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Program Requirements for Art History
Applicable only to students admitted during the 2018-2019 academic year.
Art History
College of Letters and Science
Graduate Degrees
The Department of Art History offers the Master of Arts (M.A.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Art History.
Master’s Degree
Advising
The departmental graduate counselor is available for general and specific information about the degree program. Students are assigned an adviser upon admission to the program. The choice of adviser is determined by the student’s stated interests and faculty availability. Each adviser is responsible for the student’s course of study and completion of requirements within their own field. In addition, at least once each quarter students must consult the adviser regarding their overall course of study. A change of adviser(s) or change of field(s) must be approved by the Graduate Review Committee.
Areas of Study
There are 14 fields of study: African; American; Chinese; European, Greek and Roman; Indian and Southeast Asian; Islamic, Japanese; Korean; Latin American; medieval and Byzantine; modern and contemporary; pre-Columbian; and Renaissance and Baroque.
Foreign Language Requirement
A reading knowledge of one foreign language approved by the department is required for the M.A. degree. Students may not begin the fourth quarter of residence without having fulfilled this requirement.
Students of African, American, European, and Latin American art history must demonstrate reading fluency of French or German in any of the following ways: (1) by passing the departmental foreign language examination; (2) by enrolling in and completing with a minimum grade of B, French 5, German 6, Italian 5, and/or Spanish 25. Students of Italian art history may, with adviser consent, substitute Italian for French or German.
Students of Chinese or Japanese art history must demonstrate fluency of either Chinese or Japanese respectively. Students of South Asian, Southeast Asian, or Islamic art history must substitute an appropriate classical research language of South Asia, Southeast Asian, or the Islamic Middle East. The Asian or Islamic requirement is normally satisfied by enrolling in an appropriate course sequence for six consecutive quarters (normally beginning with the first quarter of graduate study) and by maintaining a grade of B or better in those courses. Details and/or exceptions must be worked out with the major adviser.
Students who fail to meet the language requirements are permitted to enroll only for the requisite language course until that requirement has been fulfilled. Examinations are scheduled four times a year, three weeks prior to finals week during the regular academic quarters, and approximately one week prior to instruction in fall quarter. Examination results are announced by the end of the last week of classes for the regular academic quarters, and by the last day to access MyUCLA enrollment for the fall quarter.
Course Requirements
Nine graduate and upper division courses (36 units) completed in graduate status are required for the M.A. degree. At least six of these courses (24 units) must be taken at the graduate level (200-series courses), including four graduate seminars. Students are required to complete Art History 200 with a grade of B+ or better. Art History 200 may be counted towards the total number of required graduate courses.
In addition, the nine required courses must satisfy the distribution requirement for the M.A. degree, including at least two courses from lists A and B below:
A: American; Greek and Roman; Latin American; medieval and Byzantine; modern and contemporary; Renaissance and Baroque.
B: African; Chinese; Indian and Southeast Asian; Islamic; Japanese; Korean; pre-Columbian.
Courses to be taken should be determined in consultation with the student’s major and minor advisers with the stipulation that progress toward the M.A. degree may not be impeded by requiring a course not offered at least once every two years.
Students who were admitted with course work deficiencies must make up these deficiencies during the first two quarters of residence and may not apply such course work toward the required courses for the degree. Instead of taking a course, the student may elect to substitute a competency examination in the area of deficiency.
By the end of the fall quarter of their second year all students select one of their class essays to revise and expand for submission as a thesis and qualifying paper for admission to the doctoral program. Students then register for Art History 597 during winter quarter of the second year to work on their essay under the supervision of a ladder track faculty member who is usually the student’s adviser.
Teaching Experience
Not required.
Field Experience
Not required.
Capstone Plan
None.
Thesis Plan
Every master’s degree thesis plan requires the completion of an approved thesis that demonstrates the student’s ability to perform original, independent research.
During the winter quarter of the second year, the chair of the Graduate Review Committee appoints two readers from the departmental faculty in addition to the student’s adviser to serve as the thesis committee. At least one of these appointees will have had no classroom experience with the student. For details on committee regulations, students should consult Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA, available on the Graduate Division website. Students and the major adviser must be in agreement on the members of the thesis committee.
The student selects a thesis topic in the major field. The thesis should deal succinctly with the topic in an independent, critical, and original fashion while taking fully into account the present state of research on the problem. The thesis must be clearly written, correctly documented, and illustrated, and must meet the minimum standards for formatting as set out by the Graduate Division Policies and Procedures for Thesis and Dissertation Preparation and Filing. The thesis should not exceed 40 pages in length and must be researched and written in consultation with the major adviser. If the thesis is rejected by one member of the committee, it may, at the request of the major adviser, be submitted to the Graduate Review Committee for final judgment; otherwise, the student is recommended for termination of graduate status.
All theses must be submitted to the departmental counselor by the first day of instruction in the spring quarter. At this time the essays are distributed to the three committee members, who are required to submit a written evaluation to the department. At a special meeting called by the departmental chair, the faculty discuss these evaluations as well as the student’s overall academic performance. In most cases the faculty agree to award the M.A. degree and permit the student to continue for the Ph.D. degree. In some cases the faculty may recommend the student receive a terminal M.A. degree. If the faculty judge the thesis to be deficient, the student may be recommended for termination of graduate study.
Time-to-Degree
Completion of the requirements for the master’s degree is designed to meet requirements for admission to the departmental doctoral program. Students are expected to complete the requirements for the M.A. degree within six quarters of full-time study. Students who do not complete the degree requirements within this time frame will be recommended for termination of graduate study to the Graduate Division unless, by petition, the Graduate Review Committee grants an extension of time due to grave and unusual mitigating circumstances.
| DEGREE | NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters) | NORMATIVE TTD |
MAXIMUM TTD |
| M.A. | 6 | 6 | 6 |
Doctoral Degree
Advising
At the time of application to the Ph.D. program, students select a major field of study within art history. By the end of the second quarter of residence, students select a minor field. These fields are registered on a form secured from and submitted to the graduate counselor, and must be signed by the graduate adviser. The faculty member responsible for the chosen minor field serves as the minor adviser, provided he or she consents to do so. Each adviser is responsible for the student’s course of study and completion of requirements within his or her field. In addition, the major adviser must be consulted regarding the student’s overall course of study at least once each quarter, and must approve and sign the program card. A change of adviser(s), and of either the major and/or minor field, must be approved by the Graduate Review Committee.
Major Fields or Subdisciplines
There are twenty-three areas in three fields:
Field A: (1) Aegean; (2) American; (3) baroque; (4) Byzantine; (5) contemporary (post-1945); (6) 18th century; (7) Greek; (8) medieval; (9) 19th century; (10) Renaissance; (11) Roman; and (12) 20th century.
Field B: (13) African; (14) Chinese; (15) Indian; (16) Islamic; (17) Japanese; (18) Native North American; (19) oceanic; (20) pre-Columbian; (21) Southeast Asian; (22) Korean.
Field C: (23) critical theory.
Foreign Language Requirement
Students are normally required to demonstrate, no later than the time of the University Oral Qualifying Examination, reading fluency in one or more foreign languages in addition to those required for admission. The language requirement differs by field and area. The applicability of this requirement, the language(s) required, and the exact means of satisfying the requirement are determined in consultation with the major adviser.
Course Requirements
At the time of application to the Ph.D. program, the student selects a major field of study within art history; by the end of the second quarter of residence, an additional minor (or minors) is selected. The faculty member responsible for the minor serves as the minor adviser. The major and minor advisers are responsible for the student’s course of study and completion of requirements within the field. In addition, the major adviser must be consulted regarding the student’s overall course of study at least once each quarter. A change of adviser and of either the major or minor field must be approved by the Graduate Review Committee.
If a student enters the Ph.D. program deficient in Art History 200 or its equivalent, it must be added to the total requirements. In some cases, Art History 201 may also be required if recommended by the faculty adviser.
The department offers three options in the selection of majors and minors.
Option I
Major from Field A, areas 1-12 or Field B, areas 13-22 — five courses in one area.
Minor from Field A, areas 1-2 or Field B, areas 13-22 — three courses in one area other than the major field, or from Field C, three courses from area 23.
Option II
Major from Field A, areas 1-12 or Field B, areas 13-22 — five courses in one area.
Minor from an extra-departmental area such as history, anthropology, or film — three courses in one area.
Option III
Major from Field C, area 22 — four courses from Field C, area 23 plus four courses in one area from Field A, areas 1-12, or Field B, areas 13-22.
Minor from Field A, areas 1-12, or Field B, areas 13-22 — three courses in one area not chosen as part of the major or three courses in one area from an extra-departmental area.
For major/minor options I and II, a minimum total of eight graduate and upper division courses is required, of which at least four must be art history courses on the graduate (200 and 596) level. Of this total, at least two must be taken, and up to five may be taken, as extra-departmental upper division and/or graduate courses on approval of the major or minor advisers (where applicable).
For Option III, a minimum total of 11 graduate and upper division courses is required, of which at least four must be art history courses on the graduate (200 and 596) level. Of this total, at least two must be taken, and up to five may be taken, as extra-departmental upper division and/or graduate courses on approval of the major or minor advisers (where applicable).
Teaching Experience
Not required.
Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations
Academic Senate regulations require all doctoral students to complete and pass university written and oral qualifying examinations prior to doctoral advancement to candidacy. Also, under Senate regulations, the University Oral Qualifying Examination is open only to the student and appointed members of the doctoral committee. In addition to university requirements, some graduate programs have other pre-candidacy examination requirements. What follows in this section is how students are required to fulfill all of these requirements for this doctoral program.
All committee nominations and reconstitutions adhere to the Minimum Standards for Doctoral Committee Constitution.
After completion of course work and language study, students must take the Ph.D. written qualifying examination to test breadth and depth of knowledge in the major and minor fields of study. If the examination is failed, or any part thereof, that portion may be repeated during the subsequent quarter of residence. No further repetition is allowed.
After passing the written qualifying examination, the student selects a dissertation topic. The members of the doctoral committee are then nominated, and the committee is appointed by the Graduate Division.
After submitting a dissertation proposal, the student then takes the University Oral Qualifying Examination, given by the doctoral committee. Assuming there is no more than one negative vote, the student becomes eligible to advance to candidacy.
Advancement to Candidacy
Students are advanced to candidacy upon successful completion of the written and oral qualifying examinations.
Doctoral Dissertation
Every doctoral degree program requires the completion of an approved dissertation that demonstrates the student’s ability to perform original, independent research and constitutes a distinct contribution to knowledge in the principal field of study.
Final Oral Examination (Defense of Dissertation)
Not required for all students in the program. The decision as to whether a defense is required is made by the doctoral committee.
Time-to-Degree
| DEGREE | NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters) | NORMATIVE TTD |
MAXIMUM TTD |
| Ph.D. | 6 | 15 | 18 |
Termination of Graduate Study and Appeal of Termination
University Policy
A student who fails to meet the above requirements may be recommended for termination of graduate study. A graduate student may be disqualified from continuing in the graduate program for a variety of reasons. The most common is failure to maintain the minimum cumulative grade point average (3.00) required by the Academic Senate to remain in good standing (some programs require a higher grade point average). Other examples include failure of examinations, lack of timely progress toward the degree and poor performance in core courses. Probationary students (those with cumulative grade point averages below 3.00) are subject to immediate dismissal upon the recommendation of their department. University guidelines governing termination of graduate students, including the appeal procedure, are outlined in Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA.
Special Departmental or Program Policy
Master’s
If a thesis is rejected by one member of the committee, it may, at the request of the major adviser, be submitted to the Graduate Review Committee for final judgment; otherwise the student is recommended for termination.
Doctoral
The Ph.D. written qualifying examination may be repeated once. If failed the second time, the student is recommended for termination. Appeals of recommendation for termination are submitted to the graduate counselor for referral to the Graduate Review Committee.