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. MA 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 MA 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 each year), or by completing the equivalent of two semesters’ worth of a translation course for graduate students with a B+ or higher. 

1. ARTARCH 5002 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. ARTARCH 6150, 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 ARTARCH 6150, 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, ARTARCH 6150, 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.

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.

 

The schedule 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 2000-level or 3000-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 ARTARCH 5002 if offered that semester

 

Year 1, Spring

3 courses, including at least 2 seminars

 

Year 2, Fall

3 courses, usually seminars, including ARTARCH 5002 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 ARTARCH 6150. 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.

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 (the sixth semester at Washington University). 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 by the time of admission to candidacy for the PhD.

Admission to PhD candidacy is contingent upon the successful completion of the MA degree. Prior to completion of the MA degree, candidates will have completed the necessary coursework of 36 total graduate-level credits, fulfilled the MA foreign language proficiency requirement for their field, and will have completed both MA Qualifying Papers.

1. ARTARCH 5002 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. ARTARCH 6150, MA Qualifying Papers. For students on the MA/PhD Track, to be taken in the fourth semester of graduate study. 3 credit hours, graded with a letter grade.

 

3. ARTARCH 9000, PhD Comprehensive Exam Preparation. 9 credit hours, normally all taken in the same semester, graded with a letter grade.

 

4. ARTARCH 9005, Dissertation Prospectus. 3 credit hours, normally taken in the semester after completion of the Comprehensive Exam; graded with a letter grade.

 

 

5. ASGS 8005, 8010, or 8015. Mentored Teaching Experience - Assistant in Instruction. 70 total MTE units, typically taken over five semesters in the second, third, and fourth year in the program. See MTE below.

 

6. ASGS 9000 Full Time Graduate Research/Study or ASGS 9001, Full Time Graduate Research/Study in Absentia. Six semesters minimum. Not a credit-bearing course, but one which conveys full-time student status.

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.

Teaching, whether in the classroom, the gallery, the field, or beyond, is at the core of the disciplines of art history and archaeology. Engaging in teaching is a crucial experience for PhD students no matter their professional goals. Through the Department of Art History and Archaeology's Mentored Teaching Experience, our PhD students not only solidify their base of field-specific knowledge, they also learn how to guide undergraduate students to develop skills that extend far beyond disciplinary boundaries, and in turn sharpen those skills themselves. These include the close attention to detail and precise observation of visual analysis, effective techniques for communicating ideas and arguments in speech and writing, as well as a sense of historical context and the development of cultural traditions, to name just a few. Students in Art History and Archaeology are carefully mentored in their teaching endeavors and their efforts have been frequently acknowledged by school-wide awards for teaching excellence.

 

Preparatory Engagement (PE)

Preparatory Engagement activities are those that represent an introduction to the foundational skills associated with teaching or communication. Pedagogical preparation engagement activities are normally completed before students are permitted to engage in assisting or teaching in a classroom.

 

PhD students in Art History and Archaeology are required to complete at least 2 activities in teaching preparation before the end of their first semester in the MTE. The precise combination of these activities will be determined in conjunction with a student's academic advisor and the departmental DGS.

 

They might include the following:

• Center for Teaching and Learning Teaching Orientation Workshop
• Successful completion of L01 513 - The Digital Art Historian
• Attendance at three (3) 90-minute Center for Teaching and Learning Pedagogy workshops
• Targeted English-Language coursework for second-language teaching, such as: U15 470 - Language, Culture, and Interaction Strategies for Instruction.

 

Mentored Teaching Experiences (MTE) s

Assistant in Instruction (AI)

An Assistant in Instruction (AI) is a PhD student who is directly engaged in the organization, instruction, and/or support of a semester-long course primarily taught by a faculty member.  An Assistant in Instruction receives mentorship from the faculty member in best practices in classroom engagement, instruction in the field, interpersonal engagement, and other relevant skills.  Students and mentors complete a mentorship plan prior to the start of each Assistant in Instruction experience. To complete each AI assignment and ensure that it applies toward their degree requirements, students must register for the appropriate course number for each semester of engagement.

 

All PhD students are required to complete 70 MTE Units to successfully complete the program. Before each semester of the MTE, students and faculty will complete a mentorship plan, which will outline the roles and responsibilities of each party, as well as how feedback will be shared. For most students, the MTE requirements will take the form of five semesters of Assistant in Instruction (AI) in one of the department's 100, 200, or 300- level classes. Assignments will be made according to departmental priorities, in some combination of the following, with the typical distribution four semesters of 15 MTE units and one semester of 10 MTE units.

 

L01 111 - Introduction to Asian Art

          AI leading 2 sections = 15 MTE Units

          AI leading 1 section = 10 MTE Units

 

L01 113 - History of Western Art, Architecture, and Design

          AI leading 2 sections = 15 MTE Units

          AI leading 1 section = 10 MTE Units

 

L01 215 - Introduction to Modern Art, Architecture, and Design

          AI leading 2 sections = 15 MTE Units

          AI leading 1 section = 10 MTE Units

 

All other L01 200 - 300 Level Courses

          AI without section leading responsibilities = 10 MTE Units

The Professional Intensive Pathway is optional for students whose career interests may lie outside of academia or who would benefit from taking a Mentored Professional Experience (MPE). The MPE is an unpaid professional experience for PhD students that allows them to develop skills and experiences relevant to their intended career outcomes. Students and mentors complete a mentorship plan prior to the start of each Mentored Professional Experience.  To complete each MPE assignment and ensure that it applies toward their degree requirements, students must submit the Mentorship Registration Request form for approval and register for the appropriate course number (7020) for each semester of engagement.

 

PhD Students in Art History and Archaeology may engage in up to two (2) optional semesters of the Mentored Professional Experience (MPE). Students who are also on the teaching intensive pathway may only engage in a maximum of one (1) optional semester of the Professional Intensive Pathway.

 

The Mentored Professional Experience in Art History and Archaeology can be fulfilled by a wide range of activities that advance the professional interests of our PhD. students. These could include, for example, activities within a museum context, whether in a curatorial department or in other branches of museum administration. But they could also include experiences with non-profit arts organizations, with libraries or archives, or with another unit within Washington University. Whatever their precise nature, the tasks undertaken in the Mentored Professional Experience should be intellectually substantive, and should offer a way for the student to develop new skills and knowledge bases. Ultimately the scope of the Mentored Professional Experience will be determined in conversation among student, external mentor, dissertation supervisor, and Director of Graduate Studies.

 

Prior to the start of the semester in which the MPE occurs, the student and external mentor will submit a plan to the department detailing the scope of the activities to be undertaken, which should include a schedule and list of projected outcomes, and the mentor will provide an explicit commitment to the mentorship. During the course of the semester, the mentor and mentee should meet frequently (weekly or biweekly) to track the progress of the student’s work. At the end of the MPE, the mentor should provide a written assessment (ca. 500 words) of the overall learning experience for the student and quality of the student’s performance.

The Teaching Intensive Pathway is an optional pathway for those students whose career interests lie in academia or another field that would benefit from extended teaching experiences. This immersive experience allows students to further explore the breadth and depth of teaching best practices and pedagogy related to their respective field. Students who are interested in participating in this elective experience must formally request to participate, which is subject to departmental approval. Due to this experience being an elective, unpaid experience, students who participate in the Teaching Intensive Pathway will not receive compensation.

 

The department recognizes that some students have a particularly strong interest in developing their teaching abilities, and so offers an optional teaching-intensive pathway for the MTE. Students have until the end of their third year in the program to decide whether they wish to pursue the teaching-intensive pathway, admission to which will be contingent upon faculty evaluations of prior teaching and commitment to further mentoring. Students in the teaching-intensive pathway will complete 90 MTE units over their program length, and they are strongly encouraged to also complete the graduate Teaching Certificate with the Center for Teaching and Learning. The Teaching-Intensive pathway offers the opportunity to engage in Mentored Independent Teaching (MIT). One semester of the MIT is the equivalent of 20 MTE Units.

 

The MIT can be completed in a variety of ways, including: serving as instructor of record for an L01 100 - or 200 - level course under the guidance of a full-time faculty member; serving as co-instructor for an L01 100-, 200-, or 300- level course alongside a full-time faculty member; or as supplementary instructor for an L01 100 course with substantial intellectual responsibilities, potentially including aspects of course design, delivering lectures, and supervising AIs.

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 enroll in  9 credit hours of ARTARCH 9000, PhD Comprehensive Exam Preparation, in the semester after the completion of coursework requirements. This will be the 6th semester in the program for students completing both MA 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 their 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 enroll in 3 credit hours of ARTARCH 9005, Dissertation Prospectus, and 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 MA 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 full-time 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 full-time 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 Office of Graduate Studies. 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 be completed by the end of the 7th semester for a student in the PhD program (or the end of the 5th semester for a student who enters the PhD program with the MA degree from another university).

 

Students in the full-time dissertation writing stage should meet with the three members of their Research Advisory Committee once per year, beginning in the academic year after the on in which they successfully defended their prospectus. These meetings should last approximately 60-90 minutes; they are intended to provide the opportunity for students to update their RAC members on the progress they have made in researching and writing the dissertation over the previous year. Students should plan to begin the meetings with a short presentation, followed by discussion with the committee. Students are not required to circulate written portions of the dissertation ahead of these meetings, but they may find it useful to do so.

As evidence of the mastery of a specific field of knowledge and of the capacity for original scholarly work, each PhD candidate in Art History and Archaeology must complete a dissertation.  A doctoral Dissertation Guide and a Dissertation Template that provides instructions regarding the format of the dissertation are available through the website of the Office of the Provost; both of these should be read carefully at every stage of dissertation preparation.

 

The student will present the dissertation to committee of at least five members during a dissertation defense. This committee must be approved by the Office of Graduate Studies before the dissertation defense can be scheduled. Normally, the members of the RAC also serve on the Doctoral Dissertation Committee. The dissertation committee is then additionally augmented to ensure that the following criteria are met:

 

1. Three of the five members (or a similar proportion of a larger committee) should be full-time faculty members in the department of Art History and Archaeology. One of these three members must be the PhD student's primary thesis advisor, and one may be a member of the emeritus faculty.
2. All other committee members must be active in research/scholarship and have appropriate expertise in the proposed field of study whether at Washington University in St. Louis, at another university, in government, or in industry.
3. At least one of the five members must bring expertise outside of the student's field of study to the committee, as judged by the Office of Graduate Studies. They may be faculty members at other departments of Washington University in St. Louis or at other institutions, or they may be scholars working in museums or related fields, as long as they meet the criteria above.

 

Each student is required to make the full text of the dissertation available to the committee members for their review at least two weeks before the dissertation defense. The defense itself will last two hours, and will focus on the dissertation itself and its relation to the student's field of expertise. The student will first offer a short presentation of the dissertation, around fifteen minutes in length, focusing on the major findings and scholarly contributions of the dissertation, accompanied by a slide show with key images. Each member of the dissertation committee will then have the opportunity to examine the student concerning the dissertation, followed by deliberation and vote amongst the committee members.

 

Attendance by a minimum of four members of the Doctoral Dissertation Committee, including the committee chair and an outside member, is required for the defense to take place. This provision is designed to permit the student's defense to proceed in case of a situation that unexpectedly prevents one of the five members from attending. Students should not plan in advance to only have four members in attendance; if one of those four cannot attend, the defense must be rescheduled. The absence of all outside members or of the committee chair would necessitate rescheduling the defense.

 

Students, with the support of their Doctoral Dissertation Committee chair, may opt to hold their dissertation defense in-person or by utilizing a virtual or hybrid format.

After the successful defense of their dissertation, the student must submit an electronic copy of the dissertation online to the university by the established deadline for their graduation term. Dissertations must be submitted no later than three months after the oral defense of the dissertation. Petitions for an extension to the three-month limit may be submitted to the Director of Graduate Studies for consideration and approval. The submission website requires students to choose from among publishing and copyrighting services offered by ProQuest ETD Administrator, but the university permits students to make whichever choices they prefer. Students are asked to submit the Survey of Earned Doctorates separately. The Department of Art History and Archaeology will be responsible for delivering the final approval form, signed by the committee members at the defense and then by the department/program chair or director, to the Arts & Sciences graduate registrar. Students who complete all degree requirements and defend their dissertations successfully have not completed their PhD requirements; they finish earning their degree only when their dissertation submission has been accepted by the School of Art & Sciences.

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 ARTARCH 5002, 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 ARTARCH 5002 if offered that semester.

 

Year 1, Spring

3 courses, including at least 2 seminars.

 

Year 2, Fall

3 courses, usually seminars, including ARTARCH 5002 if offered that semester. By the end of this semester a student should have completed at least one of the Qualifying Papers. Register for ASGS 8005, 8010, or 8015 Mentored Teaching Experience - Assistant in Instruction

 

Year 2, Spring

3 courses, comprising 2 seminars and ARTARCH 6150 Qualifying Papers for the Masters Degree. Register for ASGS 8005, 8010, or 8015 Mentored Teaching Experience - Assistant in Instruction

 

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 ASGS 8005, 8010, or 8015 Mentored Teaching Experience - Assistant in Instruction

 

Year 3, Spring

Comprehensive Exam Preparation. Register for ARTARCH 9000 Comprehensive Exam Preparation for 9 hours, and ASGS 8005, 8010, or 8015 Mentored Teaching Experience - Assistant in Instruction

 

Year 4, Fall

Dissertation Prospectus preparation. Register for ARTARCH 9005 Dissertation Prospectus for 3 hours, ASGS 9000 Full Time Graduate Research/Study. ASGS 8005, 8010, or 8015 Mentored Teaching Experience - Assistant in Instruction

 

Year 4, Spring

Full-time dissertation work. Register for ASGS 9000 Full Time Graduate Research/Study or ASGS 9001, Full Time Graduate Research/Study in Absentia.

Year 5, Fall
Full-time dissertation work. Register for ASGS 9000 Full Time Graduate Research/Study or ASGS 9001, Full Time Graduate Research/Study in Absentia.
 
Year 5, Spring
Full-time dissertation work. Register for ASGS 9000 Full Time Graduate Research/Study or ASGS 9001, Full Time Graduate Research/Study in Absentia.
 
Year 6, Fall
Full-time dissertation work. Register for ASGS 9000 Full Time Graduate Research/Study or ASGS 9001, Full Time Graduate Research/Study in Absentia.
 
Year 6, Spring
Full-time dissertation work. Register for ASGS 9000 Full Time Graduate Research/Study or ASGS 9001, Full Time Graduate Research/Study in Absentia.

Year 1, Fall

3 courses, including 2 seminars. Includes ARTARCH 5002 if offered that semester.

 

Year 1, Spring

3 courses, including at least 2 seminars.

 

Year 2, Fall

3 courses, usually seminars, including ARTARCH 5002 if offered that semester. Register for ASGS 8005, 8010, or 8015 Mentored Teaching Experience - Assistant in Instruction

 

Year 2, Spring

Comprehensive Exam Preparation. Register for ARTARCH 9000 Comprehensive Exam Preparation for 9 hours, and ASGS 8005, 8010, or 8015 Mentored Teaching Experience - Assistant in Instruction

 

Year 3, Fall

Dissertation Prospectus preparation. Register for ARTARCH 9005 Dissertation Prospectus for 3 hours, ASGS 9000 Full Time Graduate Research/Study, and ASGS 8005, 8010, or 8015 Mentored Teaching Experience - Assistant in Instruction

 

Year 3, Spring

Full-time dissertation work, with MTE. Register for ASGS 9000 Full Time Graduate Research/Study and ASGS 8005, 8010, or 8015 Mentored Teaching Experience - Assistant in Instruction.

 

Year 4, Fall
Full-time dissertation work, with MTE. Register for ASGS 9000 Full Time Graduate Research/Study and ASGS 8005, 8010, or 8015 Mentored Teaching Experience - Assistant in Instruction.

 

Year 4, Spring
Full-time dissertation work. Register for ASGS 9000 Full Time Graduate Research/Study or ASGS 9001, Full Time Graduate Research/Study in Absentia.

 

Year 5, Fall
Full-time dissertation work. Register for ASGS 9000 Full Time Graduate Research/Study or ASGS 9001, Full Time Graduate Research/Study in Absentia.

 

Year 5, Spring
Full-time dissertation work. Register for ASGS 9000 Full Time Graduate Research/Study or ASGS 9001, Full Time Graduate Research/Study in Absentia.

 

Year 6, Fall
Full-time dissertation work. Register for ASGS 9000 Full Time Graduate Research/Study or ASGS 9001, Full Time Graduate Research/Study in Absentia.

 

Year 6, Spring
Full-time dissertation work. Register for ASGS 9000 Full Time Graduate Research/Study or ASGS 9001, Full Time Graduate Research/Study in Absentia.