napoleon87

Bump! Anyone have advice regarding living in the Wilmington area? I hear Trolley Square is good, but I would also be interested in the rural parts of N. Wilmington. Is Craigslist the best place to look or are there other options? Thanks!

I'm going into a similar area, so I've been asking a lot of the same questions to people in the field and academic world (I work in a traditional, large art museum with curators who introduced me to material culture). I have dual interests in AH and MC and intend to continue on in the art museum field. From what I've gathered, you can very much stay on an art historical route while partaking in interdisciplinary study. It can, in fact, really strengthen you as a scholar to have both art history methodological training in addition to understanding material culture. It's an approach after all, not a field. I think a lot of making sure you don't pigeonhole yourself depends on how you mold your research (in any circumstance, I think it's probably advisable not to be too narrow). I'll send you a PM with further thoughts!

U. Del has the Center for Material Culture Studies, an interdisciplinary institute which works across Art History. They also have the Winterthur Program in American Material Culture. This is an MA, of course, but if you're at U. Del, you might have the opportunity to work with Winterthur's textile specialists and virtually unmatched resources. Are you an Americanist? The American Studies PhD at BU is also known for "a particularly strong commitment to the study of Art History, offering a comprehensive curriculum that covers courses in material culture..." http://www.bu.edu/amnesp/phd/amnesp-introduction/ I also agree with qwer7890's post. Very few AH programs, especially at the PhD level, have an explicitly material culture focus as a component to the curriculum. You may have to seek out scholars who incorporate the material culture approach into their work, or who are willing to support that focus. They're definitely out there!

Have you contacted your potential Oxford advisor yet? See what feeling you get from him/her and ask if you can talk to current MSt students or those who have recently graduated. It's hard to make this kind of decision without getting a feel for the people you'd be working with. Also, you may want to discuss where you plan on doing your PhD and ask how this program will lend itself to that goal.

What is your focus and career goal?

It can work, you just may have to live far outside the NYU area. In the past few years since the recession, outer borroughs have been rapidly gentrifying and rents are skyrocketing in formally cheap areas. Honestly, most of the situations I know of under $700 are pretty dismal with many roommates and windowless rooms. Could be out of date, as I left the city two years ago. Also factor in a monthly metro card ($125 now?) and the inevitable entertainment temptations NYC has to offer.

I'm struggling with this decision, too, for History of Art (also within the History dept). I've gotten into a fully funded US MA, which I know to have equal regard within the field. Oxford's program is a slightly better research fit for me and an overall more enticing experience. I've been told, however, that the specificity of my studies is more important at the PhD level and I do worry that a 1 year program won't be enough time to prepare for the PhD. Still, the idea of giving up Oxford is terribly painful! Have you guys "initially accepted" in order to hold your place? Have you reached out to your potential advisor?

History of Art M.St. admit here. Anyone know if funding decisions are given at the same time as college decisions?

Hello All, I've been accepted to the Oxford M.St. in History of Art and Visual Culture. Can anyone give perspective on the program? I'm planning to head straight into a PhD after. A few concerns: -Funding, obviously. I'm not counting on this as an international student, but holding out hope. - I wonder if more attention goes to the M.Phil students (or even the undergraduates - I've heard this, but don't know it to be true). - Is the program well-regarded to US PhD programs? - Program length. At 9 months, I'd have to start applying to PhD's immediately. I do have work experience and a fair sense of my area of focus, but this is a concern nonetheless. Experiencing the Oxford educational system is a huge dream of mine, but I want to fully understand if it's worth considering. I have fully funded offers from MA programs in the US, so I know that ultimately it's unlikely to be the practical choice for me. Still - a hard one to let go of. Feel free to PM me, if you wish. I would love to hear what other accepted students are thinking, too. Thanks!

Can you talk a bit more about the more local programs you've been accepted to? How do they compare in terms of fit, funding and prospects post-graduation?

I've only applied to MA programs (I didn't major in AH and want a stronger foundation before PhD), but I believe that the top programs are similarly looking for original research and and a grounded approach. I found a topic for a new paper by volunteering at a museum (I also have a museum day job, but happened to be working on a side project elsewhere). You'll find so many readily available, unexplored topics and objects in the museum world. I forged relationships with curators at both museums, which let to invaluable research advice and a fantastic set of editors. It's really difficult to start from scratch without a framework, so make sure you give yourself lots of time to research, edit and gain advise. I will say that I learned quite a bit about independent research throughout, and responses so far from schools and POI's has been very positive to this tactic. If you have the opportunity to intern or volunteer somewhere, this might be one way to go about it! Good luck.

A bag of coffee beans from a local coffee shop (or Starbucks) might be a better alternative to a gift card. That's what I'm doing, at least!

For one Art History MA I'm applying two, I'd like to mention two POI's whose work aligns nicely with mine. One is a lecturer and the other is a post-doc fellow and they both teach courses that I'd be very interested to take. I realize that admissions is likely asking you to name a potential advisor, but these are the only people on faculty working directly in my subfield. I found this school rather last minute, so it's too late to email them and see if they accept students. Should I only be mentioning tenured faculty in the SOP?

Hello Historians! I'm applying to Art History MA programs this month and am slogging through my SOP's. There isn't much action on the Art History section, so I'm hoping I might find advice here. First,in my SOP, I'd like to talk about a David McCullough book that piqued my interest in the artistic and technological influence of France on the U.S. in the 19th century. I can expand on this by discussing the related objects I've worked with at my museum job. I'm wondering if it's ok to cite someone like McCullough, who is a popular historian and not an art historian, or if you think programs are only looking for your engagement with scholars in the field. On this note, is there anyone here who would be willing to review my SOP? I know it's a slightly different field, but any input is appreciated. Thanks!

Hello All, I have a working draft of my first Statement of Purpose and I'm wondering if anyone would be willing to take a look? It's for a pretty narrowly focused MA program, but I intend to apply the general skeleton to my other essays. I would love if someone's who's been through the process can review, but I'm also happy to swap with those who haven't. Let me know and I'll PM you. Thanks!