We would like to get to know potential majors as soon as possible. Even if you ultimately choose a different major, we may be able to help you find your direction and the courses that meet your interests. It takes time to determine which major you will pursue, and we can offer guidance and perspective about what our field offers.

Consultation for students considering an undergraduate major usually takes place after a student has had at least one course in art history. If you are interested in becoming an art history major, feel free to discuss this with one of the departmental advisors or with your current professor. The College of Letters & Science encourages students to declare their major no later than the end of their sophomore year, and the Art History Department strongly supports this. Given the requirements of the department, students who do not declare by their junior year, regardless of their academic standing, should be prepared to add an extra two semesters to their undergraduate career. Forms and information are available from the departmental undergraduate advisors and the departmental office (232 Elvehjem).

Two specific committees deal with student grievances.

The Departmental Grievance Procedures for questions about grades, misconduct, or other problems are listed on all departmental bulletin boards. The Grievance Committee is comprised of three professors, all of whom will be willing to discuss procedures with you.

The Sexual Harassment Committee is comprised of persons who have received training from the Office of Affirmative Action. They will follow procedures from that office for discussing and reporting incidents of sexual harassment or discrimination, starting with a pledge of confidentiality if requested.

Studies Abroad

Art History majors have regularly participated in University of Wisconsin study-abroad programs throughout the world, and are encouraged to plan for these wonderful opportunities by consulting with their advisor. Detailed information may be found by visiting the Office of International Academic Programs, 252 Bascom Hall, 265-6329, e-mail: peeradvisor@bascom.wisc.edu. For information on other, non-UW programs--whose accreditation must first be confirmed first with your advisor and then with the Office of Admissions--please visit The Wisconsin Union Travel Center, Memorial Union, 262-6200. Both organizations and the Wisconsin Union Directorate Travel Committee sponsor resource fairs and preparation programs throughout the year.

Florence Program:

The Department has long had special ties to the Wisconsin-Michigan Florence Program, a joint program of studies in the humanities and social sciences in Florence. Several of our faculty have taught in the program and many of our students have gained their first exposure to art history or continued into advanced studies of art history there.

Students and faculty live and take meals at the Villa Corsi-Salviati, which is located at Sesto Fiorentino on the outskirts of Florence, a thirty-minute bus ride from the city. The Villa, a registered architectural historical monument with ceiling frescoes and architectural detail from the late sixteenth century and an eighteenth-century garden, has been modernized to include living accommodations, class and seminar rooms, a library, and study space. Students have access to the treasures and sites of Florence and take regular visits to other cities as well.

Knowledge of Italian is not a prerequisite, but students are encouraged to begin study prior to departure and are required to study Italian each semester. Students may attend for one or two semesters, and have the choice of eight to ten courses each term. Courses are taught in English by professors from both Wisconsin and Michigan and by a distinguished faculty from Florence. The curriculum always includes a dual focus on the past and present from Medieval and Renaissance Florence and Tuscany to today's European community and to contemporary Italian art, film, and literature. Studio art courses are offered every other semester.

Students who are more advanced in Italian and desire total-immersion study should consider UW-Madison's Bologna program, through which they live in an apartment with Italians and take regular courses at the University. During the summer, students may study Italian at many different levels in UW-Madison's Perugia program, through which they elect Italian courses at the famed Universita per Stranieri di Perugia (University for Foreigners). Pamphlets on all Italian academic-year and summer programs are available in the Department and the Office of International Studies and Programs.

Joint Research Projects with Professors

The University awards funding for several projects that may be undertaken in tandem with professors as research assistants, apprentices, or joint investigators. Watch for announcements for these competitions, including the Undergraduate Research Scholars Program, Sophomore Summer Honors Research Apprenticeships, and Hilldale Undergraduate-Faculty Research Grants.

Fellowships for Study After Graduation

Some of the major grant-giving organizations such as the German Academic Exchange Service, Fulbright Commission, and National Endowment for the Humanities regularly advertise opportunities for students to work and study here and abroad immediately following graduation. Look for the announcements or ask the faculty advisors to guide you to that information.

Internships

Undergraduates find many excellent internships both in study-abroad programs and in museums, galleries, and foundations in the United States. Students cannot receive credit for remunerated or solely experiential work, and should speak with the undergraduate advisor about possibilities for credit before they undertake internships. The department can grant varying amounts of credit for internships through the directed study option (698/699), which requires a ten/fifteen page paper of a format agreed upon by the undergraduate advisor and student.

To receive credit for an internship, you must:

• Write a brief description of your anticipated duties as an intern.
• Consult with your departmental advisor and receive provisional approval for your internship in advance.
• Keep a reflective journal that notes your duties and experiences during the internship.
• Submit a letter from your supervisor that specifies your duties and indicates that you have successfully completed the internship.
• Write a 10-15 page report based on your work journal, in which you analyze one or more aspects of your work and indicate the work's relation to your undergraduate art history experience. You and your advisor should agree on the scope and length of your paper before you write it.

You will use the excellent facilities of Kohler Art Library and other libraries of the University and college for classwork, but you should also be aware of their full range of resources. Kohler Library has video and laser-disk machines and a Macintosh console for access to the multimedia database Perseus and other programs. The Media Center at Helen C. White has a vast collection of laser disks and videos as well as a huge slide collection from which you may borrow slides to use either in the library or at home. Such resources are ideal for additional study or simply for enjoying excellent reproductions of works of art.

Digital images of art works are now available on the Internet. The department’s home page at http://arthistory.wisc.edu has links to review images for several Art History courses each semester, as well as links to other art-related resources on the Internet. Students may access this material through campus infolabs, connections in dormitories, or through a home computer.

Art history students enjoy many opportunities to discuss, look at, and work with art beyond the classroom. Many have joined the Art History Society (an undergraduate organization open to both majors and non-majors). Its regular meetings include discussions, guest lectures and invited lectures by faculty, graduate student consultations on how to apply to graduate school, visits to current exhibitions throughout Madison or to Tandem Press, and informal social events. The group is run according to the needs and interests of the students who participate in it and meets as frequently as the members desire. Many of our students also join the Wisconsin Union Directorate Art Committee, a student-run organization that plans several art-related events and exhibitions each year.

All of us enjoy our ready and continuous access to the Chazen Museum of Art's collections, temporary exhibitions, guest lectures, and opening night receptions. You might not be aware that you can also make appointments through the museum offices, curators, and registrar to study works in storage. The prints and drawings in the print room, for example, are generally available to students afternoons by appointment. You might also have the opportunity to work in the Chazen: undergraduates are generally employed only as volunteers, but get excellent experience working as docents or acting as assistants in a variety of capacities. Some departments in the museum (and in the Kohler Art Library) also employ work-study students. Similar opportunities are available at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art.

The department, museum, and many other units schedule lectures on art and art history in the Elvehjem Building throughout the year. Graduate students, faculty, artists, and other scholars will present on a variety of topics. Undergraduates are encouraged to attend and we hope that you will regularly check campus schedules, the Chazen Museum's bi-monthly Calendar (available at either end of the museum's Paige Court), and Art History Week (department news, events, and information). Art History Week will note if advanced papers or relevant background materials will be available in the department office beforehand. Lectures consist of University Lectures Committee sponsored lectures, lectures in conjunction with Chazen Museum exhibitions, pre-run delivery for papers to be given at conferences, and other offerings throughout the University. Please watch for Art History department posters and e-mail notices as well as Art History Week for more information.