A
Joint Program of the Art History Program of the Art Department
and the Stone Center for Latin American Studies
Tulane is one of the few universities in the US with the faculty,
library, and other resources to support a strong PhD program
in Latin American art (see list of relevant faculty).
The art history program is of very high quality, the Latin American
library is one of the finest in the nation, and the Stone Center
is one of the most prominent centers for Latin American studies
in the country. Demand for PhDs with expertise in Latin
American art is growing, as colleges and universities across
the country add non-Western and Latin American specialists to
their art departments. The joint PhD in Art History and
Latin American Studies addresses this demand by drawing on Tulane's
strengths.
The joint PhD program unites a disciplinary grounding in art
history with the breadth and comparative perspective of Latin
American Studies. The program in Art History provides
the strong disciplinary foundation graduates need for careers
in teaching, research, and museum work in art history.
The Program in Latin American Studies provides more comprehensive
knowledge of Latin America and encourages a comparative perspective
within Latin America and between Latin America and other areas
of the globe. The program encourages study in such related
fields as anthropology, history, languages, literature, and
culture of Latin America, and comparative work with cultures
outside of Latin America (e.g., Europe, Africa). This
unique, ideal degree requires a range of art history courses
and teaching proficiency in the art history survey courses as
well as interdisciplinary breadth in Latin America.
Summary of curriculum
Coursework and distribution requirements: 54 credits + dissertation
18 courses, MA thesis or equivalent, + dissertation
10+ with Latin American
content
6+ in Latin American art history
5+ in non-Latin American
art history
2 electives
Latin American core seminar
and art history method and/or theory
A primary and a secondary concentration are
required
Primary at 7 courses,
secondary at 4
2 languages, including Spanish or Portuguese
One passed the first year, second one passed the third year
Qualifying examinations:
6 hour written in primary concentration, 3 hour written in secondary
2 hour oral
Ideal progression through the program of a student coming
with a BA
Year
Fall
Spring
1
3
courses
4
courses,
1st language exam
2
4
courses
3
courses + MA thesis
3
4
courses
2nd
language exam
Qualifying exams
4
Apply
for grants
Dissertation research
Dissertation
research
5
Away
for research
Away
for research
6
Dissertation
writing
Dissertation
writing
Ideal progression of a student coming with a non-Tulane
MA, bringing 18 transfer credits
Year
Fall
Spring
1
3
courses
1st language exam
4
courses
2
4
courses
1
course, 2nd language exam
Qualifying exams
Prospectus developed
Advance to candidacy
3
Apply
for grants
Dissertation research
Dissertation
research
4
Away
for research
Away
for research
5
Dissertation
writing
Dissertation
writing
Admission
The program is small and selective, accepting only one or two
highly qualified applicants each year. Successful applicants
must demonstrate an ability to work in a critical and imaginative
fashion and to conduct original, clearly articulated research
that will advance the frontiers of knowledge. Along with
the Graduate School application form, applicants must submit
transcripts, GRE scores, three letters of recommendation, a
statement of purpose, evidence of language ability, and an MA
thesis or two substantive research papers.
Students may enter the program in one of four ways: directly
with a BA, coming to the program with an MA conferred by another
university, transferring to the program with an MA conferred
by another Tulane department, and progressing from the MA programs
in Art History or Latin American Studies.
A six-person faculty committee (convened by the Director of
the Program) evaluates applications. Members of this admissions
committee include the Graduate Coordinators in Art History and
Latin American Studies and faculty (two from Art History and
two from Latin American Studies) with whom the candidate will
potentially work. Applicants who are coming from Tulane's
MA programs in Art History and Latin American Studies must be
able to secure the support of two faculty members who will agree
to direct his/her studies if accepted to the program.
Transfer credit:
Students with a Tulane MA in Latin American Studies or Art History
may apply up to 30 credit hours of relevant work toward the
PhD. Students transferring from other Tulane departments
or coming with an MA from another university may transfer up
to 18 hours of relevant work.
Coursework and distribution requirements
The PhD requires 54 credit hours (including an MA thesis or
equivalent) in addition to the dissertation. Of these,
at least 30 hours must have a Latin American content, including
at least 18 hours in Latin American art; other Latin American
courses can be taken in departments such as Anthropology, Economics,
History, Political Science, Sociology, and Spanish and Portuguese;
the School of Architecture; and Latin American Studies special
offerings. Fifteen credit hours must be in art history
pertaining to areas outside Latin America. The balance
of credit hours are electives; they may be in art history and/or
Latin America, but they may also pertain to other areas relevant
to the student's work (e.g., European history, Medieval thought,
writing systems). The Latin American Studies core seminar
is required, as is a course on art historical method and/or
theory. All courses must be at the 600 and 700 levels.
Students must develop a primary concentration (e.g., Precolumbian,
colonial, or modern) and a secondary one. The second concentration
may be within Latin American art (e.g., Precolumbian,
colonial, or modern), or it may cover a comparative area (e.g.,
modern Latin American art paired with modern European art, or
colonial Latin American art paired with medieval and early modern
European art). Twenty-one semester hours (7 courses) must
pertain to the primary concentration, and 12 semester hours
(4 courses) must pertain to the secondary concentration.
These courses may be in Art History or other disciplines with
Latin American content. For example, a student with a
primary concentration in Precolumbian and a secondary concentration
in colonial would take 7 art history and anthropology courses
with a Precolumbian content, and 4 courses with a colonial content
in art history, history, or literature.
Languages
A good working knowledge of two languages is required, one of
which must be Spanish or Portuguese. Students are expected
to pass their language examination in Spanish or Portuguese
during the first year of study. The required level of competence
corresponds to “intermediate” on the scale of the American Council
on the Teaching of Foreign Language (ACTFL).
The second language should also be pertinent to the student's
work. German is strongly recommended, as are relevant
indigenous languages (e.g., Yucatec or Kaqchikel Maya, Nahuatl,
or Quechua). The examination in this second language should
be taken in the second year. Students are encouraged to
develop additional language competencies as needed by their
research fields.
In order to gain competence in what is commonly known as a Less
Commonly Taught Language, such as Portuguese, Nahuatl, Kaqchikel
Maya, Yucatec Maya, Quechua, etc., the Stone Center offers a
variety of options to graduate students. Yucatec Maya
and Nahuatl are taught during the regular academic year at Tulane.
Another option is summer study through Tulane (Kaqchikel Maya
in an intensive 6-week course in Guatemala) or other Latin American
Studies programs around the US, supplemented by continuing study
on one's own. The Stone Center offers FLAS Summer Fellowships
to qualified graduate students to attend these programs.
Faculty Committees
The Director of the Program guides the student in assembling
and convening Examination Committees and Dissertation Committees.
The Examination Committee, which oversees the student's qualifying
examinations, is composed of four members: two professors
from Art History and two with relevant expertise from other
departments.
Once the qualifying examinations are successfully completed,
the student decides on his/her Dissertation Committee, in consultation
with the dissertation advisor and the Director of the Program.
This three-person committee is usually drawn from the four-person
examination committee. Additional members--from within Tulane
or from other universities--may also be added to the Dissertation
Committee if appropriate.
Qualifying Examinations
General qualifying examinations are designed to evaluate a student's
subject mastery, scholarly competence, and analytical ability.
These examinations are tailored for each individual's particular
academic and professional aspirations, theoretical and methodological
needs, and field of research. They are designed to demonstrate
students' abilities to place their own research into context.
Qualifying examinations should be taken no later than the first
semester after the completion of all coursework requirements.
A year before they are to be taken, the student meets with the
Graduate Advisors in Art History and Latin American Studies
to form the Examination Committee (see Committees, above).
This committee reviews and approves the reading lists compiled
by the student, compiles the examination questions, and judges
the responses. Ordinarily three of
these four committee members later serve as the student's Dissertation
Committee.
Once the Examination Committee is appointed, students prepare
for the examinations by compiling professional bibliographies
and critical reading lists in their primary and secondary concentrations.
These bibliographies are reviewed in-depth with each committee
examiner who will suggest modifications and additional readings
as appropriate. The committee members will inform the students
of the parameters and scope of their questions well in advance
of the examination.
The examinations include an six-hour written examination in
the first concentration and a three-hour written examination
in the second concentration, with questions drawn from art history
and other pertinent disciplines (e.g., archaeology, history).
These written examinations are followed by an oral examination
administered by the entire committee; the latter takes the form
of a two-hour general discussion.
Qualifying examinations are administered during the regular
academic year and must be completed within the space of one
calendar month.
Dissertation
Before the beginning of the semester following the Qualifying
Examination, students should decide which three members of their
Examination Committee will form their Dissertation Committee.
This is accomplished in consultation with the Dissertation Director
and the Graduate Advisors in Art History and Latin American
Studies.
Prospectus
Within three months of completing the Qualifying Examinations,
students should present a Dissertation Prospectus. The
prospectus constitutes the first formal synthesis of the research
project that culminates in the Dissertation. Students
should use it to organize and structure the content of the proposed
research, to describe how and where it will be conducted, to
analyze its feasibility and specific methodology, to define
the importance of the topic as a unique contribution to knowledge,
and to create a timetable for completion. Students prepare
the Dissertation Prospectus in close consultation with the dissertation
chairs, the Graduate Advisors in Art History and Latin American
Studies, and the other members of the Dissertation Committees.
Funding for Research
Small summer research grants are available by competition from
the Stone Center to help students begin to formulate their research
topics. However, students must seek outside funding to
support the field, museum, and archive research for their dissertations.
The Graduate Advisors in Art History and Latin American Studies
and the members of the Dissertation Committee can help identify
sources of support and advise on the preparation of applications.
Since many application deadlines occur in the early fall, doctoral
students are advised to begin their applications in the summer.
Advancement to Candidacy
Once the doctoral student has successfully completed all required
coursework, language examinations, the Qualifying Examinations,
and the Dissertation Prospectus, s/he must apply officially
for Admission to Candidacy for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy.
The Graduate School has copies of the form, which must be signed
by the Dissertation Director.
Dissertation Defense
Well before the deadline for submission of the Dissertation
to the Graduate School, candidates must successfully complete
a final examination for the PhD degree. The examination,
called the Dissertation Defense, consists primarily of an oral
defense of the Dissertation, but can be extended at the discretion
of the Dissertation Committee to include course material or
any other relevant material. The Defense is a thorough
critical discussion of the Dissertation and its conclusions.
Because the Dissertation Committee frequently requests final
revisions to the Dissertation during the Defense, the candidate
should schedule the Defense to allow time for these revisions
before the Graduate School's deadline for submission for graduation.
The Dissertation Committee may invite other interested and appropriate
faculty to be present at the Defense. The Defense will
not be waived unless the candidate, with the approval of the
Graduate Advisors in Art History and Latin American Studies,
can establish a case of extreme hardship, which is subject to
review and approval of the Graduate Dean.
Financial Aid
Financial aid will be available in the form of fellowships,
teaching assistantships, and tuition waivers. The standard
financial aid package for students entering with an MA is four
years of funding. For those entering the PhD program from
the BA, up to five years of funding may be awarded.
As a condition of their fellowships, doctoral students who have
not yet advanced to candidacy will serve as Teaching Assistants
or Research and Project Associates each semester they receive
funding. Teaching Assistants will help faculty with their
courses (grading exams, offering discussion sections, and the
like). Once students have advanced to candidacy and are
doing dissertation research and writing, they will themselves
offer one course per semester as Instructor of Record (adjunct
faculty). These courses will usually be LAST 102 (a survey
of the culture of Latin America) alternating with ARHS 101 or
102 (Survey of the History of Art I or II).
Sample Coursework
Sample of coursework for a PhD student with a primary concentration
in Colonial Latin American Art and a minor concentration in
Medieval and Early Modern European Art
Latin American Art courses (6+):
ARHS 672 Seminar in Aztec Arts (Boone)
ARHS 673 Seminar in Mexican Manuscript
Painting (Boone)
ARHS 771 Colonial Art of Latin America
(Boone)
ARHS 683 Religious/Sacred Images in
Latin America (T. Reese)
ARHS 696 Latin American Cities (C.
and T. Reese)
ARHS 684 Modernism in the Americas
(Franco)
Art History courses (non-Latin American) (5+)
ARHS 690 Approaches to Art History
(staff)
ARHS 682 Representation and Writing
in the Baroque (Walker)
ARHS 791 Northern Baroque Art (Walker)
ARHS 731 Sixteenth-century Art in Italy
(Tuttle)
ARHS 733 Italian Renaissance Architecture
(Tuttle)
ARHS 792 American Art to 1950 (Plante)
Latin American courses (non-art) (4+)
LAST 700 Core Seminar in Latin American Culture
(Huck)
HISL 676 Colonial Mexico (Schroeder)
HISL 675 Africans in the Americas (Adderley)
SPAN 622 Colonial Latin American Literature
I (Charles)
Art History
Elizabeth Boone, Pre-Columbian and Colonial
Latin America, Mexico
James Hargrove, 19th and 20th-century Europe,
France
Pamela Franco, Caribbean, African-Diaspora,
African, modernism
Michael Plante, American, 20th-century, Contemporary
Thomas Reese, Colonial Latin America, urbanism,
20th-century architecture
Holly Flora, Medieval, Early Christian and
Byzantine, early modern Italy
Jessica Maier, Renaissance Italy
Florencia Bazzano-Nelson, Modern Latin American
Maya Stanfield-Mazz, Pre-Columbian and Colonial
Latin American, Peru
Suzanne Walker, European Baroque
Anthropology
E. Wyllys Andrews V, Mesoamerican archaeology,
Maya
William Balée, ethnobotany, ethnoecology,
Brazil
Victoria Bricker, Mesoamerican ethnohistory
and linguistics, epigraphy, ethnography, Maya
Harvey Bricker, Old World archaeology, Maya
archaeostronomy
Dan Healan, archaeology of Mexico, ceramics,
settlement patterns
Robert Hill, cultural anthropology, ethnohistory,
colonial, Maya
Judith Maxwell, language and linguistics,
Maya
Katherine Nelson, archaeology of the American
Southwest and Peru
John Verano, South American archaeology
Architecture
Eugene Cizec, historic preservation, Guatemala
Donald Del Cid, cultural heritage, Guatemala
Roberto Gonzalez, modern Latin American architecture
and urbanism
Carol McMichael Reese, Argentina, Mexico,
US, architecture and urbanism
Classical Studies
Jane Carter, Classical archaeology, Greek
sculpture
Suzanne Lusnia, Roman imperial art and architecture
Communication
Ana López, mass communication, film,
popular culture
John Patton, mass communication, communication
and culture, eastern Caribbean
English
Gaurav Desai, postcolonial studies, literary
and cultural theory
Felipe Smith, Caribbean and African American
literature
History
Roseanne Adderley, Caribbean, formation of
African Diaspora
James Boyden, Hapsburg Spain, Renaissance
and Reformation, early modern Atlantic world
Susan Schroeder, Colonial Mexico, ethnohistory
Justin Wolfe, Central America, race and ethnicity
Gertrude Yeager, South American historiography,
Andes
Latin American Studies
James Huck, Mexican politics and foreign
relations, U.S.-Latin American relations
Edie Wolfe, Modern Latin American Art
Spanish and Portuguese
Idelber Avelar, postdictatorial culture,
Southern Cone and Brazilian literature and culture
Laura Bass, colonial literature of Latin
America
John Charles, colonial literature of Latin
America
Christopher Dunn, Cuba, Brazil, cultural
studies, African Diaspora studies
Marilyn Miller, Carribean literature, postcolonial
theory
Maureen Shea, Central American and Andean
literature, gender and sexuality
