HAUD Program Requirements
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- Field System
- Special Committee
- Program of Study
- Examinations
- Degree Requirements
- Foreign Language Requirements
- Funding
The HAUD program at Cornell offers a doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.), and represents a sophisticated blend of interdisciplinary research and new scholarship. The program prepares students for a scholarly career in global architectural history conceived as a distinct and evolving discipline with a diverse range of topics and methodologies. HAUD students are able to engage in original research that advances and changes the discipline, and impart that knowledge to undergraduate and graduate students. The structure and degree requirements of the program prepare students as erudite and independent scholars who can critically assess and contribute to the state of global and inclusive architectural history.
Before applying, the prospective students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the program, attend the virtual open house and contact the field faculty members that they envision to work with.
Field System
Fields, rather than departments, define graduate education at Cornell. Unlike traditional college or department divisions, fields at Cornell draw upon faculty from multiple colleges, departments, and related disciplines across the university, in accordance with individual scholarly interests.
The core faculty in the HAUD are professors Esra Akcan and Medina Lasansky; assistant professors Samia Henni and María González Pendás. Each of the core members teaches the required history and doctoral courses, offers scholarly development workshops to Ph.D. candidates, and actively participates in the discipline of architectural history. The affiliated faculty in the Field of Architecture with the Subject of HAUD are professor Thomas J. Campanella (Department of City and Regional Planning), associate professors Sean Anderson, Jesse Cavalier and Lily Chi; and assistant professor Tao DuFour. Several of these faculty members also serve in other Fields, including History of Art, Archaeology, and Visual Studies; Near Eastern Studies; Landscape Architecture; and Romance Studies. Current HAUD doctoral students' special committees are composed of faculty in other Fields at Cornell, such as Begüm Adalet (government), Richard F. Brensel (government), Raymond Craib (Latin American history), Iftikhar Dadi (history of art), Salah Hassan (Africana studies), María Fernández (history of art), Magnus Fiskesjö (anthropology), Seema Golestaneh (near eastern Studies), Lori Khatchadourian (near eastern studies), Fouad Makki (global development), Viranjini Munasinghe (anthropology), Tracy McNulty (romance studies), Mustafa Minawi (history), Rachel Prentice (STS), Katherine Sender (feminist, gender, and sexuality studies), Suman Seth (STS), Robert Travers (history), Stephen Vider (history), Geoffrey Carter W. Waite (comparative literature), as well as out-of-Cornell architectural historians who are active researchers in the discipline, such as Manuel Shvartzberg Carrió and Anthony Vidler. In addition to pursuing their doctoral studies, Ph.D. students contribute to education in undergraduate and graduate programs by serving as T.A.s in required history courses. Some students seek out T.A. responsibilities in other departments and programs and even enjoy teaching their own freshman writing course.
Special Committee
A special committee monitors and mentors a student's graduate study which results in a flexible graduate education tailored to each individual student.
A temporary advisor is assigned to each student at the start of the first semester while the student settles on a major subject that determines a principal advisor and committee chair.
For the Ph.D. committee, two additional minor members are typically required. The special committee members, in turn, reflect the major and minor areas of study. A student selects the members of the special committee, with their consent, from the current graduate faculty by the end of the third semester of study. The committee chair must represent the major concentration, i.e. history of architecture or history of urban development.
Program of Study
Each student selects classes in consultation with their temporary advisor and/or special committee chair. A normal load for first-year students is four classes or a minimum of 12 credits per semester. In the second and third years, when most students have teaching assistantships, the number of classes per semester may be fewer, but a minimum of 12 credits per semester is required. Students should seek to work with all department faculty involved with the HAUD program at some point during their initial semesters at Cornell, and should also select classes with a view toward a Ph.D. dissertation topic.
Examinations
Q-Examination
Students who enter the program with a master's degree from another institution or program at Cornell — whether in the history of architecture, or a closely allied field such as history of art or historic preservation planning — are asked to submit their master's essay or thesis for review by the HAUD faculty two weeks prior to the start of their first semester. This should be submitted to the department graduate field assistant in 139 E. Sibley Hall. If the student's prior thesis or master's essay is deemed acceptable, the requirement for the qualifying Q-examination is waived. Students without an approved master's essay or thesis will take a qualifying Q-exam at the end of their second year of study.
- This exam, administered by field faculty representing the HAUD concentrations, helps faculty to determine the ability of a student to be successful as a Ph.D. student in the HAUD program. Students who do not pass the Q-exam may have the option, at the field's discretion, of either re-taking the Q-exam or scheduling a separate exam to qualify for a non-thesis master's degree in lieu of continuing in the Ph.D. program. Alternatively, the chair may choose to resign, per the Graduate Faculty's Code of Legislation and the student may seek to change to another Cornell graduate program. Students who fail the Q-examination are not considered to be in good academic standing.
A-Examination
The A-examination — the Admission to Doctoral Candidacy Examination — is taken before the seventh semester of study. This exam, administered by the student's special committee, consists of both written and oral components. Students who do not pass the A-examination, but perform at a level considered equivalent to a passed final examination for the master's degree, may receive the master's degree but without continuation in the Ph.D. program.
B-Examination
Ph.D. candidates must also prepare and defend a dissertation in the B-examination, in some cases as early as the fifth or sixth year, but no later than the seventh year of study. The dissertation should demonstrate the student's ability to pursue independent and independently motivated research. As a contribution to scholarship and human knowledge, the dissertation represents a substantial creative endeavor.
Exam Timeline
Student's prior M.A. thesis deemed acceptable
| Semester | Tasks |
|---|---|
| Semester 3 | Establish three-person special committee |
| Semester 6 | Pass A-Exam, non-thesis M.A. awarded* |
| Semester 14 | Pass B-Exam: Ph.D. awarded |
Student's prior M.A. thesis not deemed acceptable
| Semester | Tasks |
|---|---|
| Semester 3 | Establish three-person special committee |
| Semester 4 | Pass Q-Exam** |
| Semester 6 | Pass A-Exam, non-thesis M.A. awarded |
| Semester 14 | Pass B-Exam: Ph.D. awarded |
* Students who do not pass the A-exam, but perform at a level considered equivalent to a passed Final Examination for the Master's degree, may receive the MA degree and withdraw from the Ph.D. program.
** Students who do not pass the Q-exam may have the option, at the field’s discretion, of either re-taking the Q-exam or scheduling a separate exam to qualify for a non-thesis master’s degree in lieu of continuing in the Ph.D. program. Alternatively, the chair may choose to resign, per the Graduate Faculty’s Code of Legislation, and the student may seek to change to another Cornell graduate program. Students who fail the Q-exam are not considered to be in good academic standing.
Degree Requirements
The HAUD program at Cornell offers a doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.), and represents a sophisticated blend of interdisciplinary research and new scholarship. The program prepares students for a scholarly career in global architectural history conceived as a distinct and evolving discipline covering a diverse range of topics and methodologies. HAUD students are able to engage in original research that advances and changes the discipline and impart that knowledge to undergraduate and graduate students. The structure and degree requirements of the program prepare students as erudite and independent scholars who can critically assess and contribute to the state of global and inclusive architectural history.
Before applying, prospective students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the program, attend a Virtual Open House, and contact the field faculty members that they envision working with.
Foreign Language Requirements
Students must demonstrate competency in one foreign language by the end of their second year, and a second foreign language by the completion of their "A" examination. The primary language should be directly related to the student's thesis research. The secondary language should support their research.
Funding
Ph.D. students are eligible for support through fellowships and teaching assistantships. Learn more about funding opportunities.
