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History and Art History
History FacultyProfessors: Bakhash (Robinson Professor), J.R. Censer (chair), L. Levine, Rosenzweig (CAS Distinguished Scholar), Wade, Wilkins (Robinson Professor), Zagarri Associate professors: J.T. Censer, Copelman, Deshmukh, Harsh, Henriques, Holt, Jensen, Lytton, O'Malley, J. Stewart Assistant professors: Carton, Cheng, Cohen, Hamdani, Hawkes, Karush, Miller, Platt, Smith Visiting assistant professors: Herman, Orens Course WorkThis department offers all course work designated HIST and ARTH in the Course Descriptions chapter of this catalog. Undergraduate ProgramsHistory, B.A.In addition to satisfying the university-wide general education requirements and the requirements for the B.A. degree in the College of Arts and Sciences, candidates for a degree in history must complete 36 credits of history, with at least 21 credits at the 300 and 400 levels. Additional credits of history in excess of 36 may be presented as elective credits to be counted toward graduation. No more than six credits with a grade of D may be used for the major. The 36 credits are distributed as follows:
HIST 300 and 499 may not be used to satisfy requirements 1-3. See an advisor before registering to help plan your history program to meet university and college general education requirements. This step will allow you to take more electives or choose a minor. Writing-Intensive RequirementThe university requires all students to complete at least one course designated as writing intensive in their majors at the 300 level or above. Students majoring in history may fulfill this requirement by successfully completing HIST 300 and 499. Honors Program in HistoryHistory majors who have completed 75 credits (a minimum of 15 in history, 6 of which must have been taken at George Mason) with a 3.500 overall GPA and a 3.500 GPA in history are eligible to apply to the history honors program. Candidates must have completed or be enrolled in HIST 300 at the time of application. The statement of application should include two George Mason history faculty members as references. If a major part of the student's work includes transfer credit, transcripts may be required. Not all applicants who meet the minimum requirements may be accepted into the program. To graduate with honors in history, students must complete HIST 490 and 491, which are linked, individualized courses normally given by the same instructor. Students must have completed at least one course in the field (or with the professor) chosen for these honors courses. HIST 490 should normally be taken before 491, although they may be taken concurrently. Either course may be taken concurrently with HIST 499 Senior Seminar. These six credits must be passed with a minimum 3.500 GPA, and the overall history GPA presented for graduation must be a minimum of 3.500. These 6 credits may be counted toward the 36-credit major requirement in history, but they do not replace HIST 499. Minor in HistoryTo receive a minor in history, students must complete 18 credits in history, including 12 credits at the 300 and 400 levels and 9 credits concentrated in a region or topic related, if possible, to the student's major. The program must be approved by the undergraduate coordinator before graduation. A GPA in history courses of at least 2.000 is required. Interdisciplinary MinorThe department coordinates the interdisciplinary minor in African American studies. See the Interdisciplinary Minors section of this chapter for a description. AdvisingThe undergraduate coordinator advises majors and minors. History majors are urged to discuss their programs periodically with the coordinator. Teacher LicensureStudents who wish to become teachers should consult the Professional Licensure section in the Graduate School of Education chapter and attend an information session during their sophomore year. Information sessions for teacher licensure are offered every month. Call (703) 993-2892/4648, email gseinfor@gmu.edu, or consult the web site at gse.gmu.edu for more information. Graduate ProgramsHistory, M.A.The Department of History and Art History provides graduate training in historical methods and analysis for students with widely varying goals. The four M.A. concentrations that follow are designed to meet those goals. Applicants to the M.A. in History program must fulfill the admission requirements for graduate study and for the Department of History and Art History. These include satisfactory scores on the GRE and two letters of recommendation from professors of history with whom the applicant has studied or from others directly familiar with the applicant's professional competence and interests. The GRE requirement is waived for students who received their undergraduate degrees 10 or more years ago or who hold another graduate degree. Within the first three concentrations listed below, students must specialize in American history, modern European history, or comparative world history. Requirements for all concentrations include the following:
To remedy possible deficiencies in a student's undergraduate preparation, up to 21 additional credits of foundation courses (e.g., HIST 601 and 602 Themes in U.S. History I and II, and HIST 605 and 606 Themes in Modern European History I and II) may be required, particularly for students who did not major in history as undergraduates. These courses do not count toward the degree. Concentration in Predoctoral History, or Predoctoral History with a Cultural History Emphasis This concentration is for students planning to continue into doctoral studies. In addition to HIST 610, it requires the following:
This emphasis is for students with a particular interest in cultural history as well as for students considering future work in the cultural studies doctoral program. Completion of this emphasis does not guarantee admission into the doctoral program; those interested in enrolling in that program should contact the Cultural Studies program directly. In addition to HIST 610, the cultural history emphasis requires the following:
Concentration in Applied History This concentration is for students seeking expertise in such applied history fields as archival management, museum studies, historic preservation, and historical editing. It is also suitable for professionally employed historians who desire to further their careers. In addition to HIST 610, this concentration requires the following:
Concentration in Applied History with a New Media and Information Technology Emphasis In addition to HIST 610, this concentration requires the following:
This concentration is for students who want to study history for intellectual self-fulfillment or for vocational reasons. It allows more flexibility in the selection of courses and does not require a foreign language. In addition to HIST 610, this concentration requires the following:
Six credits of thesis work are optional. If a thesis is elected, three credits in the major and three credits in electives are assigned to it. This concentration is intended for students already licensed for teaching or seeking licensure. Unlike the other three concentrations, it requires a minimum of 36 credits and does not include the comprehensive readings course. Although it includes course work in history and education, completion of this concentration alone is not sufficient to qualify for licensure. That program is offered by the Graduate School of Education, and admission is limited. Students are advised to consult with the Graduate School of Education for specific requirements regarding licensure. In addition to the general M.A. in History requirements, this concentration requires the following:
History, Ph.D.The Ph.D. in History prepares students for careers in college teaching, digital media, publishing, educational administration, public history, and historical research. Students gain expertise in both conventional historical methods and web-based technologies. Major fields of study include American history, European history, and comparative world history; minor fields include public history, constitutional studies, and new media/information technology. In addition, depending on career goals and interests, students can focus their degrees in one of four areas: College/university teaching: This concentration is for students who are seeking a career in teaching or research at the community college, college, or university level. New media and information technology: Although all students in the program take some courses in new media, students in this concentration seek careers specifically in new media (e.g., publishing, education, or a college or university history department where they would serve as the department's lead person in new media and information technology). This emphasis requires more advanced work in new media than any other. Public and applied history: This emphasis prepares students for work in applied areas of history (or helps students already working in those areas to advance) such as museums, archives, federal government work, preservation, and editing. In some cases, students will do advanced course work in their field of work; in other cases, they will acquire knowledge or skills that will foster their professional work (e.g., in nonprofit management). Professional development: This emphasis responds to the needs of students who are already launched on a career and want a doctoral degree because it will further their career goals or because it fulfills personal intellectual goals. Candidates who need flexible scheduling will be advised on a case-by-case basis. In addition to meeting all admission requirements for graduate study at George Mason, applicants to the Ph.D. in History should submit the following:
Admission decisions are ordinarily sent in early March. The department offers several research and teaching assistantships to highly qualified applicants. Other aid is available in the form of work-study and federal student loans. For students entering the doctoral program with a master's degree or other graduate course work, the number of required credits may be reduced by a maximum of 30 credits, subject to the approval of the program faculty. Requests for reduction of credit are reviewed only after acceptance to the doctoral program. Candidates for the Ph.D. in History must complete a minimum of 72 graduate credits. In addition to core courses, students must complete course work in a major field of study and two minor fields; pass a comprehensive exam; and complete a dissertation. The dissertation demonstrates mastery of the subject matter, methodologies, and conceptual foundations in the chosen fields of study. This requirement is generally achieved through consideration of a problem on the boundaries of knowledge in the discipline.
Art History FacultyProfessors: ffolliott (coordinator), Mattusch (Mathy Professor of the History of Art) Associate professors: Butler, Todd Assistant professor: DeCaroli Adjuncts: Bauman, Childs, Hagood, Mason, Poole, Stapp Undergraduate ProgramsArt History, B.A.As a liberal arts discipline, art history emphasizes the analysis of visual data in historical context. The major program prepares students for graduate study in art history as well as for professional work. In addition to satisfying the university-wide general requirements and the requirements for a B.A. degree in the College of Arts and Sciences, candidates for a degree in art history must complete 33 to 34 credits. These include 30 credits of ARTH, including 3-6 credits at the 100 to 200 level, 18-21 credits at the 300 level, and 6 at the 400+ level, plus 3-4 credits of studio art (AVT). Specific requirements are as follows:
All art history majors are encouraged to pursue internships in art history (ARTH 393 or with permission ARTH 593) in their junior year or senior year. Up to six credits in art history internships may be applied toward ARTH requirements for the major with permission of the art history undergraduate coordinator. It is strongly recommended that students participate in a study abroad program. Students contemplating graduate study in art history should acquire a reading knowledge of French and/or German. Students contemplating museum or arts administration careers should consider taking electives from the following: ACCT 201, COMM 330, ENGL 410, ENGL 503, and PUAD 505. Writing-Intensive RequirementThe university requires all students to complete at least one course designated as writing intensive in their majors at the 300 level or above. Students majoring in art history fulfill the university's writing-intensive requirement by successfully completing any 400-level ARTH course. Honors Program in Art HistoryArt history majors who have completed 75 credits (a minimum of 15 credits in art history, with 6 credits taken at George Mason) with a 3.500 overall GPA and a 3.500 GPA in art history are eligible to apply to the art history honors program. Eligible students should apply to the undergraduate coordinator by November 15 or April 15 with a statement of application, which includes the names of two George Mason art history faculty members to serve as references; transfer students may also submit transcripts. Not all applicants who meet the minimum requirements may be accepted into the program. Selection is made by the Art History Committee. To graduate with honors in art history, students must complete ARTH 492 and 493, which are linked, individualized courses that culminate in a research paper. Students must have completed at least one course in the field (or with the professor) chosen for these honors courses. ARTH 492 should normally be taken before 493, though they may be taken concurrently. These six credits must be passed with a minimum 3.500 GPA, and the overall art history GPA presented for graduation must be a minimum of 3.500. These 6 credits may be counted toward the 39- to 40-credit major requirement in art history, but they do not replace the 6 required credits in ARTH 400, 420, 430, 440, or 471. Minor in Art HistoryThe minor in art history requires 18 credits and covers a broad spectrum of periods, cultures, and themes, with an emphasis on historical context. Requirements for the minor are as follows:
ARTH 393 is not required for the minor but is strongly encouraged. Interdisciplinary MinorThe art history program coordinates the interdisciplinary minor in ancient Mediterranean art and archaeology. See the Interdisciplinary Minors section of this chapter for a description of the minor. Courses in Support of Graduate ProgramsAlthough a graduate degree program in art history is not available, these courses are offered in support of other graduate programs: ARTH 593, 594, 596, 599, and 699. See the Course Descriptions chapter of this catalog.
George Mason University: 2001-2002 University Catalog: Catalog Index: History and Art History | |