4+1 B.A./M.A. Program
The Department of History of Art and Architecture has a 4+1 program that allows outstanding students to complete a B.A. and M.A. in a total of five years. The department offers two 4+1 degrees:
- History of art
- Architecture and the built environment
The M.A. is a valuable qualification for museum and gallery work, heritage management and preservation, and professional school. Furthermore, it is excellent preparation for students who wish to explore the possibility of pursuing a Ph.D. in history of art, architecture, and visual culture.
Eligibility | Application | Requirements | Financial Aid | Contact
Eligibility
The 4+1 programs are designed for current undergraduate majors and minors in the Department of History of Art and Architecture with a GPA of 3.50 or above in the major and across the curriculum (cumulative). Students majoring in other Vanderbilt programs with significant coursework in history of art and architecture may be eligible; please consult with the director of graduate studies.
Graduate coursework for the 4+1 program begins while still an undergraduate at Vanderbilt, so this program is open only to current Vanderbilt undergraduate students. Students who have received a bachelor’s degree from another university are not eligible to apply. We do not offer an independent M.A. or Ph.D. program separate from the 4+1 program.
Application
Applications are evaluated on a rolling basis. The application process should be initiated in the student’s junior year or, at the very latest, by the end of the first semester of the senior year.
Prospective applicants shall consult with Mario Rewers in the A&S Dean’s Office, as well as their undergraduate adviser and the director of graduate studies in history of art and architecture.
- Each applicant must submit the Petition to Apply to the Combined B.A./M.A. (4+1) Degree Program, approved by their undergraduate adviser. Upon departmental and administrative approval, the student will be provisionally accepted into the combined degree program pending completion of all undergraduate requirements.
- Applicants must also formally apply to the Graduate School in their senior year to achieve graduate student status by the beginning of the fifth year of study. No GRE scores are required. The application should include:
- Undergraduate transcript(s)
- Statement of purpose (1-2 pages)
- Resume or curriculum vitae
- Writing sample (12-20 pages)
- Two recommendations, sent separately by the letter-writers (at least one from a HART faculty member)
Program Requirements
At least 30 didactic (letter-graded) graduate credit hours are required for the master’s degree. This includes enrollment in at least 24 credit hours of formal coursework; 3 credit hours in method, theory, historiography, and professional practice (HART 6010: The Methods of Art History); and 3 credit hours preparing a Qualifying Paper (HART 6999).
Typically, a student interested in the 4+1 program will work closely with the undergraduate adviser to ensure that all B.A. requirements can be completed, even as graduate coursework begins in the senior year. Upon provisional acceptance to the graduate program, a 4+1 student will develop a plan of study in consultation with the director of graduate studies (DGS) and will receive registration priority in HART classes. Normally, 4+1 students register for 3 to 6 credit hours of graduate coursework in their senior year. Most 4+1 students engage in research, internships, or travel in the summer between their fourth and fifth years. The average load per semester as a graduate student in the fifth year is 9-12 credit hours.
With the approval of the director of graduate studies, up to 3 courses (9 credit hours) in the M.A. program may be undergraduate courses at the 2000-level and above, with added work for graduate credit.
Requirements for M.A. in History of Art
This track is designed for students who wish to develop greater depth, breadth, and advanced research experience in history of art and architecture. It provides rigorous training in the discipline and its subfields as well as opportunities to pursue complementary studies in related fields, based on a student’s interests and professional goals.
Coursework is distributed as follows:
- Of the eight graduate courses (24 credit hours) of formal coursework required for the M.A., at least five courses (15 credit hours) must be taken in history of art and architecture.
- Up to three graduate courses (9 credit hours) may be taken in related fields or departments with approval from the DGS. Examples of areas include African American and diaspora studies; American studies; anthropology; Asian studies; classical and Mediterranean studies; English; history; medicine, health, and society; religious studies; and gender and sexuality studies.
- One HART graduate course (3 credit hours) in method, theory, historiography, and professional practice.
HART 6010: The Methods of Art History - Qualifying Paper (3 credit hours).
HART 6999: Qualifying Paper. Research and writing of a scholarly paper conceived and executed under the supervision of a HART faculty member. The paper is normally 25-30 pages in length (plus figures, models, etc.) and at least equal in quality to a graduate seminar paper. It should demonstrate the student’s ability to conduct significant independent research, to write clearly, and to use evidence and citations to construct a persuasive argument. The abstract of the qualifying paper shall be approved by the supervisor and DGS, and a copy of the completed paper filed with the department.
Requirements for the M.A. in Architecture and the Built Environment
The track in architecture and the built environment includes history and theory of architecture, landscape architecture, constructed environments, design studies, and urban studies. Few areas of inquiry are more interdisciplinary than the study of architecture and the built environment, combining visual, material, historical, and theoretical approaches, while also incorporating methods from fields such as anthropology, sociology, politics, literary studies, mathematics, studio arts, engineering, and others.
Coursework is distributed as follows:
- Four graduate core courses (12 credit hours) in HART on history of architecture, design, landscape, or urbanism at the 5000-level or above, selected from HART 5100, 5112, 5120, 5140, 5150, 5172, 5174, 5240, 5252, 5270, 5285, 5290, 5740, 5757, 5780, 5782, 5810, 5815, 6010, 6265, 6740, and CLAS 5250.
- Four graduate elective courses (12 credit hours) from the HART courses listed above or selected in consultation with the DGS, with a maximum of two elective courses being taken from any one department (with the exception of history of art).
Examples of other departments include:
- College of Arts and Science: African American and diaspora studies; American studies; art; Asian studies; biological sciences; cinema and media arts; classical and Mediterranean studies; communication of science and technology; communication studies; Earth and environmental sciences; English; European studies; French and Italian; history; Jewish studies; mathematics; medicine, health, and society; neuroscience; philosophy; physics; political science; psychology; public policy studies; religious studies; Russian and East European studies; sociology; Spanish and Portuguese; theatre; and gender and sexuality studies
- Blair School of Music: musicology and ethnomusicology
- Peabody College: human and organizational development
- Divinity School: religion
- School of Engineering: civil, mechanical, and environmental engineering; computer science; engineering science; and mechanical engineering
- One graduate HART course (3 credit hours) in method, theory, historiography, and professional practice.
- HART 6010: The Methods of Art History
- Qualifying Paper (3 credit hours).
- HART 6999: Qualifying Paper. Research and writing of a scholarly paper conceived and executed under the supervision of a HART faculty member, in consultation with an interdisciplinary partner if appropriate. The qualifying paper is normally 25-30 pages in length (plus figures, models, etc.) and at least equal in quality to a graduate seminar paper. It should demonstrate the student’s ability to conduct significant independent research, to write clearly, and to use evidence and citations to construct a persuasive argument. The abstract of the qualifying paper shall be approved by the supervisor and DGS, and a copy of the completed paper filed with the department.
Financial Aid and Scholarships
The department offers partial scholarships to outstanding students on a competitive basis.
Students who are receiving scholarship or other forms of financial aid from Vanderbilt are advised that such aid applies, in most cases, only toward the completion of the bachelor’s degree or the first four years of their studies (which may include taking some graduate courses during their senior year). Students pursuing the 4+1 typically seek support for their fifth year of study through student loans and external funding. Information about external funding opportunities is available through the Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships.
Contact
Contact your history of art and architecture faculty adviser or Sheri Shaneyfelt, director of graduate studies.