Department of Art and Music Histories at Syracuse University: Graduate Programs

The Florence Graduate Program in Renaissance Art

2006 symposium participants and their faculty advisers, Professors Deimling, Hatfield,
Nelson, and Radke

THE ITALIAN RENAISSANCE “HANDS ON”

Since 1964 the Department of Art & Music Histories at Syracuse University has conducted a special Master of Arts program devoted to the study of Renaissance art in Florence. This is the only MA art history program accredited in the United States where most of the study—two of the three semesters—is conducted in Italy. By focusing on Italian Renaissance art, the program allows students to explore one period in depth from a variety of perspectives. Courses promote careful analyses of stylistic and technical information, detailed consideration of original audiences and historical settings, and close readings of Renaissance documents and texts. The Florence program offers highly motivated students a unique opportunity to carry out advanced research, including first-hand examination of art, architecture, and urban settings. Already at the master’s level, students make original contributions to the field: they collaborate in a research project and present the results of their study at the annual Symposium in Florence. This experience serves as a point of departure for employment in the art world or continued studies in a Ph.D. program.

Courses held in Florence and in Syracuse, New York—all classes are seminars given by internationally recognized scholars—provide the necessary analytical tools and practical skills for the study of Italian Renaissance art. Students explore art historical literature and historiography, Renaissance history, the collection and display of art, patronage, iconography, sources and documents, artistic techniques, and conservation. Especially in Florence, the program encourages a ‘hands-on’ approach: students examine art and architecture on-site and in conservation studios, and original documents in archives. The size of the program, usually six to eight participants per year, facilitates lively discussions and collaborations. Most students receive financial support, and the four top-ranked candidates enter the program with fellowships carrying full tuition and a stipend towards their living expenses in Italy ($14,900, for 2005-2006). In this terminal degree program, professors have the time and incentive to work closely with students as advisors and mentors, creating a dynamic intellectual atmosphere.

STUDY IN FLORENCE

On the Florence campus of Syracuse University, students will be about fifteen minutes from the Duomo. One of the oldest and largest US campuses in Italy, SUF underwent a major expansion and renovation in 2005. Graduate students in the Fine Arts have their own room in the new library building, near the media lab, and all graduate courses are held in “smart” classrooms. In addition to the Syracuse University in Florence library, with 12,000 volumes, students have access to some of the finest libraries in the world for the study of Italian Renaissance art history: the Istituto Nazionale per Studi sul Rinascimento at Palazzo Strozzi, the Biblioteca Nazionale, the Galleria degli Uffizi library, and the Harvard University Center for Renaissance Studies “Villa I Tatti.” By conducting research at these and other institutions, and attending the frequent lectures and conferences held in Florence, students will meet members of the international scholarly community and participate in the lively intellectual life of the city. In their courses, students will hear on-site lectures by museum directors, explore exhibitions with organizers, and visit conservation projects. All students will receive a museum card allowing them unlimited visits to state museums in Florence.

PH.D AND CAREER POSSIBILITIES

The unique qualities of this program—close contact with art and scholars, a collaborative atmosphere, advanced research on a focused topic, and an international setting—distinguish Syracuse graduates when they look for positions in an increasingly competitive art world. Upon completion of the program, many graduates remain at Syracuse University in Florence to work as Teaching Assistants (for a maximum of three semesters) and as Field Study Instructors. Some obtain internships in local museums; others find positions soon after leaving the city at educational or arts organizations in Italy and in the US, such as “Save Venice” or the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.

A high percentage of graduates have continued their education in Ph.D. programs, often at highly prestigious institutions. In the US, alumni over the last decade have gone on to Brown University, Cornell University, Harvard University, The Institute of Fine Arts at New York University, Johns Hopkins University, Rutgers University, University of Chicago, University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, University of Texas at Austin, and Washington University. Other graduates have decided to obtain their doctorates in Europe, at institutions such as the European University Institute (Florence), the Courtauld Institute (London), and Oxford University.

SEMESTER BREAKDOWN

Candidates complete 30 graduate credits in three semesters. The first fall semester’s courses are given in on the Syracuse University main campus in Syracuse, New York. Courses in the spring and following fall semester are given at Syracuse University in Florence. All courses require extensive readings (in both primary and secondary sources), oral presentations, and written work. Candidates must achieve at least a B average in each semester’s course work in order to remain in the program.

Fall Semester, Syracuse.

Candidates enroll in three courses counting for 12 graduate credits, taught by members of the Departments of Fine Arts and of History: Seminar in Renaissance Art (FIA 630, studies of European art in the 15th and 16th centuries), given by Program Director Gary Radke; Readings and Research in European History (HIS 735, examination of primary historical documentation), given by Dennis Romano, and Literature of Art Criticism (FIA 656, leading trends in art criticism from the sixteenth to the early twentieth century) given by Laurinda Dixon, Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Art & Music Histories. Students also enroll in Italian classes appropriate to their level of proficiency.

Spring Semester, Florence.

The spring-semester curriculum in Florence takes full advantage of the area’s artistic, cultural, and archival resources. Candidates enroll in four courses counting for a total of 12 graduate credits, taught by members of the permanent faculty at Syracuse University in Florence: Seminar in Renaissance Art (FIA 630, the interpretation and use of sources and documents), given by Rab Hatfield, the Florence coordinator; Seminar in Florentine Art (FIA 636, focus on the contexts and audiences of Renaissance art), taught by Barbara Deimling, director of Syracuse University in Florence, and Jonathan Nelson; Seminar in the History of Art Conservation (FIA 638), given by Ezio Buzzegoli and Diane Kunzelmann; and Independent Study (FIA 690, symposium preparation), directed by the three art history professors, Barbara Deimling, Rab Hatfield, and Jonathan Nelson, who make up the Symposium Committee.

At the beginning of this semester, candidates choose an advanced research topic that serves as the unifying theme of the culminating symposium that takes place at the end of the following fall semester. The students themselves identify a topic broad enough to accommodate all candidates in the group, yet sufficiently limited to assure focus and coherence. During the spring semester students begin research on individual topics related to the symposium theme and continue to meet with the Symposium Committee through mid-June. During the summer months, students are expected to make significant progress on their research but need not remain in Florence.

Fall Semester, Florence.

Specialized research and the writing of the symposium papers occupies the third and final semester. Students register for the Seminar in Arts and Ideas (FIA 691), given by members of the Symposium Committee, counting for 6 graduate credits. In mid-October students submit their MA research papers, the main text of which is approximately 25 pages long, to the Evaluating Committee (the Symposium Committee and the Program Director) for approval. In order to qualify for public presentation, papers must demonstrate clear argumentation, coherence, and originality.

Usually on the first Friday in December students present their results formally at the annual public Symposium. Once the final version of these papers has been approved by the Evaluating Committee, and copies submitted in both Florence and Syracuse, the Director of Graduate Studies at Syracuse University certifies to the Graduate School that the students have met all requirements for the Master of Arts degree in art history. Students with unacceptable papers have the opportunity to complete their degree on the home campus.

The Fall Semester Symposium in Florence.

At the end of the semester, based upon a common topic that they have selected, students present their research in a twenty-minute scholarly format. Past symposia (see complete list) have focused on themes (the patronage of Eleonora of Toledo; games) or on specific monuments and places (the Palazzo Vecchio; the church of the SS. Annunziata; the Arno River). For nearly twenty years, the symposium has attracted members of the international scholarly community in Florence, as well as interested students, faculty, and guests. The oral presentations allow students to develop their skills in public speaking and organizing visual material, essential for future speakers and professors.

APPLICATION and EXAMINATIONS

Candidates for this program should have pursued undergraduate studies in cultural history with emphasis on the visual arts and already acquired a working knowledge of the Italian language. They may apply through the regular admissions process of the University’s Graduate School. Applicants are screened and ranked by the Graduate Committee of the Department of Art & Music Histories, which forms the advisory committee to the Program. Application deadline is January 1. In the summer prior to the first fall semester, students are mailed an examination to determine their reading proficiency in Italian. On arrival in Syracuse, they are given an oral examination in Italian. Students are then placed in classes to reach fluency sufficient for the conduct of scholarly work in Italy. Completion of the program in Florence certifies students as having met the foreign language requirement for the Master of Arts degree in art history. Prior to the start of classes in the first semester, students also take a qualifying test in art history. The test, which is required of all art history graduate students, includes 60 slide identifications of major monuments of art history and 40 short definitions of technical terms. Students who do not pass the test have the opportunity to re-take it at the end of October. Students who do not satisfy these requirements by the end of the first semester are not allowed to continue in the Program.

ADMINISTRATION

The director of the Florence Graduate Program in Renaissance Art, Gary Radke, acts as principal academic adviser to all students, conducts one of their seminars, and serves on the Department of Fine Art’s Graduate Committee and the Evaluating Committee for the master’s paper. The Graduate Committee also includes the Department chair (ex officio), the Department’s Director of Graduate Studies, and two other Department faculty members. The Evaluating Committee also includes the Florence-based Symposium Committee: Barbara Deimling (Director of Syracuse University in Florence), Rab Hatfield (Florence Coordinator), and Jonathan Nelson. Non-academic matters, such as travel and living in Italy, are handled by the SU Abroad office. During the first semester in Syracuse, staff members meet with the students and assist in preparations to secure transportation, housing, visas, and any other requisite documents. Travel and living arrangements are ultimately the responsibility of the individual student. Students are expected to reach Florence in time for the orientation program, which introduces them to the program’s faculty and resources.

For application forms and further information, contact Ginny Pellam-Montalbano,
gapellam@syr.edu. Additional information can be found on the SU Florence website.

Past Symposium Topics

Back to Graduate Programs Home

Formulated in June 1991 by the Fine Arts Department Graduate Committee: Wayne Franits, George Nugent (chair) and Gary Radke, updated June 1996; May 1999, January 2007, August 2009.




	Home Admissions Undergraduate Programs Graduate Programs Curriculum Fall Courses Spring Courses News, Events, and Awards Faculty Alumni Florence Alumni Contact Site Map SU Homepage College of Arts and Sciences Cultural Resources Graduate Programs Professor Laurinda Dixon,, Director of Graduate Studies The Florence Graduate Program in Renaissance Art 2006 symposium participants and their faculty advisers, Professors Deimling, Hatfield, Nelson, and Radke THE ITALIAN RENAISSANCE “HANDS ON” Since 1964 the Department of Art & Music Histories at Syracuse University has conducted a special Master of Arts program devoted to the study of Renaissance art in Florence. This is the only MA art history program accredited in the United States where most of the study—two of the three semesters—is conducted in Italy. By focusing on Italian Renaissance art, the program allows students to explore one period in depth from a variety of perspectives. Courses promote careful analyses of stylistic and technical information, detailed consideration of original audiences and historical settings, and close readings of Renaissance documents and texts. The Florence program offers highly motivated students a unique opportunity to carry out advanced research, including first-hand examination of art, architecture, and urban settings. Already at the master’s level, students make original contributions to the field: they collaborate in a research project and present the results of their study at the annual Symposium in Florence. This experience serves as a point of departure for employment in the art world or continued studies in a Ph.D. program. Courses held in Florence and in Syracuse, New York—all classes are seminars given by internationally recognized scholars—provide the necessary analytical tools and practical skills for the study of Italian Renaissance art. Students explore art historical literature and historiography, Renaissance history, the collection and display of art, patronage, iconography, sources and documents, artistic techniques, and conservation. Especially in Florence, the program encourages a ‘hands-on’ approach: students examine art and architecture on-site and in conservation studios, and original documents in archives. The size of the program, usually six to eight participants per year, facilitates lively discussions and collaborations. Most students receive financial support, and the four top-ranked candidates enter the program with fellowships carrying full tuition and a stipend towards their living expenses in Italy ($14,900, for 2005-2006). In this terminal degree program, professors have the time and incentive to work closely with students as advisors and mentors, creating a dynamic intellectual atmosphere. STUDY IN FLORENCE On the Florence campus of Syracuse University, students will be about fifteen minutes from the Duomo. One of the oldest and largest US campuses in Italy, SUF underwent a major expansion and renovation in 2005. Graduate students in the Fine Arts have their own room in the new library building, near the media lab, and all graduate courses are held in “smart” classrooms. In addition to the Syracuse University in Florence library, with 12,000 volumes, students have access to some of the finest libraries in the world for the study of Italian Renaissance art history: the Istituto Nazionale per Studi sul Rinascimento at Palazzo Strozzi, the Biblioteca Nazionale, the Galleria degli Uffizi library, and the Harvard University Center for Renaissance Studies “Villa I Tatti.” By conducting research at these and other institutions, and attending the frequent lectures and conferences held in Florence, students will meet members of the international scholarly community and participate in the lively intellectual life of the city. In their courses, students will hear on-site lectures by museum directors, explore exhibitions with organizers, and visit conservation projects. All students will receive a museum card allowing them unlimited visits to state museums in Florence. PH.D AND CAREER POSSIBILITIES The unique qualities of this program—close contact with art and scholars, a collaborative atmosphere, advanced research on a focused topic, and an international setting—distinguish Syracuse graduates when they look for positions in an increasingly competitive art world. Upon completion of the program, many graduates remain at Syracuse University in Florence to work as Teaching Assistants (for a maximum of three semesters) and as Field Study Instructors. Some obtain internships in local museums; others find positions soon after leaving the city at educational or arts organizations in Italy and in the US, such as “Save Venice” or the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. A high percentage of graduates have continued their education in Ph.D. programs, often at highly prestigious institutions. In the US, alumni over the last decade have gone on to Brown University, Cornell University, Harvard University, The Institute of Fine Arts at New York University, Johns Hopkins University, Rutgers University, University of Chicago, University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, University of Texas at Austin, and Washington University. Other graduates have decided to obtain their doctorates in Europe, at institutions such as the European University Institute (Florence), the Courtauld Institute (London), and Oxford University. SEMESTER BREAKDOWN Candidates complete 30 graduate credits in three semesters. The first fall semester’s courses are given in on the Syracuse University main campus in Syracuse, New York. Courses in the spring and following fall semester are given at Syracuse University in Florence. All courses require extensive readings (in both primary and secondary sources), oral presentations, and written work. Candidates must achieve at least a B average in each semester’s course work in order to remain in the program. Fall Semester, Syracuse. Candidates enroll in three courses counting for 12 graduate credits, taught by members of the Departments of Fine Arts and of History: Seminar in Renaissance Art (FIA 630, studies of European art in the 15th and 16th centuries), given by Program Director Gary Radke; Readings and Research in European History (HIS 735, examination of primary historical documentation), given by Dennis Romano, and Literature of Art Criticism (FIA 656, leading trends in art criticism from the sixteenth to the early twentieth century) given by Laurinda Dixon, Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Art & Music Histories. Students also enroll in Italian classes appropriate to their level of proficiency. Spring Semester, Florence. The spring-semester curriculum in Florence takes full advantage of the area’s artistic, cultural, and archival resources. Candidates enroll in four courses counting for a total of 12 graduate credits, taught by members of the permanent faculty at Syracuse University in Florence: Seminar in Renaissance Art (FIA 630, the interpretation and use of sources and documents), given by Rab Hatfield, the Florence coordinator; Seminar in Florentine Art (FIA 636, focus on the contexts and audiences of Renaissance art), taught by Barbara Deimling, director of Syracuse University in Florence, and Jonathan Nelson; Seminar in the History of Art Conservation (FIA 638), given by Ezio Buzzegoli and Diane Kunzelmann; and Independent Study (FIA 690, symposium preparation), directed by the three art history professors, Barbara Deimling, Rab Hatfield, and Jonathan Nelson, who make up the Symposium Committee. At the beginning of this semester, candidates choose an advanced research topic that serves as the unifying theme of the culminating symposium that takes place at the end of the following fall semester. The students themselves identify a topic broad enough to accommodate all candidates in the group, yet sufficiently limited to assure focus and coherence. During the spring semester students begin research on individual topics related to the symposium theme and continue to meet with the Symposium Committee through mid-June. During the summer months, students are expected to make significant progress on their research but need not remain in Florence. Fall Semester, Florence. Specialized research and the writing of the symposium papers occupies the third and final semester. Students register for the Seminar in Arts and Ideas (FIA 691), given by members of the Symposium Committee, counting for 6 graduate credits. In mid-October students submit their MA research papers, the main text of which is approximately 25 pages long, to the Evaluating Committee (the Symposium Committee and the Program Director) for approval. In order to qualify for public presentation, papers must demonstrate clear argumentation, coherence, and originality. Usually on the first Friday in December students present their results formally at the annual public Symposium. Once the final version of these papers has been approved by the Evaluating Committee, and copies submitted in both Florence and Syracuse, the Director of Graduate Studies at Syracuse University certifies to the Graduate School that the students have met all requirements for the Master of Arts degree in art history. Students with unacceptable papers have the opportunity to complete their degree on the home campus. The Fall Semester Symposium in Florence. At the end of the semester, based upon a common topic that they have selected, students present their research in a twenty-minute scholarly format. Past symposia (see complete list) have focused on themes (the patronage of Eleonora of Toledo; games) or on specific monuments and places (the Palazzo Vecchio; the church of the SS. Annunziata; the Arno River). For nearly twenty years, the symposium has attracted members of the international scholarly community in Florence, as well as interested students, faculty, and guests. The oral presentations allow students to develop their skills in public speaking and organizing visual material, essential for future speakers and professors. APPLICATION and EXAMINATIONS Candidates for this program should have pursued undergraduate studies in cultural history with emphasis on the visual arts and already acquired a working knowledge of the Italian language. They may apply through the regular admissions process of the University’s Graduate School. Applicants are screened and ranked by the Graduate Committee of the Department of Art & Music Histories, which forms the advisory committee to the Program. Application deadline is January 1. In the summer prior to the first fall semester, students are mailed an examination to determine their reading proficiency in Italian. On arrival in Syracuse, they are given an oral examination in Italian. Students are then placed in classes to reach fluency sufficient for the conduct of scholarly work in Italy. Completion of the program in Florence certifies students as having met the foreign language requirement for the Master of Arts degree in art history. Prior to the start of classes in the first semester, students also take a qualifying test in art history. The test, which is required of all art history graduate students, includes 60 slide identifications of major monuments of art history and 40 short definitions of technical terms. Students who do not pass the test have the opportunity to re-take it at the end of October. Students who do not satisfy these requirements by the end of the first semester are not allowed to continue in the Program. ADMINISTRATION The director of the Florence Graduate Program in Renaissance Art, Gary Radke, acts as principal academic adviser to all students, conducts one of their seminars, and serves on the Department of Fine Art’s Graduate Committee and the Evaluating Committee for the master’s paper. The Graduate Committee also includes the Department chair (ex officio), the Department’s Director of Graduate Studies, and two other Department faculty members. The Evaluating Committee also includes the Florence-based Symposium Committee: Barbara Deimling (Director of Syracuse University in Florence), Rab Hatfield (Florence Coordinator), and Jonathan Nelson. Non-academic matters, such as travel and living in Italy, are handled by the SU Abroad office. During the first semester in Syracuse, staff members meet with the students and assist in preparations to secure transportation, housing, visas, and any other requisite documents. Travel and living arrangements are ultimately the responsibility of the individual student. Students are expected to reach Florence in time for the orientation program, which introduces them to the program’s faculty and resources. For application forms and further information, contact Ginny Pellam-Montalbano, gapellam@syr.edu. Additional information can be found on the SU Florence website. Past Symposium Topics Back to Graduate Programs Home Formulated in June 1991 by the Fine Arts Department Graduate Committee: Wayne Franits, George Nugent (chair) and Gary Radke, updated June 1996; May 1999, January 2007, August 2009.
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