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Conferences and symposia
Advanced graduate students are encouraged to participate in professional conferences and symposia. This must be undertaken in consultation with the MA 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.
Job placement after graduation
The School of Art, Art History, and Design provides comprehensive support to students seeking teaching or professional positions after completing their degree programs.
Placement services
- Students are encouraged to maintain a file at the Educational Placement Office (N302 Lindquist Center) or the University's Educational Placement Office (N140 Lindquist Center) for job-related documentation and recommendations.
- Job announcements, including College Art Association listings and other openings, are regularly posted on campus notice boards and online platforms.
- Faculty members assist students by providing recommendation letters and facilitating connections with art departments nationwide.
- The School of Art, Art History, and Design actively circulates the names of qualified candidates, especially terminal MA, PhD, or MFA candidates, to relevant art departments across the country.
Additional resources
- For further job information and Graduate Awards/Grants, students can access resources available at the Division of Sponsored Programs and the Pomerantz Career Center (100 Pomerantz Center, Suite C310).
Career resources for UI graduate students
The Graduate College offers robust professional development services, including career guidance, national grants and fellowships support, and Iowa's Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL).
For more information on graduate student professional development services, visit the Grad Success Center.