IPCAA vs. AAMW vs. Joukowsky?

[lucky_hedgehog]

Hi all! Please excuse me if this forum isn't the place to post this. As someone with a background in Classics who has worked in a museum and some archaeology experience, I'm attracted to many of the interdisciplinary archaeology PhD programs -- specifically the ones offered at Brown, Penn and Michigan. I'd love to get more input on these types of programs.

• Is there a risk of becoming a "jack of all trades, master of none" in these broad programs?
   
• What reputation do these programs have? Does any of the three stand out as a leader in its discipline?
   
• If I hope to work at a museum as a curator of ancient art, would an art history degree be better suited?
   
• Any other programs I should be considering instead of these three?

 

Thank you in advance. 

[Melian4]

The three programs have a very good reputation in the field. Have you also considered AHMA at Berkeley, ISAW at NYU, and the IFA? If you want to work in a museum, I would say that out of all of them, IPCAA is particularly strong.

 

It all comes down to what period/area you would like to specialize in. What are your interests? 

[Another_lurker]

Been lurking on here for a while. I would add Cincinnati to your list as it is very strong in archaeology.

[birchleaf]

Cincinnati is specifically strong in Bronze Age archaeology! So yes, it does come down to the individual's interests.

[lucky_hedgehog]

My one concern about IPCAA - how long has Elaine Gazda been there? I wonder if she plans on retiring anytime soon, which worries me as someone who has strong ties to art history. Also, my focus is/would be Roman art + archaeology - any recommendations in that regard?

[tristansmells]

I've heard good things about Durham's museum course, if you're interested in looking overseas. But I don't know any specific details.

[Melian4]

My one concern about IPCAA - how long has Elaine Gazda been there? I wonder if she plans on retiring anytime soon, which worries me as someone who has strong ties to art history. Also, my focus is/would be Roman art + archaeology - any recommendations in that regard?

 

You should email her and ask her if she plans on taking new students in the coming years. It's the most straightforward way of getting the information you want!

 

It's also always a good idea to look for places where you can work with multiple people in case anything happens (retirement, sickness, career move...). The Joukowsky Institute, for example, is a great place to do archaeology, but not really for Roman art. Have you considered Oxford? Peter Stewart, Bert Smith, Jas Elsner, and a bunch of other great scholars may fit your interests, plus you could get involved with the Ashmolean Museum either through a formal work placement/internship or volunteering. 

 

You may also want to look into more 'traditional' classics departments with archaeology streams. Yale has Diana Kleiner and Stanford has Jen Trimble, for example. The advantage of these departments is that they generally have a lot more money than the likes of AHMA or the Joukowsky. 

[rjyjate]

 

You may also want to look into more 'traditional' classics departments with archaeology streams. Yale has Diana Kleiner and Stanford has Jen Trimble, for example. The advantage of these departments is that they generally have a lot more money than the likes of AHMA or the Joukowsky. 

 

I'll second this. If you're interested in the art side of archaeology, this would be a pretty good way to go (though if you're looking for more a more anthropological approach to archaeology, I'd look elsewhere). In addition to Diana Kleiner, Yale also has the Yale University Art Gallery with an Ancient Art department, so you could potentially get some experience there.

[PetroniusArbiter]

Likewise, you should check out Columbia Classical Studies or Art History & Archaeology: Francesco de Angelis and Ioannis Mylonopoulos now both have their own excavations in Italy and Greece.

BTW Gazda is nearly retired, and Kleiner is getting there too-- always be mindful of where Professors are at in terms of their career and the next 5-7 years (when you will be there under their supervision).

 

As for the "jack of all trades, master of none" risk: yes, there is the risk, but only if you make poor coursework choices and don't have a clear group of people you want to work with. If you have an idea of the area or topic you'd like to explore in the early years of the program, then you'll be less likely to go dipping your toes into too many proverbial ponds.

 

As for becoming a curator: Art History programs would actually be better suited to this than Classical Archaeology programs--here the IFA, IPCAA, or Columbia Art History & Archaeology (AHAR) would be right up your alley (look at their recent placements too!)

[lucky_hedgehog]

Thank you for these excellent responses! In terms of Art History programs, what do you think of the relative quality of Harvard, Princeton, Yale, etc? I've read work by Koortbojian at Princeton and he seems quite good....

[inner_outer]

I'm also curious about what people have to say about Princeton 

[PetroniusArbiter]

Who does Princeton have besides Koortbojian (only Arrington--newly appointed, but not established)? You want to make sure that you have a "team" that can carry you to the job market and give you three strong references. You never know if the supervisor you start out with will be the one who chairs your dissertation. Also, Koortbojian--how closely have you read his stuff? (I'm not a huge fan of all of it--but who is a fan of everything a person puts out?). I've heard that he is a very good supervisor though. 

 

Some other people who are "hot right now" in the field that you might consider: Verity Platt (Cornell) and Chris Hallett (Berkeley). 

[Melian4]

I wholeheartedly support PetroniusArbiter's point -- you should apply to places that have more than one person you would like to work with. Harvard, for example, is pretty weak on the Roman art side, especially compared to some of the other programs mentioned above. 

 

It doesn't necessarily mean you should try to find programs with more than one Roman art historian; you should, however, consider places that have people who could support your particular approach (anthropological, visual cultural, philological etc), the medium you want to study (sculpture, vase painting, etc), the geographical region you are interested in (Britain, the Greek East, North Africa, etc), or the theme you want to explore (representations of power, funerary art, etc). 

 

Depending on your project, you may end up working with historians, philologists, and anthropologists, which is why it is more important to find well-rounded programs that can support various aspects of your research rather than programs with one star potential supervisor with whom you absolutely need to work. 

I hope this helps!