History of Art MA/PhD 2008

[lxs]

I'm still waiting on CUNY and Iowa ...

I called CUNY today (saw two posts about acceptances - made me a little nervous) and they said that decisions are beginning to be made but the process is "ongoing" and we should hear soon. Could they be more vague?

[travelingartmuse]

stylefaxee - I grew up in a the neighborhood adjacent to Case. Ahhh...home. I miss home here in the NYC land of flying monkeys. If you are considering it and want to know more let me know...Good luck as you all make your decisions. Remember as stressful as making a choice can be, having choices is better than not having any!

[vangogh08]

smellie: Yes please, let me know what info you receive. It will probably be different for PhDs so I will probably email myself eventually. But, any information you receive that might be helpful is great. Are you considering going there? I've heard good things about it.

[lxs]

stylefaxee - my friend got a rejection from cuny today! she applied to a different field than both of us, however. looks like they're on the move.

[stylefaxee]

I called CUNY today (saw two posts about acceptances - made me a little nervous) and they said that decisions are beginning to be made but the process is "ongoing" and we should hear soon. Could they be more vague?

Off all of the vague responses I have been hearing from programs in the last month, CUNY definitely wins for most ambiguous. They might as well say "I have no idea" and call it a day. When I called it was even worse - they told me "sometime in the next month." But at least they are starting to make decisions...

stylefaxee - I grew up in a the neighborhood adjacent to Case. Ahhh...home. I miss home here in the NYC land of flying monkeys. If you are considering it and want to know more let me know...

thanks, travelingartmuse! I am probably going to reject their offer but I appreciate it. Speaking of which - has anyone started doing this? I'm not really sure how to go about it. Should I respond the way I was contacted (e-mail, for instance) or just send a letter to the department?

[travelingartmuse]

...makes you wonder...what will life at CUNY be like? I got that disorganized impression from the moment I walked through the door. They actually lost my check and held up my app because of their incompetance. Granted, there are very esteemed scholars who teach there. As an institution of higher educaton though, I wonder. Maybe I just have high expectations! But at this price those expectations should be met.

Did anyone apply or know anyone in the Columbia free standing MA program? .....

[Carnivalesque]

Hi everyone - I'm new to the thread (and forum for that matter) so I've been feeling my way around. I've applied to several schools thus far and I've received acceptance to the UC Irvine Visual Studies PhD, U of Maryland College Park East Asian Art History MA, and U of Kansas EA AH MA. I've received some meager funding from Kansas, but I'm really interested in working with professors from Irvine and Maryland thus far. Irvine is the logical choice for me -- I'm a theory nut and my focus is Japanese contemporary art and cultural studies so it feels like a great fit for me. Since I haven't heard anything regarding my financial package, I'm not ruling UM out as a solid alternative. I'm really curious if anyone else has been accepted to these programs and what their impressions were thus far! I have my BA in East Asian Studies from a small east coast liberal arts college, so regardless of where I end up matriculating, I'm sure the experience will be worlds different from what I am used to.

Also, University of Maryland is having a Symposium on the 28th-29th and has extended an invitation to those accepted. I was wondering if anyone here was planning on attending?

It has been awesome following along with everyone's experiences so far. Congrats to those who have gotten in and good luck to those who are still waiting!

.

[gradschool08]

Hi Carnivalesque, congrats on your acceptances! I applied to Maryland as well and just declined their offer last week, as I knew my decision was really between two other programs. BUT I have a great deal of respect for the professors there and my own specialty is Japanese art as well so I did quite a bit of looking into the two specialists at Maryland. I can send you a private message if you like with more details but I would say you should consider your career objective--if you want to teach, particularly in art history departments (as opposed to Visual Studies, etc), or if you plan to work at certain museums, the VS degree may not take you as far as the AH degree--generally a reflection of the conservative tastes that very often make hiring decisions in universities and museums, rather than the quality of education you might receive. But given that you're doing contemporary and you are going for the MA, maybe it won't matter--I have no idea what your plans are. And, then again, I heard some very good things about Irvine and I really like the work of the specialist there, so that might be perfect for you. But several people in the field told me when I was thinking about where to apply to factor in the career goal aspect, so that might be something to consider.

That said I really liked all the Maryland people I talked to and have good feelings about them as well. I wouldn't rule them out if they haven't told you about financial things yet - I turned down funding from them and I know some should be redistributed to another student(s). For what it's worth the package they put together for me was quite generous. I was so pleased to see someone with similar interests on the board I thought I would chime in. Good luck with your decision!

[hardkore]

I disagree that visual culture and art history are not related. I believe in some ways that a visual culture degree is more applicable to writing/researching/education than an art history degree, especially if your interest is in contemporary/modern/RIGHT NOW art, like me.

By the way, Yale RAN away from me, and ya know what, that's quite alright.

In my experience in museums and galleries, actually, I know several people in visual studies programs and many people shying away from art history programs because of the narrow focus and the burgeoning interdisciplinary philosophy of many American museums.

[the17thscream]

Just received notice that while I'm not in UChicago's PhD program, they're offering me admittance to their (seemingly ridiculously excellent, unique, and attractive) humanities MA program (no funding, but it's only one year)...I've always had a serious soft spot for UChicago, and I have seen myself there for a long time, but it's stupid to pass on / defer my full ride Bryn Mawr PhD offer, yeah? Should I consider it a "soft rejection" like the no funding admit I got from NYU? The UChicago MA program (which provides an intense grounding in humanistic theory across disciplines) sounds absolutely fantastic, but it would be intellectual masturbation to go there instead of/before pursuing my PhD...right?

[guys]

the 17thscream - I would recommend that you not pass up full funding at Bryn Mawr for the Chicago program. There is an entire thread or two on thegradcafe about this program - please check it out. While that extra year of work can add extra weight to your application to a top PhD program, it is above all else a great money maker for U. of Chicago. I won't repeat the same things that you can read on those threads, though I do want to add that Bryn Mawr is a great program.

But, if you have any doubts about spending 6+ years there, and have your heart set on another program (and if your parents have the money or you're willing to go into major debt) then consider U. of Chicago. I'm sure there are several Bryn Mawr PhD waitlisters who would love to have your place and money transferred to them. Hope this helps!

[hack]

I second the comment by guys. Bryn Mawr is a very well regarded program. But if it isn't what you want, you should spend a year bolstering your application and apply anew to programs you prefer. However, I'm not convinced that the MA Humanities program at chicago is going to enhance your application to Art History programs necessarily -- you may want to consult an advisor you trust about this -- especially because from what I understand you aren't necessarily enabled in that program to work deeply with the Art History department there other than taking a few classes (I could be mistaken). For what it's worth, and apart from the skepticism that accompanies all of the grad cafe and other message board parsing of that program, I do know someone who loved it and felt it helped his application to Comparative Lit programs.

But I'm becoming convinced that Art History departments are quite set apart from other Humanities PhD programs in their particularity about what comprises a strong applicant. Reading through this thread, and knowing my own experience and that of others, it's clear to me that 4.0 gpas, MA degrees, publications, teaching experience, museum/curatorial/archival/archeological/etc. research experience -- all of these together won't ensure acceptance to a choice PhD program, nor that you'll get funding, nor that you'll be admitted to any program at all, necessarily. I think the number of great AH phd programs is sufficiently small (fewer still offer great funding) that those programs can be exceptionally selective about admissions. It appears to me that at the level of comparing top candidates -- far too many for the limited spaces in these programs -- factors like personality, network/connections in the field, and quirky criteria about match with research notions all become key. Just speculation here.

[the17thscream]

guys and hack,

Thank you very much for the advice! I checked the Chicago MAPH topic (I only had the Art History program bookmarked), and while it seems I would love the program, I absolutely cannot afford more debt on top of my undergrad (damn you Columbia for turning all undergrad loans into grants STARTING NEXT YEAR). Bryn Mawr is perfect for me (ie: not one but TWO professors I am dying to work with) in everything except name, and I'm still struggling with the whole stupid elitist bullshit Columbia's instilled into me. However, although I've received admits to a few PhD programs, Bryn Mawr is the only one that seems to want me enough to provide me a full ride, and I need to stop with this "won't join any club that will have me unless it's an ivy" crap. It's giving me cold feet. As ya'll can probably tell, I'm very young (senior in undergrad right now), and I'll be the first in my family to complete a BA let alone pursue a PhD, so all of the advice is very very much appreciated.

[gradschool08]

hardkore, i take your point about the significance of the visual studies degree, particularly for those studying late modern/contemporary, in any geographical region of specialization (if any). the purpose of my comment (which may not have been fully clear) was to suggest that thinking about the potential job market as well as longer term career aspirations right now can be a useful thing when deciding what graduate program in which to enroll. of course, for some of us it feels very strange to be thinking so far down the road (8-10 years or more in some cases) after doing the happy dance that follows an acceptance to graduate study! but i know that for me, and i suspect for others, the process of deciding to apply to art history programs, and then actually doing it, prompted a great deal of introspection about not just my own goals and interests, but also what i perceive to be the state (and future) of my field, as well as that of art history, visual culture studies, and museum practices in general.

i never meant to indicate that i consider art history and visual studies to be unrelated. in fact i applaud the academic programs that are integrating the two "fields" within a single department, etc. because i think in many respects it is an artificial divide, and there is much of mutual benefit to gain by such a move. i should also venture that the state of the field for specialists in asian art is often not the same as for those in western art. (for instance, the largest art history departments might support 1 SE Asian, 1 Chinese, and 1 Japanese specialist. many programs (some very well respected) have only 1, or sometimes none at all, even those offering advanced degrees! though i do think this is changing, and also a function of marginalization(s) seen across academia, and not just limited to asian sub-fields.)

but from our current standpoint, peering over the edge on the cusp of entering graduate study, it's important to remember that the 'old guard' is still very much a force in shaping academic departments and likely will still be in effect when we enter the job market, hence my point that it's worth considering the marketability of your graduate degree, as it were, particularly if you have an interest in academia but also a career in museums. these institutions, and their boards, can be slow to change. (my own experience working in museums and galleries has certainly instilled that point in my consciousness.) by no means should this determine what one studies, or be the defining factor in "where to go". but just the awareness of the larger world into which we will plunge, and how it may change once we emerge from grad school, can be an empowering thing. it's always best to make as informed a decision as possible, yes? i think all too often those in the humanities are pigeon-holed with the perception (sometimes accurate) that we are romantic fuddy-duddies (many are brilliant!) to whom the practicalities of career advancement become clear very late, if ever.

i am using euphemisms here and i'm so sorry this has become such a long little treatise, but these issues have been so much on my mind for the last year. i would be curious to know what others think, if anyone else finds this interesting?

[charis]

hi 17thscream,

i can tell you that i'm pretty much in the same boat as you. i also applied to U Chicago PhD and they accepted me in their MAPH and I also got acceptance letter from Bryn Mawr in February with fellowship offer.

i got into all my safety schools with less funding and am waitlisted at U Mich. looks like BMC PhD program is well regarded in the field (i'm into Italian Renaissance) and has good resources/facilities. i also like its intimate environment and location near metropolitan area.

my only regret is that i don't want to reject the offer from tufts, since they have a professor whose research interests match mine perfectly. they also offered me 3/4 tuition remission but the living expenses are too steep and it's terminal MA program.

anyway, maybe i'll see you at BMC next fall. i might visit campus this weekend.

[lxs]

hey charis,

I'm also on the waitlist at UMich. so far it's been the closest thing I've had to an offer, although I am still waiting to hear from one school (CUNY). did they give you any idea when final decisions would be made there? I'm super anxious. and, congrats on BMC. I applied there and visited - the campus is gorgeous and the department seems wonderful!

[charis]

hey lxs,

thanks! i haven't done anything regarding my being waitlisted at umich since Prof. Holmes emailed me in early March. i know i'm a good fit for the school especially given my strong interests in both renaissance art and women's studies/feminism (they offer a really attractive certificate program in women's studies). but i'm a little intimidated by its enormous size and midwest stereotype (i went to a small LAC in the east coast and have lived in both coasts) to pursue it further.

have you talked to anyone at department about the process? i'm sure there will be some openings for sure, assuming that all the ivy acceptees applied there as a fall-back...

best of luck!!!

[bob_the_muse]

for you guys on the umich waitlist: if you are super interested in going there, you should email the grad director and tell them how enthusiastic you still are...that kind of thing can really make a difference. they might assume that you have other offers.

[lxs]

I'm interested in them mostly because they seem to be the only program interested in me . I was surprised they even waitlisted me because it wasn't a very good fit. I had thought of writing and letting them know how interested I am and inquiring about the waitlist, but the DGS asked me to inform them of other offers and I'm kind of embarassed that I haven't received any. I'm not sure how to dodge that fact... any ideas? Ugh.

[charis]

I used Michael Baxandall and his book Painting and Experience as a starting point with my thesis. He has some really interesting notions regarding what characteristics the "typical" Renaissance viewer had, and how everyday activities would have informed their viewing experience. This, he believed, could be somewhat quantified in order to determine the "period eye".

The missing link, however, was that Baxandall's "period eye" was inherently male-oriented. This is where my research comes in. I attempted to recreate the experiences (and thus determine how they would have viewed paintings of mythology on their wedding chests) of women, typically upperclass wives, by examining moral broadsheets, books like The Courtier which were written during the Renaissance, as well as the primers parents used to educate their daughters. These primers were incredibly interesting because they managed to teach the virtues befitting to women, wives, and mothers while simultaneously teaching girls their letters. I could go on ad nauseum, but I won't subject you! Botticelli is my favorite of these artists, and certainly the most well-known.

I'd like to continue in the realm of gender studies in Ren. art, merging it whenever possible with the classical ideas that were so pervasive during the time period.

This is very similar to one of my research papers I worked on my senior year. I did my paper on stylistic changes in Renaissance female portraiture. My thesis was on Sofonisba Anguissola's self portraits and I tried to explain how her experience as a woman artist shaped her way of self-represenatation.

I am very much interested in women's studies in the Renaissance period, art theories of the period and the historiography of women's art.

Where did you apply and where do you intend to go?

[smellie]

This is very similar to one of my research papers I worked on my senior year. I did my paper on stylistic changes in Renaissance female portraiture. My thesis was on Sofonisba Anguissola's self portraits and I tried to explain how her experience as a woman artist shaped her way of self-represenatation.

I am very much interested in women's studies in the Renaissance period, art theories of the period and the historiography of women's art.

Where did you apply and where do you intend to go?

Sounds like Adrian Randolph, whose article on deschi da parto I enjoyed reading

[charis]

lxs,

Umich professor just sent me another email that she'd like to talk with me on the phone.

have you heard anything yet?

you should contact them and tell you're still interested and you'd definitely attend if accepted.

good luck!

[travelingartmuse]

I just called NYU since it is the last rejection I am waiting for or the only acceptance I will receive....the Administrator said that 'yes' they are really late and letters are being mailed this Friday. This is ridiculous! Is anyone declining NYU's offer or crossing it off their list because of the delay? Just curious... Also do we believe that all these letters going out on Friday are rejections and the offers went out already in early March???

[smellie]

I just called NYU since it is the last rejection I am waiting for or the only acceptance I will receive....the Administrator said that 'yes' they are really late and letters are being mailed this Friday. This is ridiculous! Is anyone declining NYU's offer or crossing it off their list because of the delay? Just curious... Also do we believe that all these letters going out on Friday are rejections and the offers went out already in early March???

I'm pretty much crossing NYU off from my list. It seems all those who are accepted with funding already were notified through e-mails, so I think it's likely that the letters are rejections or acceptance w/o funding. In either case, I won't be going to NYU..

I wonder, if they're at least sending them out by express mails. It took average 3 weeks for any letters to get to me

[lxs]

charis,

I didn't hear anything yet, but thanks for the update. I'm still a little nervous to email them and say how gung ho I am about the program as I'm still waiting to hear back from CUNY...not sure what to do. Will you accept an offer from them if you get one? I, too, am a little nervous about a huge public university and about living in Ann Arbor!