Art History Department

Programs

Honors Program

Students who have a GPA of 3.5 or above at the end of their first three years may apply for the Art History Honors Program.  In order to remain eligible, the GPA must still be at 3.5 or above throughout the senior year.  Students interested in enrolling in the Honors Program should contact the Art History Department's Honors Coordinator during the spring semester of their junior year.  Outstanding majors are encouraged to apply; final selection of participants, however, rests with the Art History Department.

Students in the Art History Honors Program must complete an Honors thesis, normally between thirty and fifty pages in length.  They are also required to enroll in one advanced seminar, which is usually at the graduate level, and typically, though not necessarily, in a subject related to that of their thesis.  In addition to the seminar, students must enroll in ARTHIST 495 in both the fall and spring semesters, during which time they research and write a thesis under the supervision of a faculty member.  The preliminary research is presented to faculty and students at a symposium at the end of the fall semester. The thesis is then defended orally in the spring before a committee of three examiners one of whom must be a faculty member from outside the Art History department.

Students who are interested in enrolling in the Honors program need to choose the area in which they wish to write a thesis, identify a topic or question they wish to explore, and contact the appropriate faculty member to see if he or she is able to work with them. Unfortunately, it is not always possible for professors to accept Honors students. Although students cannot officially register in the program until the fall, it is necessary to establish a topic and advisor in the spring semester of the junior year, so that a one-page thesis proposal can be written in consultation with the advisor. This must be accepted by the department before the end of the semester. Students are then invited to participate in the Honors program.

Once the proposal is accepted, it is advisable to begin initial reading and research over the summer. If the student is intending to go on to study art history at the graduate level, writing an Honors thesis will be a particularly valuable experience.

Students who have questions, or who would like to discuss in more detail what is involved in the Honors program, should contact the Art History Department at 404.727.6282, where they will be directed to the Honors Coordinator.

Study Abroad

The department conducts annual summer programs away from Atlanta that can be taken for full credit. The locations, which vary, have recently been in France and Italy. For semester programs administered by Emory (CIPA) or other institutions, interested students should contact the Department Coordinator for Study Abroad for further information.

Advising

Students must declare a Major/Minor through the departmental office. They will be assigned a faculty adviser who will guide them in the fulfillment of the requirements.

Language Study

Reading competence in a foreign language for the study of art history. Further language study (preferably at least one other) is highly recommended for those students who intend to pursue graduate work in art history

Internship

Carlos Museum, the High Museum of Art, commercial art galleries, architecture firms, and other art-related organizations. Students must consult with the Internship Coordinator. Internships carry academic credit (ARTHIST 397) but do not count toward the Major or Minor requirements.

An internship consists of specific art- or architecture-related work experience supervised by the personnel of cooperating institutions, whether on campus or in the Atlanta community, who assign a grade at the end of the term. The experience is overseen by the Internship Coordinator in the Art History Department. In order to get four credit hours, which is the equivalent of an academic course, students must enroll in Art History 397 and work 10-12 hours a week for 14 weeks. Fewer hours of work can also be done for fewer credits (3 hours a week for 1 credit, 6 for 2, 8 for 3), with the supervisor’s approval. However, most internship venues are reluctant to train students for less than 4 credits worth of time.

Awards and Honors

Art History Paper Prize.

Awarded every spring to the undergraduate student who wrote the most outstanding research paper in the preceding two semesters, a monetary prize is awarded and the winner's name is included in the commencement program, if a graduating senior.

The John Howett Prize for Undergraduate Travel (2009-2012)

$2500 awarded early each spring to an undergraduate Art History major or minor to fund travel, domestic or international, to view or directly experience works of art. The prize can be used to supplement a study abroad experience or simply to travel to exhibitions, museums or other locations where there is art about which the student is passionate or feels compelled to study in great depth. The John Howett Prize is open to sophomore and junior applicants who meet the Emory College requirements for financial aid. Applicants submit an essay detailing how they would make use of money. The essays are judged by a faculty committee.