Degree Requirements

The Winterthur Program takes two years of full-time study to complete, beginning in July of the year of acceptance. The degree requires at least 42 credit hours and a written thesis. No special examinations or language tests are required.

Core requirements

These begin in the summer of entrance with an intensive introduction to American decorative arts and material culture. This Summer Institute introduces fellows to the collections at Winterthur. This introduction is followed by four semesters of course work that incorporate connoisseurship, research methods, and theoretical approaches to the study of American Material Life, spanning the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries.

Fellows gain breadth in understanding American culture through University of Delaware graduate seminars in the fields of Art History, History and English. These three departments have been allied with the Winterthur Program since its founding in 1952.

Additional Opportunities

Winterthur Fellows take elective courses in such interdisciplinary subjects as vernacular architecture, historic archaeology, preservation studies and visual culture. They have the opportunity to complete internships at Winterthur and obtain additional training through the Museum Studies Program at the University.