The Italian Art Society is pleased to list educational and other opportunities of interest to its membership, including information on graduate study and postdocs; courses in paleography, preservation, and rare books; and summer institutes. Suggested postings should be sent to the webmaster.
Since 1964, the Department of Art & Music Histories at Syracuse University has offered a unique Master of Arts program devoted to the study of Renaissance art that is based in Florence. This is the oldest M.A. art history program accredited in the United States where most of the study—two of three semesters—is conducted in Italy. The small size of the program, which usually numbers four to six participants per year, ensures that professors work closely with each student, creating a dynamic intellectual experience. The four top-ranked candidates enter the program with Florence Fellowships that provide full tuition and a generous stipend. Most students who are not fellows receive partial tuition and, thanks to the support of the Samuel H. Kress Foundation and Florence Legacy Fund, some are also eligible to receive a substantial stipend. 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 styles and techniques, detailed consideration of original audiences and historical settings, and close readings of Renaissance documents and texts. The Florence program offers highly motivated students an unparalleled opportunity to carry out advanced research grounded in the first-hand examination of art, architecture, and urban settings. Already at the master’s level, students make original contributions to the field: they engage in a research project and present the results of their study at an annual symposium held in Florence.
Duke University now offers a Master’s Degree in Digital Art History/Computational Media. The 18-month Digital Art History program integrates historical disciplines and the study of cultural artifacts with digital visualization techniques for the analysis and presentation of research. The program builds on courses and well-developed strengths at Duke University, and requires 10 courses over three semesters in addition to summer research. Students affiliate with an existing faculty research initiative, from which they will develop their own independent research project for the M.A. thesis. Common themes that unite the various projects are the visualization of process, the representation of change over time, recontextualizing displaced objects and object biographies. The M.A. prepares students for future work in such fields as public history, city planning and architectural design, cultural heritage, museum exhibition design and visualization-based journalism, and provides a springboard for more advanced study in art history, archaeology, architectural history and visual studies. Limited funding may become available in the form of grants and assistantships to students upon positive progress in the program.
Marist College and the Istituto Lorenzo de’ Medici offer a unique graduate program in Museum Studies, taught in English, that focuses on hands-on practical experience in all aspects of museum management, presentation, production, and conservation. In a city with over 70 museums in history, art, architecture, and more, the M.A. in Museum Studies offers an amazing opportunity to enter into Florence’s extensive museum world, and join the ranks of the next generation of museum professionals. Questions may be directed to Admissions.
Rutgers University now offers an Italian for Reading Knowledge Online Certificate Program. The Department of Italian at the State University of New Jersey provides this sequence consisting of two online courses designed for personal development and to help students obtain the certification needed to meet the requirements of their graduate programs. It surveys Italian vocabulary and idiom, syntax and grammar, helping students acquire the language skills necessary to appreciate the works of important Italian authors as they were written. Created by the faculty of the Rutgers Italian Department—ranked #3 in the U.S. by the Faculty Scholarly Productivity Index (measuring books published, grants awarded, and articles cited)—this fully online program is accessible, efficient and comprehensive. Students may enroll at any time for either of the 15-week curricula.
Paleography Courses
The Medici Archive Project typically offers a 2-week intensive seminar on archival research especially intended for advanced graduate students in Renaissance and early modern studies, team-taught by current and former MAP staff at the library of Santa Maria Novella in Florence. Includes visits to private and public Tuscan archives. In addition, participants will be invited to spend the mornings at the MAP room at the Archivio di Stato in Florence in order to work alongside fellows and staff on their research projects. The tuition for this seminar is US $ 750, payable via PayPal upon acceptance (room and board are not included).The seminar is limited to twelve scholars, in order to ensure that each participant will receive personal guidance. Questions may be directed to Dr. Elena Brizio.
Rare Books
California Rare Book School (CalRBS) is a continuing education program dedicated to providing the knowledge and skills required by professionals working in all aspects of the rare book community, and for students interested in entering the field. Founded in 2005, CalRBS is a project of the Department of Information Studies at the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies at UCLA. CalRBS is supported by an informal consortium of many of the academic and research libraries and antiquarian booksellers of Southern California. Week-long courses are usually held in August and November. Scholarships are available, including twelve IMLS scholarships to mid-career librarians and Kress-Murphy Scholarships (for art librarians and art historians, and graduate students studying for these professions) and include both a tuition waiver and $1,000 for expenses if you live more than 50 miles from the site of the CalRBS course you wish to take. Anyone who applies for admission to a CalRBS course may apply for a scholarship. Application deadlines are in June for August programs and in August for November programs.