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Visual Arts Theses and Dissertations

Theses/dissertations from 2014 2014.

A Maoli-Based Art Education: Ku'u Mau Kuamo'o 'Ōlelo , Raquel Malia Andrus

Accumulation of Divine Service , Blaine Lee Atwood

Caroline Murat: Powerful Patron of Napoleonic France and Italy , Brittany Dahlin

.(In|Out)sider$ , Jarel M. Harwood

Mariko Mori's Sartorial Transcendence: Fashioned Identities, Denied Bodies, and Healing, 1993-2001 , Jacqueline Rose Hibner

Parallel and Allegory , Kody Keller

Fallen Womanhood and Modernity in Ivan Kramskoi's Unknown Woman (1883) , Trenton B. Olsen

Conscience and Context in Eastman Johnson's The Lord Is My Shepherd , Amanda Melanie Slater

The War That Does Not Leave Us: Memory of the American Civil War and the Photographs of Alexander Gardner , Katie Janae White

Theses/Dissertations from 2013 2013

Women and the Wiener Werkstätte: The Centrality of Women and the Applied Arts in Early Twentieth-Century Vienna , Caitlin J. Perkins Bahr

Cutting Into Relief , Matthew L. Bass

Mask, Mannequin, and the Modern Woman: Surrealism and the Fashion Photographs of George Hoyningen-Huene , Hillary Anne Carman

The End of All Learning , Maddison Carole Colvin

Civitas: A Game-Based Approach to AP Art History , Anna Davis

What Crawls Beneath , Brent L. Gneiting

Blame Me for Your Bad Grade: Autonomy in the Basic Digital Photography Classroom as a Means to Combat Poor Student Performance , Erin Collette Johnson

Evolving Art in Junior High , Randal Charles Marsh

All Animals Will Get Along in Heaven , Camila Nagata

It Will Always Be My Tree: An A/r/tographic Study of Place and Identity in an Elementary School Classroom , Molly Robertson Neves

Zofia Stryjeńska: Women in the Warsaw Town Square. Our Lady, Peasant Mother, Pagan Goddess , Katelyn McKenzie Sheffield

Using Contemporary Art to Guide Curriculum Design:A Contemporary Jewelry Workshop , Kathryn C. Smurthwaite

Documenting the Dissin's Guest House: Esther Bubley's Exploration of Jewish-American Identity, 1942-43 , Vriean Diether Taggart

Blooming Vines, Pregnant Mothers, Religious Jewelry: Gendered Rosary Devotion in Early Modern Europe , Rachel Anne Wise

Theses/Dissertations from 2012 2012

Rembrandt van Rijn's Jewish Bride : Depicting Female Power in the Dutch Republic Through the Notion of Nation Building , Nan T. Atwood

Portraits , Nicholas J. Bontorno

Where There Is Design , Elizabeth A. Crowe

George Dibble and the Struggle for Modern Art in Utah , Sarah Dibble

Mapping Creativity: An A/r/tographic Look at the Artistic Process of High School Students , Bart Andrus Francis

Joseph as Father in Guido Reni's St. Joseph Images , Alec Teresa Gardner

Student Autonomy: A Case Study of Intrinsic Motivation in the Art Classroom , Downi Griner

Aha'aina , Tali Alisa Hafoka

Fashionable Art , Lacey Kay

Effluvia and Aporia , Emily Ann Melander

Interactive Web Technology in the Art Classroom: Problems and Possibilities , Marie Lynne Aitken Oxborrow

Visual Storybooks: Connecting the Lives of Students to Core Knowledge , Keven Dell Proud

German Nationalism and the Allegorical Female in Karl Friedrich Schinkel's The Hall of Stars , Allison Slingting

The Influence of the Roman Atrium-House's Architecture and Use of Space in Engendering the Power and Independence of the Materfamilias , Anne Elizabeth Stott

The Narrative Inquiry Museum:An Exploration of the Relationship between Narrative and Art Museum Education , Angela Ames West

Theses/Dissertations from 2011 2011

The Portable Art Gallery: Facilitating Student Autonomy and Ownership through Exhibiting Artwork , Jethro D. Gillespie

The Movement Of An Object Through A Field Creates A Complex Situation , Jared Scott Greenleaf

Alice Brill's Sao Paulo Photographs: A Cross-Cultural Reading , Danielle Jean Hurd

A Comparative Case Study: Investigation of a Certified Elementary Art Specialist Teaching Elementary Art vs. a Non-Art Certified Teacher Teaching Elementary Art , Jordan Jensen

A Core Knowledge Based Curriculum Designed to Help Seventh and Eighth Graders Maintain Artistic Confidence , Debbie Ann Labrum

Traces of Existence , Jayna Brown Quinn

Female Spectators in the July Monarchy and Henry Scheffer's Entrée de Jeanne d’Arc à Orléans , Kalisha Roberts

Without End , Amy M. Royer

Classroom Community: Questions of Apathy and Autonomy in a High School Jewelry Class , Samuel E. Steadman

Preparing Young Children to Respond to Art in the Museum , Nancy L. Stewart

DAY JAW BOO, a re-collection , Rachel VanWagoner

The Tornado Tree: Drawing on Stories and Storybooks , Toni A. Wood

Theses/Dissertations from 2010 2010

IGolf: Contemporary Sculptures Exhibition 2009 , King Lun Kisslan Chan

24 Hour Portraits , Lee R. Cowan

Fabricating Womanhood , Emily Fox

Earth Forms , Janelle Marie Tullis Mock

Peregrinations , Sallie Clinton Poet

Leland F. Prince's Earth Divers , Leland Fred Prince

Theses/Dissertations from 2009 2009

Ascents and Descents: Personal Pilgrimage in Hieronymus Bosch's The Haywain , Alison Daines

Beyond the Walls: The Easter Processional on the Exterior Frescos of Moldavian Monastery Churches , Mollie Elizabeth McVey

Beauty, Ugliness, and Meaning: A Study of Difficult Beauty , Christine Anne Palmer

Lantern's Diary , Wei Zhong Tan

Text and Tapestry: "The Lady and the Unicorn," Christine de Pizan and the le Vistes , Shelley Williams

Theses/Dissertations from 2008 2008

A Call for Liberation: Aleijadinho's 'Prophets' as Capoeiristas , Monica Jayne Bowen

Secondhand Chinoiserie and the Confucian Revolutionary: Colonial America's Decorative Arts "After the Chinese Taste" , Kiersten Claire Davis

Dairy Culture: Industry, Nature and Liminality in the Eighteenth-Century English Ornamental Dairy , Ashlee Whitaker

Theses/Dissertations from 2007 2007

Navajo Baskets and the American Indian Voice: Searching for the Contemporary Native American in the Trading Post, the Natural History Museum, and the Fine Art Museum , Laura Paulsen Howe

And there were green tiles on the ceiling , Jean Catherine Richardson

Four Greco-Roman Era Temples of Near Eastern Fertility Goddesses: An Analysis of Architectural Tradition , K. Michelle Wimber

Theses/Dissertations from 2006 2006

The Portrait of Citizen Jean-Baptiste Belley, Ex-Representative of the Colonies by Anne-Louis Girodet Trioson: Hybridity, History Painting, and the Grand Tour , Megan Marie Collins

Fix , Kathryn Williams

Theses/Dissertations from 2005 2005

Ideals and Realities , Pamela Bowman

Accountability for the Implementation of Secondary Visual Arts Standards in Utah and Queensland , John K. Derby

The Artistic and Architectural Patronage of Countess Urraca of Santa María de Cañas: A Powerful Aristocrat, Abbess, and Advocate , Julia Alice Jardine McMullin

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How to write the perfect design dissertation

Tutors and students from top design colleges share their advice.

Studying design is about crafting a great design portfolio that will wow potential employers, right? Well, yes. But don't discount the importance of astute creative thinking, and expressing yourself eloquently through the written word. In short, your design dissertation matters.

"I don't believe that design students should be focused entirely on portfolio work," argues Myrna MacLeod , programme leader for Graphic Design at Edinburgh Napier University. "They should also be able to demonstrate an interest in the contexts that underpin their work, and the histories and connections that have informed our practice."

• 5 top tips for graduate designers

"Think of a dissertation as an opportunity, not a burden," urges Craig Burston , Graphic and Media Design course leader at London College of Communication (LCC). "It gives us visually-minded people an opportunity to demonstrate that we too can construct arguments and distil complex notions." 

As Burston points out, this is not just an academic exercise: the power of persuasion is often key to success as a commercial designer. "Clients seek clarity, and project concepts or proposals need to be put into context," he says.

Read on to discover some top tips from leading tutors and their students for nailing your design dissertation…

01. Treat it like a design brief

"A great dissertation should be a designed artefact, and portfolio-worthy in its own right," says Burston. And like a design brief, it should be about solving a problem: "Make sure it has clearly stated aims, strong focus, and doesn't lack opinion or rhetoric," he adds.

• Best laptops for graphic design

"The value of a designed dissertation as a portfolio piece is that it's a holistic view of the individual," agrees Sarah James , senior lecturer in Visual Communication at Arts University Bournemouth (AUB). 

"It shows, type, editorial, research and aesthetic skill, as well as the personal interests and convictions of the individual."

James identifies AUB student Maarit Koobas , who investigated responsive type in both her dissertation and final project, as a particularly strong example of this. "Her design version was one of the most authentic, restrained and elegantly expressive I have ever received," she enthuses.

Koobas conducted a huge amount of initial research into both the contexts in which responsive type can be seen – such as advertising, product design, science and material cultures – and the theories behind its analysis, including semiotics, philosophy and politics. "Creating and analysing ideas, before they end up in your portfolio, is what design is all about," argues Koobas.

• 5 must-read books for design students

02. Write about your passion

"To develop essay questions, AUB students are asked to consider what they love, hate or are puzzled by in their practice – essentially, what moves them," says James. 

"A poor dissertation is inauthentically chosen for ease as opposed to interest," she adds. "It rambles and blusters, using complex language to mask insufficient research." 

"You can tell a mile off when the writer isn't interested," agrees Burston. "How can you expect the reader to care about it if you don't? Write about something that reflects your interests, focus and direction. I've read fascinating dissertations on topics as diverse as patterns in nature, and Brutalist car parks. Make me interested in what interests you."

For Edinburgh Napier graduate Fiona Winchester , this topic turned out to be typography in graphic novels. "I love reading them, but I think people still don't take them seriously as an art form, which is a shame," she says. For her dissertation, she conducted qualitative interviews using modified pages with and without imagery (shown above). 

Her advice is simple: "Narrow down your idea to be as precise as possible. The smaller your question, the easier it is to research and try to answer it."

If you're struggling to get the ball rolling on the actual writing process, Winchester advocates starting with whichever bit you have ideas for. "If you're stuck, it's so much easier to write in whatever order it comes to you, and then edit it into a dissertation, than to try write straight through from beginning to end," she insists.

03. Don't be afraid to talk to people

"I always think my students get the most out of the new streams of knowledge they find from talking to people," says McLeod. "It breaks down barriers and allows them to find answers to problems. Hopefully they will adopt that approach when designing for people also."

In some cases, this can involve interviewing your design heroes. "Students are very surprised when they send a question to Stefan Sagmeister , Milton Glaser or Michael Wolff and they reply with the most precious nugget of knowledge," smiles McLeod. 

But remember: it's your dissertation, so don't get lazy and expect your interview subject to do all the heavy lifting.

In other cases, it could be as simple as asking friends or family to help proofread. "It is quite daunting writing such a large body of text," admits Kaori Toh , a recent graduate from Central Saint Martins, whose dissertation explored the politics of design and technology.

"I often felt I'd get lost in all that text and research," she confesses. "Therefore, I would often send my drafts to a couple of friends to have them look through, and keep my writing cohesive."

04. Reflect on your design practice 

Most of all, dissertations are an opportunity to reflect on, and develop, your creative process as a designer. "Ultimately, it's your job to make your work relevant and credible, and the dissertation helps you learn how to do this," adds Burston. 

Of course, writing doesn't always come easily to visually minded people – and Burston highlights the fact that dyslexia is not uncommon amongst designers. 

"You're not on your own – in our profession, quite the opposite in fact – so do seek academic support, and just enjoy thinking and writing about 'stuff' that informs your practice," is his advice.

One of Burston's stand-out students from this year, Tom Baber , welcomed support from the university to help with his dyslexia. Baber's dissertation focused on type design, and particularly the extent to which the longwinded design process is worth the effort, compared to using an existing typeface.

"I saw it as an opportunity to approach other type designers and see what they thought. Turns out I'm not the first to ask the question," he smiles. "Writing my dissertation helped me change from a 'maker' mentality to a 'designer' mentality, and be more critical of my ideas."

Related articles:

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• The skills every design graduate needs
• 5 alternative routes into design education

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Home > College of the Arts > School of Art and Design > M.A. A&D

Master of Arts in Art and Design Theses

The Master of Arts in Art and Design prepares leaders in artistic industries with embodied professional practice and pedagogy, as well as local and global engagement. Students engage in collaborative inquiry with disciplinary experts to solve problems at an advanced level. This interdisciplinary/integrated degree mirrors our desire to break free of the limits of discipline-specific constraints.

Graduates of this degree program demonstrate competencies in: critical inquiry, research and creative practice; innovative techniques and technologies to work in art and design; transferring skills and knowledge base across disciplines to think critically and to connect research to problem-solving in creative activity; diverse historical, contemporary culture and contexts; and collaborate on core values for the development of personal narrative that intrinsically values art.

Need to Submit Your Thesis? Submit Here!

Theses from 2022 2022.

THE REHABILITATION OF FULTON BAG & COTTON MILLS: A Case for a Unique Public-History Site and Open-Air Museum , Nina Elsas

DOCUMENTARY PHOTOGRAPHY AND CURATORIAL PRACTICE IN THE UNITED STATES, 1902-1967 , Katie Hegebarth

An Ethnography of Voodoo Tourism and Heritage Sites in New Orleans, Lousiana , Bryant Long

HUMAN REMAINS IN MUSEUMS AND INSTITUTIONS: LAWS AND POLICIES , Cassidy Steele

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Home > FACULTIES > Visual Arts > VISUALARTS-ETD

Visual Arts Theses and Dissertations

This collection contains theses and dissertations from the Department of Visual Arts, collected from the Scholarship@Western Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Theses/Dissertations from 2024 2024

Eyes Open in the Dark , Brittany A. Forrest

Contemporary Painting: Autopoietic Improvisation and a Relational Ecology , Philip James Gurrey

Theses/Dissertations from 2023 2023

sweeping the forest floor of frequencies , Maria A. Kouznetsova

Achy Awfulness , Rylee J. Rumble

Nonstop Digital Flickerings; , Sam Wagter

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

Credulous Escapism , Brianne C. Casey

At Dusk , Michelle Paterok

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

Marvelous Monsters , Thomas Bourque

On Ground , Matthew Brown

Pharmakon: From Body to Being , Jérôme Y. C. Conquy

The Other Neighbour of El Otro Lado , Anahi Gonzalez Teran

Neoliberalism, Institutionalism, and Art , Declan Hoy

Strings of Sound and Sense: Towards a Feminine Sonic , Ellen N. Moffat

Cyber Souls and Second Selves , Yas Nikpour Khoshgrudi

The No No-Exit Closet: An Alternative to No-Exit Pathways , Faith I. Patrick

Fleet: Nuances of Time and Ephemera , Rebecca Sutherland

Theses/Dissertations from 2020 2020

The Hell of a Boiling Red , George Kubresli

still, unfolding , Ramolen Mencero Laruan

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

Spanning , Mary Katherine Carder-Thompson

The Medieval Genesis of a Mythology of Painting , Colin Dorward

Philosophical Archeology in Theoretical and Artistic Practice , Ido Govrin

Bone Meal , Johnathan Onyschuk

Inventory , Lydia Elvira Santia

Collaborative Listening and Cultural Difference in Contemporary Art , Santiago Ulises Unda Lara

Absence and Proximity , Zhizi Wang

Theses/Dissertations from 2018 2018

Then Again, Maybe I Won't , Claire Bartleman

and where is the body? , Tyler Durbano

Next to a River: Mobility, Mapping, and Hand Embroidery , Sharmistha Kar

Interfaces of Nearness: Documentary Photography and the Representation of Technology , Mark Kasumovic

Buffer , Graham Macaulay

The English Landscapes in the Seventeenth Century , Helen Parkinson

SuperNova: Performing Race, Hybridity and Expanding the Geographical Imagination , Raheleh Saneie

Slower Than Time Itself , Matthew S. Trueman

Skim , Joy Wong

Theses/Dissertations from 2017 2017

Gardening at Arm's Length , Paul Chartrand

Lesser Than Greater Than Equal To: The Art Design Paradox , Charles Lee Franklin Harris

Skin Portraiture: Embodied Representations in Contemporary Art , Heidi Kellett

Midheaven , Samantha R. Noseworthy

Drum Voice , Quinn J. Smallboy

Theses/Dissertations from 2016 2016

Beyond the Look of Representation: Defamiliarization, Décor, and the Latin Feel , Juanita Lee Garcia

Emphatic Tension , Mina Moosavipour

Symbiotic: The Human Body and Constructs of Nature , Simone Sciascetti

Thin Skin , Jason Stovall

On Coming and Going , Quintin Teszeri

Theses/Dissertations from 2015 2015

Crowdsourcing , Sherry A. Czekus

From Dust to Dust , Lynette M. de Montreuil

Hand-Eye , Michael S. Pszczonak

Abstraction And Libidinal Nationalism In The Works Of John Boyle And Diana Thorneycroft , Matthew Purvis

Tangled Hair: Uncertain Fluid Identity , Niloufar Salimi

Liminal Space: Representations Of Modern Urbanity , Matthew Tarini

Theses/Dissertations from 2014 2014

Creative Interventions and Urban Revitalization , Nicole C. Borland

What Lies Behind: Speculations on the Real and the Willful , Barbara Hobot

Turning to see otherwise , Jennifer L. Martin

Come Together: An Exploration of Contemporary Participatory Art Practices , Karly A. McIntosh

A Photographic Ontology: Being Haunted Within The Blue Hour And Expanding Field , Colin E. Miner

Matters of Airing , Tegan Moore

Liquidation , Amanda A. Oppedisano

Just As It Should Be: Painting and the Discipline of Everyday Life , Jared R. Peters

Clyfford Still in the 1930s: The Formative Years of a Leading Abstract Expressionist , Emma Richan

From 'Means to Ends': Labour As Art Practice , Gabriella Solti

Across Boundaries , Diana A. Yoo

Theses/Dissertations from 2013 2013

Following the Turn: Mapping as Material Art Practice , Kyla Christine Brown

Queer(ing) Politics and Practices: Contemporary Art in Homonationalist Times , Cierra A. Webster

Some Theoretical Models for a Critical Art Practice , Giles Whitaker

Lines of Necessity , Thea A. Yabut

Theses/Dissertations from 2012 2012

Out of Order: Thinking Through Robin Collyer, Discontent and Affirmation (1973-1985) , Kevin A. Rodgers

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Prize-Winning Thesis and Dissertation Examples

Published on September 9, 2022 by Tegan George . Revised on July 18, 2023.

It can be difficult to know where to start when writing your thesis or dissertation . One way to come up with some ideas or maybe even combat writer’s block is to check out previous work done by other students on a similar thesis or dissertation topic to yours.

This article collects a list of undergraduate, master’s, and PhD theses and dissertations that have won prizes for their high-quality research.

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Award-winning undergraduate theses, award-winning master’s theses, award-winning ph.d. dissertations, other interesting articles.

University : University of Pennsylvania Faculty : History Author : Suchait Kahlon Award : 2021 Hilary Conroy Prize for Best Honors Thesis in World History Title : “Abolition, Africans, and Abstraction: the Influence of the “Noble Savage” on British and French Antislavery Thought, 1787-1807”

University : Columbia University Faculty : History Author : Julien Saint Reiman Award : 2018 Charles A. Beard Senior Thesis Prize Title : “A Starving Man Helping Another Starving Man”: UNRRA, India, and the Genesis of Global Relief, 1943-1947

University: University College London Faculty: Geography Author: Anna Knowles-Smith Award:  2017 Royal Geographical Society Undergraduate Dissertation Prize Title:  Refugees and theatre: an exploration of the basis of self-representation

University: University of Washington Faculty:  Computer Science & Engineering Author: Nick J. Martindell Award: 2014 Best Senior Thesis Award Title:  DCDN: Distributed content delivery for the modern web

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University:  University of Edinburgh Faculty:  Informatics Author:  Christopher Sipola Award:  2018 Social Responsibility & Sustainability Dissertation Prize Title:  Summarizing electricity usage with a neural network

University:  University of Ottawa Faculty:  Education Author:  Matthew Brillinger Award:  2017 Commission on Graduate Studies in the Humanities Prize Title:  Educational Park Planning in Berkeley, California, 1965-1968

University:  University of Ottawa Faculty: Social Sciences Author:  Heather Martin Award:  2015 Joseph De Koninck Prize Title:  An Analysis of Sexual Assault Support Services for Women who have a Developmental Disability

University : University of Ottawa Faculty : Physics Author : Guillaume Thekkadath Award : 2017 Commission on Graduate Studies in the Sciences Prize Title : Joint measurements of complementary properties of quantum systems

University:  London School of Economics Faculty: International Development Author: Lajos Kossuth Award:  2016 Winner of the Prize for Best Overall Performance Title:  Shiny Happy People: A study of the effects income relative to a reference group exerts on life satisfaction

University : Stanford University Faculty : English Author : Nathan Wainstein Award : 2021 Alden Prize Title : “Unformed Art: Bad Writing in the Modernist Novel”

University : University of Massachusetts at Amherst Faculty : Molecular and Cellular Biology Author : Nils Pilotte Award : 2021 Byron Prize for Best Ph.D. Dissertation Title : “Improved Molecular Diagnostics for Soil-Transmitted Molecular Diagnostics for Soil-Transmitted Helminths”

University:  Utrecht University Faculty:  Linguistics Author:  Hans Rutger Bosker Award: 2014 AVT/Anéla Dissertation Prize Title:  The processing and evaluation of fluency in native and non-native speech

University: California Institute of Technology Faculty: Physics Author: Michael P. Mendenhall Award: 2015 Dissertation Award in Nuclear Physics Title: Measurement of the neutron beta decay asymmetry using ultracold neutrons

University:  Stanford University Faculty: Management Science and Engineering Author:  Shayan O. Gharan Award:  Doctoral Dissertation Award 2013 Title:   New Rounding Techniques for the Design and Analysis of Approximation Algorithms

University: University of Minnesota Faculty: Chemical Engineering Author: Eric A. Vandre Award:  2014 Andreas Acrivos Dissertation Award in Fluid Dynamics Title: Onset of Dynamics Wetting Failure: The Mechanics of High-speed Fluid Displacement

University: Erasmus University Rotterdam Faculty: Marketing Author: Ezgi Akpinar Award: McKinsey Marketing Dissertation Award 2014 Title: Consumer Information Sharing: Understanding Psychological Drivers of Social Transmission

University: University of Washington Faculty: Computer Science & Engineering Author: Keith N. Snavely Award:  2009 Doctoral Dissertation Award Title: Scene Reconstruction and Visualization from Internet Photo Collections

University:  University of Ottawa Faculty:  Social Work Author:  Susannah Taylor Award: 2018 Joseph De Koninck Prize Title:  Effacing and Obscuring Autonomy: the Effects of Structural Violence on the Transition to Adulthood of Street Involved Youth

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WHAT EXPERT RESEARCHERS KNOW

A thesis is typically the culminating project for a master's degree, while a dissertation completes a doctoral degree and represents a scholar's main area of expertise. However, some undergraduate students write theses that are published online, so it is important to note which degree requirements the thesis meets. While these are not published works like peer-reviewed journal articles, they are typically subjected to a rigorous committee review process before they are considered complete. Additionally, they often provide a large number of citations that can point you to relevant sources. 

Find Dissertations & Theses at Yale

Dissertations & Theses @ Yale University A searchable databases with dissertations and theses in all disciplines written by students at Yale from 1861 to the present.

Yale University Master of Fine Arts Theses in Graphic Design​ Finding aid for Arts Library Special Collections holdings of over 600 individual theses from 1951 to the present. The theses are most often in book format, though some have more experimental formats. Individual records for the theses are also available in the library catalog.

Yale University Master of Fine Arts Theses in Photography Finding aid for Arts Library Special Collections holdings of over 300 individual Master of Fine Arts theses from 1971 to the present. The theses are most often in the format of a portfolio of photographic prints, though some theses are also in book form. Individual records for the MFA theses are also available in the library catalog.

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Department of History of Art

Undergraduate dissertations, best undergraduate dissertations:.

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Doctoral Dissertations

Available from Dissertations & Theses @ Columbia University; ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (3055712467). Retrieved from http://ezproxy.cul.columbia.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/ethics-care-collaborative-art-practices/docview/3055712467/se-2  

Care can be defined as a set of relational practices that foster mutual recognition, growth, protection, empowerment, and human community, among others (Gordon et al., 1996). This study investigates the practices of care in the context of the curatorial creation of collaborative arts engagements. The recent proliferation of partnerships between artists and communities has revealed that, in some instances, such relationships have not been productive or supportive. This raises questions about how curators and artists embed ethical commitments into their planning and whether their relational practices foster care. Informed by Ethics of Care theory, Relational Aesthetics, and feminist scholarship as derived from the fields of leadership, psychology, and higher education, an interview-based cross-case approach was utilized to examine the Ethics of Care praxis within participatory art engagements. Six art practitioners were interviewed for this study to reveal their common experiences relating to care and explore how this relates to the background and curatorial work of the researcher. Data were collected through interviews and the researchers’ photographic reflection journal. It is argued that the findings expand the definition of ethical, collaborative relations within artistic co-creations. They also highlight the need to embrace discomfort, set boundaries to inform reciprocity, and provide a sense of belonging within Holistic Communities of Practitioners. 

Available from Dissertations & Theses @ Columbia University; ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (2926481518). Retrieved from http://ezproxy.cul.columbia.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/constructing-perception-using-what-we-know-make/docview/2926481518/se-2

While new approaches to displaying art free both the art and the viewer from overly didactic forms of curation, there have been very few attempts to examine how viewers negotiate meaning from art when no goal or directive is provided. While some see difference as the critical factor, others use similarity as a way to introduce new narratives. This dissertation research takes a close look at the kinds of things people observe in visual works of art to expose the specific ways that the offerings in the work are made knowable by its viewer and how different modes of presentation might affect the process. A paired design was developed to find out how juxtaposing works on dimensions of similarity and difference might affect what people see in individual paintings and whether the presence or absence of depictive content would be a factor. In three online experiments, participants were tasked with generating as many single words or short phrase responses as they could over a two-minute time period from a selection of modern and contemporary paintings – 32 abstract and 32 representational. In the first study, paintings were presented sequentially. In the next study, the same pictures were purposefully matched for color, composition, style, and thematic content. In the third study, the same pictures were re-paired to maximize difference. Pairing effected an overall decline in number of total comments for representational paintings compared to isolated single-view sequences. In contrast, significant increases were found for abstract art when the adjacent painting was also abstract. Significant consistency in response patterns for both art types across all three studies provide quantitative and content-based evidence for a normative level of engagement, with specific processing effects relative to art type. 

Available from Dissertations & Theses @ Columbia University; ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (3055906424). Retrieved from http://ezproxy.cul.columbia.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/challenges-opportunities-bfa-programs-focus-on/docview/3055906424/se-2

Certain disjunctions exist between the structure, courses, and practices of current textile curricula on the one hand, and the demands of students for entry into diverse creative professions and the demands of the creative industry for qualified new talents on the other. Thus, this research will explore the history, current issues, and emerging trends of academia and the creative professions as these shape the qualifications, aspirations, and expectations of students, academia, and the textile-related fields. The ultimate goal of this study is to comprehend the contemporary issues—social, economic, and cultural shifts—that may impact textile education within art and design colleges, and propose an efficient and engaging BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) textile curriculum suitable for the era of interdisciplinary education and the fourth industrial revolution. Since scholarly study of the effectiveness of art school curriculum is limited and little research has examined the challenges of BFA education, and in particular BFA textile education in the context of 21st century college education, the researcher begins with a survey of existing literature from adjacent fields, including higher education, sociology, business, marketing, apparel, and art education, in particular, adolescent artistic development. The existing literature also includes statistics from government, consulting firms, colleges ranking sites, and annual reports published by each school.

This qualitative case study examines how stakeholders in BFA textile education—students, faculty, and professionals—from five selected art colleges in the U.S. perceive their educational experiences and post-college careers. The data were collected through 1) a review of existing literature pertaining to perspectives of general college education, creative industry, and current student generation, and 2) qualitative data gathered through initial surveys and verbal interviews, including two pilot studies. Stakeholder perspectives obtained through interviews are interpreted through the following theoretical frameworks: 1) the business perspective aiming at the success of all stakeholders; 2) the marketing perspective aiming at improving stakeholder satisfaction as a means of enhancing the operational efficiency of organizations; and 3) the educational perspective aiming to create effective teaching and engaging learning environments for the success of today's young creative talents. The researcher contends that the findings strongly suggest curricular and pedagogy change in accordance with societal changes and demands of the stakeholders—current student generation, creative industry, and academia—while at the same time informing the significant value of college education, BFA education, and textile education in the 21st century.

Available from Dissertations & Theses @ Columbia University; ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (3055877475). Retrieved from http://ezproxy.cul.columbia.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/exploring-emergence-development-cutting-practices/docview/3055877475/se-2

This qualitative cross-case study explores the intricate practice of cutting within contemporary art, examining the works of six artists to unravel cutting’s diverse expressions. This research identifies cutting as a dynamic form of drawing that has evolved from ancient utilitarian uses and pre-modern crafts to a contemporary art form bridging various disciplines. The study meticulously charts the transformation of cutting from its historical roots in crafts like collages, quilts, writing, and pottery decoration to its present status as a ubiquitous tool in artistic creation through semi-structured interviews, visual analysis, and a comprehensive review of both digital and physical portfolios, the study explores how artists harness cutting to achieve a range of formal, conceptual, and metaphorical outcomes. The research, grounded in a constructivist worldview, contextualizes these practices within the broader contemporary art scene, drawing insights from theorists such as Thierry du Duve, David Joselit, Robert Storr, and Hito Steyerl. This research categorizes cutting techniques into literal, physical, and non-literal, encompassing digital and metaphorical approaches, highlighting the practice’s capacity for innovation and transformation. This study reveals a unifying theme across the artists’ works: the use of cutting as an extension of drawing, facilitating endless possibilities for transformation and expression. This dissertation posits that cutting extends beyond the confines of traditional art forms, acting as a versatile tool that empowers a spectrum of artistic expressions. By examining the historical development and diverse applications of cutting practices, the research enriches our comprehension of contemporary art. It reveals the profound and transformative potential inherent within this fundamental artistic act. 

Available from Dissertations & Theses @ Columbia University; ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (2815166925). Retrieved from http://ezproxy.cul.columbia.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/artistry-aesthetic-experience-global-futures/docview/2815166925/se-2

Civilization games can depict imaginative and sophisticated perspectives on the future. Yet some scholars have critiqued civilization games for their replication of dominant, limited ideologies. Game designers often learn about design directly or indirectly from frameworks, such as the Mechanics-Dynamics-Aesthetics (MDA) framework which contains a very idiosyncratic definition of aesthetics. Given that aesthetic thinking can unlock the sociological imagination, the aim of this dissertation was to discover opportunities to expand civilization game design by understanding the aesthetic experience of designers. A qualitative interview study was conducted of 13 game designers who created at least one civilization game based in the future. The interview and analysis had an ontological focus, to better understand how aesthetics fit into the existing puzzle of game design knowledge. The findings showed that designers employ their perspective in game design; this sense of self and perspective is not captured by current ontologies of game design. Furthermore, designers are limited in their ability to explore the boundaries of civilization games by task complexity, emotionality, and reliance on player experience. Resultantly, they may focus intensely on known aspects of game design in order to deliver a product. The dissertation proposes two primary solutions. Firstly, a game design framework that integrates the self into game design and more clearly delineates the game as an artifact. Secondly, cultivate truer senses of vision in game design for those who want to push civilization games and games as a whole, while understanding the practical realities of game design. These implications can be used by educators to reconsider game design program curricula, as well as affirm game designers’ pursuit of their own perspective.

Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (2777436830). Retrieved from https://tc.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/tradition-transformation-analysis-trajectory/docview/2777436830/se-2

This qualitative multiple case study tracks the work of six artists with an educational background in oriental painting, traditional Korean painting, for their BFA major. This study reveals a change in their artwork from their original training after graduation to their current manner of artistic expression. This transformation occurs as they develop their artwork in a more contemporary way in the South Korean art world where Western art/global art has become a center. Although oriental painting has been influenced by Western art since Japanese colonial liberation in the 1940s, this situation presents conceptual conflicts between traditional and contemporary approaches to this genre of art. This study examines how six artists find their artistic position between conflicting values through the examination of the trajectory of the changes in their artwork since their graduation from undergraduate school. The participants of this study were six artists (three men and three women) who earned a BFA degree in oriental painting in South Korea. Semi-structured interviews, visual data of artists’ artworks, and written notes were sources of data analysis. The qualitative case study was based on constructivism of philosophical worldviews. The evolution of the participants’ artwork is examined based on theories such as Jack Mezirow’s transformative learning and Robert Kegan’s adult development. This study presents the transformation from two perspectives: sociocultural factors and personal motivations. Each perspective reflects changes in materials and techniques as well as changes in imagery. Furthermore, the enduring values of oriental painting in the transformation are examined, which includes Eastern philosophy and aesthetics and visual elements such as three-distance perspective, blank space, and expression of line. Ultimately, this study argues that there exist various avenues of transformation based on oriental painting, with tradition persisting in novel forms of contemporary art.

Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (2780150086). Retrieved from https://tc.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/how-different-cultural-educational-experiences/docview/2780150086/se-2

This visual and narrative-based qualitative research examined the specific cultural journeys of eight Korean contemporary artists as well as their meaning-making processes reflected in their art and growth of cultural perception. The data primarily consisted of interview descriptions that surrounded the participants’ lived experiences in South Korea or the United States, namely their cultural and educational influences represented in their artistic identity and artworks. To examine their personal and artistic growth, Kegan’s theory of adult meaning-making and Mezirow’s transformative learning development theory informed the reasoning behind the participants’ transition between their past and present encounters.

The research findings supported a host of literature regarding the influence of cultural changes and challenges in the individual development process of Korean contemporary artists in both South Korea and the United States. A discussion was also presented to highlight how the artist participants who studied abroad developed opportunities for growth through their artwork and navigation of new cultural environments in the United States. This research provides art educators and artists with concepts to best confront cultural and educational issues that emerge in the art classroom and the art world, specifically the impact these interventions can make on cross-cultural learners.

Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (2682207168). Retrieved from  https://tc.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/be-original-artist-s-journey-liminality-knowledge/docview/2682207168/se-2

As I began this research, and even as a younger person, I thought it was the responsibility of my father to teach me what it is to be a man and how to embrace manhood. However, through the tools of self-study and autoethnography as a research method, it has become apparent that the responsibility falls upon me to seek manhood and to develop a lifelong practice of building good character. In the words of Dr. Leon Wright (1975), “To know God, one must know all about man.” This research seeks to bring clarity to my efforts to find out who I am. It details my journey from boy to artist to man. It works to highlight the interplay between three aspects of identity that make up my sense of self: racial identity, social/emotional identity (manhood) and lastly, my professional identity as an artist. This writing works to establish a personal meaning for manhood gained through self-reflection, personal experience, and formal rites of passage participation.

This research initiates as an investigation concerning the members of my family, and my interaction with the men who have had a direct involvement in my life. This is an endeavor to document my path toward gaining/acknowledging purpose while working to acquire the knowledge of myself. I started with confronting my pain, realizing my creativity and artistry, welcoming my personality, to eventually embracing spirituality, all as a quest for knowledge. The knowledge of myself leads to the comprehension of my purpose in life, without which, as David Deida writes, I would be “totally lost, drifting, adapting to events rather than creating events” (2007, p. 37). This document is my inquiry to this acquisition of life purpose. On this quest, I have since modified Dr. Wright’s words to suggest that, “To know God, one must know all about themselves.”

Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (2500391436). Retrieved from  

https://tc.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www-proquest-com.tc.idm.oclc.org/dissertations-theses/going-home-professional-integration-chinese/docview/2500391436/se-2

The study explored the returning experience of six Chinese art education practitioners after they received their graduate degrees in the United States and moved back to China. It was grounded on the assumption that when art education returnees try to translate what they learned into the new system of art education in another country, their efforts will be shaped by the different cultural context, and conflicts will emerge with multiple and interrelated dimensions.

The dissertation employed a qualitative cross-case approach. Six returned art education practitioners were selected and interviewed using a semi-structured interview protocol in 2019. I mainly worked as a non-participant researcher, obtaining information from the conversations with the participants. In addition, I collected blog entries, photos, and online articles related to what and how an interviewee responded to a question.

The findings of the research suggested that returnees move along diverse trajectories of professional development, and their professional ideas all contradict local traditions to some extent. Collectively, they experienced multiple challenges concerning professional, administrative, and interpersonal, as well as some minor challenges in their returning process. In coping with the challenges, they made two-way changes: they changed their own expectations and behaviors, while also changing art education in China in terms of teaching methods, space, and people involved.

This study aimed to provide educational implications for future art education returnees, international art programs, and China as the home country. It also provides implications for the developing art education programs in China. New thoughts sparked by the process of collecting data and writing the dissertation are also presented as suggestions for future studies.  

Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (2494193725). Retrieved from  https://tc.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/packaged-full-strength-mystery-pursuit-ideas-ap/docview/2494193725/se-2

The Sustained Investigation is a student-directed body of work completed as a requirement of the AP Studio Art (APSA) course. This work involves three audiences: students themselves, their teachers, and AP readers who evaluate their portfolios. Students must consider not only the personal meaning and relevance of their work, but the extent to which that significance can or should be communicated to these outside viewers. Teachers are faced with a related challenge: to guide students through work that is essentially self-defined. The purpose of this research was to document teacher, student, and reader descriptions of the pursuit of worthwhile ideas as they relate to the perceived goals and purposes of the Sustained Investigation. This research was undertaken as a collective case study involving interviews of APSA teachers and students across four school sites, as well as a selection of readers. Findings indicate that the term idea might describe a range of approaches to organizing a body of work, including themes, concepts, political stances, feelings, and other sources or motivations. Furthermore, this work often reflects multiple concurrent ideas, involving primary and secondary goals for one’s work. The development of ideas was often linked to a nonlinearity of practice; ideas were clarified through the process of making rather than beforehand. Respondents indicated that ideas should be meaningful to the creator, largely relating meaning to personal relevance. Meaning might be pursued by selecting topics of personal significance, developing individual creative processes, or reflecting on this experience as an opportunity to fully embody the role of artist. Meaningful ideas were differentiated from successful ones. Notions of success were defined in terms of the degree of internally and externally imposed challenge involved in this endeavor. Participants agreed that students should be considered the primary audience for their own work. For some students, awareness of readers motivated them to take on challenging work, but this awareness did not influence their choice of central ideas. The findings of this study, particularly the nuance in distinctions between idea, meaningful idea, and successful idea, may be useful in informing pedagogical and creative practice in the AP program and beyond.

Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (2497005267). Retrieved from  https://tc.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/hands-johannes-whisler-historical-study/docview/2497005267/se-2

The Book of Arithmetic Problems of Johannes Whisler (1814-1815), a mathematics exercise book in the collection of the American Folk Art Museum in New York City, is the central object of this study. This handwritten and illuminated book, created by a young Pennsylvania German man in the early 19th century, prompts a reevaluation of handwriting and doodling, with implications for the present era. The author documents the biographical and sociocultural circumstances surrounding the creation of Whisler’s cyphering book through primary and secondary historical research and applies Glăveanu’s theory of distributed creativity to describe the book as a creative process that emerged among people and objects, and across time.

As direct indices of immediate actions, handwriting and doodling emerge in moment-to-moment action, even as these actions are embedded in longer periods of developmental and historical change; the author documents Whisler’s handwriting flourishes and doodles and describes the particular qualities of these mark making activities with reference to the sociocultural context in which they appear, Werner’s theories regarding the physiognomic perception of symbols, and Stern’s theory of vitality forms. The dissertation concludes with educational implications of the research, which include considerations of the use of handwriting as a component of art education and the future of handwriting as an affective and cross-modal medium.  

Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global; Publicly Available Content Database. (2596525380). Retrieved from  https://tc.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/naming-dismantling-whiteness-art-museum-education/docview/2596525380/se-2

Abstract: In the years since the advent of the Black Lives Matter movement, American art museums have increased attempts to address the racial inequities that persist in the field. These inequities impact all aspects of museum work, not least of which education. Because museum educators are often seen as the conduit between museum collections and audiences, the work of implementing anti-racist programming often falls to them. However, the museum education field is majority White, and while there is a rich body of literature treating the adverse impacts of Whiteness on classroom teaching practices, very little exists on how Whiteness might manifest in gallery teaching practices specifically for White museum educators.

Utilizing participatory action research, practitioner inquiry, and a White affinity group model, this qualitative study explores aspects of Whiteness that impact the gallery teaching practices of four White museum educators. Our research questions seek to understand better how Whiteness manifests in our teaching specifically in the context of single visit field trips, how those impacts might shift depending on the racial demographics of the groups we are teaching, what questions come for us as a White practitioner-researcher group dedicated to undermining Whiteness in our teaching, and how, if at all, does participation in such a study impact how we think about and implement anti-racist teaching in our practice.

Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (2497059940). Retrieved from https://tc.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/network-influences-that-shape-drawing-thinking/docview/2497059940/se-2

Using an ecological systems approach, this qualitative study examined how continuously evolving, personal living experiences and the ideologies and attitudes of their material, folk, and school culture come to be (re) presented in the construction of images and meaning in children’s artwork. The research was conducted with three groups of fifth-grade students facilitated by the art teacher at their schools in three different countries: United States, Greece, and Ghana. Data in the form of a set of autobiographical drawings from observation, memory, and imagination with written commentary were created by each participant and supported with responses to questionnaires and correspondences from teachers and parents. The sets of drawings were analyzed in terms of how the drawings reflect the children’s (a) artistic expression as mediated by their interaction with local and media influences and (b) sense of self, agency, or purpose.

The findings strongly suggest that style, details, content, and media use assumed a dominant role within the drawings. Furthermore, these results were reflected differently in the drawings of the cohort from each country. Having considered the set of drawings each child made as a network of enterprise emphasizes the active role the children played in the production of the artwork, involving their choices of theme and content, the media images incorporated, and the means by which a task was adapted to suit their interests. However, the results also show that the specific skills—drawing from observation, memory, and imagination—required by the four drawing tasks had a tempering effect on their creative output, leading to the conclusion that the children’s limited drawing experience constrained their ability to express themselves in pictorial representation with fluency. In view of these findings, lesson suggestions are designed to develop drawing skills across drawing modes in a rhizomatic manner of thinking. Suggestions for future research address exploring the evolution of children’s identity and sense of agency in the world through artistic expression; the role of the environment in which children draw as an embodied and embedded experience in a physical and sociocultural world; and further research into how and why children use images to communicate.

Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (2601019566). Retrieved from https://tc.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/artist-residencies-as-complex-contexts-creative/docview/2601019566/se-2

Contemporary artist residencies are institutions or programs that enable artists to develop their practice beyond the confines of their typical work setting. Increasingly, they are also a means to access significant material, interpersonal, and professional resources, and a medium through which to engage with local communities. In response to these developments, the present interview-based study aims to understand how artists develop within a community context by investigating the work and experiences of eight artists who have participated in community-based residencies across—and sometimes beyond—the United States. By collecting each artist’s narrative and supplementing it with documents, images, and auto-reflections of their artwork, the study investigates the complex network of characteristics that help facilitate the creative process. Furthermore, by canvassing research from fields like social psychology, business management, and arts education, it explores the relations of educational reciprocity that emerge between artists and residency communities. This study suggests that the complex physical and interpersonal dynamics of each residency environment contributed in distinctive ways to the artists’ development. It also notes that each unique residency program provided support for the use of new materials, the exploration of new practices, and the investigation of new content. The residency characteristics that were most conducive to creative growth included (1) difference from one’s typical working environment; (2) access to new (and sometimes unconventional) materials, tools, and facilities; (3) social opportunities such as shared meals and public forums to cultivate relationships with residency cohorts; and (4) ample time (usually 1–2 months) and space (access to both private and public studios) to settle into the residency environment, explore one’s artistic practice (and the practice of other resident artists), and foster relationships among cohorts, staff members, and community visitors. Ultimately, this study argues that artist residencies can contribute to the field of non-formal art education by serving as a relational framework for artists and their residency communities.

Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (2605672767). Retrieved from https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/power-dynamics-three-cases-participatory-artworks/docview/2605672767/se-2

This research investigates how power dynamics function in three cases of participatory art, each created by a different artist. Participatory art (PA) is understood as art whose physical or visual properties are shaped or altered by the viewers’ engagement. The study responds to the fact that discourses on PA often refer to the emancipation of participants. Rooted in concepts from Foucauldian biopolitics, the research also assumes that PA inevitably involves a distribution of power among artists and participants, which often vacillates between cultivation and instrumentalization.

Data for this qualitative, multi-case study were collected through interviews with the three artists and with three viewers of each studied work. The researcher’s memories of her participatory experiences in the studied artworks, captured in a journal, were also considered as data.

Detailed narrative findings illustrate how artists’ and viewers’ positions in relation to particular works are never detached from the art systems that frame them. Yet, these positions are not necessarily static and can shift in significant ways. Therefore, the balance between cultivation and instrumentalization can change from work to work, from participant to participant, and from situation to situation. The study shines a light on the potential of critical reflection, enacted once artists and viewers “step out” of the work, for realizing, questioning, and critiquing the conditions of participatory artworks. The researcher suggests that it is in such reflective spaces that awareness of one’s power within a work, and the emancipation that follows, are more likely to occur.

Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (2562229583). Retrieved from https://tc.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/preparation-future-college-teachers-within-mfa/docview/2562229583/se-2

The purpose of this study was to illuminate characteristics of the pedagogical learning environment in three contemporary MFA Visual Arts programs in the United States and to investigate effective pedagogical practice for graduate art students in preparation for teaching in higher education. According to the College Art Association (CAA), the MFA is considered the terminal degree in the visual arts, unlike other related fields such as art history and art education, where the doctorate is the highest degree. While MFA students can pursue a professional practice of creating and exhibiting their artwork after graduation, many students also enter the MFA with the aim of becoming college art educators. However, there has been a lack of research that specifically examines the degree to which MFA visual arts students are being prepared for teaching. How are students preparing to become college art faculty, and what professional development programs are provided to graduate art students to help them teach art at the college level? These are questions that were the background context of this dissertation study.

This study took the form of a cross-case analysis that employed qualitative and descriptive case study traditions. Data were collected from multiple sources: primary documents and semi-structured interviews with nine MFA students, six studio art faculty members, and three administrators at three MFA programs. This study presented findings of: (a) the pedagogical preparation offered to graduate students by the selected art schools; (b) the perceptions of graduate art students, studio art faculty, and administrators regarding the quality of current academic career preparation, specifically for teaching, in their MFA programs; (c) the insights of those participants into the most important characteristics of college teaching preparation; and (d) suggestions by the participants for the best practices that lead students to become successful college art educators. Based on the findings through an analysis of the learning and practical experiences of MFA students and the perspectives of faculty and administrators, I hope that the study will extend the field’s understanding of the state of college teaching preparation in higher art education.

Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (2557412451). Retrieved from https://tc.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/analysis-smartphone-camera-digital-images/docview/2557412451/se-2

We have become increasingly dependent on our smartphones and use them for entertainment, navigation, to shop, and to connect among other tasks. For many, the camera on the smartphone has replaced a dedicated digital camera, especially for the adolescent. With advances in smartphone technology, it is has become increasingly difficult to determine differences between smartphone camera and digital camera photographs. To date there is little research on the differences between photographs taken by smartphone and digital cameras, particularly among adolescents, who are avid photographers.

This study used a qualitative task-based research method to investigate differences in photographs taken by adolescents using both types of cameras. Twenty-three adolescents ages 15 to 17 attending a regularly scheduled high school photography class participated in the study. The students were invited to capture a typical day in their life, first using their digital camera or smartphone camera and then switching to the other type of camera. Data were collected by way of written reflections, student interviews, and the participants’ photographs. The three data sources were coded, analyzed, and triangulated to provide results for this study.

Results suggest that, for these particular participants, marginal differences exist between the photographs taken with a smartphone camera and a digital camera. Analysis also suggests there were minimal differences across specific categories of focus, color balance, and thoughtfully captured images between the smartphone and the digital camera photographs for this population of students.

The study concludes that teenagers ultimately use whatever capturing device is available to them, suggesting that it is the photographer who controls the quality of a photograph—not the capturing device. Educational implications of the study focus on the use of technology in the art classroom, and suggestions are offered for photographic curricula based on the results of this study. In addition, an examination of different pedagogical styles, such as reciprocal and remote teaching and learning models, finds them particularly appropriate in supporting photography education for adolescents.

Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (2561514737). Retrieved from https://tc.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/early-career-art-teacher-educators-professional/docview/2561514737/se-2

University-based teacher educators’ first three years on the job are often imbued with tension, as they must renegotiate their professional identities and pedagogical philosophies in relation to ambiguous and sometimes conflicting expectations of what they should do and stand for in this role. As role models for aspiring art teachers, art teacher educators have a powerful influence on their pre-service students’ views of teaching, and on their emergent professional dispositions. However, despite the moral and intellectual significance of their work, and the diversity of their identities and work contexts, research on this population is limited and does not reflect current demographics in the field. While existing studies suggest some of the tensions that art teacher educators—both new and veteran—face on the job, research has not yet explored how new faculty members, specifically, experience their earliest years in the role nor how they learn to develop personally authentic art teacher education pedagogy. This qualitative multi-case study responds to these gaps in the literature, and to the understanding that new knowledge-for-practice is often generated within spaces of creative tension such as career transition.

The study participants were eight full-time art education faculty members with less than three years in the role. Individual and cross-case analysis of data collected through semi-structured interviews, qualitative questionnaires, and reflective tasks, revealed that participants’ tensions were predominantly influenced by discrepancies between (1) their established occupational roles/identities and practices, and expectations placed upon them in the art teacher educator role that they had not fully anticipated, and (2) their own, and others’ art-education-related (ideological) values. Most of the participants identified strongly with discipline-specific values (e.g., being grounded in activism and arts-informed social justice). These values functioned as core elements of their professional identities and of their teaching, research, and scholarship. However, in some cases, there were difficulties in translating these values into effective art teacher education pedagogical content knowledge.

The data analysis suggested that through reflecting on tensions, participants gained increased professional self-understanding and keener awareness of the forces that enable or constrain the enactment of their personal pedagogical values. Additionally, the data suggest that greater intentional preparation and support for this role (particularly mentorship that validates their established identities and backgrounds) prior to and during the early years, could greatly benefit art teacher educators’ adjustments into the academy and facilitate their building of pedagogical content knowledge for this role.

Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (2428376469). Retrieved from https://tc.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/2428376469?accountid=14258

The following dissertation presents a historical narrative and an arts (music, dance, and visual arts) curriculum based on the artwork of the quintessential Caribbean-American artist, Geoffrey Holder. The dissertation is a response to a reported lack of research and teaching materials on Caribbean artists. That is, arts educators at the secondary and postsecondary levels as well as art museum educators reported a lack of, and need for, curriculum and teaching materials grounded in Caribbean content and reflective of Caribbean cultural epistemologies. Through the qualitative research methodology of historiography, an historical analysis of Holder’s artwork was conducted to develop a historical narrative, and through the instructional design approach of ADDIE an arts curriculum on music, dance, and visual arts was developed. The framing of the historical narrative was based in concepts drawn from Third Space theory into conversation with creolization to form the conceptual grounding for my exploration into Caribbean epistemologies. The curriculum development is grounded in concepts of intercultural education and inclusive arts education curriculum design. The results of this dissertation confirm the research gap of teaching resources for arts educators and needed for the supplemental materials provided through this research. 

Available from ProQuest & Thesis Global. (2428133690). Retrieved from  https://tc.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www-proquest-com.tc.idm.oclc.org/dissertations-theses/wayfinding-novice-art-museum-educators-post/docview/2428133690/se-2 

Over the last four decades, museum education in the United States has developed into a legitimate and respected profession. However, for those who want to become art museum educators, the path is neither clear nor smooth. Those in the profession often face low pay, limited career growth opportunities, and a lack of job security. Despite these realities, the museum education field continues to attract people. Yet, there is scant literature about novice art museum educators, specifically about how they find their way as they enter the profession.

Utilizing a post-intention phenomenological methodology, this qualitative study explores the phenomenon of wayfinding, defined as how someone orients themselves to the museum education profession and the ways they navigate the opportunities and challenges they encounter. The research questions guiding this study include how wayfinding took shape for five art museum educators with less than two years of work experience, what they went through upon entering the profession, and what helped them navigate their way.

Available from ProQuest & Thesis Global. (2428099525). Retrieved from https://tc.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www-proquest-com.tc.idm.oclc.org/dissertations-theses/art-as-pedagogical-experience-educational/docview/2428099525/se-2  

This qualitative multiple case study examines how learning is elicited in three artist-led socially engaged artworks. Three contemporary artists created their process-based artworks by intentionally employing educational methods and formats to promote a learning experience with an audience group. This type of participatory artmaking is often associated with the educational turn in contemporary art. However, the majority of contemporary art literature has focused on the artist, often overlooking the audience’s experience. Hence, from the position of an art educator, I investigate not only the artists’ intentions and pedagogical frameworks in creating the artworks, but also the learning outcomes from the perspectives of the audience members. 

The three artworks in my study all shared a two-tier structure: first, a private working phase in which the artists collaborated with participating audience members whom I identified as “core group members”; and second, a public presentation phase in which the work was presented to “public audience members”. In order to examine the perceived learning from the three perspectives, I carried out on-site observations, and interviewed the artists, core group members, and public audience members, respectively. 

The findings revealed how artists created their artworks as a process and platform to promote collective knowledge making, particularly using current affairs as themes to instill political consciousness among the core group members. The core group members shared their salient learning experiences in relation to collaboration within their groups and with the artists, and “gaining confidence” in tandem with overcoming the challenges of public engagement. Aspects of self-directed learning, social bonding, and sense of belonging promoted motivation and eventually deeper learning. The public audience members shared their learning experiences in regard to public dialogue and display of the artworks. 

This study supports recognizing the value of pedagogy-based artworks in relation to learning that is intrinsically motivational and meaningful. The artworks in my study serve as arts-based models for learning and teaching social justice issues and civic engagement. In conclusion, artists’ approaches can diversify educators’ pedagogical approaches, and educational outcomes can support artists in creating empowering work with participants. Ultimately, this study advocates for the value of artmaking as a collective, transformative experience.

Available from ProQuest & Thesis Global. (2426174659). Retrieved from https://tc.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/rohingya-artolution-teaching-locally-led/docview/2426174659/se-2

Community-based public art education in emergencies is an emerging transdisciplinary field that exists at the crossroads of art education and education in emergencies. The Rohingya refugee camp is the largest refugee camp in the history of the world, on the border of Myanmar in Southern Bangladesh. As a response to the 2017 Rohingya refugee influx crisis, 

the international NGO Artolution started the first locally led collaborative public art education program in the refugee camps by selecting and educating individuals fleeing the Rohingya genocide. 

My research examines the learning that occurred throughout three years of teaching artist education programs with 14 Rohingya refugee and Bangladeshi women and men, through their journey to lead independent art education programs. This research employs a performance-based ethnographic data collection methodology, with qualitative interviews, focus groups, and narratives collected from the teaching artists and participating learners over three phases of data collection that took place from 2018–2019 in collaboration with UNHCR, UNICEF, IFRC, et al. 

The findings of the study suggest that the Rohingya Artolution teaching artist team is a living model for building a durable approach for emergency responses and humanizing a resilient future where history is defined by the voices that establish their own roles and identities in the world. The findings were presented through interweaving personal narratives and testimonials of the displaced and host teaching artists with supporting thinkers and commentary, in order to accurately link the stories of their learning and experiences by tracking the evolving teaching artist education process of cultivating creativity, curiosity, and expression in crisis-affected populations, and what that means for the future of their communities.

Available from ProQuest & Thesis Global. (2426163623). Retrieved from https://tc.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/learning-during-digital-transformation/docview/2426163623/se-2

Digital technologies have become fundamental to communication designers in their professional practice. The speed of technology change has been profound, and communication design educators, professionals, and students are challenged with reimagining what constitutes an education responsive to digital transformation. Attempts to address these changes have often been reactive, emphasizing digital skills requirements without always examining what practices best support design students as they prepare to pursue careers in various communication design-focused positions. The question of how educators can best prepare and support communication design students for what awaits them in the workplace is at the center of this study. Through mixed-methods research, including both survey analysis and in-depth semi-structured interviews (N = 202), this dissertation attempts to answer that question by analyzing practices incorporated by communication design educators, professionals, and students.

Available from ProQuest & Thesis Global. (2379650235). Retrieved from 

https://tc.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/logistics-space-material-time-struggles/docview/2379650235/se-2

This research examines how artists sustain their art practice in real-life situations, despite ongoing struggles, by developing strategies that befit individual circumstances. The research originates from the reality that many young artists give up their careers due to difficulties in finding a balance between art-making, living, and money-making. However, there are exceptional cases in which artists have managed to maintain their active art practice despite facing similarly difficult situations. This research began with questioning what made them different and how they acquired such differences. By setting space, material, and time as the basic elements for art making, I researched four New York-based artists who have not been able to live solely on their art, therefore have had to locate other sources of income through non-art or art-related activities. 

This research employs a qualitative case study approach. Accepting the impossibility of coming up with universal answers to solving the precarity in an artist’s life, I chose to investigate individual cases in an in-depth manner. I collected data through interviews over multiple sessions to elucidate each artist’s perspective on their lives and the nature of an artist’s life. 

This research reveals that three basic elements—space, material, and time—are not fixed, unnegotiable conditions for art making for the participants. Rather, these artists flexibly handle these three elements depending on their given circumstances by integrating the availability of certain elements with their art practice. In so doing, the artists tend to take limitations and constraints not merely as a barrier to overcome but more as a source of creativity to enhance the uniqueness of their art practice. Overall, the artists are familiar with the constant mode of learning for the unclear path of an artist’s career. 

Although the outcome of this research cannot be generalized to encompass every artist’s career, it can be of benefit to many struggling artists who have yet to figure out their own way of sustaining their practice. Also, this research can be helpful for college-level art teachers and school administrators in preparing their educational curricula to meet the practical needs of their students who dream of becoming artists as their life’s work.

Available from ProQuest & Thesis Global. (2328748265). Retrieved from 

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This qualitative case study investigates first-year college-level art education in the United States today. Specifically, 12 art instructors from a broad range of postsecondary institutions (including private art institutes, public research universities, public liberal arts colleges, and community colleges) were interviewed to explore perceptions of first-year students’ art skills, dispositions, and teaching. When supplemented by online institutional data, descriptions emerge of the curricular structures and changing teaching environments of the sampled first-year art programs. 

This study finds that art majors enter college art programs today with different skill sets and dispositions than past students. While digital media offers new options for artmaking, the data suggest it may also influence students’ development of manual, fine-motor, and drawing skills. These art instructors describe first-year students as having shorter attention spans and experiencing greater frustration when learning new skills. Furthermore, the data and literature suggest that more college students today enter with mental health issues (such as anxiety and depression) and learning disabilities. 

Budgetary cutbacks to K-12 arts programming may have diminished students’ abilities to produce quality portfolios for admission to selective art programs, which may have consequences for enrollment. Enrollments reflect shifting student demographics, such as more international students attending private art colleges. Rising college costs have prompted 

other changes, such as more students living at home and commuting to save money, or transferring to four-year programs after attending community college, working jobs while attending college, and pursuing career-oriented art majors. 

First-year art programs are continually adapting to new technical, educational, and cultural challenges through restructured curricula and modified pedagogy targeted to the student demographic served by the institution. In addition to teaching art skills required for subsequent coursework, the participants reported helping first-year students adjust to the college environment in ways that foster personal growth. This study documents changes in first-year art education as a basis for further research. Art educators at all levels benefit from knowledge of how college art instructors and first-year programs are modifying pedagogy and curricula to meet the changing needs of incoming art students.

Available from ProQuest & Thesis Global. (2328377212). Retrieved from

https://tc.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/art-everyday-walking-as-interactive-method/docview/2328377212/se-2  

This research follows the topic of art and the everyday, and focuses on how our experience of the everyday is a significant area of educational inquiry. This study investigates the potential of walking as an interactive method of art education that relates to the way we learn from our everyday environment, and is connected to the field of visual culture art education, and the aesthetics of everyday life. 

By taking participants on an art walk, I can observe how they engage with their everyday environment directly, and examine whether walking can promote visual and aesthetic awareness towards their ordinary surroundings. A total of eight participants will be studied during the walk; participants represent a mixed variation of age and gender, with and without backgrounds in art, and will participate in a walking interview followed by a sit-down interview.

Available from ProQuest & Thesis Global. (2321833106). Retrieved from https://tc.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/role-mental-imagery-within-practice-spiritual/docview/2321833106/se-2  

Arguably, the practice of spiritual healing is simple in that it requires only the human body without utilizing a known physical means of intervention. Yet, it is confounding because its mechanisms, such as the belief and ability of the healer, are unable to be measured with a device. Given that, in recent years, spiritual healing has been found to be among the most prevalent practices in the field of Complementary and Alternative Medicine, and that studies measuring its efficacy show variable results, it is important to understand its underlying mechanisms. Researchers have been studying the practice of spiritual healing, finding that, although the spiritual healer is not considered an actual device, metaphorically speaking, evidence suggests that she or he appears to be the most refined “instrument” of measurement. In order to gain an in-depth understanding of the perceptions of spiritual healers, this qualitative case study asks: what is the role of the mental imagery of ten spiritual healers and their three clients over the course of three spiritual healings? To determine this, the study presents the following subquestions: 1) How do spiritual healers construct, experience, and express mental imagery during a spiritual healing treatment? 2) What kind, if any, comparability is there across different constructions, experiences, and expressions of mental imagery during a spiritual healing as described by the spiritual healers and their clients? Among other findings, this study found that the spiritual healers constructed, experienced, and expressed mental imagery in three main ways, including 1) initial perceptions, 2) meaning and interpretations, and 3) perceptions of spiritual healing. These themes existed for all of the spiritual healers across all cases. Within each of these themes, the researcher then generated a list of subthemes that were most prevalent. This study found that the subthemes and statements were overlapping and distinct to each case. Additionally, this was further confirmed by overlaps among the spiritual healers’ perceptions as they related to each of their clients’ accounts, reiterating that the spiritual healers constructed, experienced, and expressed mental imagery that was specific to each of their clients. 

Available from ProQuest & Thesis Global. (2284582186). Retrieved from https://tc.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/transformative-learning-sculpture-class-exploring/docview/2284582186/se-2

Transformative Learning seeks to encourage learners to critically reflect on their assumptions and preconceptions, thereby transforming their existing frameworks and perspectives. This qualitative study investigates what Transformative Learning looks like in a diverse group of adult learners at a graduate school of education who attended sculpture classes intentionally designed to enable such change. When Transformative Learning is part of the teacher’s intention, how, if at all, does learning through artmaking in mixed media sculpture classes transform these adults with regard to their understanding of their identities as artists and learners (“Who am I?”), their approaches to artmaking (“How do I make art?”), and their understanding of art (“What is art?”)? Furthermore, the study seeks to understand what aspects of their class experiences contributed to these transformations. 

The study examines the studio creations and artmaking processes of five adults from diverse backgrounds and experiences and analyzes what they reported about their artmaking experiences. 

Data gathered from semi-structured interviews, retrospective surveys, and class artifacts are organized and analyzed based on three stages of the Transformative Learning cycle—Stability, Reflection, and Transformation. The five participants’ three stages are then discussed according to the participants’ perceptions of their identities as artists, their understanding of art, and their approaches to artmaking, based on the research questions. 

The findings of the study suggest that the participants experienced heightened levels of Transformative Learning in individualized ways. Data indicate that specific class activities—a gallery trip, in-class artmaking sessions with material and time constraints, and an artist statement exercise—contributed to participants’ transformations over the course of the semester. Once the semester ended, some participants took further actions based on their changed perspectives of artist identities, understanding of art, and approaches to artmaking, which indicates that dramatic shifts and multiple perspectives can be achieved in an art class designed to teach for Transformative Learning.

Available from ProQuest & Thesis Global. (2275956134). Retrieved from https://tc.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/cross-cultural-experiences-perceptions-selected/docview/2275956134/se-2

This narrative-based qualitative research investigated the distinct journeys of eight cross-cultural artists (four artists from South Korea and four artists from China). Utilizing a variety of theoretical frameworks surrounding cross-cultural research, this dissertation examined current discussions on cross-cultural challenges and their implications in the field of art education. Methods of data collection focused primarily on interviews and were examined through the lens of Bandura’s (1997) self-efficacy theory. Evaluating the lived experiences of artists illuminated nuances in cross-cultural environments, specifically, how socio-cultural transitions influenced their artwork and professional lives. 

The findings of this research correlate with previous literature surrounding current challenges in the lives of cross-cultural students. These challenges were discussed in the context of how art educators can best confront issues that emerge in the classroom. The analysis and discussion presented in this thesis seeks to provide insights into the experiences of cross-cultural artists, while highlighting the educational implications for both artists and educators.

Available from ProQuest & Thesis Global. (2247873321). Retrieved from https://tc.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/making-do-progress-study-design-arrangement/docview/2247873321/se-2  

This study examined current conditions of existing multi-purpose studio art classrooms, or "dedicated spaces," in a cross-section of America's schools. To date, most of the research completed to assess the state of arts education programs in the last 20 years has been through government-conducted statistical analysis, detailing the number of part- and full-time certified arts teachers and the number of dedicated spaces in which arts programs are housed in each reporting school. 

The NAEA's Design Standards for School Art Facilities served as the guideline for analyzing the physical design features and arrangement of the 18 classrooms included in the study. The work of Nel Noddings, Maxine Greene, and Parker Palmer provided framework for how the physical space influences human flourishing. The research utilized a multi-case study, and pursued two new methodologies: "Goldsworthy as methodology," where Andy Goldsworthy's inquiry-based creative practice in natural settings is transposed into the observation and analysis of art classroom design features; Design Thinking was used to understand the dynamic nuances that tie both physical features and human experience together. The findings suggest that a large number of spatial problems exist in the classrooms included in the study, that the current state of these art rooms are not indicative of spaces that are designed to support visual art learning and human flourishing, and offer insight into how to better facilitate the construction or rearrangement of studio art classrooms so that they are more intuitively suited to creative activity than they currently are.

Available from ProQuest & Thesis Global. ( 2243820997). Retrieved from 

https://tc.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/constructivist-approaches-museum-tour-workshop/docview/2243820997/se-2

This research investigated how constructivist approaches are conceptualized and implemented in "gallery tour and studio workshop" programs at three art museums, and the relationship that exists between the gallery and studio learning. To address these questions, I examined how administrators from each museum designed programs and supported educators, how educators facilitated teaching, and how students responded to the gallery and studio learning. 

I employed a basic qualitative multi-case study. This method suited my research—an investigation of three cases (three iterations of a program at each museum)—because I aimed to understand the uniqueness of each case while examining a range of similar and contrasting cases. Data collection methods included observations of program sessions, interviews with museum administrators and museum educators, casual conversations with participating students, photos of students' artworks, and museum documents. 

The cases offer examples of educators' teaching approaches, which reflect—or do not reflect—constructivist tenets, as well as factors that influence the connection—or lack of connection—across gallery and studio learning. Specifically, the findings indicate that a smaller students-educator ratio and knowing students' information in advance helped ensure a conducive learning environment. Another relevant factor was the educators' facilitation of dialogue. Students became more involved in interpreting artworks when educators were most responsive to their ideas, and less involved when educators asked leading or less open-ended questions. Program themes, reflections on the tour prior to the studio session, and motivating questions for studio activities helped ensure connections between gallery and studio. Additionally, exploratory studio activities and small group discussions in the studio helped students make unique choices within their art projects, whereas step-by-step demonstrations led to prescriptive artworks. Further, students' responses reflected the sequencing of the program: ways of discussing artworks traveled from the galleries to the studio, and student artworks referenced visual elements from artworks displayed in the galleries. 

While the findings of this research are not generalizable, they provide insight into methods and approaches that might be adopted by museum administrators, museum educators, and art educators who aim to provide school students meaningful and well-connected museum “gallery tour and studio workshop” educational programs.

Available from ProQuest & Thesis Global. (2195499210). Retrieved from

https://tc.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/reflective-investigation-pivotal-moments-that/docview/2195499210/se-2

An integration of the researcher’s own experience as a creative professional with that of other artists suggested that there are occasions in a creative practice that are experienced as pivotal, moments when something opens up and an apparent change takes place. 

Looking beyond art practice, researchers such as Land et al. (2010), Mezirow (1997), and Cranton (2016) have addressed the concept and importance of transformational learning in adults, leading toward a significant shift in the perception of a subject. 

In order to understand the moments that trigger pivotal experiences for artists, two qualitative studies took place: a pilot study (Alarcón, 2012) and the present study, which includes the narrative accounts of three women painters residing in Tacoma, United States; Paris, France; and Cape Town, South Africa. The research question assumes that artists experience Pivotal Moments in the ongoing development of their work and asks what the narrative accounts of three

artists reveal about: (a) the moments that trigger their experiences of creative change or transformation; (b) the nature of these pivotal moments; and (c) how the moments coalesce within the dynamics of the creative act itself. 

Analysis of the interview data suggests that moments of change are revealed in terms of a set of four Pivots or turning points. In Chapter V, the Pivots are examined as they emerged within the artists as a group, then explored as experienced by each artist individually. The nature of these moments of change is revealed through preparation, location, process, and disruption, and a set of Sub-Pivots housed under each of the main ones. The thematic analysis in Chapter V also revealed the characteristics of these pivotal moments as ritualistic, interconnected, and dynamic. It was also unveiled that they express an inherent dynamic in the ability to turn things around in a creative practice such as painting. Pivotal Moments coalesce within the dynamics of the creative act through the ongoing development of the artist’s work. 

Finally, this study reveals multiple perspectives on content and suggestions on how we can support the richness of Pivotal Moments as related to Art Education. 

Program Director : Dr. Judy Burton

Teachers College, Columbia University 444 Macy Hall

Phone: (212) 678-3360

Email: artofc@tc.columbia.edu

UKnowledge > College of Fine Arts > Art and Visual Studies > Theses & Dissertations

Theses and Dissertations--Art and Visual Studies

This collection was known as Theses and Dissertations--Art before July 1, 2012.

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

ART EDUCATION IN MEDICAL EDUCATION: BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES , Sara K. Brown

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

THE TRUST-BASED CLASSROOM: AN ANALYSIS OF CURRENT TRENDS IN SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW TRUST-BASED APPROACH TO ART EDUCATION , Ellen Prasse

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

Sketch-Plan Book: A Teacher’s Planning Resource for the Secondary Classroom , Katherine M. Avra

IN BLACK AND WHITE: RICHMOND’S MONUMENT AVENUE RECONTEXTUALIZED THROUGH THE PHOTOGRAPHIC ARCHIVE , Charlsa Anne Hensley

Photography, Visual Culture, and the (Re)Definition/Queering of the Male Gaze , David Nicholas Martin

Theses/Dissertations from 2018 2018

FROM PRACTICE TO PERFORMANCE: THE IMPORTANCE OF BALLET IN DEGAS’S DANCER PAINTING PROCESS , Whitney LeeAnn Hill

Theses/Dissertations from 2017 2017

PROFESSIONAL COLLABORATION: THE VALUE OF MEANINGFUL CONVERSATION FOR THE STUDIO ART EDUCATOR , Christopher L. Bryant

FROM BLUES TO THE NY DOLLS: THE ROLLING STONES AND PERFORMANCE OF AUTHENTICITY , Mariia Spirina

HAYASHI YASUO AND YAGI KAZUO IN POSTWAR JAPANESE CERAMICS: THE EFFECTS OF INTRAMURAL POLITICS AND RIVALRY FOR RANK ON A CERAMIC ARTIST’S CAREER , Marilyn Rose Swan

Theses/Dissertations from 2016 2016

Reimagining Needed Funding for Elementary Art Programs in Fayette County Public Schools , Lori M. Barnett

A Study on Student Learning in Higher Education: Art Exhibition Motivation , Olivia M. Lussi

Theses/Dissertations from 2015 2015

The Truth of Night in the Italian Baroque , Renee J. Lindsey

Theses/Dissertations from 2014 2014

FROM GEOLOGY TO ART HISTORY: CERAMIST ALEXANDRE BRONGNIART’S OVERLOOKED CONTRIBUTION TO THE DEVELOPING SCIENCE OF ART HISTORY IN THE EARLY NINETEENTH CENTURY , Julia A. Carr-Trebelhorn

The Image of Antinoös: Sexy Boy or Elder God? , Ashlee R. Chilton

LEARNING TO RETELL STORIES THROUGH COMPARATIVE TEACHING: WRITING AND DRAWING , Rachel L. Lindle

Edward Steichen and Hollywood Glamour , Alisa Reynolds

Looking to the Future, Selling the Past: Churchill Weavers Marketing Strategies in the 1950s , Cassandra White-Fredette

USING VIDEO BASED INSTRUCTION TO TEACH ART TO STUDENTS WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER , Anthony W. Woodruff

Theses/Dissertations from 2012 2012

FROM CELLULOID REALITIES TO BINARY DREAMSCAPES: CINEMA AND PERCEPTUAL EXPERIENCE IN THE AGE OF DIGITAL IMMERSION , Edwin Lloyd McGuy Lohmeyer

APPLYING SPECIFIC ARTS ACTIVITIES TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE AND DEMENTIA , Ann Christianson Tietyen

Theses from 2011 2011

PRAGMATIC MODERNISM: PROJECT [ PROJEKT ] AND POLISH DESIGN, 1956-1970 , Mikolaj Czerwinski

DEFYING THE MODERNIST CANON: MIKHAIL LARIONOV’S ARTISTIC EXPERIENCE BEYOND THE CANVAS , Ella Hans

THE ART OF NOTHINGNESS: DADA, TAOISM, AND ZEN , Erin Megan Lochmann

CONSTRUCTING THE REAL: THE NEW PHOTOGRAPHY OF CREWDSON, GURSKY AND WALL , Melissa A. Schwartz

Theses from 2007 2007

FROM EXCEPTION TO NORM: DEACCESSIONING IN LATE TWENTIETH CENTURY AMERICAN ART MUSEUMS , Julianna Shubinski

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Home > College of Arts & Humanities > School of Performing Arts > Performing Arts Student Scholarship and Creative Works > Performing Arts Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Performing Arts Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Theses/dissertations from 2024 2024.

Inclusifying the Rehearsal Room: Creating Accessible and Accommodating Theatrical Spaces for Young People , Christian Anderson

Imaginative Immersion: Developing a Theatre of the Mind Pedagogy for an Ever-Changing Educational Landscape , Cory Kennedy Barrow

Steps of Theatrical Design: A Resource for Activating Educators to Teach Design in High Schools , Chandler Caroccio

Theatre as Resistance: Application of Queer and Feminist Theories to Theatrical Practice and Pedagogy , Chanel H. Gomaa

Disability Representation in Contemporary Playwriting , Caroline Hull

Creating Connection: Utilizing Dramaturgical Collaboration to Engage Young People in Theatre Making in a Post-Pandemic World , Gabrielle Lawlor

Theatrical Tools to Support the Community Agreement , Bethany E. Post

Theses/Dissertations from 2023 2023

Me and My Baby: Directing & Designing "Chicago" at the High School Level , Leo Arteche Arencibia

Trauma In the Acting Process: My Role as Camae In the Mountaintop and the Implementation of Practical Techniques for Empowerment , Anita Bennett

Transforming Costuming Design: Costuming for the Actor's Comfort , Lisa Evenson

A Survey of Current School Orchestra Directors' Incorporation of Alternative Styles in the 6-12 String Curriculum , Haley Fye

Music Direction and Piano Accompaniment in Musical Theatre: A Practical Guide , Danielle Hayes

Flow Theory in the Actor's Process: Can the Pursuit of Optimal Experience Alleviate Anxiety? , Kimberly (Kimber) King

The Process Is A Journey , Victoria Micaletti

Creative Collaborations: An Arts Integrated Educational Business , Michele Perkins

Keeping the Ball Alive: The Marriage Between Sports and Acting , Giuseppe Pipicella

Theatrical Intimacy: Navigating a New Normal , Elizabeth Smith-Cortelyou

Creating Living Characters Through Stanislavski's System and Michael Chekhov's Psychological Gesture , Robert Stark

Play as a Means of Connection , Charles Street

Immersive Exploration Experiences: Using Multi-Branching Decision Narratives as a Design Framework for Advanced Audience Engagement , Arianna White

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

Breaking the Mold: Haunted Attraction Mazes; A Study in Reducing Predictability & Increasing Intensity, Within Unconventional Halloween Attraction Experiences , Amy Avalos

"How to Succeed": Determining and Comparing the Musical and Non-Musical Influences behind the Broadway Adaptation of How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying , Gary Bogers

Choreographing Closeness: The Effects of Intimacy Choreography Best Practices in Educational Theatre , Morgan Cobb

¿Dónde están? Latin American Representation in Theatre for Young Audiences , Ximena Gonzalez Toledo

For the Very First Time: A Process of Rehearsal and Performance in the Beginnings of COVID-19. , Andrew Hansen

Bridging a Need: Audience Participatory Theatre for Non-Profit Fundraising , Ralph Krumins

Sensory Overload: Creating Autism-Friendly Areas In Theme Parks Through Universal Design Principles , Lindsey Leffel

A Theoretical Prototype for Narrative and Interactive Development within a Theme Park Parade , Carson Luter

Integration of Video Game Play and Storytelling in Theme Park Environmental Design , Alexandria Marcello

Journey To The Dragon's Gate: A Study Of Hybrid Ride Systems And How They Enhance Attraction Storytelling , Matthew Moore

Utilizing Dramaturgy to Activate Creativity in Young Audiences , Joni Newman

Musicals, Murders, and Motivation: A View on the Audience and Their Support Towards Musical Murderers through Maslow , Lesly Nuñez

Exploring Best Practices of Teaching Theatre for Social Change to Youth , Samantha Reser

Eco-TYA: An Exploration of Youth Agency and the Role of Environment in Creating Balanced Theatrical Collaborations , Sage Tokach

Creating Themed Accessible Spaces Through Hospitality Design , Sidney Wolf

Theme Park Queues as Diegetic Worlds: Using Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance as a Case Study for Core Design Elements , Jordan Zauha

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

"Keep your facts, I'm going with the Truth": Toward an Ethical Perfromance of Satire in the Age of Hyper-Polarization and Culture War , Carson Betts

The Actor and the Iceberg , Christopher Creane

Artistic Science: An Exploration of Dramaturgy through Inquiry-Based Learning for Youth Artists , Sam DiRosa

Combating Performance Anxiety: Reflections of A Personal Anti-anxiety Plan for Onstage and Filmed Media , Megan Friend

Braving the Discomfort: An Examination of Hate Speech and Racially-Motivated Violence Onstage, and How We Should Approach It , Sarah Hubert

An Actor Auditions , Jessica T. Johnson

Past, Present, and How to Proceed: Creating My Actor Tool Kit , Joshua Kimball

Sympathy for the Devil: A Compassionate Approach to Morally Reprehensible Characters in Drama , Amy Livingston

Emotional Availability: A Practice-as-Research Exploration on Acting in Film and Theatre , Janice Munk

The Death of Beowulf: Exploring the Conception, Process, and Lessons of an Original Solo Performance Based on a Classic , Jeffrey Sneed

Performing Belvile: Developing a Transformative Method , Brian Wiegand

Towards a Postdramatic Jazz Aesthetic: Per(form)ance and Its Discontents , Johann Robert Wood

Theses/Dissertations from 2020 2020

Who Am I, and Why Does it Matter? Reflections of Identity and the Need for Culturally Sustaining Theatre , Bianca Alamo

Just A Number: A Cabaret Exploring the Roles My Age Prevents Me From Playing , Monica Andrews

The Process of Composing FROM HERE: A Contemporary Musical , Jason Bailey

Evita: A Practical Approach to Creating and Implementing Choreography for Professional Theater , Kimberly Ball

The Field of TYA on the Soccer Field: Using Drama Strategies to Enhance Youth Soccer Coaching Practices , Brittany Caine

Production Development: A Practical Approach to Directing for Educational Theatre , Jill Cicciarelli

Metatheatre and Critical Race Theory: A Combination for Compelling Storytelling and Effective Changemaking , Andrew Coleburn

Adaptation of the Novel "Silas Marner" into a One-Act Play and Performance , Melaney Douglass

The Art of Reflection: A Personal Account of Reflexive Teaching Artistry and Personal Praxis , Kate Kilpatrick

Director Methods for High School and Amateur Theatre Implementation , Tyler Leeps

His Voice: The Portrayals of LGBTQ+ Issues in Musical Theatre seen through Terrence McNally's A Man of No Importance , Alex Mendez

Everybody Says Don't: An Examination of Works by Stephen Sondheim in High School Theatre Programs , Matthew Nash-Brown

Stages of Color: An Exploration of Drama Through a Chromatic Lens , John Norton

Initiating Change, Connection, and Community , Janine Papin

Stage Fright: An Examination of Horror-based Theatre Through Theory and Practice , Ramon Paradoa

How Artists Can Capture Us: Educating About the Works of Stephen Sondheim Through Parody , Jarrett Poore

Playing Disability , Daniel Romano

Casting as a Pedagogical Practice in Educational Theatre Spaces , Scott Savage

Dolly'll Never Go Away Again: Producing the Classic Musical at the High School Level , Jason Whitehead

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

The Living Hashtag Play: A Modernized Living Newspaper with Theatre of the Oppressed Approaches to Play Development , Elizabeth Corsi

Performing Feminism: Boy Gets Girl During the #MeToo Movement , Amanda Dayton

Gender Performance in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night , Amanda Lee

Mindful Acting , Terence Lee

Performing Bernarda: Activating Power and Identity , Ana Martinez Medina

Theses/Dissertations from 2018 2018

Gee, Officer Krupke: An Actor's Casebook , Eric Eichenlaub

The Power of Play: Creating A Theatre for the Very Young Experience , Maria Katsadouros

When Coquis Sing: Introducing Young Audiences to Death and Bereavement Through An Original Play , Michelle LoRicco

Exploration of Teaching EL Students Using the Arts with the Focus on Theatre Arts , Carinita Quintero

Structural Inclusion Tools for Theatre Teaching Artists , Leah Thomas

Audience Engagement in Theatre for Young Audiences: Teaching Artistry to Cultivate Tomorrow's Theatre-Goers , Julie Woods-Robinson

Theses/Dissertations from 2017 2017

Rebirth of the Renaissance Man: Creating Actor Agency through Ensemble Theatre , Kody Grassett

Living with Marie: Dramatherapy in the Creation of Performable Theatre , Madelyn James

Planting Seeds: Life Stories of Awakening Self-Awareness , Aixa Mendez

From Dude to Dad: A Study on Prenatal Fatherhood and its Representation in Theatre , Michael Nilsson

Women in White: My Journey into Color , Madison Tarbox

Synaesthetics , Samantha Turner

Theses/Dissertations from 2016 2016

The Actor Process: Playing Multiple Characters , Danielle Brown

Christ on the Postmodern Stage: Debunking Christian Metanarrative Through Contemporary Passion Plays , Joseph Dambrosi

Giving Theatrical Life , Quentin Darrington

Playing Back Spirituality: Using Applied Theatre Practice for Spiritual Exploration an Meaningful Community Building in College , Ann Kinnebrew

Theses/Dissertations from 2015 2015

The Artistry of Accessibility: Creating Theatre with and for Students on the Autism Spectrum , Sara Brunow

When Oppressed Women Attack: Female-Enacted Violence Through Minority American Female Playwrights' Works , Kate Busselle

Directing Stop Kiss by Diana Son within a Nontraditional Training Model , Rebecca Dilks

Stefano Landi's Arie a una voce and Early Seventeenth-century Italian Guitar Music with Alfabeto Notation , Nicholas Galfond

Writes of Spring 2014: Fostering Creativity in Theatre, Education, and Leadership , Alexandra Hodson

Seeking a Vision, Finding a Voice: Exploring the Musicality of Theatre Through Multidisciplinary Practice , Tara Kromer

The Branding, Creation, and Promotion of a Solo Comedienne , Anna McCorison

Almost Mirror Image: Exploring The Similarities And Dissimilarities Of Identical Twins In Theatrical Solo Performance , Elizabeth Mignacca

A Jew from Nebraska: An Actors Attempt at Stand-up Comedy , Jeffrey Nathan

Providing Cultural Balance for Young Americans , Mark Nichols

Connections Between Voice and Design in Puppetry: A Case-Study , Ryan Skiles

The forging of modern Broadway Sound Design Techniques amid the Fires of the Rock Musicals in the Late 1960s and 1970s. , Timothy Tracey

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Dissertation Writing: Home

Dissertation writing.

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What is a dissertation? An extended essay exploring a specified research question or area of practice in depth. Although the word count can vary it is usually longer than most essays, between 5000 - 10000 words.

Your dissertation should demonstrate your ability to:

• Study independently;
• Plan and undertake an in-depth piece of research;
• Select and evaluate information;
• Develop a reasoned argument based on examples and evidence;
• Communicate your ideas and findings effectively.

Dissertation Webinars For further help see -  Library & Learning Webinars and Events  (see Recorded Webinars tab and Dissertations).

Developing your research Consider your overarching hypothesis and the argument you are going to construct. Be aware that these may change as your research deepens. Use tutor and peer feedback to develop your research.

Begin writing before you have completed your research, because the process of writing will help you clarify your ideas and inform your research.

Research methods To some extent, the topic you choose to investigate will be shaped by existing studies on related topics, so it is important to explore existing literature.

Once you have some awareness of what has already been written about, you need to select the texts, ideas and methods that are most relevant to your particular enquiry.

You may want to research people’s responses to a recent phenomenon, and there may not be very much written about your specific topic: in which case look at the ways that other people have investigated public opinion, find out more about primary research methods (e.g. writing and delivering surveys, interviews, carrying out focus groups and observations etc.)

However, many art subjects are continuations or variations of existing practices and disciplines, and a lot of research is based on evaluating existing texts, which is known as secondary research (e.g. texts written by another researcher).

See also: Finding Resources

See 'The Introduction' under the 'Writing' tab at: Essay Writing .

For longer pieces of writing, chapters serve to break up sections that have different, but related topics. Traditionally, dissertations included a literature review as the first chapter (after the introduction), and a methodology, but check your course requirements.

Chapters can be arranged into key themes, case studies, or they can follow the development of something, chronologically. How you organise them will depend on your topic, and what you want to emphasize. It is helpful for your reader if you explain how you have arranged your chapters in the introduction, so that they know what to expect.

See: Literature Reviews

A methodology is a theoretically-informed approach to the production of knowledge. It usually refers to a chapter or section of a chapter that explains how you went about finding and verifying information, and why you used the methods and processes that you decided to use.

Since research is about finding out more about a subject, methodologies are designed to aid the process, so a good starting point is deciding what you want to find out.

• Your research question (aim)
• What smaller questions (objectives) you think you may need to explore in order to answer your main research question (aim)
• What practical experiments/primary research/secondary research activities you think you will need to undertake to answer these questions (objectives)

You might want to write a list of what you are going to do. However, a methodology is more than simply the methods you intend to use to collect data. You need to include a consideration of the concepts and theories which underlie your chosen methods, and to state how you have addressed the research questions and/or hypotheses.

Every stage should be explained and justified with clear reasons for the choice of your particular methods and materials. Ideally, the methods should be described in enough detail for the study to be replicated, or at least repeated in a similar way in another situation. If your research is mainly secondary, then much of this will be covered in the literature review and you may choose to combine the two (a critical review).

Methods vary both within and between disciplines: talk to your supervisors and evaluate methodologies written by other researchers in your field.

Research Methods Research methods are frequently divided into two categories: primary and secondary research.

• Primary research includes interviews, surveys, observations and questionnaires – research where the student gathers first hand evidence.
• Secondary research is found in sources such as academic books and journals and is the usual route for the contextual and theory-based dissertation. Secondary research should be done before primary research is carried out, as this will inform the research design.

However, when you Google or search online for a guide to writing a methodology, you are commonly given a scientific methodology structure which emphasises the experiment and results. In an arts and humanities based subject, a methodology is not a systematic description of how you arrived at your conclusion or result. Rather, it could take a critical approach that is grounded in theory (perhaps social theory such as Marxism, Feminism, or Post-humanism, for example), and the use of literature to support this which may be applied to case studies or examples.

The choice of research methods depends on what you want to find out: the data or findings you need to support your discussion of your chosen research subject.

Research Findings Research findings, that is the information related to the topic you are investigating, falls roughly into two categories - quantitative (numbers and statistics) and qualitative (words, images, objects and meanings).

• Quantitative methods might include experiments, observations recorded as numbers, and surveys with closed-ended or multiple-choice questions. The findings are usually presented in tables, charts or percentages.
• Qualitative methods might include interviews with open-ended questions, observations described in words, and literature reviews that explore concepts, narratives and theories and is open to interpretation.
• It is important not to consider them to be mutually exclusive: for example, the process of designing an effective survey or questionnaire to gather quantitative data will probably include some qualitative research into different approaches and formats of questionnaires, and this will need to be underpinned by your own evaluation of what would be most effective.

Structure Have a short introduction which tells your reader the overall aim of the research. what methods and procedures have been used, with a rationale to explain how the approach is appropriate to the research questions and aim.

Establish links between the question and the method, e.g. if the question revolves around a feminist debate on the representation of women in advertising, then a survey of people's opinions on this would not be as valuable as academic texts that engage with these current debates at a theoretical level.

Describe the specific methods of data collection.

Establish your analytic framework (theoretical perspective) and interpretation of your findings.

Your conclusion should bring together the main themes, findings and overall point of your essay. In order to do this, it is a good idea to refer to both the assignment question and your introduction, so that your conclusion is consistent with them. For example, if you have looked at an argument weighing up the pros and cons of something, you should summarise why you lean towards one opinion above others, or explain why a variety of approaches are valid for different reasons. It is not necessary to state a definitive answer to your question, but you should bring together the key elements that you have investigated, so as to justify your stance.

See also 'The Conclusion' under the 'Writing' tab at Essay Writing .

Academic style Being able to express your ideas in formal English is a requirement for many written course assignments: it is also a valuable transferrable skill in terms of employability. Academic writing demonstrates your ability to present your ideas convincingly, with clarity accuracy and authority. Some good examples of academic phrases are available on the Manchester Academic Phrasebank .

General guidelines for academic style include:

• Use signposting words to introduce and link your ideas, and help your reader follow your ideas. For example, rather than ‘Picasso experimented with cubism’ use ‘Picasso’s experiments with cubism were significant because…’
• Use objective language (the third person, rather than the first): e.g. rather than 'I believe that it is difficult to say how much an artwork is worth…’ use 'It is often difficult to estimate the value of an artwork, for example...’
• Use accurate language and subject-specific terminology, e.g. Rather than stating ‘Media stereotypes women' be specific: ‘The film Showgirls (1995) has been criticised for representing the female characters as stereotypical and highly sexualised.’ or ‘in the 1960s’ rather than ‘In the old days…’ (try to avoid assumptions and generalisations: e.g. everyone uses facebook, everybody knows…)
• Avoid contractions: e.g. use ‘do not’, rather than ‘don’t’, or ‘cannot’ rather than ‘can’t’ (this affects word count as well)

None of these guidelines are always applicable – there may be times when it is appropriate to use first person (I) to refer to personal experiences and opinions, and there may be times when you want to assert strong opinions. As with any piece of writing it will depend on what you want to communicate. However, essays are usually assessed on the knowledge demonstrated by the writer and using accurate terminology and statements rather than questions present a more convincing argument than phrases used in spoken English, such as ‘I feel…’ or ‘in my opinion…’.

Using evidence Providing evidence to demonstrate that you have researched your topic, and are aware of other studies and opinions about it, is a distinctive feature of academic writing. You should refer to the ideas and findings of others to support your argument, but the main voice should be your own.

Do not use a quotation unless you make it clear to your reader why you are using it and how it relates to the overall discussion. By interpreting other people's work you can indicate the significance of their ideas to your own argument. By commenting on or evaluating the work of others you demonstrate your own understanding of the topic you are investigating and indicate how you position yourself in relation to existing scholarship.

Evidence could be a direct or paraphrased citation from a variety of different sources to support your argument. Academic writing should contain citations, but they should not constitute more than 25% of your word count.

For information about how to evidence and refence your work correctly, see Harvard Referencing .

Citations are used in the body of your writing to indicate when you have referred to someone else’s writing, work or ideas. Your citations provide some basic information about the sources you used, and link to your bibliography, which provides more detailed information about your sources and how you accessed them.;

• the author's surname
• the year of publication
• the page number (where applicable)

So, a UCA Harvard citation from a book or journal article would be formatted like this:  (Butler, 2006:8)

Direct citations need to include speech marks , for example:

"whatever biological intractability sex appears to have, gender is culturally constructed" (Butler, 2006:8)

To integrate quotations within your paragraphs, you may want to introduce the author before quoting them, for example:

The architect Daniel Libeskind (1997:153) argues that “in representing the making of architecture as an autonomous activity (having more affinity to technique than science) this thinking intentionally narrows itself to a process of date collecting operations.

Indirect citations are paraphrased in your own words, and can be used to summarise and integrate others' ideas into your writing. Paraphrasing is more complex than changing the occasional word, you must convey the author’s original meaning.

For example, here is a direct quotation:  “Of course, if women could subvert so-called masculine traits by adapting and adopting masculine fashions, then it was also possible for men to procure feminine styles for themslves, and, as the century progressed, the cries of ‘gender confusion’ by media and academic commentators became increasingly loud” (Arnold, 2001:101)

This direct quotation could be paraphrased like this:  Increasing discourse surrounding gender emerged as the traditional distinctions between male and female fashion became blurred (Arnold, 2001:101).

Or, like this: Traditional notions of gender were challenged by women wearing fashions usually intended for men and men wearing fashions usually intended for women (Arnold, 2001:101).

Note: As shown in the examples above, Indirect citations do NOT need to include speech marks.

For more information of formatting citations, see Harvard Referencing .

Using illustrations Illustrations are another form of evidence, and should be used as support for:

• Comparison;
• Deconstruction;
• Interpretation;
• Extrapolation.

Each image should have its own figure number and the numbers are allocated by order of appearance. The first image in your written work will be Figure 1, the second will be Figure 2, followed by Figure 3, Figure 4 and so on. If the image you are using is a named work of art, you should include the name of the artist, the tile, the year of production (in round brackets), the medium [in square brackets] and its dimensions in the caption. For an example, see below.

If your image does not have a name, your caption should simply describe what the image is. The caption, like all titles in the Harvard refencing system, must be in italics.  The year of publication, medium [in square brackets] and year (in round brackets).

For more information on formatting images, captions and your list of illustrations in Word documents see Microsoft Help on Inserting Pictures and Harvard Referencing .

Formatting your work Check the criteria for layout and contents recommended by your course. This may be in the handbook or the dissertation briefing documents.

General presentation: Dissertations should be word-processed and their overall presentation and layout should be reader-friendly.

• Number your pages;
• Set it out on A4 paper;
• Use 1.5 or double-line spacing;
• Use a readable font (e.g. Times New Roman or Arial);
• Use at least a 12 point font.
• The front cover/title page;
• The full title;
• Your full name;
• The qualification/course you are studying;
• The name of the Institution (UCA);
• Year of submission;
• Name of your tutor/assessor;
• Word count.
• The introduction;
• Titles of chapters;
• The conclusion;
• List of illustrations;
• Bibliography;
• Appendices.

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• Last Updated: Aug 3, 2024 10:40 PM
• URL: https://mylibrary.uca.ac.uk/dissertationwriting

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Game Science and Design Master's Theses Collection

http://hdl.handle.net/2047/D20290007

Affection of game elements on acrophobia therapy

The affective effect of objects in game with simple geometric features and motion

Analysis of immersive virtual reality vs. desktop 3D games

Analysis of serious games in biology

ARScape: exploring mobile augmented reality design for escape rooms.

Art styles rendering techniques survey and making a tool to switch art styles in Unity 3D

Augmented reality block building game for enhancing creativity: block sculptures.

Automated playtesting of platformer games using reinforcement learning

Backtracking: an ecological investigation to contextualize rewards in games.

The balance between monetization and player retention for free-to-play real-time strategy mobile games

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Dissertation examples

Listed below are some of the best examples of research projects and dissertations from undergraduate and taught postgraduate students at the University of Leeds We have not been able to gather examples from all schools. The module requirements for research projects may have changed since these examples were written. Refer to your module guidelines to make sure that you address all of the current assessment criteria. Some of the examples below are only available to access on campus.

• Undergraduate examples
• Taught Masters examples

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Writing a thesis, department schedule of thesis preparation .

The thesis writer and adviser should agree on a working schedule which will adequately conform to the calendar of thesis requirements established by the Senior Honors Adviser. Each of these written requirements should be submitted to the Tutorial Office for review by the Senior Honors Adviser. Paradigms for each of the written requirements are held on file in the Tutorial Office, for consultation.  An updated schedule of departmental dates and deadlines relative to the thesis will be available at the beginning of each Fall Term.  All writers of the senior thesis shall enroll in an HAA 99 for course (and requirement) credit - joint concentrators will enroll in the 99 course of their primary concentration.

Beginning in 2006-07, every concentrator writing a thesis will enroll in the senior thesis seminar in the fall of the senior year. Overseen by the Senior Honors Adviser, the senior thesis seminar will meet several times during the semester for a two-hour session devoted to facilitating the preparation and writing of a thesis. These sessions will cover such topics as compiling a bibliography, using archives, and constructing an effective argument. Late in the semester, each participant will deliver a twenty-minute presentation on his or her thesis topic, illustrated with slides or digitally projected images. All departmental faculty and students will be invited to these presentations. By the end of the semester, each participant in the seminar will submit a complete first draft of the thesis, complete with illustrations.

Application for Pulitzer and Abramson Travel Grants: Early March. See above under Prizes for details on grant and application.

Announcement of Pulitzer and Abramson Grant Awards Mid-March: By letter to the recipients.

Adviser's Review: Early March. Ideally, you should present the full, finished and finalized draft of your text to your adviser for a final review before formal submission to the Department.

Thesis Submission: Mid-March - a week before Spring Break. You must submit your thesis in the afternoon at a Thesis Reception. In exchange for your finely crafted magnum opus you will receive a glass of champagne and our heartiest congratulations. Please do attend this afternoon because a thesis submitted late is usually not accepted.

Reader's Response: after Early May. Senior Honors Theses are read and critiqued by Members of the Faculty and the Museum at the request of the Senior Honors Adviser. Readers' identities no longer remain anonymous.

Faculty Meeting on Honors: Early May. Department Faculty meet to vote on final honors recommendations, after which thesis writers will receive by letter from the Senior Honors Adviser notification of their thesis grade and recommendation for honors. Writers will also receive at this time the written responses of their readers. Students should speak with their Allston Burr Senior Tutor for anticipated final honors decision of the College.

Grading of the Senior Thesis

Theses are read and critiqued by faculty members applying a higher standard than expected for work written in courses or tutorials. Faculty do make use of the full range of grades, and students should consider that any honors grade is a distinction of merit. If you have any questions, please contact the Senior Honors Adviser, the Director of Undergraduate Studies, or the Undergraduate Coordinator at 495-2310.

SUMMA CUM LAUDE: A summa thesis is a work of "highest honor." It is a contribution to knowledge, though it need not be an important contribution. It reveals a promise of high intellectual attainments both in selection of problems and facts for consideration and in the manner in which conclusions are drawn from these facts. A summa thesis includes, potentially at least, the makings of a publishable article. The writer's use of sources and data is judicious. The thesis is well written and proofread. The arguments are concise and logically organized, and the allocation of space appropriate. A summa is not equivalent to just any A, but the sort given by instructors who reserve them for exceptional merit. A summa minus is a near miss at a summa and is also equivalent to an A of unusual quality.

MAGNA CUM LAUDE: A magna level thesis is a work worthy of "great honor." It clearly demonstrates the capacity for a high level of achievement, is carried through carefully, and represents substantial industry. A magna plus thesis achieves a similar level of quality to a summa in some respects, though it falls short in others; it is equivalent to the usual type of A. A magna thesis is equivalent to an A-. For a magna minus, the results achieved may not be quite a successful due to an unhappy choice of topic or approach; it is also equivalent to an A-.

CUM LAUDE: As is appropriate for a grade "with honors," a cum level thesis shows serious thought and effort in its general approach, if not in every detail. A cum plus is equivalent to a B+, a cum to a B, and a cum minus to a B-. The cum thesis does not merely represent the satisfactory completion of a task. It is, however, to be differentiated from the magna in the difficulty of the subject handled, the substantial nature of the project, and the success with which the subject is digested. Recall that, as students putting extraordinary effort into a thesis most frequently receive a magna, theses of a solid but not exceptional quality deserve a grade in the cum range. When expressed in numerical equivalents, the interval between a magna minus and a cum minus is double that between the other intervals on the grading scale.

NO DISTINCTION: Not all theses automatically deserve honors. Nevertheless, a grade of no distinction (C, D, or E) should be reserved only for those circumstances when the thesis is hastily constructed, a mere summary of existing material, or is poorly thought through. The high standards which are applied in critique of theses must clearly be violated for a thesis to merit a grade of no distinction.

Examples of Past Theses 

Senior Honors Theses which are written by students who graduate Summa or Magna are deposited in the University Archives in Pusey Library. Copies of theses which are awarded the Hoopes Prize are held in Lamont. Students are urged to consult past theses as much can be gained in exploring precedent or seeking inspiration.

Discontinuance of a Thesis 

The process of writing the thesis is a serious commitment of time and energy for both the writer and the adviser. In some cases, however, it might be agreed that the thesis should be discontinued at mid-year. The Senior Tutorial HAA 99 may be divided with credit through a procedure in which the student must submit a written paper presenting the project and research to that point.

Guidelines for Writers and Advisers of Senior Theses  

Senior Concentrators wishing to graduate with honors in the Department must write a senior thesis and carry academic standing of Group II or better, with a minimum GPA of 3.00 in concentration grades. In deciding whether one wishes to fulfill the honors requirements the student should consider his/her academic interests, commitment to independent research and other deadlines and obligations during the thesis year. Many students find the task of researching and writing a substantial piece of critical scholarship interesting and rewarding, but others find the senior thesis can become a frustrating and unwieldy burden. Some students prefer the freedom to savor extra-curricular pursuits during their last year at the College unhampered by the encroaching demands of thesis preparation. In general, it may be remarked that students are unlikely to do well in the honors program who are not already committed to this process of scholarship, and proven practiced writers; the senior thesis is not the place to acquire basic skills in writing and research. In considering the Department's honors requirements, it should be remembered that students with honors grades overall may graduate with University Honors (Cum Laude) even if they do not receive Honors in History of Art and Architecture.

Academic Requirements 

The writing and evaluation of the thesis is a year long process, during which the writer meets at scheduled intervals with his/her adviser, to formulate, develop, and ultimately refine their thesis work. The Department has also instituted a "thesis writing seminar" which writers will participate in through the fall term. The thesis is due just before spring break, and is then sent to its readers for their judgment and critique. The final thesis grade and recommendation for honors is determined at a faculty meeting in mid-May. Students working towards a March degree will follow a schedule to finish the thesis in early December.

The Department encourages seniors to think broadly and explore a problem of interest. The thesis topic does not necessarily have to be within the writer's declared major field, except when required for a joint concentration, in which case, the topic must address an issue shared by both concentrations. The thesis should demonstrate an ability to pose a meaningful question, present a well-reasoned and structured argument, and marshal appropriate evidence. The student should apply a clear methodology and be aware of the assumptions behind the argument, the possible deficiencies of the sources and data used, and the implications of the conclusions. The various parts of the thesis should cohere in an integrated argument; the thesis should not be a series of loosely connected short essays. A primary expectation of the thesis is that it is a work of independent scholarship, directed and crafted by the student, with the thesis adviser serving in a capacity of "indirect overseeing of the project".

There is no set pattern for an acceptable thesis. The writer should demonstrate familiarity with scholarly methods in the use of sources, but this should not be the sole criterion for evaluation. Of equal if not greater importance is the development of the central argument and the significance of the interpretation. A thesis may be research on a little-studied problem or a perceptive reassessment of a familiar question. A well-pondered and well-presented interpretive essay may be as good a thesis as a miniature dissertation.

Skill in exposition is a primary objective, and pristine editing is expected.  The department encourages writers to keep to a very short page count, so as to craft a clear, concise paper, and further edit it to an exemplary presentation. In general, a History of Art and Architecture thesis will have a text ranging from 40 to 80 pages, dependent upon the topic. Students are encouraged to explore the resources available to thesis writers at the Writing Center and the Bureau of Study Counsel.

The writer must indicate the source of material drawn from others' work, whether quoted or summarized. Violations of this rule are considered serious and should be brought to the attention of the Director of Undergraduate Studies immediately.

Senior Honors Adviser 

The process of taking honors and writing the thesis in this Department is overseen for all concentrators by the Senior Honors Adviser. The Senior Honors Adviser leads the Fall Term thesis-writing seminar, and directs the meetings for departmental approval once theses have been submitted.  The department Tutorial Office holds examples of the written requirements (Thesis proposal and prospectus) and of the Pulitzer, and Abramson Grant application which students might wish to consult as paradigms.

Thesis Adviser 

Students must seek a thesis adviser who is a full faculty member of the History of Art and Architecture Department or museum curator holding a teaching appointment in this department. The adviser ought to serve as a critic of your synthesized ideas and writings, rather than as a director of your work. The adviser should be chosen with consideration more to compatibility in overseeing the process of the work than to being an expert in the field. Prospective advisers should be approached as soon as you have identified a thesis topic. You should be prepared to show examples of your written work to your prospective adviser. Your verbal agreement with your adviser should be communicated promptly to the Senior Honors Adviser. If you have trouble identifying an appropriate adviser, please consult with the Senior Honors Adviser before the deadline for the Thesis Proposal.

Graduate students in the Department of History of Art and Architecture do not advise Senior Theses.

Thesis Readers 

As voted by majority consensus of department faculty, a new procedure for the reading and grading of senior theses will go into effect. Each thesis will have two readers chosen by the Department, ideally, but not exclusively,one from within the student's area of interest, and the thesis adviser. All readers will be asked to submit written comments and grades, which will be factored equally to produce the final grade of the thesis. Individual grades are not released and the readers no longer remain anonymous, and there exists a procedure by which a writer may request, via the Senior Adviser, to speak with a reader provided that reader is willing to discuss the work in further detail or expound on the written critique.

Grade Report and Honors Recommendation 

At the end of each term, Fall and Spring, the student's progress in the Senior Tutorial (HAA 99) will be graded SAT or UNSAT. At the end of the Department's Honors Review process the Senior Honors Adviser calculates a recommendation for Honors based on the factored grades of the thesis and the student's grades in concentration coursework. This recommendation is presented to the faculty at their meeting in May for review. A faculty vote is taken and this decision is passed as an honors recommendation to the Registrar of the College. The decision of Final Honors to be granted on the degree is made by the Registrar based on departmental recommendation and grades. Students should consult with their Allston Burr Senior Tutor to determine what final honors might be anticipated at Commencement.

The needs of the Department for fair deliberation dictate that there may be no report of decisions regarding the thesis until after the Faculty has considered and voted upon each recommendation for honors. After honors recommendations have been voted by the faculty, students will be notified of the department's recommendation to the College and will receive an ungraded copy of each evaluation of their thesis (the needs of the Department for fair deliberation dictates that there may be no report of decisions regarding the thesis until after the Departmental Honors Meeting). The comments in these evaluations should provide the student with a clear explanation of the strengths and weaknesses of the thesis, bearing in mind the difficulties of the field and the type of thesis submitted, and evaluating what was accomplished in terms of what was undertaken, given the student's limitation of time and experience.

Proposal for Senior Thesis Design Projects, Honors Consideration

The History of Art and Architecture concentration asks Harvard College students to select an Area of Emphasis for fulfillment of their degree - either Design Studies or History + Theory. The History + Theory Area of Emphasis has traditionally required the completion of a senior thesis paper and presentation as a product of two requirements in order for the student to be eligible for honors consideration: 1/ completion of course HAA 99a Senior Thesis Tutorial and 2/ discussion of a thesis topic to be studied in said course supported through advisement by History of Art and Architecture faculty over the fall and spring semesters of senior year.

The Design Studies Area of Emphasis orients students toward making-based design courses wherein students develop design experiments engaging disciplinary issues, often incorporative of both historical and contemporary architectural precedents. The primary courses currently offered that address thinking through making include: HAA 179x Tectonics Lab (fall), HAA 92r Design Speculations (fall), HAA 96a Transformations (spring), and HAA 96Bb Connections (spring). An increasing number of Harvard College students who have selected the Design Studies Area of Emphasis are interested in extending their architectural design focus to their conclusive senior year work via ‘creative thesis’ projects. These creative thesis projects would include a hybrid of written text and visual and physical design materials originally produced by the student.

This proposal outlines a draft course requirement guideline and set of final submission requirements for a senior thesis design project that aims to support the design and making-based methodologies as thesis research on a topic of interest while simultaneously paralleling the well-conceived course requirements of the traditional thesis paper and presentation within HAA. This proposal offers that through the requirements outlined here, this senior thesis design project could be eligible for honors consideration for any student pursuing this final thesis option.

Senior Thesis Design Project / Course Requirements for Honors Consideration

Senior Year – fall term

1/ HAA 92r Design Speculations Seminar – required (see fall 2019 HAA 92r syllabus for details)

• course prerequisite: completion of either HAA 96a Transformations or HAA 96b Connections studios
• this course requires students secure a pair of faculty advisor - one from Harvard History of Art and Architecture (HAA) faculty and one from the Harvard GSD to support their research work within the course; course faculty advisor(s) would serve as advising faculty for senior thesis design project
• Megan Panzano, GSD Arch Studies Director, and Jennifer Roberts, HAA DUS, would both help make faculty advisor connections for students pursuing this path

2/ HAA 99a Senior Thesis Tutorial (fall) – strongly suggested to be taken in parallel with HAA 92r above

3/ Presentation of design work to History of Art and Architecture and select GSD faculty as part of HAA Thesis Colloquium (fall) – required

• to be coordinated with senior thesis tutorial presentations usually made to faculty in December of senior year fall term

Senior Year – spring term

1/ Advisement meetings with individual faculty advisors to guide production of design work (architectural analytical drawings and/or physical models) and edits to digital presentation made in fall term to HAA

2/ Submission of final senior thesis design project digital presentation inclusive of photographs of physical models, high resolution originally-produced design drawings as a PDF and descriptive written text to accompany images in presentation*

Senior Thesis Design Project / Submission Requirements for Honors Consideration

Final Project Requirements: A single multi-page PDF file labeled with student’s full last name and first initial and should be submitted containing the following elements:*

• Assemble a visual bibliography of references for your ongoing research project. The references included should be sorted into categories of your own authoring in relation to the research. Each reference should be appropriately cited using the Chicago Manual of Style for recording citations (refer to The Chicago Manual of Style ), and each reference should also include an affiliated image. This bibliography should include a brief annotation, which should comprise a description of the rationale/intention behind sorted categories of research references. This description should be approximately 200 words.
• Discourse , the development of a proposition for the role and significance of architecture relative to the project topic of interest, and
• Context , the relationship of the project topic of study to broader surroundings which include but are not limited to the discipline of architecture, cultural contexts, technical developments and/or typologies.
• The manifesto should take into account the intended audience for the project and use language and modes of communication that reflect this audience in the written text.
• A visual drawing or info-graphic that describes your process of design research on your topic. This will include the criteria for evaluating the project, the steps planned to be taken in examining the topic, and when/where along the process of working it may be necessary to stop and assess outputs and findings.
• High resolution drawings, animations, and/or diagrams and photographs of physical models (if applicable) that have been produced through research. These should be assembled in single-page layouts of slides to follow preceding elements listed here.

 *submission deadlines would parallel HAA thesis paper draft and final submission schedule

Dissertation Structure & Layout 101: How to structure your dissertation, thesis or research project.

By: Derek Jansen (MBA) Reviewed By: David Phair (PhD) | July 2019

So, you’ve got a decent understanding of what a dissertation is , you’ve chosen your topic and hopefully you’ve received approval for your research proposal . Awesome! Now its time to start the actual dissertation or thesis writing journey.

To craft a high-quality document, the very first thing you need to understand is dissertation structure . In this post, we’ll walk you through the generic dissertation structure and layout, step by step. We’ll start with the big picture, and then zoom into each chapter to briefly discuss the core contents. If you’re just starting out on your research journey, you should start with this post, which covers the big-picture process of how to write a dissertation or thesis .

*The Caveat *

In this post, we’ll be discussing a traditional dissertation/thesis structure and layout, which is generally used for social science research across universities, whether in the US, UK, Europe or Australia. However, some universities may have small variations on this structure (extra chapters, merged chapters, slightly different ordering, etc).

So, always check with your university if they have a prescribed structure or layout that they expect you to work with. If not, it’s safe to assume the structure we’ll discuss here is suitable. And even if they do have a prescribed structure, you’ll still get value from this post as we’ll explain the core contents of each section.  

Overview: S tructuring a dissertation or thesis

• Acknowledgements page
• Abstract (or executive summary)
• Table of contents , list of figures and tables
• Chapter 1: Introduction
• Chapter 2: Literature review
• Chapter 3: Methodology
• Chapter 4: Results
• Chapter 5: Discussion
• Chapter 6: Conclusion
• Reference list

As I mentioned, some universities will have slight variations on this structure. For example, they want an additional “personal reflection chapter”, or they might prefer the results and discussion chapter to be merged into one. Regardless, the overarching flow will always be the same, as this flow reflects the research process , which we discussed here – i.e.:

• The introduction chapter presents the core research question and aims .
• The literature review chapter assesses what the current research says about this question.
• The methodology, results and discussion chapters go about undertaking new research about this question.
• The conclusion chapter (attempts to) answer the core research question .

In other words, the dissertation structure and layout reflect the research process of asking a well-defined question(s), investigating, and then answering the question – see below.

To restate that – the structure and layout of a dissertation reflect the flow of the overall research process . This is essential to understand, as each chapter will make a lot more sense if you “get” this concept. If you’re not familiar with the research process, read this post before going further.

Right. Now that we’ve covered the big picture, let’s dive a little deeper into the details of each section and chapter. Oh and by the way, you can also grab our free dissertation/thesis template here to help speed things up.

The title page of your dissertation is the very first impression the marker will get of your work, so it pays to invest some time thinking about your title. But what makes for a good title? A strong title needs to be 3 things:

• Succinct (not overly lengthy or verbose)
• Specific (not vague or ambiguous)
• Representative of the research you’re undertaking (clearly linked to your research questions)

Typically, a good title includes mention of the following:

• The broader area of the research (i.e. the overarching topic)
• The specific focus of your research (i.e. your specific context)
• Indication of research design (e.g. quantitative , qualitative , or  mixed methods ).

For example:

A quantitative investigation [research design] into the antecedents of organisational trust [broader area] in the UK retail forex trading market [specific context/area of focus].

Again, some universities may have specific requirements regarding the format and structure of the title, so it’s worth double-checking expectations with your institution (if there’s no mention in the brief or study material).

Acknowledgements

This page provides you with an opportunity to say thank you to those who helped you along your research journey. Generally, it’s optional (and won’t count towards your marks), but it is academic best practice to include this.

So, who do you say thanks to? Well, there’s no prescribed requirements, but it’s common to mention the following people:

• Your dissertation supervisor or committee.
• Any professors, lecturers or academics that helped you understand the topic or methodologies.
• Any tutors, mentors or advisors.
• Your family and friends, especially spouse (for adult learners studying part-time).

There’s no need for lengthy rambling. Just state who you’re thankful to and for what (e.g. thank you to my supervisor, John Doe, for his endless patience and attentiveness) – be sincere. In terms of length, you should keep this to a page or less.

Abstract or executive summary

The dissertation abstract (or executive summary for some degrees) serves to provide the first-time reader (and marker or moderator) with a big-picture view of your research project. It should give them an understanding of the key insights and findings from the research, without them needing to read the rest of the report – in other words, it should be able to stand alone .

For it to stand alone, your abstract should cover the following key points (at a minimum):

• Your research questions and aims – what key question(s) did your research aim to answer?
• Your methodology – how did you go about investigating the topic and finding answers to your research question(s)?
• Your findings – following your own research, what did do you discover?
• Your conclusions – based on your findings, what conclusions did you draw? What answers did you find to your research question(s)?

So, in much the same way the dissertation structure mimics the research process, your abstract or executive summary should reflect the research process, from the initial stage of asking the original question to the final stage of answering that question.

In practical terms, it’s a good idea to write this section up last , once all your core chapters are complete. Otherwise, you’ll end up writing and rewriting this section multiple times (just wasting time). For a step by step guide on how to write a strong executive summary, check out this post .

Need a helping hand?

Table of contents

This section is straightforward. You’ll typically present your table of contents (TOC) first, followed by the two lists – figures and tables. I recommend that you use Microsoft Word’s automatic table of contents generator to generate your TOC. If you’re not familiar with this functionality, the video below explains it simply:

If you find that your table of contents is overly lengthy, consider removing one level of depth. Oftentimes, this can be done without detracting from the usefulness of the TOC.

Right, now that the “admin” sections are out of the way, its time to move on to your core chapters. These chapters are the heart of your dissertation and are where you’ll earn the marks. The first chapter is the introduction chapter – as you would expect, this is the time to introduce your research…

It’s important to understand that even though you’ve provided an overview of your research in your abstract, your introduction needs to be written as if the reader has not read that (remember, the abstract is essentially a standalone document). So, your introduction chapter needs to start from the very beginning, and should address the following questions:

• What will you be investigating (in plain-language, big picture-level)?
• Why is that worth investigating? How is it important to academia or business? How is it sufficiently original?
• What are your research aims and research question(s)? Note that the research questions can sometimes be presented at the end of the literature review (next chapter).
• What is the scope of your study? In other words, what will and won’t you cover ?
• How will you approach your research? In other words, what methodology will you adopt?
• How will you structure your dissertation? What are the core chapters and what will you do in each of them?

These are just the bare basic requirements for your intro chapter. Some universities will want additional bells and whistles in the intro chapter, so be sure to carefully read your brief or consult your research supervisor.

If done right, your introduction chapter will set a clear direction for the rest of your dissertation. Specifically, it will make it clear to the reader (and marker) exactly what you’ll be investigating, why that’s important, and how you’ll be going about the investigation. Conversely, if your introduction chapter leaves a first-time reader wondering what exactly you’ll be researching, you’ve still got some work to do.

Now that you’ve set a clear direction with your introduction chapter, the next step is the literature review . In this section, you will analyse the existing research (typically academic journal articles and high-quality industry publications), with a view to understanding the following questions:

• What does the literature currently say about the topic you’re investigating?
• Is the literature lacking or well established? Is it divided or in disagreement?
• How does your research fit into the bigger picture?
• How does your research contribute something original?
• How does the methodology of previous studies help you develop your own?

Depending on the nature of your study, you may also present a conceptual framework towards the end of your literature review, which you will then test in your actual research.

Again, some universities will want you to focus on some of these areas more than others, some will have additional or fewer requirements, and so on. Therefore, as always, its important to review your brief and/or discuss with your supervisor, so that you know exactly what’s expected of your literature review chapter.

Now that you’ve investigated the current state of knowledge in your literature review chapter and are familiar with the existing key theories, models and frameworks, its time to design your own research. Enter the methodology chapter – the most “science-ey” of the chapters…

In this chapter, you need to address two critical questions:

• Exactly HOW will you carry out your research (i.e. what is your intended research design)?
• Exactly WHY have you chosen to do things this way (i.e. how do you justify your design)?

Remember, the dissertation part of your degree is first and foremost about developing and demonstrating research skills . Therefore, the markers want to see that you know which methods to use, can clearly articulate why you’ve chosen then, and know how to deploy them effectively.

Importantly, this chapter requires detail – don’t hold back on the specifics. State exactly what you’ll be doing, with who, when, for how long, etc. Moreover, for every design choice you make, make sure you justify it.

In practice, you will likely end up coming back to this chapter once you’ve undertaken all your data collection and analysis, and revise it based on changes you made during the analysis phase. This is perfectly fine. Its natural for you to add an additional analysis technique, scrap an old one, etc based on where your data lead you. Of course, I’m talking about small changes here – not a fundamental switch from qualitative to quantitative, which will likely send your supervisor in a spin!

You’ve now collected your data and undertaken your analysis, whether qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods. In this chapter, you’ll present the raw results of your analysis . For example, in the case of a quant study, you’ll present the demographic data, descriptive statistics, inferential statistics , etc.

Typically, Chapter 4 is simply a presentation and description of the data, not a discussion of the meaning of the data. In other words, it’s descriptive, rather than analytical – the meaning is discussed in Chapter 5. However, some universities will want you to combine chapters 4 and 5, so that you both present and interpret the meaning of the data at the same time. Check with your institution what their preference is.

Now that you’ve presented the data analysis results, its time to interpret and analyse them. In other words, its time to discuss what they mean, especially in relation to your research question(s).

What you discuss here will depend largely on your chosen methodology. For example, if you’ve gone the quantitative route, you might discuss the relationships between variables . If you’ve gone the qualitative route, you might discuss key themes and the meanings thereof. It all depends on what your research design choices were.

Most importantly, you need to discuss your results in relation to your research questions and aims, as well as the existing literature. What do the results tell you about your research questions? Are they aligned with the existing research or at odds? If so, why might this be? Dig deep into your findings and explain what the findings suggest, in plain English.

The final chapter – you’ve made it! Now that you’ve discussed your interpretation of the results, its time to bring it back to the beginning with the conclusion chapter . In other words, its time to (attempt to) answer your original research question s (from way back in chapter 1). Clearly state what your conclusions are in terms of your research questions. This might feel a bit repetitive, as you would have touched on this in the previous chapter, but its important to bring the discussion full circle and explicitly state your answer(s) to the research question(s).

Next, you’ll typically discuss the implications of your findings . In other words, you’ve answered your research questions – but what does this mean for the real world (or even for academia)? What should now be done differently, given the new insight you’ve generated?

Lastly, you should discuss the limitations of your research, as well as what this means for future research in the area. No study is perfect, especially not a Masters-level. Discuss the shortcomings of your research. Perhaps your methodology was limited, perhaps your sample size was small or not representative, etc, etc. Don’t be afraid to critique your work – the markers want to see that you can identify the limitations of your work. This is a strength, not a weakness. Be brutal!

This marks the end of your core chapters – woohoo! From here on out, it’s pretty smooth sailing.

The reference list is straightforward. It should contain a list of all resources cited in your dissertation, in the required format, e.g. APA , Harvard, etc.

It’s essential that you use reference management software for your dissertation. Do NOT try handle your referencing manually – its far too error prone. On a reference list of multiple pages, you’re going to make mistake. To this end, I suggest considering either Mendeley or Zotero. Both are free and provide a very straightforward interface to ensure that your referencing is 100% on point. I’ve included a simple how-to video for the Mendeley software (my personal favourite) below:

Some universities may ask you to include a bibliography, as opposed to a reference list. These two things are not the same . A bibliography is similar to a reference list, except that it also includes resources which informed your thinking but were not directly cited in your dissertation. So, double-check your brief and make sure you use the right one.

The very last piece of the puzzle is the appendix or set of appendices. This is where you’ll include any supporting data and evidence. Importantly, supporting is the keyword here.

Your appendices should provide additional “nice to know”, depth-adding information, which is not critical to the core analysis. Appendices should not be used as a way to cut down word count (see this post which covers how to reduce word count ). In other words, don’t place content that is critical to the core analysis here, just to save word count. You will not earn marks on any content in the appendices, so don’t try to play the system!

Time to recap…

And there you have it – the traditional dissertation structure and layout, from A-Z. To recap, the core structure for a dissertation or thesis is (typically) as follows:

• Acknowledgments page

Most importantly, the core chapters should reflect the research process (asking, investigating and answering your research question). Moreover, the research question(s) should form the golden thread throughout your dissertation structure. Everything should revolve around the research questions, and as you’ve seen, they should form both the start point (i.e. introduction chapter) and the endpoint (i.e. conclusion chapter).

I hope this post has provided you with clarity about the traditional dissertation/thesis structure and layout. If you have any questions or comments, please leave a comment below, or feel free to get in touch with us. Also, be sure to check out the rest of the  Grad Coach Blog .

Psst... there’s more!

This post was based on one of our popular Research Bootcamps . If you're working on a research project, you'll definitely want to check this out ...

36 Comments

many thanks i found it very useful

Glad to hear that, Arun. Good luck writing your dissertation.

Such clear practical logical advice. I very much needed to read this to keep me focused in stead of fretting.. Perfect now ready to start my research!

what about scientific fields like computer or engineering thesis what is the difference in the structure? thank you very much

Thanks so much this helped me a lot!

Very helpful and accessible. What I like most is how practical the advice is along with helpful tools/ links.

Thanks Ade!

Thank you so much sir.. It was really helpful..

You’re welcome!

Hi! How many words maximum should contain the abstract?

Thank you so much 😊 Find this at the right moment

You’re most welcome. Good luck with your dissertation.

best ever benefit i got on right time thank you

Many times Clarity and vision of destination of dissertation is what makes the difference between good ,average and great researchers the same way a great automobile driver is fast with clarity of address and Clear weather conditions .

I guess Great researcher = great ideas + knowledge + great and fast data collection and modeling + great writing + high clarity on all these

You have given immense clarity from start to end.

Morning. Where will I write the definitions of what I’m referring to in my report?

Thank you so much Derek, I was almost lost! Thanks a tonnnn! Have a great day!

Thanks ! so concise and valuable

This was very helpful. Clear and concise. I know exactly what to do now.

Thank you for allowing me to go through briefly. I hope to find time to continue.

Really useful to me. Thanks a thousand times

Very interesting! It will definitely set me and many more for success. highly recommended.

Thank you soo much sir, for the opportunity to express my skills

Usefull, thanks a lot. Really clear

Very nice and easy to understand. Thank you .

That was incredibly useful. Thanks Grad Coach Crew!

My stress level just dropped at least 15 points after watching this. Just starting my thesis for my grad program and I feel a lot more capable now! Thanks for such a clear and helpful video, Emma and the GradCoach team!

Do we need to mention the number of words the dissertation contains in the main document?

It depends on your university’s requirements, so it would be best to check with them 🙂

Such a helpful post to help me get started with structuring my masters dissertation, thank you!

Great video; I appreciate that helpful information

It is so necessary or avital course

This blog is very informative for my research. Thank you

Doctoral students are required to fill out the National Research Council’s Survey of Earned Doctorates

wow this is an amazing gain in my life

This is so good

How can i arrange my specific objectives in my dissertation?

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Dissertations on Arts

Art can be described as the expression of creativity, using emotion, imagination, and skill to produce a work of art. Art is a matter of opinion and preference, and can be understood or appreciated in different ways by different people.

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Latest Arts Dissertations

Including full dissertations, proposals, individual dissertation chapters, and study guides for students working on their undergraduate or masters dissertation.

How Does Dance, Specifically Bharathanatyam Affect Brain Development?

Dissertation Examples

The overall purpose of this project is to discern the relationship between dancing and the brain, in particular what impact Bharathanatyam has on brain structure and health....

Last modified: 22nd Nov 2023

Art vs Craft Debate in Education: Origins and Impact

What are the origins of the art versus craft debate, how does it effect Art Education, and what might be the potential repercussions of its continuation?...

Last modified: 23rd Dec 2021

How Does the Human Body Translate in Modern Art in Today’s Contemporary World?

This thesis will examine the influence of the human body in today's contemporary world and has the body the same impact it once had in the arts....

Impressionist Sculptures of Auguste Rodin and Edgar Degas

The main aim of this dissertation is to discuss Rodin and Degas’ sculptural works, understanding the making of the selected pieces and the relationship they have with Impressionism....

Last modified: 22nd Dec 2021

Black and White Photography and Emotional Representation

The purpose of this paper is to examine and observe the emotional representation in black and white photography by analysing the means of a photograph itself, seeing the world in black and white and what makes the beauty of it, as well as the use of black and white photography in various fields to evoke the viewer’s emotion....

Influence of Technology on Artists and Art

This dissertation aims to examine how technology has changed and influenced artists and their artwork, in the past, present and future....

Last modified: 24th Nov 2021

How has oil-based portrait painting influenced portrait photography?

This dissertation presents a discussion based on the theme of portraiture and its relationship with mediums such oil-paint and photography....

Changing Nature of the Silhouette in 18th to 19th Century Art

This dissertation will explore the historical narrative behind the silhouette and discuss its development in line with class theorists....

Last modified: 17th Nov 2021

Origins of Visual Expression in Art

In this dissertation, I will research the origins of visual expression, firstly asking why was it made, and who was it made for? I will then be looking for the earliest examples of where visual expression was found....

Last modified: 3rd Nov 2021

Analysis of Joseph Cornell's Boxes

My dissertation explores the power of engagement exerted on the viewer by the boxed constructions of Joseph Cornell....

Russian Folk Dance: History and Relationship with Ballet

Dissertation Introductions

Introduction to a study aiming to understand the concept of Russian folk dance and the reason for conversion of this into Russian Ballet dance....

Last modified: 6th Sep 2021

Drama Dissertation Topics

Dissertation Topics

We have provided a selection of example drama dissertation topics to help and inspire you in your choice of dissertation topic....

Last modified: 17th Aug 2021

Art Dissertation Topics

We have provided a selection of example art dissertation topics below to help and inspire you when choosing a topic for your art dissertation....

Last modified: 16th Aug 2021

Art Dissertation Titles

Dissertation Titles

Art Dissertation Titles. We have provided this selection of example art dissertation titles to help and inspire you....

Literature Review on Teaching Visual Arts in the Digital Media Age

Example Literature Reviews

The purpose of this research study is to learn about the experiences of visual arts teachers in teaching creativity at the high school level....

Last modified: 28th May 2021

Teaching Art in the Age of Digital Media

The purpose of this study is to understand how high school visual arts educators teach visual arts in the age of digital media....

Follies and the History of the Garden

Contents   Introduction Literature Review Methodology Chapters POLITICS & PALLADIANISM – Follies and the history of architecture SEX & SECRECY – Follies and the history of art and litera...

Last modified: 16th Dec 2019

Self-discovery and Community Empowerment of Self-identifying Artist, Researcher and Teacher

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION What counts in art’s intensity is the artist’s dedication, passion, enthusiasm, ecstasies, and sweat. There is a devotional focus to what you are doing—an intensive conc...

Last modified: 13th Dec 2019

The Future of London's Museums

The following research paper investigates the present condition of London’s museums, focusing upon three aspects: their historical development, their present issues and debates, and their strategies...

Last modified: 11th Dec 2019

Irish Troubles Political Cartoons: An Analysis

The political cartoons about the Irish troubles drawn by a number of prominent cartoonists in the early 1970s differed sharply from the cartoons produced by artists during the peace process in the 199...

Nature, the Environment and their Uses in Art

“I name that man an artist who creates forms… I call that man a craftsman who reproduces forms.” Malraux is talking about artists and craftsmen, but might as well be talking about artists and de...

History of Artist Expression in Comic Books

Comic books, like many art forms, have been co-opted by a hungry consumer capitalist economy which makes a Faustian bargain with its artistic meals: give me your subversive art forms and ideas, this e...

Impact of Social and Sexual Changes on Art

Hair has traditionally been cited as a discernibly female expression of sexuality and beauty, an aesthetic composition that exacerbates a woman’s ability to attract members of the opposite sex w...

Natural History Museums and Artistic Interventions

Table of Contents Natural History Museums Charles Darwin Natural History Museums and artistic interventions Natural History Museum – London American Museum of Natural History The role of technology...

Last modified: 10th Dec 2019

How Do Leadership Skills Enhance Creativity Within the Arts to Motivate Excellence?

How do leadership skills enhance creativity within the Arts to motivate excellence? The arts are any field that requires the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination (Oxford ...

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Best Art dissertation Topics and ideas in 2023

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Are you facing a Problem Writing an Art Dissertation?

Are you unable to find good art dissertation topics.

Don’t panic! The ultimate solution is here! In order to write an A-level art dissertation we must have to go through some of the basic conceptual ideas that how it could be written and how can we make it a successful one.

Encrypting an unbeaten A-level art dissertation is about displaying your vision whilst indicating that you comprehend the key concepts of your study and that you are able to give an authentic product of your sheer academic knowledge and research. In any discipline of art, the mandatory knack that you are looking to display is proof of originality and creativity. Therefore, your art dissertations should fulfill the criteria of inspiration, ingenuity, and resourcefulness.

FORMS OF ART DISSERTATIONS

There are mainly two forms of art dissertation which are:

ART HISTORY DISSERTATION

An Art history dissertation is a representation of the work done on the evolution of art or an artist; because it is related to past experiences, therefore it should be focused and identical to the depth of knowledge of the topic with facts and figures. It is proposed that art history dissertations would be written with vast opinionated criteria.

FINE ARTS DISSERTATION

Usually, the topics in fine art dissertations are not prepared by any other person. A brilliant Fine Arts dissertation should be devoted to an exclusive topic, coming up with thoughts like that is not easy. So, start collecting ideas for your fine art dissertation far before you get down to work. Fine Arts dissertation topics can be focusing on different male or female artists or you may choose a fairytale-like ‘snow white and 7 dwarfs.’

Art Dissertation Topics

If you need to turn into a significant artist, your dissertation can make you stand apart from the rest. It ought to be something crisp through which you can represent your ability to lead a unique and independent study in the field of expressions. Your art dissertation topics, in this manner, assume a vital job in setting your way to progress.

It ought to have the option to mirror your thoughts and developments in your field of study, whether it is visual expressions, music , shows, works of art, structures, or expressive arts. The following are a few fantastic art dissertation topics that can help you in narrowing down your research scope and help you make your art dissertation successful.

Good Art Dissertation Topics

• The role of art in promoting cultural heritage
• The influence of popular culture on art
• The impact of digital media on art creation and distribution
• The role of art in promoting social change
• The impact of the feminist movement on art
• The representation of race and ethnicity in art
• The relationship between art and science
• The impact of environmentalism on art
• The history and evolution of street art
• The influence of the LGBTQ+ community on art
• The impact of postmodernism on art
• The relationship between art and religion
• The role of art in promoting peace and nonviolence
• The influence of the internet and digital technology on art
• The impact of colonialism on art
• The history and evolution of installation art
• The role of art in promoting mental health and well-being
• The representation of the human body in art
• The relationship between art and fashion
• The impact of the #MeToo movement on art
• The representation of animals in art
• The role of art in promoting gender equality
• The impact of the Black Lives Matter movement on art
• The relationship between art and technology
• The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on art
• An exclusive idea regarding your topic showing your clear objective is the way towards initial success
• Set a timetable and obtain relevant material of research for art dissertations to pace up your writing objective
• Reflect on your research and encourage your creativity
• Ensure that you stick to the thread of your central argument
• Paragraphs should be approximately five or six sentences long and should have good linking words and phrases
• An art dissertation should be full of analysis, critical evaluation, and discussion of your subject
• Present a sustained academic argument in clear, logical prose and give evidence to support it
• Results and discussions should be presented in your written art dissertations
• The conclusion is a must property that proposes your views that what have you achieved from the whole study
• Proofreading is an essential part as you are finalizing your dissertation
• Art dissertations should be referenced clearly to avoid plagiarism
• At the End of your art dissertation, there needs to be a bibliography of the sources used

Click here to get an Art Dissertation Topics consultancy service along with 500 words topic brief to get approval from your supervisor.

Trending art dissertation topics.

• The role of social media in contemporary art
• The impact of technology on the art of the 21st century
• Street art and graffiti: A study of its evolution and cultural significance
• The representation of gender and sexuality in modern art
• The influence of political and social movements on art
• The relationship between art and architecture
• The impact of globalization on the art market
• The role of the artist in society
• The influence of Eastern art on Western contemporary art
• The history and evolution of performance art
• The change of images to pictures of Buddha in early Indian artistry
• The impression of Pop Art: The view and American septuagenarians
• The inheritance of craftsmanship charity: a contextual investigation of John Davan Sainsbury, Baron of Preston Candover.
• Balletic impact in the presentation of Jean Antoine Watteau’s figures
• Is the progress of computerized films influencing artistic craftsmanship unfavorably? Is it true that they are genuinely clearing out the joy of watching motion pictures?
• Could video games be viewed as artistic work?
• Neutralizations: Resisting and Embracing Globalization in Contemporary Public Art
• Delineations of Cute Young Women in Contemporary Japanese Visual Culture
• The Spiritual Couple in Art: A Comparative Study of Three Artworks Using Examples from India, Europe, and America

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