Creative Citizenship
Creative citizenship promotes the idea that everyone who participates in our programs—students, faculty, and community members—gains a deeper understanding of the essential role creativity plays in individual and collective life. This understanding could enable participants to apply these capacities in their professional and community roles. As makers, audiences, or advocates for the arts, participants also recognize that arts and cultural organizations are fundamental to civic vitality.
Dean's Office Staff
The Dean’s Office steers the Division’s strategic vision, ensuring the continued vitality and centrality of humanistic scholarship and the arts at UChicago.
The Graduate Council
The Graduate Council is the representative student government for graduate students and focuses on building community across graduate divisions, helping students get the funding they need to further their academic and professional pursuits, and working with administrators to improve graduate student life. Additional information about the Graduate Council can be found here.
Academic Year Representatives 2026-2027
TBD
Arts & Humanities Division Graduate Student Council
This advisory council serves as a voice for Arts & Humanities students to provide input and suggestions regarding policies and procedures within the Division directly to the Dean of the Division, Debbie Nelson and is responsible for the allocation of the Student Services Fee for student/academic programming within departments. Meetings are held once per quarter and representatives are selected by an application process and/or the individual departments.
Student Leadership Opportunities
The Division of the Arts & Humanities at UChicago offers graduate students the opportunity to develop leadership skills, which can be critical for personal and professional development, through a myriad of activities and programming. While many departments have ways for students to get involved within their specific department, there are two main opportunities for students to become connected from a divisional standpoint.
MA & MFA Dean's Awards
The MA programs of MAPH, DIGS, and CMES as well as the MFA program in Visual Arts will be awarding the following student awards at the 2027 Spring Convocation on TBD.
- Dean's Award for Excellence in the Master's Program of Humanities
- Dean's Award for Excellence in Digital Studies of Language, Culture, and History
- Dean's Award for Excellence in Middle Eastern Studies (Humanities)
- Dean's Award for Outstanding Graduate Leader in Visual Arts
Stuart Tave Course Design Awards
The Stuart Tave Course Design Award recognizes up to three graduate students who have demonstrated exemplary course design. The award is intended to foster a culture of course design excellence among graduate teaching assistants and instructors.
Each department may nominate one student for the award. Please submit the dossier to the Dean of Students Office at ahd-dos@uchicago.edu no later than TBD (will be updated for 2027).
Dean’s Distinguished Dissertation Award
The Dean’s Distinguished Dissertation Award recognizes the scholarly contributions of a dissertation project. The recipient of the 2027 award will be recognized at the Arts & Humanities Division Spring Convocation on TBD.
Each department may submit one nominee to be considered for the award. The dossier is to be submitted to the Dean of Students Office at ahd-dos@uchicago.edu no later than TBD (will update for 2027).
Dean's Award for Graduate Student Teaching Excellence
The Dean’s Graduate Student Teaching Award recognizes each year a graduate student who has demonstrated exemplary teaching. The award is intended to foster a culture of teaching excellence among graduate teaching assistants and instructors.
Each department may nominate one student for the award. Dossiers must be submitted to the Dean of Students Office at ahd-dos@uchicago.edu no later than TBD (will update for 2027).
Awards
These annual student awards in the Division of the Arts & Humanities recognize outstanding achievements and contributions of students throughout the division. These awards celebrate academic excellence, creative work, and scholarly research, providing encouragement and visibility to students who have demonstrated exceptional talent, dedication, or innovation in their field. By honoring student accomplishments, the division supports a vibrant intellectual and creative community that fosters further exploration and growth in the arts and humanities.