Graduate Requirements

The Department of Art History and Archaeology defines a full-time course load as 3 courses (9 credit hours) per semester. Students are generally expected to take at least two seminars per semester in their first three semesters. Undergraduate level language courses and courses for reading knowledge are taken as an overload.

In general, students beginning graduate study in Art History & Archaeology are expected to enter the program with proficiency in one foreign language. AM candidates especially interested in western art often have proficiency in French, German, Italian or Spanish; those interested in Asian art or archaeology often have proficiency in an Asian language; and students interested in classical art or archaeology generally enter with reading knowledge of either Ancient Greek or Latin. 

The successful completion of the requirements for the AM degree is contingent on demonstrating proficiency in one foreign language relevant to the scholarly study of Art History & Archaeology. The choice of language in which a student demonstrates proficiency will be determined in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies and relevant faculty. Students may demonstrate proficiency by passing a language assessment (administered in the Fall and Spring each year), or by completing the equivalent of two semesters’ worth of a translation course for graduate students with a B+ or higher. Tuition remission for intensive summer language courses offered at Washington University is available.

1. L01.510, Graduate Seminar: Methods in Art History. 3 credit hours, graded with a letter grade. Frequency is biannual, to be taken by all first-year and second-year graduate students at the time of offering.

2. L01.595, MA Qualifying Papers. 3 credit hours, graded with a letter grade.

Every student fulfilling the requirements of the MA degree in the Department of Art History and Archaeology will prepare two Qualifying Papers (QPs). For this purpose students at the MA level will register in the fourth semester for L01.595, MA Qualifying Papers. Together the QPs will constitute the capstone experience of the MA degree, and a demonstration of potential for more advanced graduate study. For a more complete description, see "MA Qualifying Papers."

 

Every student fulfilling the requirements of the MA degree in the Department of Art History and Archaeology will prepare two Qualifying Papers (QP). Together the QPs will constitute the capstone experience of the MA degree, and the demonstration of potential for more advanced graduate study. A student fulfilling MA requirements will receive credit for one 3-hour course, L01.595, called "MA Qualifying Papers" in the fourth semester of MA study. Copies of both QPs will be placed in a student's departmental file, giving the faculty more material to evaluate their capabilities when conducting the annual review of continuing students each Spring.

The student should begin considering potential QP topics as early as possible, and firmly plan to complete at least one of the QPs by the end of the third semester of MA study. In addition to ensuring timely progress, this schedule will benefit MA students who are applying to PhD programs because they will have a polished writing sample before the application deadline.

A QP will normally arise from a seminar research paper that a student has already written. The student and the instructor of the relevant seminar will decide together if the research topic would be appropriate for a QP; this instructor will be the QP’s advisor. At least one of the QPs should be generated out of a seminar taken in the first year. The second may derive from any seminar taken in the first three semesters. The topic of the first QP should be submitted for approval to the advisor no later than the end of the second semester. We strongly encourage students to devote part of the summer following the first year to working on one or both of the QPs. (Please note that summer funding will not be given for research travel for work on a QP.)

The expectation for each QP is that the student will revisit the work for the seminar paper, deepening the research and/or expanding the scope of the topic, and write a 25-30 page paper with additional full scholarly apparatus (notes, bibliography, list of illustrations, appendices if needed). The intellectual goal of this capstone experience is that the QPs will demonstrate a student's ability to undertake the sustained original research that is required for writing a PhD dissertation. The professional goal is that the student could potentially submit a QP for publication in a scholarly journal. As a matter of professional development, it is to be hoped, though not required, that a student will in fact make such an effort at publication. 

Advisors of the QPs will work with the student to support both of these goals.

The student will prepare the QP under the advisor’s guidance, and will undertake revisions to their satisfaction. Once the QP topic has been approved by the advisor, the student and the advisor will together invite another member of the faculty of the department, or a faculty member in another department with specific expertise pertaining to the topic of the QP, to be the second reader. No faculty member may be the advisor for both of a student's QPs, but an advisor for one may be the second reader for the other.

The role of the second reader will vary depending on the topic and needs of the student for specific guidance. The second reader should be invited to guide and assess appropriate aspects of the project following the first meeting with the advisor. At this time the student should set a meeting with the second reader to go over the topic and develop a plan for filling in gaps in knowledge or theory pertaining to the topic. The student should give the second reader the schedule for revision and submission. Together they should establish the level and involvement of the second reader.

The following schedule will ensure timely completion and approval of both QPs by May 1 of the fourth semester of the MA degree. Other dates are approximate, to be negotiated with the advisor and second reader in each individual case.

For the first QP:

• By the end of April of the first MA year at the latest, student and advisor meet to agree how to expand and refine a seminar paper into a QP, and to set a schedule for completion. If the student plans to use a seminar paper written in the first semester, this meeting should occur sooner.

• As soon as possible after the topic is determined, the student secures a second reader.

• The student revises the seminar paper into a first draft of the QP, and submits this draft to the advisor and the second reader by late September.

• The second reader sends comments and suggestions to the student and the advisor.

• Student and advisor agree on further revision.

• Student submits second draft to the advisor.

• The advisor sends final comments and suggestions to the student.

• By mid December, student submits final QP to advisor and second reader.

• Advisor and second reader determine the grade for this QP.
 

The schedule for the second QP:

• By the first week of December of the second MA year, student and advisor meet to agree how to expand and refine a seminar paper into a QP, and to set a schedule for completion.

• As soon as possible after the topic is determined, the student secures a second reader.

• The student revises the seminar paper into a first draft of the QP, and submits this draft to the advisor and the second reader by late February.

• The second reader sends comments and suggestions to the student and the advisor.

• Student and advisor agree on further revision.

• Student submits second draft to the advisor.

• The advisor sends final comments and suggestions to the student.

• By May 1, student submits final QP to advisor and second reader.

• Advisor and second reader determine the grade for this QP.

The final grade for each QP will be the average of the grades given by the two readers. For proximate grades (A- and B+, for instance), the final grade will default to the lower of the two grades. The same principle applies to the final grade for the QP course: an average of the grades of the two QPs, with a default to the lower of two proximate grades.

MA students who hold a Masters Fellowship will work in the Digital Art History Lab, acquiring useful digital technology skills. In the second year, a student with a Masters Fellowship may have the opportunity for responsibility as a section leader in one subsection of a gateway course; or experience as a grader in a 200-level or 300-level course; or some other experience that contributes to a student's qualifications as a potential instructor at the secondary or college level. MTE assignments will be made by the Director of Graduate Studies and the appropriate course instructors.

Year 1, Fall

3 courses, including 2 seminars. Includes L01.510 if offered that semester

Year 1, Spring

3 courses, including at least 2 seminars

Year 2, Fall

3 courses, usually seminars, including L01.510 if offered that semester. By the end of this semester a student should have completed at least one of the Qualifying Papers.

Year 2, Spring

3 courses, comprising 2 seminars and L01.595. Complete second Qualifying Paper.

The Department of Art History and Archaeology defines a full-time course load as 3 courses (9 credit hours) per semester. Students are generally expected to take at least two seminars per semester in their first three semesters. If necessary, graduate students may enroll in graduate foreign language courses in any given semester, with the consent of their advisor. Language courses are taken as an overload, and they will not count toward graduate program requirements.

All PhD candidates in western art are required to demonstrate proficiency in two foreign languages. For students pursuing both the MA and PhD at Washington University, this must be accomplished by the end of the first year in the PhD program (which is by the end of the second semester post-MA, that is to say, the  sixth semester at Washington University). Tuition remission for intensive summer language courses offered at Washington University is available in the first four years of graduate study. These languages will be determined in consultation with the student’s Major Advisor.

Students who arrive at Washington University with an MA in art history or a related field in hand and begin immediately at the PhD level are expected to demonstrate proficiency in one foreign language by passing a language exam in their first semester of study. They must demonstrate proficiency in the second language no later than by the end of their second year in the PhD program (or, by the end of the fourth semester at Washington University).

Prior to completion of the MA degree, candidates will have fulfilled the MA foreign language proficiency requirement for their field and will have completed both MA Qualifying Papers.
 
The following steps constitute our 2nd-year review procedure for all students who are completing the MA degree in the Department and are applying to continue in our PhD program:
 

• By December 15 of the 2nd MA year, candidates will submit a formal letter requesting admission to the PhD program, accompanied by a c.v. The letter will include a statement of the candidate’s proposed areas of study and the faculty member/s who will act as mentors and a potential Dissertation Advisor. It will be to a candidate's advantage if they have completed at least one of the two QPs by the application deadline, so it may be given full consideration. Candidates should request at least 2 letters of recommendation from tenure-stream faculty members in the Department in support of the application. Tenure-stream faculty members from outside the Department may be asked to provide additional letters. These letters must also be received by December 15.
•  Early in the following semester, tenure-stream faculty in the Department will vote on the candidate’s application for admission to the PhD program.
•  Admission to PhD candidacy is contingent upon the successful completion of the MA degree, including the MA Qualifying Papers. 

1. L01.650, PhD Comprehensive Exam Preparation. 6 credit hours, normally taken in the same semester; graded Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory.

2. L01.670, Dissertation Prospectus. 3 credit hours, normally taken at the same time as L01.650; graded Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory.

In the case of an Unsatisfactory grade in PhD Comprehensive Exam Preparation or Dissertation Prospectus, the student may, with the consent of the Major Advisor, repeat the course or courses the following semester, but with no guarantee of funding in that semester, since this will be deemed to be unsatisfactory progress and performance.

In conjunction with these courses the student will then:

•      present and successfully defend the Dissertation Prospectus before the faculty of the department

•      be examined in one major area

•      be examined in one minor area (or take exemption option specified below)

These three elements constitute the Department’s PhD Comprehensive Requirements. They will usually be fulfilled no later than the end of the 6th semester of graduate study at Washington University (or no later than the 4th semester of graduate study at Washington University for our PhD students who received the MA degree elsewhere; see example schedules below). 

In addition, every student is required by the Graduate School to complete the PhD Title, Scope and Procedure Form, with the signatures of the three members of the student’s Research Advisory Committee (the form is available at the Graduate School website). The TSP form should be submitted to the Graduate School as soon as possible once the student determines a dissertation topic and a Research Advisory Committee, consisting of the three Washington University tenure-stream faculty members who will have primary responsibility for advising the student on the dissertation.

Only upon completion of these Department and Graduate School requirements will a student be considered as ABD. Financial support from the Graduate School will not be guaranteed if a student is not ABD by the beginning of the 7th semester at Washington University (or by the beginning of the 5th semester at Washington University for our PhD students who received the MA degree elsewhere). Students are advised that faculty members are not obligated to provide graduate-level advising over the summer months.

Every PhD program at Washington University requires its students to participate in a Mentored Teaching Experience (MTE). The MTE offers a flexible framework within which to ensure that PhD students secure meaningful experience that will advance their professional development.

The Department of Art History and Archaeology requires three years (six semesters) of Mentored Teaching Experience as part of its PhD program requirements. This experience is typically acquired as a section leader in the gateway courses Introduction to Western Art, Architecture and Design, Introduction to Asian Art, or Introduction to Modern Art, Architecture and Design, ideally in all three. MTE assignments as course assistants in other courses are also possible. The Director of Graduate Studies, in consultation with the instructors in these courses, makes the assignments each semester. The MTE generally requires 10-12 hours per week, although there is some variance depending on departmental needs. Other possibilities for satisfying this program requirement may be requested by petition of a student and with the approval of their advisor. The time commitment to such an alternative should be commensurate with the responsibilities of assignments as section leaders or course assistants.

PhD students who are receiving the Mentored Teaching Experience are highly valued members of the Department's instructional team. Graduate students selected as section leaders customarily receive pedagogical training including seminars in class preparation, critiques of teaching methodology, and disciplinary mentoring. In addition, the Washington University Teaching Center, established "to enhance teaching effectiveness," conducts an annual university-wide orientation meeting for all new assistants in instruction, consults with departments on training programs, and provides materials, outside lectures and audiovisual aids for course use.

To recognize outstanding graduate student section leaders and other course assistants, the Dean’s Awards for Teaching Excellence are given by the Graduate School each Spring. Awards include a certificate of recognition and a substantial cash prize. The Department of Art History and Archaeology also makes the annual Pollard-Stein Award for contributions to the teaching mission of the department; this also carries a substantial cash award.

International students who, for the first time, will be assigned duties involving the use of English to instruct students in the College of Arts and Sciences or in University College, are required to pass a special pedagogy/oral proficiency examination as a prerequisite to appointment. More details are available through the ESL program at Stix International House.

The Mentored Professional Experience (MPE) is intended as an opportunity for PhD students to complete their departmental Mentored Teaching Experience requirement by setting up a professional mentorship arrangement with an external institution, or within Washington University but in another department or administrative office. If a petition for this opportunity is approved, the Department will grant a waiver of one semester of MTE in order for the student to benefit from an MPE in that semester. The Department may not be able to accommodate all requests for the MPE; these will be granted on a competitive basis, and taking a variety of other factors into account. The Department probably cannot grant more than one MPE per semester, nor can we guarantee that any request for an MPE can be met in any given semester. Students may have only one semester maximum of this MPE out of the six MTE semesters required of all doctoral students, and the MPE must be taken in one of the two final semesters of the three-year MTE (i.e., either the 5th or the 6th semester). In this semester, the mentee will register for the course LGS.603, "Mentored Professional Experience in Art History and Archaeology."

Please note: Only students who reasonably anticipate achieving ABD status at the start of the proposed MPE are eligible to apply.

In order to be eligible for the MPE the student must be in residence for 5 of the 6 semesters of designated MTE responsibilities.

The Ph.D. student who forms one half of this relationship (hereafter, the mentee) should plan to commit to 15 hours of activity a week on the MPE, over 16 weeks, or the equivalent amount of time spent on a conventional MTE. This time requirement may also be met with a six-week period of five full-time days of activity per week. This commitment should be completed within the framework of the semester schedule.

Departmental decisions about a petition for an MPE will be made by a committee of three, consisting of the Chair of the department, the Director of Graduate Studies, and one other regular faculty member who is not the program advisor of the petitioning student.

If the MPE is planned for the Fall semester, a petitioning student should begin consultations with a potential mentor at the beginning of the previous Spring semester. The plan, with a schedule and projected outcomes, would be drawn up in the first half of the semester and the petition submitted to the faculty committee for consideration by the end of Spring Break, which would leave time for the committee to decide if a student could be granted the MPE (or which among several petitions would be approved).

Similarly, if the MPE would be in the Spring semester, consultations resulting in a plan would begin in the early part of the previous Fall so that the petition to the faculty committee is completed by the end of Fall Break.

The application consists of three parts, which should be submitted to the department Chair by the deadlines above.

1. The mentee should secure a brief letter/email from the applicant's dissertation advisor, confirming that this project is in the student's interest, and that it comes at an appropriate time in their overall program of study.
    
2. The mentee should develop a specific description and plan for the activity proposed, in consultation with the on-site mentor (or, possibly, more than one mentor). Such mentors should have executive authority at the institution in question: so, for example, a curator or department head (or possibly an associate curator); or a full-time tenured faculty member at a major university or college; or a full-time senior administrator in a university office whose work is in some way related to the professional goals of the mentee. The proposal should involve a detailed outline of activities involved, a timetable for completion, and a description of the outcome (for example, in the context of an art museum: wall labels to be used by the museum; website entries; catalogue entries; acknowledged research on behalf of a planned exhibition). The proposal will be accompanied by a Memorandum of Agreement.
    
3. The on-site mentor should then write a short statement outlining their commitment as mentor and include a brief description of the proposed mentored activity. If further steps are required internally within the institution, the mentor should notify our Department of the procedures involved. These steps are intended to establish a baseline for the mentor’s responsibilities in overseeing the MPE. For situations of administrative or other forms of professional mentoring, the mentor and mentee should agree to specific outcomes (for instance, a weekly journal), and a write-up of learning outcomes and their potential professional application. 

The activity agreed to should be substantive in nature. Tasks normally done by someone without graduate training should not be included except in exceptional circumstances: photocopying; low-level data collection; taking notes at meetings; email correspondence not related to the tasks at hand. Such routine office work should in any case be very limited. The mentor and mentee together will discuss and decide on the appropriateness of proposed tasks.

The mentor should plan to meet with the mentee weekly (or more often as needed) to discuss the tasks being completed, and any problems that arise. If the mentee is on a full-time 40-hour/week schedule for six weeks, these meetings should occur weekly; if on a more extended schedule, mentor and mentee should plan to meet every other week. For these meetings, the mentee should be proactive in bringing in questions and observations about the broader institutional life in which they are participating for this professional experience, and—as warranted—have an opportunity to discuss how things get done, how authority is distributed, what things might be changed or improved. While not directly connected to the assigned tasks, this level of mentoring is a significant part of the MPE as a preparation for professional responsibilities and should be taken seriously by both parties.

The mentor should provide regular assessment—either verbal or written—of the tasks completed. At the end of the MPE period, the mentor should write a brief account of several paragraphs assessing the tangible products of the experience, and how these products fit within overall outcomes, as well as a description of the learning experience for the student. This letter/email should be sent to the mentee, copied to the department Chair and Administrative Assistant (the mentee will provide the mentor with these addresses). A copy of this assessment will be placed in the mentee's permanent student file in the Department. 

Comprehensive Exam Introduction

The PhD Comprehensive Exam is intended to test a student’s general knowledge as well as mastery of their area or areas of specialization. It is designed as both preparation for and preface to conducting the rigorous, in-depth research necessary for successfully completing a dissertation, and as a means by which students can enter the discourses of professional art history they will encounter in teaching, research, curatorial, and related practices. The comprehensive exam is not intended to be a singular, definitive event in and of itself, but rather a part of a larger process of scholarly and professional development that occurs as students move from coursework to dissertation writing, and it should be structured as an open and collaborative dialogue between students and members of the exam committee.

 

Students will prepare for and sit the comprehensive exam in the semester after the completion of coursework requirements. This will be the 6th semester in the program for students completing both AM and PhD degrees at Washington University, and the 4th semester for PhD students who have arrived with an MA in art history.

 

In following any of the models outlined below, a student will be examined by a PhD Comprehensive Exam Committee, normally consisting of three faculty members. The Major Advisor must be a tenure-stream faculty member from within the Department. Either (but not both) the Second Advisor in the major (see Major Area and exam below) or the Minor Advisor may be a tenure-stream Arts and Sciences faculty member from outside the Department. If the Second Advisor in the major and the Minor Advisor are the same person, she or he must be in the Department. This committee will be determined no later than the end of the semester prior to preparing and sitting the Comprehensive Exams. No later than two weeks into the semester in which the comprehensive exam will be held, students should also file a preliminary bibliography. This may be substantially shorter than the final bibliography but should provisionally outline the scope of the examination fields.

 

Comprehensive Exam Formats

In agreement with the Major Advisor (who will normally be the Dissertation Advisor) and the Director of Graduate Studies, each student will normally follow one of two formats for the PhD Comprehensive Exam:

1. A written exam to be followed within 2 weeks by an oral defense; or

2. An oral exam to be followed by a 2-week written paper in the major area

 

If the written format is chosen, the major (6 hours) and minor (3 hours) exams will be held in the Department within a one-week period. The oral defense of the exams will also be held in the Department. The Major Advisor, the Second Advisor and the Minor Advisor will participate in the defense, with the Director of Graduate studies present in an advisory capacity.

 

If the major and minor exams are oral, they will take place in the Department and they will usually be held at the same time. The Major Advisor, the Second Advisor and the Minor Advisor will participate, with the Director of Graduate studies present in an advisory capacity. The 2-week paper may be written anywhere. The 2-week paper will be assessed by all members of the Comprehensive Exam Committee.
 

Major Area and Exam

The major area will be intellectually ambitious and broad in scope, and will be defined in such a way as to ensure solid preparation for a wide array of teaching, research, curatorial, and other professional demands. Approved areas will be defined in consultation with both the Director of Graduate Studies and the Major Advisor.

 

In consultation with the Major Advisor, the student will invite one additional faculty member to serve as a Second Advisor to the major area exam. This Second Advisor may (but is not required to) participate in establishing the parameters and expectations for study of the major area. The Second Advisor must read the student’s written responses and participate in the oral defense; or in the case of an oral comprehensive exam, the Second Advisor must participate. It is up to the Major Advisor and the Second Advisor to clearly define their roles and responsibilities for advising the student, and to communicate to the student all expectations during the period of preparation for the exam. 

 

An important part of the preparation for the exam will lie in the definition of the field of examination as represented by a bibliography, to be mutually agreed upon by the student, the Major Advisor, and the Second Advisor. This bibliography will cover the areas of examination in which a student is to demonstrate competency and should cover appropriate scholarly languages other than English; it will be filed with the department no later than two weeks prior to the examination. It is recommended that bibliographies for the major field should comprise no more than 150 items.   

 

The major area will be tested either by a written exam over a six-hour period followed by an oral defense of the exam, or orally in an exam that may last up to two hours.

 

If the student chooses the written exam in the major field, the exam will last six hours, with an additional 75 minutes allotted for lunch and breaks (7 hours 15 min total from the beginning of the exam). The exam will be taken on a department-issued computer without access to the internet, and students will not have access to phones or other digital devices during the exam period. During the exam itself, students may consult, in hard or digital copy (to be loaded ahead of time to the department computer) their final bibliography and a limited number of images without identifying information, to be agreed upon in advance with the major examiners. They may not consult notes or other outside resources.

 

If the student chooses the oral exam in the major, this will be followed by a 2-week research paper on a topic assigned by the Major Advisor. During the two weeks, the student has full access to all notes and research materials and to any library and online resources. The purpose of the 2-week paper is to demonstrate a high level of both writing and research skills on a focused topic in the major area.

 

Minor Area and Exam

The purpose of the minor area exam is to help the student define a secondary field of teaching, research, or curatorial competency; it should be clearly distinct from the major area. Students are encouraged to determine a minor area at a significant chronological, geographic and/or theoretical remove from the broader area defined as the major area. The minor area will be determined in consultation with the Minor Advisor and must also be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies.

 

The minor area exam may be completed by one of the two exam models as above in the major—written exam (three hours) followed by oral defense; or oral exam (one hour), though there will be no written paper following an oral exam in the minor. If the student chooses the written exam in the minor field, the exam will last three hours, with an additional 30 minutes allotted for breaks (3 hours 30 min total from the beginning of the exam). The exam will be taken on a department-issued computer without access to the internet, and students will not have access to phones or other digital devices during the exam period. During the exam itself, students may consult, in hard or digital copy (to be loaded ahead of time to the department computer) their final bibliography and a limited number of images without identifying information, to be agreed upon in advance with the minor examiner. They may not consult notes or other outside resources.

 

An important part of the preparation for the exam will lie in the definition of the field of examination as represented by a bibliography, to be mutually agreed upon by the student and the Minor Advisor. This bibliography will cover the area of examination in which a student is to demonstrate competency and should cover appropriate scholarly languages other than English; it will be filed with the department no later than two weeks prior to the examination. It is recommended that bibliographies for the minor field should comprise no more than 50 items.

Alternatively, a student may request to exempt a minor area exam by completing three courses with a grade of A in each (at most one may be A-). When exempting a minor area exam in this way, the courses may be taken with more than one faculty member, but a single Minor Advisor should agree to review the request for exemption, and to assess whether the group of three courses constitutes a coherent and significant area of intellectual inquiry. A student whose request for exemption is accepted must also write a one-week essay or comparable intellectual exercise on a topic in the minor area, in response to a question set by the Minor Advisor. During that week, the student has full access to his or her notes and to any library and online resources. Students are encouraged to complete both the request to exempt the minor area and the minor area qualifying essay by the end of the semester following the third course taken to fulfill this exemption option.

 

Re-Sitting an Exam

In the event that a student does not pass the major or minor field of the comprehensive exams, there will be one opportunity to re-sit each portion of the exam. The field of examination will stay the same, but the expectation is that students will be presented with a new set of questions. Students will work together with their advisors to determine whether and how the examination bibliography should be revised. If revision to the bibliography is carried out, it is recommended that the final, submitted bibliography remain no longer than 150 items for the major field, and 50 items for the minor field. As with the first examination, students will have the option of taking a written exam followed by an oral defense, or an oral examination, which in the case of the major field will be followed by a 2-week paper. Students must complete the re-sit no later than the end of the semester following the semester in which they first took the relevant exam, and they may elect to do so sooner. If a student does not pass the re-sit examination in either the major or minor field, the faculty of the department will not recommend them for continued progress in the program. 

In the semester following comprehensive exams, students will prepare and defend a Dissertation Prospectus - a document outlining both the intellectual and practical scope of the culminating research project of PhD education. This will occur by the end of the 7th semester in the program for students completing both AM and PhD degrees at Washington University, and the 5th semester for PhD students who have arrived with an MA in art history.

The Dissertation Prospectus should be about 8-12 pages of text (2500-3500 words), plus notes and a short scholarly bibliography. The prospectus should typically include a state-of-the-field section; a statement of and justification of the proposed dissertation topic; a provisional chapter outline of the proposed dissertation; and a preliminary research plan. In conjunction with the preparation of the prospectus the student should form a three-member Research Advisory Committee consisting of the Dissertation Advisor, who must be a tenure-stream faculty member of the Department, and two other tenure-stream faculty members. The three members of the Research Advisory Committee will normally be the signatories on the PhD Title, Scope and Procedure form, which should be completed and filed. If appropriate to the student’s research area, one of the Research Advisory Committee members may be a tenure-stream faculty member from another department or program in Arts and Sciences.

During the semester of enrollment in the Dissertation Prospectus course, each student will establish a schedule to turn in a draft prospectus, including state-of-the-field essay, statement of topic and bibliography, to the Dissertation Advisor. During that semester, the student will also defend the complete draft of the Dissertation Prospectus in a closed session to which only tenure-stream faculty members of the Department and any outside member of the Research Advisory Committee (if any) will be invited (at least four tenure-stream Department faculty members must be present at this defense). The three members of the Research Advisory Committee will normally be present at the defense, and all faculty members present will vote on the acceptability of the prospectus. A “pass” on the prospectus by majority vote means that it is accepted provisionally, subject to revisions that may be required by the Committee following the defense; the Dissertation Advisor will ensure that such revisions are carried out.

In case of a failure on the defense, either by majority or tie vote, the entire Research Advisory Committee will be charged with evaluating a revised prospectus. A copy of the accepted Dissertation Prospectus will be placed in the student’s departmental file. Once the Dissertation Prospectus has been accepted the student should complete and file the Dissertation Title, Scope and Procedure form with the Graduate School. A copy of this will be placed in the student’s Department file.

All parts of this comprehensive examination process—the major exam, the minor exam (or its exemption by appropriate courses) and the defense of a dissertation prospectus--should, as stated above, be completed by the end of the 6th semester for a student in the PhD program (or the end of the 4th semester for a student who enters the PhD program with the MA degree from another university).

 

Requirements for students who enter the PhD program with the MA degree in art history from another university are similar to those for students who have fulfilled MA requirements at Washington University, with two exceptions: all entering students take L01.500, Methods in Art History; and a foreign language examination may be required.
 
The normal schedules are slightly different for students who pursue both the MA and PhD degrees here and students who enter our graduate program with an MA degree from another university.

Year 1, Fall

3 courses, including 2 seminars. Includes L01.510 if offered that semester.

Year 1, Spring

3 courses, including at least 2 seminars.

Year 2, Fall

3 courses, usually seminars, including L01.510 if offered that semester. By the end of this semester a student should have completed at least one of the Qualifying Papers. Register for LGS.600, Mentored Teaching Experience.

Year 2, Spring

3 courses, comprising 2 seminars and L01.595. Register for LGS.600, MTE.

Year 3, Fall

3 courses, usually seminars. However, one of these courses might be an Independent Study, in the major or minor area. Register for LGS.600, MTE.

Year 3, Spring

Comprehensive Exam Preparation. Register for L01.650 for 9 hours, and LGS.600, MTE.

Year 4, Fall

Dissertation Prospectus preparation. Register for LGS.9000 and L01.670 for 3 hours. Register for LGS.600, MTE.

Year 4, Spring

Full-time dissertation work, with MTE. Register for either LGS.9000 or LGS.9001. Register for LGS.600, MTE. 

Year 5, Fall
Full-time dissertation work. Register for either LGS.9000 or LGS.9001.
 
Year 5, Spring
Full-time dissertation work. Register for either LGS.9000 or LGS.9001.
 
Year 6, Fall
Full-time dissertation work. Register for either LGS.9000 or LGS.9001.
 
Year 6, Spring
Full-time dissertation work. Register for either LGS.9000 or LGS.9001.

Year 1, Fall

3 courses, including at least 2 seminars. Includes L01.510 if offered that semester (unless exempted).

Year 1, Spring

3 courses, including at least 2 seminars.

Year 2, Fall

3 courses, usually seminars, including L01.510 if offered that semester (unless exempted). Register for LGS.600, Mentored Teaching Experience.

Year 2, Spring

Comprehensive Exam Preparation, with MTE. Register for L01.650 for 9 hours, and LGS.600, MTE.

Year 3, Fall

Dissertation Prospectus preparation, with MTE. Register for LGS.9000 and L01.670 for 3 hours. Register for LGS.600, MTE.

Year 3, Spring

Full-time dissertation work, with MTE. Register for either LGS.9000 or LGS.9001. Register for LGS.600, MTE.

Year 4, Fall
Full-time dissertation work, with MTE. Register for either LGS.9000 or LGS.9001. Register for LGS.600, MTE.

Year 4, Spring
Full-time dissertation work, with MTE. Register for either LGS.9000 or LGS.9001. Register for LGS.600, MTE.

Year 5, Fall
Full-time dissertation work. Register for either LGS.9000 or LGS.9001.

Year 5, Spring
Full-time dissertation work. Register for either LGS.9000 or LGS.9001.

Year 6, Fall
Full-time dissertation work. Register for either LGS.9000 or LGS.9001.

Year 6, Spring
Full-time dissertation work. Register for either LGS.9000 or LGS.9001.