Guidelines for Preparation of Master’s Thesis in Art History
The MA thesis represents the final step in the fulfillment of your degree at Hunter. It
should embody originality of thinking underscored by solid research on both a primary
and secondary level. Primary research often involves examining archival material such
as an artist’s personal papers and correspondence or the readings of their contemporaries.
The thesis should test your ability to gather, evaluate, and present historical material in a
critical and professional manner. It is intended to prepare you for further study on the
doctoral level or as an end in itself to equip you with the skills necessary for a
professional career in Art History.
Please note that exemplary MA theses have been selected for reading and are available in
the Zabar Art Library.
Suggestions for selecting a research topic:
It is never too early to begin thinking of a subject for your research. The selection
process can begin with a topic derived from a required course, such as Research Methods,
an expansion of a previously submitted paper, or it may develop from an upper-level
seminar or a course of independent study. It must be of sufficient originality to be
worthy of further study and not just simply a recapitulation of existing scholarly work.
The thesis should not be viewed as a longer, more extensive term paper but rather an
opportunity to explore new ideas. It can be monographic, stylistic, iconographic or
theoretical in its approach. Make sure that you are enthusiastic about the topic from the
very beginning as it takes a great deal of mental and physical energy to produce a wellorganized and well-written study with the proper documentation and illustrations. You
should allow one year to research and write the thesis, although some students have
completed their work in one semester.
Selecting an Advisor:
You should talk with a full-time faculty member before beginning your preliminary
investigation. The faculty member should be someone who is a specialist in your chosen
area and, ideally, someone with whom you have established both a scholarly and personal
relationship during your course of study at Hunter. The faculty member can be of some
assistance in refining an appropriate topic, but the student should already have several
ideas in mind before opening up the discussion. The choice of faculty advisor is an
important one. It is the responsibility of the first reader to provide direction and criticism
and without their approval; your degree cannot be awarded. The thesis advisor should
not be regarded as an editor; if writing problems persist, it is your responsibility to seek
guidance from the Writing Center or to employ a professional editor. After your thesis
has been accepted by your advisor, it will be turned over to a second reader. The
selection of a second reader will be a mutual decision derived in consultation between
mentor and student. The second reader is not just to be perceived as a rubber stamp of
approval but rather as someone who can make helpful suggestions and corrections to
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produce a better thesis. Your thesis cannot be submitted without the signature of your
second reader.
Thesis Agreement Form:
Once topic selection has been made, the student must complete a thesis agreement form.
This form, available in the Art Department Office, must be filled out by the thesis advisor
in order to register for “Thesis Research” (ARTH 799). The signed form should then be
returned to the Art Office where it will be placed in your personal file. A faculty member
may require an abstract and/or an outline, along with a preliminary bibliography, before
signing the Thesis Agreement Form. Check well in advance whether this is the case.
Travel Grant:
If the thesis project requires travel to collections of sites to examine works of art or to
consult archives and other primary sources, students may apply for the William Graf
Travel Grant. Several of these grants are awarded each semester. To apply for a grant,
the student must complete various forms, estimate their expenses, and demonstrate prior
contact with the appropriate authorities necessary to facilitate this research.
General Guidelines:
Length: The length of the thesis depends on the subject and should be arrived at in
consultation with the thesis advisor. In the past, art history theses at Hunter usually range
approximately 50 to 70 pages.
Before beginning the thesis, you should consult the following books:
Jones, Louis Swan. Art Research: Methods and Resources. A Guide to Finding Art
Information 3rd ed. Dubuque, IOWA:Kendall/Hunt, 1990.
Turabain, Kate L. Student’s Guide for Writing College Papers.
5th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago press, 1987.
The latter, or another standard guide to form (see p.202 of Jones), should be followed
consistently. Pay particular attention to guidelines concerning the use of ideas, facts, and
quotations from scholarly works.
You may also wish to consult a few Hunter M.A. theses in art history recommended by
faculty members. These theses are available in the Special Collections room on the
second floor of Wexler Library and the Zabar Art Library (16th floor, Hunter North); both
collections are non-circulating.
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Submission of Thesis:
Some advisors wish to read the thesis only upon its completion, while others prefer to
have chapters submitted one at a time. Check with your advisor as to their preferred
manner of submission. .
Form:
The appearance of the thesis must be neat throughout. It must be printed on 8.5” x 11”
un-punched, white, rag-content bond paper that is 16 lb minimum weight.
.
Font: A single font should be used throughout the thesis, the only exception being
appendices.
Margins: Text margins: 1.5” on the left, 1” for the right, top and bottom
Numbering: Beginning with the first page of Acknowledgements or Preface, if used, all
preliminary pages preceding the actual text must be numbered in lowercase Roman
numerals; e.g., iii, iv, v, etc. These include the Table of Contents and List of Illustrations.
Do not number the copyright page, the title page, or the dedication.
The first page of the text begins with the Arabic numeral 1. All pages within the text
must contain an Arabic page number. Consecutive numbering should also be used for the
Bibliography and the Appendices following the text. Alternates to Bibliography include
“References” or “Works Cited.” Check with your thesis advisor as to their preferred
terminology.
Title page (see attached sample). The first page of the thesis must bear the title of the
thesis, the names of the candidate, the year of completion, the names and signatures of
the thesis sponsor and second reader, and the following inscription:
Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master Arts
(Art History), Hunter College, The City University of New York
Spacing: The thesis must be double-spaced. Single spacing may be used only in the
Table of Contents, footnotes and endnotes, quotations, captions, appendices and
bibliography.
Footnotes and bibliography must be single-spaced, with double spacing between notes
and entries. Notes may appear as footnotes or endnotes, the latter appearing at either the
end of a chapter or at the end of the thesis. Consult your thesis advisor regarding which
form would be most effective for the study.
Prose quotations over three lines long should be in block form, double or singled space,
and indented on the left. Do not use quotation marks in the block quote.
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Illustrations:
Photographs or digital imagery are preferred. High quality, legible photocopies, properly
mounted, are also acceptable.
Any mounting (illustrations, graphs, charts, photographs) must be done with a permanent
adhesive such as dry mounting. Tape, staples or other mechanical fasteners are
unacceptable. If insertions of oversize material cannot be avoided, fold in such sheets
from right to left: the left margin of illustration pages must be at least 2” to permit
binding. The right-hand top and bottom margins should be one inch.
The List of Illustrations which appears at the beginning of your thesis should include the
following information. Figure Number, Artist, Title, Date and Location. Consult your
Thesis Advisor to see if they wish you to include medium and measurements. If the
thesis is monographic in approach, you may opt to state at the top “All works are by
(name of artist) unless otherwise indicated”.
Approval of Thesis:
When it has met all the requirements of the graduate program, the thesis must be
approved (signed) by both the thesis sponsor and the second reader. The signed thesis is
then submitted to the graduate advisor who, upon approving it, will sign the thesis
approval form.
The candidate must pay a binding fee of $15 to the bursar’s office (room 238 North) and
obtain a receipt for the payment of this fee.
Deposit of Thesis:
The Bursar’s receipt and the signed, approved copy of the thesis to be bound and
catalogued by the library should be brought to the Art Department office. The thesis
should be submitted in an envelope or box giving the candidate’s name, address,
telephone number, and program (i.e. MA Program in Art History.)
Summary of items to be presented to the Art Department office:


Approved, Signed thesis in a box or envelope labeled as requested
Bursar’s receipt for thesis binding
When the thesis has been accepted by the Dean of Arts & Sciences, the thesis approval
form will be signed by the dean and forwarded to the degree audit department of the
registrar’s office to certify the final approval of the thesis. The dean’s office will deposit
the thesis in the library.
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NB. Early in the semester that you plan to graduate, you must obtain a Degree Audit
Form (DAAF) from the registrar’s office. Then make an appointment with the graduate
advisor to fill out the form correctly and to get departmental approval.
If you registered for “Thesis Research” in a semester prior to completing the thesis, and
received a grade of IN, make sure to have your thesis advisor fill out a change of grade
form when the thesis is approved (you will then receive a grade of “P”).
Deadlines:
Fall Semester
1. November 1 Thesis must be submitted to the thesis advisor. Submission by this
date, however, does not guarantee acceptance as substantial changes may be
required.
2. December 1 The thesis, approved by the first reader, must be submitted to the
second reader for approval
3. December 15 The thesis, accompanied by the signed approval of both the thesis
advisor and the reader, must be submitted to the graduate advisor for approval.
4. Last day of the official exam period The thesis, with the three departmental
approvals, must be submitted to the Dean of Arts and Sciences by the Graduate
Advisor
Spring Semester
The Corresponding dates are:
1.
2.
3.
4.
April 1
May 1
May 15
Last day of official exam period
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{Thesis Title}
by
{Student’s Name}
Submitted in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree of
Master of Arts (Art History), Hunter College,
The City University of New York
{year}
Thesis Sponsor:
___________________
Date
________________________________
{Typed Name of Sponsor}
___________________
Date
________________________________
{Typed Name of Second Reader}
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MA PROGRAM in
ART HISTORY
HUNTER COLLEGE
The City University of New York
THESIS APPROVAL FORM
Student Name:______________________________________ SSN:_________________
Address After Graduation: __________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
a candidate for the degree of Master of Arts has successfully completed a thesis entitled:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________
First Reader (print name)
___________________________________
Second Reader (print name)
Accepted in fulfillment of the thesis requirement for_______________
(month/year)
This work has been approved by the Graduate Program in Art History.
______________________
date
___________________________________________
Cynthia Hahn, Graduate Advisor
______________________
date
___________________________________________
Dean, School of Arts & Sciences
N.B.
Bring to the Office of the School of Arts & Sciences, Room 812 East:
1.
2.
3.
This form
The approved thesis
Registrar's receipt for binding fee
See "Guidelines for Preparation of the Master's Thesis" for further information.
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