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 course credit hours and includes a written thesis. No special examinations or language are required. These begin in the summer of entrance with intensive training in the decorative arts with a focus on the Winterthur collection. Courses incorporate connoisseurship, research methods, and theoretical approaches to the study of American material life, spanning the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries.
Extracurricular activities add breadth and richness to the required coursework.
Fellows participate in guide training and interpretation at the Museum. Students gain breadth in understanding of American culture through University courses chosen from art history, history, and English. In addition to traditional courses, these departments also embrace such fields as folklore, vernacular architecture, and media study. Students may choose further studies in the areas listed above or work in other departments of the University, such as geography, anthropology, or museum studies. In addition, Fellows who wish to receive museum certification may receive course credit for an internship taken at the Winterthur Museum.