B.A. in Art History
The B.A. degree in art history allows students to gain an understanding of the historical and intellectual significance of a range of artistic forms and practices from around the world, from prehistoric times to the present. Students learn about the scholarly issues within the field and become familiar with the variety of analytical and interpretive methods that art historians employ in their research. The study of art history develops other necessary skills, such as critical thinking, effective written and oral communication, research practices, and visual, formal, and textual analysis.
Beyond being an excellent focus of any liberal arts education, the art history degree is significant for students who want to develop a career in teaching art history at the university level or who wish to pursue professions related to museums, galleries, curatorship, art criticism, and conservation. The art history degree is also useful for other careers in the fields of arts and culture, such as arts education or arts management.
Art history students are encouraged to explore further educational and professional opportunities through a regular series of lectures by prominent regional and national art historians and curators. Students meet with visiting scholars, volunteer at local museums and arts organizations, and complete internships at regional and national museums and organizations. Students are also advised by the art history faculty about ways to pursue career interests and graduate work in art history, either at the M.A. or Ph.D. level. Recent art history graduates have been accepted at nationally recognized graduate programs and have developed careers in museums and galleries.
The Art History B.A. requires a total of 48 hours of coursework:
Required introductory courses (21 hours):
ARTS 1110 Drawing I
ARTS 1120 Drawing II
ARTS 1210 2-D Design
ARTS 1220 3-D Design
ARTS 1710 Introduction to Art History I
ARTS 1720 Introduction to Art History II
ARTS 1730 Introduction to Art History III
One course from each of the following four groups (12 hours):
GROUP I: ARTS 3710 Ancient Art of the West
ARTS 3720 Medieval Art of the West
GROUP II: ARTS 3730 Renaissance Art in Italy
ARTS 3740 Baroque and Rocco Art
ARTS 3780 Renaissance Art of Northern Europe
GROUP III: ARTS 3750 19th Century Art
ARTS 3760 20th Century Art
ARTS 3680 20th Century Art II
GROUP IV: ARTS 3690 Arts of Africa
ARTS 3770 Ancient American Art
ARTS 3790 Arts of Asia
Four more Art History courses on the 3000- or 4000-level of the student’s choice (12 hours). See the AU Bulletin for a current list of all art history course offerings.
And, ARTS 4700 Capstone in Art History (3 hours)