Art History Graduate Programs Handbook

The Department of Art History at Penn State offers graduate degrees at the MA and PhD levels. This handbook describes these degree programs and lists all requirements. Prospective students are invited to contact the department’s Director of Graduate Studies with any questions about graduate studies in art history at Penn State. Current students will hopefully find answers to most routine questions here, but are encouraged to consult with their advisors whenever clarification is needed.

Statue of Amun Ra between two ancient Egyptian structures.

Getting Started

Resources

Orientation

The Graduate School has moved the New Graduate Student Orientation to an online format as a Canvas course that contains a wealth of useful information for incoming students.

All new graduate students have received an email asking them to self-enroll in the course. If you have trouble accessing the modules in Canvas, please contact the Graduate School. 

Assistantship report dates are one week prior to the first day of classes. New students will be invited to an Art History Department orientation prior to the start of the semester via email.

New Graduate Student Checklist

Housing, ID cards, Immunizations

State College

A number of the current and former students in the department live or have lived in one of the below neighborhoods. Both areas are equally close to campus, on opposite sides of town, and feature prominent bus lines with stops right in front of Borland:

o Waupelani Drive: there are a ton of individual complexes in this area, so you might want to look into Lion’s Gate, Executive House, Southgate Apartments, Nittany Gardens, Briarwood Apartment Homes, and more. Both current and former Art history graduate students have lived in each of the complexes mentioned and could provide more information. These complexes offer parking and are along the R/RC/RP lines on the CATA service map.

o Toftrees: a quiet golf course community that is filled with different apartment buildings operated by two leasing companies. Check into Toftrees Apartments and Turtle Creek. These complexes offer parking and are along the HM/HU/VN lines on the CATA service map.

o Downtown State College: There are numerous apartments downtown that are within walking distance to campus. Keep in mind that many of these places rent to undergraduate students and tend to be on the pricier side because of their proximity to campus.

ID cards

The Penn State id+ Card is the official University identification card. This card, and the 9-digit student ID number, provides you access to many essential University services, including Library services, University Health Services, and more. It can also be used as a PNC bank card and LionCash+ card. Load money into your LionCash+ account and use your Penn State id+ card to make purchases at on-campus restaurants.

Obtain your Penn State id+ Card soon after your arrival in State College. To obtain a Penn State id+ card, visit 20 HUB-Robeson Center from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. You will need to present a valid form of ID (driver’s license, passport, state-issued photo ID, military ID, etc.) and be prepared to take a photo. Visit http://www.idcard.psu.edu/ for more information.

Transportation

Bus service on and around campus is provided by the Centre Area Transportation (CATA).
Campus Loops and Links (Blue Loop, White Loop, Red Link, Green Link) offer no-fare service on campus forstudents, faculty, and staff holding a Penn State ID. For schedules and maps, visit:
https://catabus.com/catabus/catabus-campus-service/

Bus service to the surrounding community consists of 23 different bus routes that serve Downtown State College, Penn State Campus, the borough of Bellefonte, the village of Pleasant Gap, suburban shopping centers, apartment complexes, and residential areas. Community service system map: https://catabus.com/catabus/community-servicesystem-map/. Fare for a single ride is $2.00. Some off-campus housing complexes participate in a CATABUS program, and may issue you a bus pass as part of your lease.

Graduate Student RIDEPass is a bus pass for eligible graduate students for $21 per month (paid in a one-time payment). Eligibility requirements include (see website for full eligibility requirements):
• Enrolled in the current semester as graduate student
• Live off campus, more than 0.75 miles from camp

Parking

Parking on campus requires a paid parking permit. Students enrolled at Penn State should obtain a student parking permit through the Penn State Transportation Services, located at the Eisenhower Parking Deck. All vehicles, bicycles, motorcycles, and mopeds must be registered through the Parking Office. Policies and online registration procedures are found at: https://transportation.psu.edu/student-parking

Student parking lots are located at Beaver Stadium/Bryce Jordan Center approx. 1 mile from Borland Building.

CATA campus loops and links provide transportation to bus stops at Borland Building on Curtin Road.

Health insurance

New Graduate Assistants/Graduate Fellows/Graduate Trainees are automatically enrolled in the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) for Penn State for medical, dental, and vision coverage. Students may choose to waive this coverage or add additional dependents by making changes to their selection in Workday.

It is important to note that coverage will remain the same for returning students each year if they do not elect changes in Workday during the open enrollment period.

For more information, visit the Graduate School website. 

International Students

 International Student and Scholar Advising (ISSA) offers advising, immigration services, and training to support international students.

International students enter the US under F-1 or J-1 Visa status that allows students to work for limited amounts of hours (20hrs/week) on-campus. This applies to Graduate Assistantship as well.
To be eligible to work legally in the US, everyone must acquire a Social Security Number (SSN).
Steps to obtain a SSN:
1. Enter the US.
2. Obtain an employment letter from the Art History Department. This letter needs to be signed by the Department Head (Dr. Mansfield), request this letter at the earliest possible date. Template for the letter can be found here: https://global.psu.edu/node/268
3. Request a letter from DISSA through iStart.
4. Go to the local Social Security Office with all relevant materials. The address and office hours along with relevant materials can be found here: https://global.psu.edu/node/268
5. Your Social Security Card should arrive within 2 weeks.

The earlier you begin the process of obtaining a social security number the better. You can only start the process once you have entered the US under your F-1 Visa. At the same time, you should begin your process to file the I-9 form with the Human Resource department. You will need your SSN and I-9 form to finalize the employment status and file the W-2 form.
Once you have received your SSN and I-9 form, you can join the Human Resource Onboarding Session to finalize your employment status. 

Department Spaces

Building Access & Keys

New graduate students will have access to Borland with swipe access to the building and keyed access to the graduate student spaces.

Graduate Commons

This is a shared space for graduate student use. Comfortable seating is great for a short break between classes or after a long day. A community table is often used for discussion of coursework, grading, and lunchtime chats. Undergraduate students enrolled in Art History courses will arrive in this common area to meet with their TAs during office hours. Graduate students should be aware that some conversations (pertaining to grading and other sensitive subjects) cannot take place in the presence of our undergraduate students. All are encouraged to be mindful of privacy guidelines. Doors and windows should be closed and locked at the end of the day. Garbage is removed nightly by janitorial staff. Other cleaning duties are shared.

Lockers

Graduate students will be assigned a locker to store personal items. Locks may be purchased by the student to secure their items if they choose.

Kitchenette

A small kitchenette is tucked into the graduate commons for graduate student use. Appliances include a microwave, kettle, sink, and refrigerator. A small amount of refrigerator space is available for storing perishable lunch items.  Every individual is responsible for the cleanliness of this shared space. Janitorial staff does not clean the kitchenette.

Quiet Room & Carrels

A quiet study room is equipped with carrels and bookshelves for exclusive graduate student use. This room is locked to secure computers, printer, and books. All are encouraged to be respectful of the quiet room and keep noise to a minimum. No conversations should take place while others are working. Music should be played with headphones only.

Graduate students will be assigned a carrel and nearby bookshelves. Incoming students may be assigned to share a carrel with another student.

Private Consultation Rooms

Small rooms are used for private conversations between TAs and their students. Generally, these are open to all at any time. During midterms and finals, however, TAs will often “schedule” use of this space for makeup exams or time-and-a-half exams. An improvised system of Post-it notes on the doors of each room indicates when TAs will need rooms for scheduled exams.

Graduate School Resources

The Graduate School

The comprehensive resource specific to graduate studies at Penn State. Resources for graduate students include information about assistantships, deadlines, policies, and student life.

Dissertations

 Completed dissertations and theses published by the graduate students of the Department of Art History.

 

Calendar

The Graduate School Calendar shows important dates for events and deadlines. Dates subject to change.

The Art History Department at a Glance

Our M.A. and Ph.D. programs provide candidates with the opportunity to pursue advanced study directly with renowned scholars. The department’s faculty are internationally recognized scholars and critics known for their dedication to their students.

Department of Art History Graduate Faculty

Center for Visual/Material Studies

Department of Art History's Academic Integrity Statement

Academic integrity is a fundamental principle underlying all scholarly work, and a necessity for the creation of an honest and positive learning environment. Accordingly, adherence to the basic precepts of academic integrity is expected in all student work. The dishonest representation of someone else’s work as your own (i.e. cheating, plagiarism) will not be tolerated, nor will acts of deception or falsification. Acknowledgment in your written work of information, points of view, and quotes taken from other sources should always be made through appropriate references (i.e. footnotes, bibliography). Violations of academic integrity will be dealt with in accordance with the policies of the University.