation and dissertation defense will comprise
at least, and usually, four members, of whom at least half will be faculty
members of the
The adviser will work with the student to
prepare the dissertation. Candidates should follow closely the regulations
published by the Graduate Office, as well as conform to the latest edition of
the
Only after the Chair has signed the dissertation
can it be submitted to the Graduate Office. Two copies should be submitted to
the Department and then, after approval, one will be forwarded to the Dean of
the
Oral Defense of the Dissertation
Upon completion of the dissertation, a Ph.D.
final oral examination must be passed, consisting of a defense of the dissertation
and a test of the candidate's mastery of the area in which the dissertation was
written. In order to permit adequate time for the examiners to review the
dissertation, the requisite number of copies of the completed work must be
deposited in the Department office at least two weeks before the date of the
dissertation defense. That oral dissertation defense must take place not less
than one week before the deadline date established by the Graduate Office for
the submission of dissertations.
Normally, the oral defense of a dissertation is
based on the dissertation draft approved by the adviser. All readers of the
dissertation will participate in the oral dissertation defense. The defense,
moreover, will be open to all members of the Department or to any other
interested person, although only members of the candidate’s committee will be
permitted to pose questions or make any statements. The examination will
normally last approximately two hours.
The dissertation may be approved conditionally
at the final defense, subject to required corrections being made by the
candidate. If corrections or changes are suggested at the final defense, and if
the committee approves them, the adviser will check to see that the changes
have been made in the final copies submitted by the candidate.
Listing with College Art Association
On a card supplied by the Art History
Departmental office and left with that office for forwarding by December of
each year, each candidate should notify the College Art Association office (1)
when the topic of his dissertation is approved; (2) if the topic is changed;
and (3) when the dissertation is accepted. This information will be published
annually by the