Honors Program
The Honors Program in the Department of History of Art and Architecture allows exceptional undergraduate students to undertake independent research on a topic in art or architectural history in consultation with faculty members.
Requirements | Application | Committee | Research | Thesis | Exam | Contact
Requirements
The program is open to all history of art majors and architecture and the built environment majors with junior standing who meet a 3.3 grade point average in all general university courses and a 3.3 grade point average in courses in the department. They must also be approved for acceptance into the Honors Program by the departmental faculty.
Students must complete 9 credit hours of independent study, including:
- HART 3850: Independent Research (in the second semester of the junior year, unless the student is then studying abroad, in which case first semester of the junior year)
- HART 4998: Honors Research (first semester of the senior year)
- HART 4999: Honors Thesis (second semester of the senior year)
In addition to the above coursework, the student must also:
- Submit an Honors Thesis
- Successfully complete 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 or architecture and the built environment.
Students meeting these requirements receive Honors or Highest Honors in history of art and architecture, depending on the quality of their thesis, grades in art history courses, and examination results. Successful department Honors students will receive a Vanderbilt diploma that records Honors or Highest Honors in history of art and architecture.
Application
The first step is the formulation of a thesis topic in consultation with a history of art and architecture faculty member. The student should identify a faculty member with whom they have taken at least one course and who has expertise in a field directly related to the student’s area of interest, and reach out to the faculty member to ensure that they agree to serve as their adviser. The initial consultation should take place during the fall semester of the junior year (or spring semester of the sophomore year if studying abroad in the fall). The student should then contact the honors director to consult about Honors procedures.
The student and the faculty member supervising the thesis need to complete the Independent Study Contract for the student to be enrolled in 3 credit hours of HART 3850: Independent Research. This form must be completed by the end of the first week of classes of the term in which the student is to be registered. Upon completion of the form, it should be sent to the department chair for approval with a copy to the director of undergraduate studies so that the student can be registered for the HART 3850 credit hours. Please note that students cannot enroll themselves in HART 3850; this is handled by the department upon approval of the Independent Study Contract.
The student will conduct research and meet regularly with the faculty adviser. Together in consultation with the faculty adviser, the student will write a two-to-three-page description of the proposed Honors Thesis. The description should consist of the following:
- Clear thesis statement that outlines the overall theme of the paper
- Review of the literature that already exists on the subject, explaining how the present approach differs from previous studies
- Discussion of anticipated findings and contributions
- Summary of chapters and their contents
- Complete, annotated bibliography
The description, together with a completed Honors Candidacy Application Form signed by the student and faculty adviser, should be submitted to the director of the departmental honors program by April 1. If the applicant is approved, the student will then be enrolled by the department in HART 4998: Honors Research in the subsequent semester.
Formation of the Honors Committee
Once the proposed thesis topic is approved, the next step is the formation of the student’s departmental Honors Committee. The Honors Committee includes the director of the departmental Honors Program, the faculty adviser who must specialize in the topic of the thesis, and one additional faculty member whose specialization is closely related to the thesis topic, usually from the Department of History of Art and Architecture. The last is selected by the faculty adviser in consultation with the student. 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 a form including signatures of the faculty on the Honors Committee to the director of the honors program no later than the second week of the second semester of the senior year.
Honors Research
Honors students will complete HART 4998 and 4999 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. The sequence is letter-graded; students in good standing will receive an “H” at the end of HART 4998, which will be converted to a letter grade upon the successful completion of HART 4999. After consultation with faculty members, students may leave the program without losing credit hours gained in independent research. These hours will be converted on an individual basis from HART 4998: Honors Research to HART 3850: Independent Research and letter graded. The independent research hours can be a part of the 30 hours required for the major in history of art or architecture and the built environment. At the end of each semester, the student’s work must be approved by the department before the student advances in the program.
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 adviser in consultation with the director of the honors program. Theses 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 into the Honors Committee by March 1, with revisions completed by April 1. Two copies of the final draft must be bound and deposited with the departmental administrator 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 Honors Program.
Honors Examination
The Honors Committee appraises the student’s written work and administers a one-hour Honors Examination one week after the submission of the Honors Thesis. This examination consists of the following:
- An illustrated presentation of the thesis by the student (15-20 minutes)
- Questions, discussion, and defense (15-20 minutes)
- Assessment by the committee (in private)
- Report of outcome to the student
Assessment by the Honors Committee determines if the student has passed the examination and at what level. If the student passes the thesis examination, they will receive Honors in history of art and architecture. Exceptional theses and presentations may be awarded Highest Honors. The award of Honors or Highest Honors will be reported to the student upon completion of the examination.
Contact
If you have questions about the Honors Program, please contact Elizabeth Moodey, director of the honors program.