ARTH 499: Art History Capstone

Prerequisites: Minimum of 33 credit hours in art history, including ART 215 and ART 216, ARTH 316, ARTH 400, ARTH 401, and required upper-level art histories.

Credit Hours: (3) Three hours seminar and independent research

This course is intended for art history and museum studies concentrations as an opportunity to engage in academic research. The goal of the capstone is demonstration of the ability to apply appropriate art historical methodologies to a research question chosen by the student.

Detailed Description of Course

Ideally generated by papers and topics investigated in previous 400-level art histories, the capstone is an undergraduate thesis. In addition to producing a written thesis, students in the capstone will be expected to submit a presentation proposal to a research forum or symposium.

All art history concentrations will participate in the capstone in the second semester of their senior year. Although they will work independently on their own area of research, seminar meetings will bring all the capstone students together periodically to discuss their progress, problem-solve research difficulties, and serve as a forum for planning presentations.

Detailed Description of Conduct of Course

The capstone seminar will initially meet more frequently (once a week) as students begin the process of formulating their research questions and plans. As the semester progresses, seminar meetings will be replaced by individual consultation with the student’s faculty advisor as each student pursues work on her own project. All students will be expected to submit a paper proposal to an appropriate research forum.  Presentation rehearsals will take place in the seminar.

Student Goals and Objectives of the Course

Although all the art history learning objectives will be reinforced in this class, students in this class will demonstrate advanced mastery of the ability to:

Produce a thesis-based, research art historical paper using an appropriate combination of academic, archival and field-based (interviews, exhibitions, manuscript examination) research sources

Present the results of original research at a departmental, university-wide or regional forum or symposium

Assessment Measures

Assessment will be based on the quality of the work produced. Each step in the research process will be critiqued and contribute to the final grade.

Other Course Information

Textbooks (preliminary ideas, subject to change)

Review and Approval

05/12/2011