Anonymous, Chinese.  Seated Bodhisattva, Tang dynasty (618-907).  Marble, 25" x 9 7/8" x 7 1/4".  Gift of Chauncey P. Lowe [2005.033].

The undergraduate program in History of Art serves the undergraduate community at Vanderbilt, offering a degree program in the College of Arts and Science. The department offers a concentration in History of Art (30 hours) and minors in History of Art and architectural history.  Courses may be taken in related disciplines to supplement a major or minor in History of Art.

Professional schools of architecture seek students who have developed the ability to find creative solutions to artistic problems. Students may select any major but would want to include courses that emphasize a broad sense of art and architectural history, including courses in studio art. Please contact Professor Michael Aurbach (michael.aurbach@vanderbilt.edu) for further information on the architectural history minor.

History of Art courses cover a wide range. Different approaches are encouraged in order that students find a variety of methods to pursue as they learn about the critical and creative aspects of the field. More advanced research is possible in upper-level courses, including senior seminars, so that the history of art student is prepared to consider graduate work, museum studies, or art-related careers once the program is completed.

Information on our programs can be found in the Undergraduate Catalog under History of Art http://www.vanderbilt.edu/catalogs/undergrad/coursesstudy.html). For further discussion of majors, minors, and elective courses in the Department of History of Art, contact the Director of Undergraduate Studies through the department office.

Requirements

The honors program in history of art allows exceptional undergraduate students to undertake independent research on a topic in art history in consultation with faculty members.  The program is open to all history of art majors with junior standing who meet a 3.25 grade point average in all general university courses and a 3.25 grade point average in history of art courses.  They must also be approved for acceptance into the honors program by the departmental faculty.  Completion of the program requires 9 hours of study through any combination of hours that includes HART 289: Independent Research (the second semester of the junior year, unless studying abroad, in which case one is expected to enroll in this class the first semester of the junior year); HART 298: Honors Research (first semester of the senior year); and HART 299: Honors Thesis (second semester of the senior year); submission of an Honors Thesis; and successful completion of an oral Honors Examination.  These independent research hours are expected to be in excess of the 30 hours required for the major in history of art.  Students meeting these requirements receive Honors or High Honors in History of Art, depending on the quality of the thesis, grades in art history courses, and examination results.  Successful department honors students will receive a Vanderbilt diploma that records Honors or High Honors in History of Art.

Application to the Program

The first step is formulation of a thesis topic in consultation with an appropriate faculty member within the department of history of art who will serve as faculty advisor.  This consultation should take place during the spring semester of the junior year (fall semester, if studying abroad in spring) by enrolling in HART 289  and meeting with the faculty member with expertise in the relevant area.  Together with the faculty advisor, the student should write a 2-3-page description of the proposed honors thesis research, in which he/she provides a clear thesis statement that outlines the overall theme of the paper and briefly reviews existing literature on the topic.  The student should explain how his/her approach differs from those of other scholars, and the expected contribution of the proposed thesis.  The student should state clearly the content of each proposed chapter and include a complete bibliography.  This description, with the signatures of the student and the faculty advisor, should be submitted to the director of the departmental honors program by April 1 (or fall break, if studying abroad).  The director of the honors program will submit the proposal and the student’s academic file to the art history faculty for approval.  If approved, the applicant will be authorized to enroll in HART 298: Honors Research.

Formation of the Honors Committee

Once approved, the next step is the formation of the student’s departmental honors committee.  The committee consists of two additional faculty members selected by the student in consultation with the faculty advisor.  The honors committee includes the faculty advisor who must specialize in the topic of the thesis, the director of the department honors  program, and one additional faculty member usually from the department of history of art whose specialization is closely related to the thesis topic.   (It is possible to petition for a faculty member from a different department to serve as the additional member of the committee; this applies to those students who select an interdisciplinary topic).  The student must submit the signatures of the student’s honors committee to the director of the departmental honors program no later than the second week of the first semester of the student’s senior year.

Independent Research

Honors students will complete AHST 298 and 299 for a total of six hours of independent research.  These hours will be devoted to the research and preparation of an honors thesis and completion of the honors examination.  After consultation with faculty members, students may leave the program without losing credit hours gained in independent research.  These hours will be retroactively converted from AHST 298 (Honors Research) to AHST 289 (Independent Research).  At the end of each semester, the student’s work must be approved by the department before the student advances in the program.  These independent research hours are expected to be in addition to the 30 hours required for the major in history of art.

Honors Thesis

The honors thesis is an original work based upon the results of the student’s independent research.  The topic and length must be determined on the advice of the student’s faculty advisor in consultation with the director of the departmental honors program.  Undergraduate honors theses in the department of history of art have a maximum limit of 50 double-spaced pages in length (excluding illustrations).  The entire first draft of the thesis must be completed and turned in to honors committee members by March 1, revisions by April 1, and two copies of the final draft must be bound and deposited with the departmental secretary no later than April 27 of the student’s senior year.  Failure to meet these deadlines will result in removal of the student from the departmental honors program.

Honors Examination

The department administers an oral examination one week after the completion of the honors thesis.  The honors thesis is given to the honors committee, which appraises the student’s written work and administers an oral examination that occurs directly after the student gives a presentation of the thesis.  The honors committee has two options in the assessment of student performance.  These options include 1) high honors, 2) honors.

VISION, the society for majors and minors, sponsors a variety of events, including the annual Alumni Roundtable, The Worst Artist competition, and visiting speakers.  Go to http://www.vanderbilt.edu/Students/Organizations/vision/visionhome.html to learn more.

BLUEprint, the pre-architecture organization, also sponsors speakers and activities such as daytrips to notable architectural sites.  Go to http://www.vanderbilt.edu/blueprint/ for further information. 

History of Art majors and minors are invited to add themselves to the department listserv by sending the following email message to majordomo@list.vanderbilt.edu:  "subscribe art_stu youremailaddress@vanderbilt.edu."