Art History 2010 (!) Houston advice sought

[missgrunge]

Hi guys,

I'm nearly a grad! Hope you can help me out. I'm on my second last semester-unit of my BA majoring in Art History at the University of Western Australia (UWA) in Perth, but I'm studying a part-time load because of family responsibilities so I won't be done till Oct 2009. Our grad system here is then to do a one year Honours course, then a PhD if you want an academic/research career (as do I).

My family is almost certainly relocating to Houston TX as ex-pats in early 2010 because my husband works with a US headquartered company and has been offered an exciting job opportunity at Bellaire. We have a son with Asperger's syndrome and will have to find him a special private school, but I do not want to let my own studies go, as my brain will turn to mush.

I have heard wonderful things about Rice and their eminent faculty staff, and I see they have a new PhD programme, but if I was staying in Perth I would be writing an Honours thesis before I write a Doctoral thesis, so it seems a little daunting to know whether to put my hand up for that. Also, I can only study part-time due to my family responsibilities caring for my son.

Can anyone offer advice about Rice, or any other University in Houston, or advice generally.

Many thanks.

[ElusiveMuse]

Well, Rice is a nice campus in a nice part of Houston, certainly. I've never heard of a part time PhD program, and I doubt Rice offers it. But it wouldn't hurt to check out the faculty and email the one who has research interests close to your own and put these questions to him/her.