Art Education
College of Arts and Architecture
School of Visual Arts
A GRADUATE DEGREE PRIMER:
OR HOW TO NAVIGATE THE ART EDUCATIONAL SEAS
AT PENN STATE
(Please note that this is not an official document and that it is subject to revision and elaboration by all interested parties.)
1. Admission to the Program
Admission into a graduate program in art education is evidence that the student has already passed through a rigorous screening process. It is considered that he or she is either already outstanding or has exhibited evidence of a good deal of promise. The art education faculty members have confidence that he or she will succeed in the program, and will do everything within reason to see that the student successfully completes the program.
2. The Assignment of a Temporary Advisor and a Temporary Committee
Each graduate student is assigned to a temporary advisor (doctoral students are also assigned a temporary committee). As we make these initial assignments, we try to match graduate student interests with the interests of individual graduate faculty members. But it should be understood that these assignments are temporary; the student will nominate his or her own permanent advisor and committee.
3. Selecting a Permanent Advisor and Committee
3.1 The decisions regarding whom to nominate as advisor and committee members will be among the most important to be made during a graduate program. Master's degree students need to nominate their advisor during their first semester in residence. Doctoral students nominate their committee chair and the members of their committee immediately following their candidacy examination. Note also that you must secure the permission of each faculty member and complete a committee appointment form (with signatures) before the committee can be appointed.
3.2.1 Committee Sizes:
3.2.1. Master's degree students have one advisor and one committee member who acts as a reader of the thesis or paper, or a reviewer of a master's exhibition.
3.2.2. Doctoral committees are composed of a chairperson, at least two other members of the art education faculty, and a member from outside the School of Visual Arts. Occasionally a faculty member from a program other than art education serves as a co-thesis advisor. Committee members must be members of the graduate faculty.
3.2.3. Nominations regarding your permanent chairperson and committee members are made through the completed committee appointment form to the professor in charge of the graduate program, Dr. Christine Marmé-Thompson.
Early in the program, usually near the end of the first full year in residence, doctoral students are given a candidacy examination and review. Students should consult with their committee members to prepare the candidacy packet and to schedule the exam date. The art education office will assist students to schedule a room for the exam.
4.1. Examinations at candidacy level consist of:
4.1.1. Two examinations—a candidacy exam and a language competency exam.
4.1.2. The Language Competency Exam will be conducted at a designated time and consists of responses to current literature in the field.
4.1.3. The Candidacy Exam is a written or oral exam of the student's knowledge of the field of art education and related fields.
4.1.4. The review of graduate courses taken at Penn State and other universities, and a review of a tentative outline of additional courses to be taken within art education and related fields of study.
5. Working Committee Meetings
The candidate (doctoral or master's) may request a working committee meeting at any time, and it is a good idea for doctoral candidates to schedule one soon after the permanent committee has been organized. One of the topics of discussion is the form and content of the comprehensive examination. The doctoral student should also request feedback relating to his or her topic for dissertation inquiry. The master's candidate might request a meeting to propose the topic for the thesis, papers, and exhibits.
6. The Doctoral Comprehensive Examination
6.1. After the permanent committee has been appointed and the doctoral candidate has completed from three to six semesters of course work, he or she takes a comprehensive examination of general knowledge in art education and a related field, and specific knowledge relating to the special topic into which the candidate wishes to inquire. The candidate proposes a time during which the exam might be taken, and if all committee members agree that the candidate is ready, the examination is administered.
6.2. The examination has two parts. First the candidate writes responses to questions submitted by each member of his or her committee. Responses to the questions are returned to the Art Education Office so that the staff assistant can make copies and distribute them to each member of the candidate's committee. The second part of the examination consists of a two-hour oral examination relating to the written responses to the questions as well as to any other questions that the committee members may wish to put to the candidate. The candidate is responsible for arranging his or her oral comprehensive exam after consultation with his or her committee chair. The oral comprehensive examination must be scheduled at least three weeks in advance through the Graduate School.
7. The Proposal
7.1. As soon as master's degree candidates are ready, they submit a written proposal for their thesis, papers, or exhibitions to their committee.
7.2. Following the successful completion of the oral comprehensive examination, doctoral candidates submit a written proposal for the dissertation inquiry that they plan to undertake. The proposal is developed in consultation with the chair of the committee and, after approval by the committee chair, is circulated to the members of the committee. An oral defense of the proposal must be scheduled by the student. This meeting must allow committee members a minimum of two weeks to read the proposal.
8.1. The candidate usually meets with his or her committee several times during the process of writing the dissertation.
8.2. The Graduate School establishes specifications for the format of the dissertation. All dissertations must conform exactly to these specifications or they will not be accepted by the Graduate School. Early in the development of the dissertation project, students should obtain a copy of the booklet Thesis Guide from the Graduate School Office of Theses and Publications, 115 Kern Building.
8.3. The student and the dissertation chairperson should plan a calendar of progress that will allow adequate time for the final draft to be read within the department and revised, if necessary, before it is due at the Graduate School. A complete draft must be made available to the committee at least two weeks before the scheduled defense. In some cases (for example, if a member of the committee is out of town), it may be necessary to allow more time. Do not count on a last-minute rush!
8.4. A bound copy of the completed dissertation, as accepted by the Graduate School, is to be supplied for the department's collection. This copy, bound like the Graduate School's copy, may be a photocopy. As a gesture of courtesy, it is suggested that the student also present a bound copy to the advisor and to each of the members of the committee.
9. The Final Defense
9.1. Master's degree candidates may be asked to defend their inquiry before their advisor and committee members, or their work may be approved by their committee without examination.
9.2. Doctoral candidates must participate in an oral defense of their dissertation. This meeting is scheduled by the student and is open to the public; anyone may attend and observe the candidates' answers to questions relating to the dissertation. Candidates should provide committee members with copies of their completed dissertations at least three weeks prior to the final oral defense. Three weeks’ notice is required for notification to the Graduate School for scheduling this examination.
9.3. The student must be registered as a full-time or part-time degree student for the semester in which the final oral examination is taken.
10. Graduation
10.1. Candidates who plan to graduate at the end of the current semester/session are responsible for indicating an intent to graduate. To initiate an intent to graduate, students must call the Registration/Graduate System at 814-863-9000 during the designated time period for that semester.
10.2. The University holds commencement exercises for graduate students three times a year: at the end of the fall and spring semesters and at the end of the summer session. Attendance at commencement exercises is expected, but you may receive the degree in absentia.
11. Congratulations!