History of Art - MA/PhD 2009

[elvee11]

Joining the realm of first-time posters, but I've been reading every word on this forum! Here is the state of affairs, I keep changing my mind every day:

IFA (MA) -- This was my top choice, but obviously I was in the majority that got no funding. I would love to go, but really cannot justify the level of debt. Anyone considering this?

CUNY (PhD) -- Love the professors and the courses. Still haven't heard anything about funding, though I don't expect anything.

Chicago -- MAPH consolation prize. Does not seem like a good plan.

Wisconsin (MA) -- Full tuition + stipend. One professor that matches my research interests. Some hesitations, but still in serious consideration.

UT Austin (MA) -- Seriously considering this, some funding. Seeing what I can do to acquire more, since the free MA is incredibly tempting. Two or three professors I would like to work with. Thinking this may be a better program fit as well.

Advice is greatly appreciated. Am I crazy for even considering turning down Wisconsin? Right now I'm thinking it would be better to get more experience and get the MA at Austin or Wisconsin, then reapply to IFA, CUNY, Chicago, etc. and hope for funding. Any thoughts? I think an outside perspective from people in the same boat would help out a lot.

Also, I've heard a couple murmurs that it's best to get your MA where you intend to go for PhD. Not sure that I agree, but I've never been to graduate school. So I definitely second this --

I was wondering for those of you who applied with MAs where did you go and how do you think it helped you? Is it worth it to go into debt for your MA or is it better to take time off, work, and reapply?

Sorry for the long post, I am going out of my gourd!

[Pampelmuse]

As long as we're weighing M.A. prospects on this thread, I thought I'd add my little dilemma and see if anyone here might be able to give me some advice apart from the "go to London" chorus of my family/friends:

I've been accepted by the IFA (M.A.), Stony Brook (M.A.), Rice (PhD), and the Courtauld Institute (M.A.), and waitlisted at Williams (M.A.). My field, halted as it is in its undergrad nascence by a year off generally getting underpaid for things (I'm told I should get used to that), is 20th-century German/Austrian, Weimar all the way to Holocaust memorialism. In terms of faculty, this makes the Courtauld and Williams the most appealing, as well as (I'm told) great experiences for someone from a little-heard-of small liberal arts college who intends to go for a PhD someday. Williams has written me a very nice, personal letter telling me that my chances of acceptance are "very good"; until I heard from them I had essentially decided on the Courtauld. Thanks in part to my policy of not psyching myself up for options I might not have (and believing I wouldn't get in anywhere), once the acceptances came in it took a lot of short-term research/hair-pulling/beer to even get myself to make THAT decision, and so if I have to make another one in the next two weeks, I want to be more prepared. Thoughts from anyone who has been through either of these programs, knows anyone who has, is struggling with a similar issue, or has any general information on how Modern M.A.-holders from either school are received in the scholarly community/PhD admissions boards are very, very, welcome.

And, other Columbia M.A. applicants: anybody heard a peep?

[blancdexin]

Some thoughts on the MA...

Applied to Williams, NYU, and Columbia, 2 acceptance and 1 still waiting. I think the best thing to do--or best thing for me to do--is probably going to the institutions and sit in classrooms. Audited a class in NYU last October, overwhelmed by how wonderful it was, and immediately decided to apply even the prof warned me of the competition. Oh well, hopefully we'll all end up with the perfect match.

This forum has been such a great help for me, and thanks to everyone here posting, helping out others, and killing paranoid times.

[anasara]

Pampelmuse, have you been in contact with Donald Kuspit at Stony Brook? He's a pretty key figure in early 20th century German criticism (and a significant pull for my accepting their PhD admittance).

If you've received funding, consider it a bit further!

A free MA is definitely something to be attracted to, however.

[Pampelmuse]

I took a class from a former Donald Kuspit student once (and we read a bunch of his work), so he's pretty much the reason I applied there, but at a school with such a well-known PhD program and faculty member, I'm not sure how closely I would get to work with him as an MA student; also, they didn't offer me any funding. The Courtauld, on the other hand, did - and not the $3300 NYU IFA travel pittance. Rice offered me TW & stipend, but it's the first year of that program, which could be interesting, but I'm not sure I'm ready to lock myself into a PhD program yet, anyway - even though there are professors there I could see myself working with. The idea of going to London for some object-based art history seems nice, though, and I'm thinking of just applying to PhD programs from there this fall - including Rice, again. Thoughts? Any glaringly awful decisions here?

[georgica1]

So, did anyone else get totally shut out this year? I only applied to 4 programs, all of them super competitive, so I'm not too shocked, but definitely not looking forward to going through this process again next year.

[caravaggisto]

Does anyone know how the funding works at Williams? Are they usually fairly generous? I have a full ride from another institution, but would consider Williams if they gave a decent amount of money. Unfortunately I am getting close to the deadline when I have to make final decisions. Any info would be greatly appreciated!!

[purplepepper]

Wisconsin (MA) -- Full tuition + stipend. One professor that matches my research interests. Some hesitations, but still in serious consideration.

UT Austin (MA) -- Seriously considering this, some funding. Seeing what I can do to acquire more, since the free MA is incredibly tempting. Two or three professors I would like to work with. Thinking this may be a better program fit as well.

I vote Wisconsin. And no, there is nothing that says you'll be less competitive with an MA from a different school. Actually, I think you'll be better off going somewhere where you can excel in an MA and from there, you can go to a great school for a PhD, fully funded of course.

Debt=So not good.

MAs are short. If you do well, you can go anywhere later on. And think how good you'll feel knowing that you were able to do it all for free.

Do NOT go into debt for a phd.

What is important for the MA, is you learn how to develop your research interests, you learn how to network. It's really more about this, and less about publishing (I had none but got accepted to top schools), and even less about putting out original research (although getting experience is helpful). When you apply for a PhD they just want to see how you've developed your ideas, whether you can think for yourself and whether you have the potential to make original contributions to the discipline when you do enter a phd.

[tommyzero]

So, did anyone else get totally shut out this year? I only applied to 4 programs, all of them super competitive, so I'm not too shocked, but definitely not looking forward to going through this process again next year.

Yes. Like you, I underapplied (only three institutions), and was not much surprised by the outcome. Here's hoping the intervening year improves our applications (I will have completed my MA by then, which must help.... please God).

[revivalarch]

So, did anyone else get totally shut out this year? I only applied to 4 programs, all of them super competitive, so I'm not too shocked, but definitely not looking forward to going through this process again next year.

I'm right there with you. I have one more school that I'm still waiting on, but the chances aren't looking great. However, I'm not giving up, even if all this rejection put a huge dent in my pride.

[elvee11]

mims3382 -- it helps to have outside input! thanks for putting things into perspective. i've been thinking this over for too long!

[Emilyflew]

Just wanted to give a quick update on my decision...I visited both Hunter and NYU IFA this weekend, and decided to go to NYU. If I were going part time, I would definitely choose Hunter, but it seemed hard to get into the classes you need and finish in two years, plus I decided I liked the depth and specificity of the classes at the IFA, additional internship opportunities, and I really loved the class I sat in on there. Also, you have to admit that the building is pretty awesome. :wink:

Good luck to everyone else's decision process, and sympathy to those of you who didn't get in this year...hopefully next year is better!

[beatrice word]

Hey Cubbies,

I'm also waiting on Columbia, but it's the Modern Art Critical and Curatorial Studies MA, not the Art History one, specifically. I've applied to a whole array of programs ranging from Media Studies/Visual Sulture to Art History, and so I managed to get this bit of information from a Mass Comm forum. It appears that Columbia is going to lag in general to get admissions back because their application database crashed and they managed to lose some applicants' information. I had called the advisor in the department, and she said we should expect them anytime this week until the end of April.

Fingers crossed for those all who still have to hear back from schools!

Applied: Cornell, Brown, Yale, Georgetown, NYU and Columbia

Accepted: NYU

Waiting: Columbia, Georgetown

[Rockerpennylane]

I'm wondering if MA programs are worth it myself. I would have to go through this ridiculous application process all over again AND it will add 1 to 2 MORE years to the already long Phd program. Is it worth it?

Also, how important is the advisor in this whole thing? Will he or she make or break your career?

[Rockerpennylane]

Joining the realm of first-time posters, but I've been reading every word on this forum! Here is the state of affairs, I keep changing my mind every day:

IFA (MA) -- This was my top choice, but obviously I was in the majority that got no funding. I would love to go, but really cannot justify the level of debt. Anyone considering this?

CUNY (PhD) -- Love the professors and the courses. Still haven't heard anything about funding, though I don't expect anything.

Chicago -- MAPH consolation prize. Does not seem like a good plan.

Wisconsin (MA) -- Full tuition + stipend. One professor that matches my research interests. Some hesitations, but still in serious consideration.

UT Austin (MA) -- Seriously considering this, some funding. Seeing what I can do to acquire more, since the free MA is incredibly tempting. Two or three professors I would like to work with. Thinking this may be a better program fit as well.

Advice is greatly appreciated. Am I crazy for even considering turning down Wisconsin? Right now I'm thinking it would be better to get more experience and get the MA at Austin or Wisconsin, then reapply to IFA, CUNY, Chicago, etc. and hope for funding. Any thoughts? I think an outside perspective from people in the same boat would help out a lot.

Also, I've heard a couple murmurs that it's best to get your MA where you intend to go for PhD. Not sure that I agree, but I've never been to graduate school. So I definitely second this --

I would say go with the program with the best advisor who can further your career. HOwever, money is no joke these days so I suppose one needs to make a compromise. I am going through with the whole funding versus well-connected advisor dilemma. This whole grad school thing is really stressful.

Sorry for the long post, I am going out of my gourd!

[Rockerpennylane]

anything on UT Austin?

I met one bitter Austin alum (did her masters) and she said the dept is a little draconian and doesn't give two cents about the Masters students.

[cpl593h]

anything on UT Austin?

I met one bitter Austin alum (did her masters) and she said the dept is a little draconian and doesn't give two cents about the Masters students.

I visited UT last month, and I've decided to go there. I didn't get this impression at all. When I spoke to current students, most had nothing but positive things to say. Any negatives mostly had to do with funding, which isn't unusual at any school.

[elvee11]

seconded.

i'm headed there too, just sent my form. anyone else? i don't know anybody in austin!

[cpl593h]

Elvee, were you at the prospective students weekend? PM me if you want to talk some more about it. I know one person in Austin!

[tommyzero]

I wonder if anyone has any thoughts on this. I applied to 3 schools - 2 top-tier, one decidedly middling. I was rejected by the better schools, and have just received an offer from the lesser one. Should I wait a year and apply again, when I have finished my MA with stellar grades and a ground-breakingly original dissertation (ha)? Or should I make the best of what I got this time around? There is no-one who fits extremely well with my project at the middling school, but would it be taking too much of a risk to assume a completed MA will make my application that much better next time around?

[georgica1]

I wonder if anyone has any thoughts on this. I applied to 3 schools - 2 top-tier, one decidedly middling. I was rejected by the better schools, and have just received an offer from the lesser one. Should I wait a year and apply again, when I have finished my MA with stellar grades and a ground-breakingly original dissertation (ha)? Or should I make the best of what I got this time around? There is no-one who fits extremely well with my project at the middling school, but would it be taking too much of a risk to assume a completed MA will make my application that much better next time around?

I think it's probably unwise to go to a school where you won't be a good fit in terms of research interests. If you can't identify a potential advisor, I'm guessing you won't be particularly happy in the program, regardless of prestige (or lack thereof.) Your completed MA might not necessarily make a dramatic difference, but there are a lot of other factors that go into PhD admissions (as we've all discovered) many of which have little to do with specific applicants (economy, potential advisor's workload, etc.) If I were you, I'd take my chances and wait another year (and probably apply to a few more schools to improve my odds.)

[gradstudent86]

I was accepted to NYU - IFA and Cambridge University. I am completely drawn between the two with only 8 days to decide. Help!

Cambridge University: MPhil in Archaeology (Option B Archaeological Heritage and Museums)

NYU, IFA: MA in Art History

Both for entry in Fall, 2009

I an not sure that I will pursue a PhD in Art History as my interests lie more in the study of collecting, cultural property law, heritage studies etc. I hope to focus my studies on the art and archaeology of the ancient Near East. I realize that the IFA is a great, well-regarded institution which offers fabulous connections, a structured program of study, and the resources of NYC and its many art institutions. Cambridge has a great reputation with employers and might serve me better should I decide to apply to law school instead of the PhD in Art History down the line. I am worried that Cambridge's program is a bit too unstructured with most of the work being done through individual research and a series of long papers. I also worry that if I do an MPhil in Archaeology I might not get accepted into a top PhD program in Art History. Finally, the difference in length of the two (NYU being 2 years and Cam being 11 months) is a matter of concern, especially given the state of the global economy and job markets.

Any advice or votes for one school over the other are much appreciated.

Thank you,

under the wire ...

[cetrez]

It is going to be a little irrelevant with the above post but I am curious if there is anyone for the Art history Phd in Rice for fall 2009?

[purplepepper]

I was accepted to NYU - IFA and Cambridge University. I am completely drawn between the two with only 8 days to decide. Help!

If it means anything..I did my MA in the UK and absolutely loved it, one of the best years of my life so far. I'd go with Cambridge cause from what I gather, UK MAs are a lot of tough work and there's a lot of stuff you have to figure out for yourself, but definitely much more fun.

[gradstudent86]

Mims, thanks for the input.

Wondering if you did the MA in Art History or Archaeology and what you did after... I am worried that if I do an MPhil in Archaeology I may not be accepted into a good Art History PhD program should I decide to go back to it.

Also, did you find the MA degree from a UK university equal in terms of job placement, graduate school acceptances etc as one in the US? I know that the two systems differ on many points and so I'm curious to know how you fared after completion of the MA.

Thank you