Independent Study in the Department of Art and Art History is open to students who are in their junior year and/or have completed a substantial portion of their major studies.  If you are interested in taking an Independent Study, please discuss your proposal with the professor with whom you wish to complete the Independent Study. If approved, the professor will do an override in Banner which will allow you to register for the course. No application is required. ARTS 495 and ARTH 496 may each be taken twice for credit.  If you have any questions, please contact The A&AH Undergraduate Advisor, Darrell Collins, at darrell5@unm.edu.

Departmental Honors
Art Studio: ARTS 499
Art History: ARTH 499

Departmental Honors, ARTS 499 and ARTH 499, are open to students who are interested in doing either a studio exhibition or an art history research paper in their senior year.  Traditionally, the studio thesis includes an exhibition, a paper, and a talk; the history thesis includes a research paper and a talk.  However, what is to be done for any given thesis is strictly up to the Honors Thesis Committee and the student.  If you are interested, please see the professor that you would like to serve as your Honors Thesis tutor. Also, please schedule an appointment with the A&AH Undergraduate Advisor, Darrell Collins, to discuss your plans and complete the paperwork.

The purpose of the departmental honors program is two-fold: (1) to expand and strengthen the student’s knowledge of his/her major field of study through a more intense focus, and (2) to provide a closer working relationship with the faculty.  A student is admitted into the honors program based on a high level of academic and creative performance.  Continuance in the program and the level of honors awarded is at the discretion of the Department Chair.  The minimum requirement for graduation with departmental honors is six credit hours in Honors Thesis, ARTS 499 or ARTH 499.  The six hours are to be taken over the two semesters of the senior year.

ELIGIBILITY
A 3.5 cumulative GPA and a minimum of 60 hours in residence at UNM are required.

REQUIREMENTS
1.  For art studio, an artist’s statement approximately two pages in length
2.  A professor to serve as a chairperson for the thesis committee
3.  Two additional professors to serve on the thesis committee
4.  The signatures of the three professors
5.  A letter of recommendation from the proposed faculty tutor
6.  For art studio, twelve samples of work in a format to be determined by the
     applicant
7.  For art history, a written sample of exceptional research or opinion from an art
     history class

APPLICATION PROCEDURE
If you are interested in taking honors thesis please make an appointment with the undergraduate advisor, Darrell Collins. To make an appointment call 277-5861.

RESPONSIBILITY
After admission to the program, the student assumes complete responsibility for the completion of the project, including the time and place of the exhibition and/or talk and the completion of the paperwork for the final evaluation of the thesis.  If the exhibition is to be in the John Sommers Gallery, arrangements should be made with the director of the gallery. Oral presentations of the art history papers should be arranged with the A&AH Director of Graduate Studies to coincide with the spring art history graduate symposium.  

EVALUATION AND LEVEL OF HONORS
Final evaluation will be done by the committee during the exhibition or oral presentation.  A level of honors will be recommended by the committee.  The final level of honors is at the discretion of the Department Chair.