Art History PhD Hopefuls: Any News?

[jilly11]

I was sad to be rejected from the PhD from NYU IFA but glad to get offered the MA - has anyone else been offered an MA rather than the PhD (any school!) What are you thoughts?

[stilnovista]

For any of the BU peeps, I officially turned down the funded spot today- I hope someone else can get it!

I turned down my funded offer last week, so there's another one out there, too!

[contiguous]

I was sad to be rejected from the PhD from NYU IFA but glad to get offered the MA - has anyone else been offered an MA rather than the PhD (any school!) What are you thoughts?

I am also in this situation with NYU. As much as I would love to attend, with zero funding for MA students it's simply not an offer I can consider especially since I was offered funding elsewhere.

I'm curious to see how many NYU admitted though, seems like a lot.

[Guest mckee002]

I am also in this situation with NYU. As much as I would love to attend, with zero funding for MA students it's simply not an offer I can consider especially since I was offered funding elsewhere.

I'm curious to see how many NYU admitted though, seems like a lot.

When I met with a professor at Columbia to discuss their program he basically told me that students who pay for a Masters in art history at the institution fund those in the PhD. At my home institution I have been advised multiple times to deny an offer that does not come with funding because this indicates that the institution is not necessarily invested in you as an individual scholar. Based on these experiences I have heard that there are a good number of admits to the masters programs at NYU and Columbia because that is their "cash cow" for the department.

But what do I know, I'm no grad student (yet)?

Edited March 12, 2012 by mckee002

[jilly11]

I have also heard this "MA students fund PhD students" - it is discouraging but not everyone gets to go straight to PhD from BA (which is what I'm trying to do)...people do Masters degrees first in many cases.

At this stage I'm just happy to be accepted anywhere and will hopefully hear back from other schools soon.

[artmuse]

I don't think mckee is saying that terminal MA programs aren't a good option. It's just that when you go into a MA program where they also offer a PhD, you often end up not only funding these students but also fighting for attention. I have a couple of friends at the IFA masters program and while there are many strengths including great professors, the reality of having 45+ students in a year as well as PhD students just means less personal attention. If you are motivated and willing to deal with the competition then it can be a good experience.

Also, there are very good masters programs that fund students so it doesn't have to be one or the other.

Edited March 12, 2012 by artmuse

[Guest mckee002]

I have also heard this "MA students fund PhD students" - it is discouraging but not everyone gets to go straight to PhD from BA (which is what I'm trying to do)...people do Masters degrees first in many cases.

At this stage I'm just happy to be accepted anywhere and will hopefully hear back from other schools soon.

I would never imply that a Masters program is not a fantastic option. I plan to apply to MA programs myself. There are many exceptional MA programs, other than those that I mentioned, that do not fund but allow many of their MA students to transition into a PhD.

Any acceptance is fantastic and you should be extremely proud of the accomplishment! I only raised the issue as a precaution from my own experience. :]

[unitname]

ITS MARCH 13th??? HOW????????? AND WHY HAVENT I HEARD ANYTHING?????

:::end rant::::

[jilly11]

I would never imply that a Masters program is not a fantastic option. I plan to apply to MA programs myself. There are many exceptional MA programs, other than those that I mentioned, that do not fund but allow many of their MA students to transition into a PhD.

Any acceptance is fantastic and you should be extremely proud of the accomplishment! I only raised the issue as a precaution from my own experience. :]

Thanks mckee002 - hopefully I'll get another offer with funding. Fingers crossed!

[fullofpink]

I have also heard this "MA students fund PhD students" - it is discouraging but not everyone gets to go straight to PhD from BA (which is what I'm trying to do)...people do Masters degrees first in many cases.

At this stage I'm just happy to be accepted anywhere and will hopefully hear back from other schools soon.

I'm sorry to hear of your discouragement, but I would seriously sit down and think about accepting any offer that strolls your way in case you are rejected from all the PhD programs you applied to. Remember, if you accept a MA offer unfunded, you'll not only pay the exuberant tuition of NYU, but you'd have to shell out for housing, transportation, and book costs - you'll essentially be paying a lot of money; and remember, just having a MA won't get you automatically accepted into any PhD program.

If you're on the fence about the IFA MA, you can always reapply next year and include a variety of MA programs that might be better suited for you, give you tuition assistance, and having lower costs of living.Who knows? Maybe there was one component of your application that was lacking, and you can use some more time to bolster it up. Please don't feel that your only acceptance is your only resort!

[erika817]

still no news from ifa, udel, columbia, unc, or upenn

UNC's listing in the CAA graduate directory states that their notification date is March 15th...I haven't heard anything from them, either, so I suspect they might e-mail everyone on Thursday. Or so I hope...

[Cassanova]

Same here for UDel & UNC. Which programs do you apply to for those schools? MA or PhD?

got rejected from both today (MA) Hope you did better! I'm still waiting on temple, nyu, emory, columbia and penn

[AClarke]

Not sure if anyone else applied to MIT, HTC - but I got a rejection e-mail today. That was probably the best fit for me, but I know they only have one place for art history/theory. This does not bode well.

[arthistoryvoe2]

When I met with a professor at Columbia to discuss their program he basically told me that students who pay for a Masters in art history at the institution fund those in the PhD. At my home institution I have been advised multiple times to deny an offer that does not come with funding because this indicates that the institution is not necessarily invested in you as an individual scholar. Based on these experiences I have heard that there are a good number of admits to the masters programs at NYU and Columbia because that is their "cash cow" for the department.

But what do I know, I'm no grad student (yet)?

This is widely reported, and may be true. But it may also be something that deans tell faculty in order to persuade them to feel a deeper commitment to MA students, whom they might otherwise feel aren't the best investment of faculty time (because they are often not staying for the PhD). There are a lot of components in a budget so be skeptical of such claims. It doesn't really matter, though—there may be reasons to do an unfunded MA program, but no one should take on that kind of debt lightly.

[AClarke]

So I saw on the results survey that some people randomly checked the CUNY website and got their admission status. So, I just checked and looks like I've been accepted - they say the offer details are in the mail. I'm hoping it's going to be funded, but given that I didn't get an e-mail from the department, I'm guessing it's not. I really can't afford to do a non-funded PhD, that's for sure. But still glad that at least I got in somewhere. Was starting to think I was a hopeless case.

[fullofpink]

So I saw on the results survey that some people randomly checked the CUNY website and got their admission status. So, I just checked and looks like I've been accepted - they say the offer details are in the mail. I'm hoping it's going to be funded, but given that I didn't get an e-mail from the department, I'm guessing it's not. I really can't afford to do a non-funded PhD, that's for sure. But still glad that at least I got in somewhere. Was starting to think I was a hopeless case.

You won't know anything until you get that package; you should be ecstatic to get an acceptance!

[LLajax]

Got an email from UMich- Expected since I wasn't invited to the open house. Another one bites the dust!

[cokohlik]

Got an email from UMich- Expected since I wasn't invited to the open house. Another one bites the dust!

Same here.

The light at the end of the tunnel is slowly fading as the number of schools I have yet to hear back from grows smaller.

[Pepé Le Pew]

kaejo, not sure which Notre Dame admit you were referring to. I was admitted, though: it was from a phone call from the DGS. He wanted to settle on a list of likely Acceptances before sending the decision through formal university channels. I guess, by doing this, they avoid dealing with a wait list.

[Hegel's Bagels]

Whew. Today I accepted one of my offers and declined the other two. Of course now I'm plagued with regret and wondering if I made the right choice. I thought all the anxiety would be gone by this point! Aghhhh!

[AClarke]

You won't know anything until you get that package; you should be ecstatic to get an acceptance!

Don't get me wrong - it's an honor to be accepted! I went into applying for CUNY, though, knowing I can't really do it without funding. Talked to some students there when I visited who said that even if you don't get up front funding, most people find a way... But after doing an MA that got me $65,000 in debt for 2 years and working to earn enough to scrape out a living, I'm a bit jaded by the whole grad school and money equation.

[cokohlik]

Rejected from UMICH yesterday and UNC today. *sigh*

Bryn Mawr will be a no.

UT is a maybe.

Praying for UMD & UDel... please please please...

:( :( I've never been more worried. My hope for a PhD acceptance hinges on two - maybe three - programs.

[erika817]

Rejected from UNC today.

Sorry to hear that. How did you hear from UNC? I am so eager to hear!

[cokohlik]

Sorry to hear that. How did you hear from UNC? I am so eager to hear!

I emailed the DGS letting him know I have a funding offer deadline and he replied the next day.

[erika817]

I emailed the DGS letting him know I have a funding offer deadline and he replied the next day.

Thanks for your quick response. And chin up--getting those negative letters is horrible, but acceptance into a master's program and waitlisting to another is nothing to downplay. I got my MA as a terminal degree, and now I've been accepted to the CUNY Graduate Center. There is hope.