Advanced graduate students are encouraged to participate in professional conferences and symposia. This must be undertaken in consultation with the M.A. Adviser or Dissertation Adviser or other appropriate faculty member. All abstracts must be reviewed by a faculty member prior to being submitted to the sponsoring organization or institution. Students will not be considered for departmental funding without such consultation. Papers accepted for presentation will be given at the School prior to the conference. The Head of Art History schedules these presentations, normally 20 minutes in length. They are open to all faculty and graduate students in the Art History Division.

Progress to degree must be a graduate student's first priority. Conference papers can take time away from that goal. Therefore, students must choose their conference commitments very carefully. Faculty encourage graduate students to participate in national conferences over graduate venues.

Each April the Art Institute of Chicago sponsors the “Graduate Student Seminar” at which a representative from each of the major art history graduate programs in the region gives a paper. Students interested in being selected for this opportunity should speak to the Head of Art History early in the Spring Semester. Procedures as indicated above should be followed.