Welcome to the community of artists and scholars at Ohio University School of Art. We are pleased that you have selected Ohio University for your graduate education and hope that your experience here will be successful. We are committed to providing you with a comprehensive art education in the visual arts and maximizing your growth as an artist and/or scholar. We have offered graduate programs since 1936 and continue to foster diverse and exceptional faculty and students. Programs are designed to reflect those of a professional art school, one that promotes rigorous creative and scholarly activity.
Please familiarize yourself with the contents of this guide. You are encouraged to work closely with your assigned advisor and other faculty members throughout your research. Although responsibility for completing requirements in a timely manner rests with each student, the School of Art Director, the Assistant Director, Graduate Chair (ADGC), the assigned advisor and faculty members are available for consultation and assistance. You are also advised to read the Ohio University Graduate Catalog (available only on-line at: www.ohiou.edu/gcatalog/). However, information in this guide supersedes the graduate catalog, which is published every two years. You should also be familiar with the Ohio University Student Handbook, available on-line at: www.ohio.edu/students/handbook/index.cfm.
College of Fine Arts
School of Art
Program Chairs
Contents
I. REQUIRED COURSES AND PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
IV. THESIS POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
VI. POLICIES AND PROCEDURES AT THE RIDGES
I. REQUIRED COURSES AND PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
A. Art History MA: 60 Hours
Upon entry to the program in art history, a student will be pursuing a Master of Arts degree. An advisor in the area will be assigned in the first quarter, and by the end of the fourth quarter of full-time study, two thesis proposals will be submitted to the student’s thesis committee members, leading to the completion of a 60 credit-hour degree.
Credit-Hour Requirements Summary:
The graduate program leading to the MA degree in art history requires the completion of at least 60-quarter hours of graduate study, including at least 30 credits in art history courses, 15 credits of electives, and at least 15 credits in thesis. Directed electives are selected in consultation with faculty. There is also a language requirement that must be completed by the end of the fourth quarter.
Electives are selected in consultation with the faculty. Proof of research competency in a foreign language approved by the faculty is required. The program concludes with the submission of thesis that demonstrates scholarly research and a final review of the thesis.
Langauge Requirement: Each graduate student in art history is required to demonstrate competency translating a foreign language. The language chosen should be appropriate for each student’s thesis research, if possible, and must be approved by the program chair. Students have two options to satisfy this requirement:
Methods Requirement: Each graduate student is required to complete AH560: Methods during the first year of study.
Distribution Requirement: Each graduate student is required to complete at least one art history course in each of the following subject areas: modern, pre-modern, non-western, and theory.
NOTES AND DEFINITIONS: Courses must have an AH prefix to count toward this requirement. “Modern” means nineteenth or twentieth century European or American. “Pre-modern” means European or American before nineteenth century. Theory courses have “theory” in the course title and may not count as a distribution in any other category. “Non-western” means courses that cover subjects not found in modern, pre-modern, or theory courses listed above. AH550/550X (selected topics) may count toward this requirement depending on the topic of the course.
AH 560 (Methods) may not be used to fulfill the distribution requirement. No course may be counted in more than one distribution category. See the Art History program chair for a complete list of courses and their distribution categories.
PROGRESS REVIEW: A progress review will take place at the end of the third quarter for full time graduate students and the sixth quarter for part time graduate schools. Students must submit a copy of their DARS along with a writing sample to the SOA faculty. Students will receive one of the following recommendations: ‘continue,’ ‘continue with reservations’ or ‘discontinue based on their progress’ at the end of the first year.
INDEPENDENT STUDIES and SERVICE LEARNING credits do not fulfill any requirement for graduation.
B. MFA Programs: Ceramics, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, or Sculpture: 135 Hours
Upon entry to the program of studio research, a student will be pursuing a Master of Fine Arts degree. An advisor in the area will be assigned in the first quarter, and by the second last week of the sixth quarter of full-time study, a thesis proposal will be submitted to the student’s thesis committee members, leading to the completion of a 135 credit-hour degree.
Credit-Hour Requirements Summary:
The graduate program leading to the MFA degree in one of the studios listed above requires the completion of at least 135-quarter hours of graduate study, including at least 46 credits in studio courses within the major, 18 credits of additional studio and discretionary electives, 6 credits in seminars, 20 credits of art history/academic studies and at least 45 credits in thesis. Directed electives are selected in consultation with faculty.
Minimum Credit Hour Requirements Summary:
1. Major studio program, 46 hours: graduate courses are numbered Art 500 and above. A graduate student will not receive credit for an undergraduate course. Students lacking prior training in a particular program may be asked/required to enroll for undergraduate work without credit towards degree. Students should register for courses numbered 500 during the first year of study and 600 during the second year of study.
2. Electives, a minimum of 18 hours of studio and discretionary electives (500 level and above) are required. Studio electives must not be drawn from the major program. Discretionary electives are intended to broaden the graduate student’s knowledge beyond the normal studio offerings. Discretionary electives may be taken in languages, history, philosophy, anthropology, or film seminars, for example. Experimental courses, Art/AH 569, 669, and Independent Studies/Projects, Art/AH 792, 793, can count only as discretionary electives.
3. Seminars, 6 credit hours must be distributed as follows: studio/program seminar (3 hours) and Art 601, Interdisciplinary Seminar, 3 hours.
4. Art History/academic studies requirements: a minimum of 20 hours is required: 5 credits of a theory course offered by the art history program (these courses have the AH prefix and the word “theory” appears in the course title); 5 credits in art history (AH prefix); and 10 other credits in art history or other courses pertinent to the student’s studio practice (approved by the ADGP). Photography students must complete Art History 537. If you have a question about which courses fulfill these requirements, ask your advisor, the art history faculty, or the ADGP. Approval should be sought before enrolling in academic courses outside the SOA.
5. Studio thesis, a minimum of 45 hours is required: each program has a specific studio thesis course number (see the quarterly Schedule of Classes). The studio thesis is intended to provide credit for preparation of the student’s final presentation and professional growth. The student’s advisor will assign a letter grade for the first 2 quarters of thesis. Members of the thesis exam committee will assign a grade or credit/no credit for the final quarter.
6. Written thesis, a maximum of 6 hours may be earned: a written thesis is optional, but it may not be substituted for the studio thesis. A written thesis is only allowable as an adjunct to the studio thesis and must follow the form specified by Ohio University. The 6 hours earned for a written thesis does not count toward the 90 hours of required course work. The student’s advisor and the student’s thesis examination committee members must approve the written thesis.
7. Course limitations are as follows:
8. Minors are not offered in the School of Art: there is no program whereby a student earns a designated minor, including art history. Studio electives may be used to work in one or more programs other than the major program of concentration.
Please note that the MFA programs are full-time, three-year (nine quarters) programs in residence on the Athens campus. The School of Art offers summer programs abroad; however, coursework in other programs for credit and the student’s advisor, committee members and the ADGP must approve all off-campus study before enrolling in such coursework or study.
INDEPENDENT STUDIES and SERVICE LEARNING credits do not fulfill any requirement for graduation.
Each graduate student, whether in the MA program or MFA program, must have a major advisor who is a full time graduate faculty member in the student’s program of concentration. The advisor will be assigned by the ADGC, upon recommendation by the department chair in consultation with the student. If a student wishes to be assigned a particular advisor, the program chair must be so informed. Advisors will be assigned as early as possible during the student’s first quarter in residence. Advisors may be changed by the ADGC, at the request of either the advisee or the advisor, before the beginning of the fourth quarter of the student’s program of study.
A. Advisor’s Role
B. Student Responsibilities
A. Graduate Review Committees and Schedules
1. Committee formation occurs during the first and second year of the student’s program:
2. The initial committee composition varies for each program:
a) For Art History MA students:
The following schedule is typical for the MA Program in the School of Art:
Year |
Fall Quarter |
Winter Quarter |
Spring Quarter |
One |
Progress Review |
Thesis Proposal Review |
|
Two |
Thesis Exam/Exhibition Thesis Documentation |
b) For MFA students:
The following schedule is typical for the MFA Program in the School of Art:
Year |
Fall Quarter |
Winter Quarter |
Spring Quarter |
One |
Progress Review |
Candidacy Review |
|
Two |
Thesis Proposal Review |
||
Three |
Thesis Exam/Exhibition Thesis Documentation |
B. MA Art History and MFA Studio Progress Review
All full-time first year graduate students pursuing the MA in art history, or MFA in ceramics, painting, photography, printmaking, or sculpture shall have a review of their work during their second quarter of residency. The review will be scheduled before completion of 30 credit hours of work. All students accepted into the programs on a conditional basis must have completed all of their remedial course work or passed the English proficiency exam before they may take their progress review.
MA Art History reviews run one hour. The MA candidate should provide several samples of written work from the first two quarters.
MFA Studio reviews run one and a half hours. All material should be present or installed as needed in the review room prior to the scheduled time for the review to begin.
Candidates should be prepared to open the review by clearly stating the intention of the research being done and where it might head in the future; work amplifying this progress should be hung, installed or available for the review. It is advised to rehearse this material to prevent the misuse of this valued time with your entire committee. The candidate should consult with their chair regarding formats that might be specific to their research or review the degree of the material that will be covered. The candidate must confirm that the chair of the committee has obtained the Progress Review Form from the SoA Student Services Office and that the chair will bring it to the review.
The review will occur at the end of the second quarter in residence. It will take place before exam week of that quarter. The ADGC will schedule a date, time and room for the review at the Ridges facility; however, if some other location, time or date is needed, it is up to the student to get all committee members and the ADGC to sign an approval form that identifies these alternate arrangements. This approval form must be submitted to the SoA Student Services Office three weeks before the scheduled review.
There are two possible results of the progress review:
The student has made acceptable progress.
The student has not made acceptable progress.
Acceptable progress would indicate the ability of the student to continue working in the program. Unacceptable progress would usually result in the student’s discontinuing in the program; in rare cases the committee members may elect to place the student on a probationary term at their discretion. Members will indicate under the “Comments Section” of the review form their evaluation of the studio work and reasons for their decision.
C. MFA Graduate Candidacy Review
The student has an opportunity to receive a thoughtful, objective, and critical analysis of the work presented to the committee. The candidacy review is given once. This review determines whether or not the student shows potential for successful completion of the requirements for the MFA. Only if the committee decides positively does the student become a degree candidate. A negative decision will result in discontinuance from the program.
1. Review procedures guided by the chairperson:
a) The ADGC will inform the advisee and the committee of the date and time of the review. The student should obtain the Graduate Candidacy Review Form from the Student Services office and bring it to the review. The ADGC will schedule a date, time and room for the review at the Ridges facility; however, if some other location, time or date is needed, it is up to the student to contact all committee members and the ADGC to approve these alternate arrangements. The major advisor will assist in the selection of work to be presented for the review.
b) The graduate candidacy review will be based upon the presentation of a substantial body of work accomplished during the course of the student’s residency at Ohio University. It may include both work in the student’s major program and that done in other studio programs. The review takes place near the end of the third quarter of residence, but before exam week.
c) The candidacy review will include the student except for the time of final deliberation and voting by the committee members. Members will indicate under the “Comments Section” of the review form their evaluation of the studio work and reasons for their decision.
2. The candidacy review outcome will be stated at the conclusion of the review:
a) Immediately following their decision, the committee members will complete in duplicate the Graduate Candidacy Review Form and return it to the ADGC, whose signature is required. Once approved by the ADGC, the white copy will be sent to the student, and the yellow copy will be placed in the student’s file.
b) Possible results of the review are:
The student may appeal the decision of the committee. Appeal procedures are initiated through the office of the ADGC.
IV. THESIS POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
A. Thesis Proposal
1. For Art History MA students:
Each candidate is required to present a written thesis proposal to his/her thesis advisor for approval. The thesis advisor will assist the candidate in preparing the thesis proposal and guide the writing of the final thesis. Students are encouraged to submit their thesis in electronic form.
2. For Studio MFA degree students:
MFA candidates are required to make a thesis proposal in writing to his/her thesis committee by the end of their second year of study (no later than finals week of spring quarter). A substantiating body of creative work should accompany the written proposal. The thesis advisor will assist the candidate in preparing the thesis proposal and selecting substantiating work to accompany the proposal. Each of the studio concentrations may have slightly differing procedures. Therefore each candidate should consult with his/her advisor, set a date for the presentation of the thesis proposal and supporting research, in consultation with his/her advisor, and inform the ADGC by the end of the 5th quarter of study. Once the thesis proposal is approved, the student will schedule a thesis exhibition with the school’s Director of Exhibitions. While every attempt will be made to respect such requests, the final decision for scheduling remains with the ADGC and the Director of Exhibitions. Normally all shows will require a full year between the request and exhibition. For example, a show proposal made in the spring quarter will be scheduled for the following spring quarter (see sec. E. below for more details on studio thesis exhibitions).
Please note: Graduate students may not register for thesis hours until their committee has approved the thesis proposal. The thesis proposal may be made before the completion of the required minimal 90 hours; however, the thesis examination and presentation normally come after the completion of all requirements except the thesis hours. This means that all incomplete work (F and PR), except for thesis, must be completed before the thesis exam may be taken. There is no exception to this rule. All graduate student and advisors should check the DARS reports by the end of the second year to make sure all requirements have been met before scheduling their thesis examination.
B. Committees for Thesis Proposal and Examinations
For MFA candidates:
The members of the student’s thesis proposal committee shall be the same as the progress and candidacy committee. The minimum number of members for the thesis examination committee is three:
C. Filing of Forms
The student’s committee chair will be responsible for signing and approving the Thesis Proposal Form and returning it to the Student Services office in the School of Art. The ADGP’s signature is required on this form, which indicates approval of the committee, title, and time and place of the examination. Recommendations for the guidance of the thesis project will be written under the “Comments Section” of the form. The student’s advisor will also be responsible for completing the Thesis Examination Form and returning it in the same way; the ADGP’s signature is required as well after the examination is successfully completed.
D. Procedures for the Thesis Proposal Review
1. Art History MA degree candidates must have the approval of their advisors before they can register for thesis credits.
2. MFA thesis proposal reviews shall normally take place at the beginning of the sixth quarter, no later than the week of finals (see sec. IV). Re-reviews shall be scheduled during the quarter at the committee’s discretion. The ADGC will inform the advisee and the committee of the date and time of the review. The ADGC will schedule a date, time and room for the review at the Ridges facility; however, if some other location, time or date is needed, it is up to the student to contact all committee members and the ADGC to approve these alternate arrangements 6 weeks prior to review. The major advisor will assist in the selection of work to be presented for the review.
E. Studio Thesis Exhibitions
Each MFA degree candidate in studio program is required to make a formal, public presentation of his/her thesis. The student’s advisor will assist in planning the final presentation. When the student and advisor are satisfied that the thesis is ready for presentation, the student’s committee chair will be responsible for obtaining and completing the Thesis Proposal Form, as well as returning it to the Student Services office in the School of Art. The ADGC’s signature is required on this form, which indicates approval of the committee, title, and time and place of the examination. Presentations of thesis exhibitions are then normally, but not necessarily, scheduled for the Ohio University Art Gallery or Trisolini Gallery. If a presentation is to be located elsewhere, the approval of the major advisor must be obtained in writing, and the off-campus form filled out and returned to the Director of Exhibitions. The Director of Exhibitions will schedule all graduate candidate's MFA shows. The exhibition dates will be scheduled by the fall of the graduating year. The exhibitions are typically two-person exhibits when they are in the galleries, but if there are an exceptionally large number of graduating students in one year, then some three-person shows may be necessary in those spaces.
F. Procedures for the MFA Thesis Examination
* An unsatisfactory result requires the student to make another presentation to the same committee (or in extenuating circumstances a committee approved members by the ADGC) at a later date. The major advisor and the ADGC must approve the time and place of the second presentation. Steps 1 through 3 above must be repeated and new forms must be filed. The committee will set an alternate schedule for the 2nd review and defense at this meeting. Artwork and all material must be removed from the gallery immediately after the unsuccessful thesis review.
G. Documentation of Thesis
A. Associateships
Students who have been awarded Teaching Associateships will be assigned to teaching, research, or other teaching-related duties by the program chairs, the ADGC, or by the director. Specific assignments are determined by the needs of the School of Art. Graduate Associateships are awarded by each department for service related duties and do not include teaching responsibilities.
Graduate awards are made on a year-to-year basis and are not automatically renewed. If a student wishes to be considered for appointment or re-appointment, the ADGC should be informed in writing before March 15 of each year. Re-appointment will be based on satisfactory performance of assigned duties, quality of course work (at least a 3.0 grade average must be maintained), successful completion of reviews, and demonstrated abilities. In general appointments are made on the basis of individual program recommendations.
International students who are interested in teaching are required to pass a SPEAK Test in order to do so, unless English is their native language or an undergraduate degree from an English medium university or college has been received. The Ohio Program of Intensive English (OPIE) administers the test after the student arrives on campus and before the beginning of each quarter.
1. Foundations Teaching Associates
Graduate students should consider the opportunity of teaching in Foundations as a reward for good standing and productivity in their programs. Teaching is considered in the School of Art a significant investment and responsibility, which may include project development, lesson plans, critique, office hours, facilities maintenance and grading. Meeting undergraduates at the entry level is also significant in its role as recruitment from the general university population and the servicing of other programs in the university.
Graduate Teaching Associates teaching in Foundations will be required to attend the Graduate Teaching Seminar (Art 500, 3 credits toward discretionary electives), unless they can demonstrate that they have had pedagogic supervision while teaching similar courses. The Graduate Teaching Associates may take the seminar before or during their first teaching assignment.
By accepting a teaching appointment in the Foundations program the GTA accepts the following responsibilities:
B. Tuition Waivers
Each year the School of Art receives a sum of money to be distributed in the form of tuition waiver scholarships. In order to provide financial aid to the largest number of students, full and half scholarships for one to three quarters are awarded. In general TWS awards are made on the basis of individual program recommendations. Students receiving TWS must be enrolled for at least18 hours per quarter.
C. Mini-Stipends for Summer Sessions
A limited number of mini-stipends are available for students continuing their studies during the summer sessions. The department chairperson should make requests for summer stipends in writing to the ADGC before the end of May. Recipients may be required to do 12 clock hours of service for the school during the summer. Students receiving summer stipends must be enrolled full-time and must receive funding in either the preceding Spring quarter or the following Fall quarter.
D. Funding Obligations, Limits, and Responsibilities
Graduate Students who receive the assistantships, tuition waivers, or stipends described above MUST perform services as assigned in exchange for the funding. The funds and waivers are NOT scholarships. They are payment in exchange for work. The School of Art also has certain obligations to students, but these obligations are limited.
1. Levels of Funding: the amount of funding received by each student varies with the type of funding awarded:
NOTE: Students who receive funding are still responsible for paying various fees. The amounts of fees vary with courses taken, etc. Fees are usually at least $600.00 per quarter.
2. Service Expectations: the maximum amount of work expected from each student varies with the type of funding awarded:
3. SOA Obligations and Limits to Obligations: the School of Art cannot reduce a student’s funding at any time unless:
4. The SOA limits its obligations for funding to 10 quarters for MFA students and 7 quarters for MA students.
5. The university also has an “18 Quarter Rule” that may apply to some graduate students and which may override the above policies: http://www.ohio.edu/graduate/policy_quarterrule.cfm
VI. Policies and PROCEDURES AT THE RIDGES
A. Individual Studios
B. Community Spaces and Activities
C. Policies at the Ridges
A. Mail
Graduate students may receive mail in the School of Art office, Room 528, Seigfred Hall. General departmental correspondence, including official notices, is also distributed into these boxes. Graduate students should check their individual mailboxes regularly.
B. E-mail
School of Art notices, meeting schedules, and other important communications are sent via e-mail only to the “oak” account provided by Ohio University. The university recommends that student DO NOT forward their university email to other email providers. These messages are often not delivered because they are seen as “spam” by the provider’s systems.
C. Keys
Necessary keys will be provided from the School of Art office. All keys must be returned at the end of student’s enrollment. Final grade reports and graduation will be delayed until this requirement is met.
D. Studios
Limited studio space for students is available in university facilities. When space is available, it is generally assigned by the departmental chair (or on the Ridges by the ADGC). Students are reminded that this studio space is the property of Ohio University, and should be treated with respect. Studios will be kept reasonably clean and orderly; alteration of structures or fixtures is not allowed; noise will be kept to a minimum; hazardous or toxic materials will not be used or stored in studios, unless used in strict accordance with the manufacturer’s guidelines and recommendations. Studios will be used for the purpose for which they have been assigned.
E. Security
Students are encouraged to provide locks for drawers and cabinets within studio spaces and to be careful with personal belongings and equipment. As a general policy, no unauthorized visitors should be in classroom or graduate studios. Authorized visitors are those present for academic purposes. Equipment, furniture, or other university property is not to be removed from any School of Art building or studio or from one room to another. Missing equipment will be reported as a theft to the university police.
F. Cooperative Buying Fees
Many studio courses assess a fee for cooperative buying of classroom materials. Fees are to be paid when your other university fees are due. The university will collect these fees via the Registrar at Chubb Hall. Grades may be withheld for non-payment of fees.
The amount of the fee for each course is determined once a year, by the program responsible for the course. These forms are compiled in a list and submitted for approval by the treasurer of the university.
G. Thesis Fee
There is a thesis materials fee due each quarter in which thesis credit is earned. This fee covers the use of expendable materials in the gallery for the thesis exhibition as well as any expendable materials used in the studio of the major program. For example, these expendable items include but are not limited to clay, fasteners, flood and spotlights, gallery hand tools, glass, glazes, inks, media, nails, paint, paper, sandpaper, saw blades, welding supplies, and glue.
H. No Concealed Weapons or Smoking Policy/Alcohol Use
No Smoking will be permitted in the building, and concealed weapons are not allowed. Cases of non-compliance will be dealt with through the Office of University Judiciaries. Violation of these regulations is a misdemeanor under Ohio law (1976 Substitute Senate Bill No. 96). Similarly no alcohol is permitted in either Seigfred Hall or at the Ridges facility unless a university approved, legal liquor license is obtained for School of Art functions. Guidelines are available from the Director of Exhibitions or School of Art office.
I. Job Listings
The School of Art office posts job listings and announcements from other academic institutions in a notebook in the office. Students may browse through these listings anytime during regular office hours.
J. Locker Policy
The following rules apply to locker use in Seigfred Hall: