The Distinguished Majors Program in Art History

To majors who wish to be considered for a degree of "distinction," "high distinction," or "highest distinction" in art history, the department offers a Distinguished Majors Program (DMP) of advanced courses and research culminating in a thesis of approximately fifty pages. Students should ordinarily apply for admission to the program by the end of their third year. To apply, students must submit a thesis proposal and have the approval of a faculty member to direct their research. A GPA of 3.4 in major courses and a cumulative GPA at or near 3.4 are required for admission. Application should be made to the Distinguished Majors Advisor (the DMP application can be downloaded here). In their fourth year, students in the program are required to enroll in ARTH 497-498 (Undergraduate Thesis). These are evaluated by a committee chaired by the undergraduate advisors that also considers the student’s work in the DMP based on the evaluations of instructors in the students’ advanced courses; the students’ performance in major courses; and the students’ overall GPA. The committee recommends either no distinction, distinction, high distinction, or highest distinction, and passes on its recommendation to the Committee on Special Programs. For more information on the DMP, contact the DMP coordinator, Ms. Tyler Jo Smith , (434) 243-8782, tjs6e@virginia.edu.