About this course
This graduate seminar focuses on methods, interpretations, and major questions in architectural and landscape history and historically-informed scholarship. We approach the field through recently published books, state of the field essays, modern classics, and one film. The objective of the course is to provide a foundation for further research in its myriad forms with the understanding that one of the major tasks in your scholarly trajectory is to articulate your primary and auxiliary interests, to understand the major questions and concerns driving your fields, and, perhaps most importantly, to understand how to situate your own work and contributions within this body of scholarship.
This course is primarily reading- and discussion-based, so readings may be considerable, but the writing requirements are relatively light. The amount of reading each week is roughly the equivalent of one book and two articles to discuss in class, but sometimes more. The readings include works from within architectural and landscape history as well as pieces from well outside of the field in order to get a sense of their animating methodological and conceptual topics and how they might be brought to bear in our field. We will also spend time talking about the mechanics and habits of academic life including research statements for fellowships, the processes of research, conferences, professionalization, and more.
4 credit hours.