Valorship98

Everyone that got into BU should do some research on the program before committing. Speak to current graduate students!

It's this simple, one of the greatest academics in history was a public intellectual, Susan Sontag.

Have you ever listened to the podcast "Art History Babes"? They all went to Davis and one ended up as an adjunct with her MA. You could reach out to them via their socials, they're super responsive, especially Gutierrez. I think if you went to Davis you would be fine in applying to PhDs. Tufts is of course super well known and rightly so, the program is really rigorous. However, at Davis you are getting super great funding and a completely valid MA. You should be fine.
I guess I'm favoring name recognition because I decided to decline funding for an unfunded spot at Penn. I did this mainly for geographic location but also for my advisor. It's really up to you what you do, but Tufts funding is really nothing to scoff at. Just make sure you way your options and think about the future in the most realistic terms, with and without a financial consideration.

Everyone that got into BU should do some research on the program before committing. Speak to current graduate students!

Everyone that got into BU should do some research on the program before committing. Speak to current graduate students!

Well everyone knows Tufts dental is better anyway
 

Long time lurker here. For those who are waiting, I received an email from my POI at RSEA congratulating my acceptance, in which he mentioned he had just gotten the news that I will be accepted. So presumably advisors will be emailing offers today (if they choose to? Not sure if they are required to do that, so no email doesn't necessary mean rejection I guess?) and the official offer is on the way.

You should wait until April 15th regardless. If the PhD comes through you'll regret not waiting.

I got rejected from my lowest program but accepted at much better schools. Depends on a lot of factors - an admittance that is. Hold out hope.

How is Williams admits going?
 

How is Williams admits going?
 

Yeah, the folks I know who did museum studies (either as undergrad or grad) have mostly ended up as family programs managers, educational programs officers, special event coordinators, and various other forms of admin within the museum. Museum studies doesn't really give you much content knowledge, which is required as you go up the ranks.
A subject matter MA + MLIS prepares you for subject-specialist librarian positions. Many big research libraries have European history subject librarians, ancient history librarians, etc. I know that you can get a joint history MA/MLIS at Indiana (don't know if the ancient history MA you've identified qualifies, but you could certainly do a standard history MA and try to make it more ancient/medieval focused, though again, limited without languages). 

I would recommend Library Sci over Museum Studies if you end up interested in this route. Being a librarian comes with decent pay, allows time for research particularly with students and faculty, and often you are a guest lecturer in the department you work most closely with. Museum Studies, coming from an art historical perspective, is a degree that is entirely useless. History museums want history PhD's and art museums want art history PhD's. Museum studies folks simply get shuffled over to educational or other administration duties within the museum. 

If I were you I would reach out again to your POI's at your UW, UVA and UCDavis and simply introduce yourself as one of the people who've been admitted/waitlisted and ask to schedule a time for a skype interview to cover any questions you might have about the program. I've done this and it lead to my acceptances at two programs prior to application season. Don't be afraid to be confident and ask for what you want!

I would recommend Library Sci over Museum Studies if you end up interested in this route. Being a librarian comes with decent pay, allows time for research particularly with students and faculty, and often you are a guest lecturer in the department you work most closely with. Museum Studies, coming from an art historical perspective, is a degree that is entirely useless. History museums want history PhD's and art museums want art history PhD's. Museum studies folks simply get shuffled over to educational or other administration duties within the museum. 

Are you interested in obtaining a fully funded Ph.D. in the Humanities with an emphasis on African American/Africana Studies? Are you looking for graduate training that emphasizes public scholarship, community outreach, collections-based research, and digital humanities? The African American Public Humanities Initiative (AAPHI) provides fully funded graduate fellowships for Ph.D students in History, English, and Art History in a five-year, 12month, cohort-based program.
http://www.afampublichumanities.udel.edu/
- DM me for more info. 

I know it can seem that way, but it's not true. The Ivies and other top programs want you to be able to do PhD level work. That means: an understanding of the major debates/issues in the field; the ability to articulate a well thought-out research plan; having already conducted a high level research project that integrates visual analysis, theory, primary sources, and secondary sources; fluency or at least a high level of proficiency in at least one research level; evidence of high achievement; and letters saying you have the potential to make a major contribution. Some people have that after their BA, and if they do they will get in to a top program, especially if they have top grades from a top school. Others, probably most, don't and would benefit from a Masters program to acquire the skills they need to thrive in a PhD program. 
Iowa, Madison, Florida: all good programs, with good people. But you will face a very steep climb--I'm talking near-impossible--if you want a tenure-track job or a curator position at the end of it. There are people who have done well coming out of these and similar programs, but the sad reality is that most do not. Prestige matters still. Add to that the disparity in resources, and that dream job ends up being even further out of reach. I know it's uncomfortable, but if you can't get in to a top program in the first place, you have to be honest and ask yourself: Why didn't I get in? Will I really be able to catch up? Is it possible I don't have the very specific, highly specialized kind of skills to be a successful academic? The people at the top programs already have a leg up on the skills they need to succeed (think about it: the gate keepers of academia already let them through the first of the many gates one has to cross to get that dream job, and that's the easiest gate to cross. What makes you think it's going to get easier?). They also have better resources and connections. If you attend one of these others programs, you will be behind, and you will have to work even harder, with far fewer resources, financial and scholarly. The competition for jobs is tight--according to the Mellon foundation, less than half of humanities PhDs will find full-time employment in academia--and only the very strongest survive. You really have to ask yourself if going to a less prestigious program is worth the gamble. This is a personal question and no one can answer it for you. I'm just saying that it demands confronting the reality of the humanities ca. 2018 and deep reflection about what you really want--about your goals, your ambitions, your abilities, your future. 

You writing and editing this long meditation about prestige and "the reality of the humanities ca. 2018" and then coming back the next day to reread and revise your own (unanswered and ignored) post is such a perfect metaphor for academia. You posted about being on the job market in 2015. Regardless of the outcome (I can guess...) move on, let it go. 

Hey there,
Just take the plunge and apply to PhD programs. When my advisor first told me to also apply for PhDs in addition to MA degrees, I was like ??? But it was definitely a reaction she had seen before, so she kept pushing the case and here I am... ultimately attending my top choice PhD program. 
The issue with MA programs at 'top' schools is that you will have to pay for it... not worth it (although idk about art history -- perhaps there is a value added for potential curators?) The evaluation for your MA candidacy in programs at Chicago, NYU and Columbia is automatic if you are not admitted into the PhD program. (There may be other MA programs that at least waive tuition, some at very good schools too!) So go ahead, apply wherever you want for your PhD -- the worst that could happen is that you simply get into the MA program, or a no.
Don't be discouraged by being first-gen, poor, poc, whatever. That's how academia keeps us out -- push through it, believe in yourself, and it will happen.
As to whether the fact that your professors went to Stanford will affect your chances, I would say that it definitely helps sometimes (as long as people that they studied with are still at Stanford). As for your GPA, I would say your humanities GPA will be taken into serious consideration, and perhaps other fields if they are pertinent to your study (chemistry for conservation?) Your SOP, writing sample and recommendations matter a lot more than your GPA.