Degree Programs: The Division of Art History offers undergraduate and graduate studies with a faculty composed of scholars and teachers who are committed to productive learning, innovative instruction and mentoring.

Undergraduate Program: The Division of Art History offers two alternative courses of study for students wishing to major in the history of art. These programs are designed to provide students with a solid foundation of knowledge and analytical skills to prepare students for employment in the field.

The B.A. degree in art history places the history of art within the wider context of such humanistic disciplines as history, religion, aesthetics, politics, language and civilization generally. Through the study and analysis of art, architecture, and objects of virtue, the program is intended to extend the student’s visual and cultural awareness. Because of the richness of its intellectual background, the B.A. in art history provides one of the most diverse and stimulating of the liberal arts degrees.

Students completing this course of study are prepared for advanced training either in the numerous related professions or within the field of art history.

NOTE: Only courses passed with a grade of C or better will count for credit toward the major in art history. Courses passed with a grade of C- or less may count toward other, elective requirements in a student’s degree plan.

To view a course of study for the B.A. in Art History, click here.

Honors Program

The Honors Program is designed for those majors whose academic standing is deserving of exceptional recognition and who seek a greater intellectual challenge in the discipline of art history. To be eligible for the Honors Program, students must have and maintain a minimum 3.50 G.P.A. in art history and a minimum 3.00 G.P.A. in their overall course credits. They must also successfully complete a three-hour directed studies tutorial in art history.

Distinction in Art History

Majors with a minimum 3.50 G.P.A. in art history will graduate with “Departmental Distinction in Art History.”

Minor in Art History

The minor in art history enables all students in the University to extend their study into the realm of the visual arts and so to broaden their appreciation of the cultural content of artistic form. As a discipline especially dedicated to the examination of art in context, art history is a natural complement to a major in history, languages, anthropology, political science, sociology, psychology, philosophy, religion, music, or any of the humanities. It is also a rewarding minor for students who wish to combine business or engineering with a study of the humanities.

Art history majors should consider minors in advertising, anthropology, chemistry (for conservation), foreign languages, international business, international studies, and psychology in order to maximize their opportunities in obtaining rewarding careers.

Requirements: 18 credit hours in art history with a maximum of three 1000-level courses.

NOTE: Only classes passed with a grade of C- or better will count for credit toward the minor.

Graduate Program: The Division of Art History awards the Master of Arts in Art History. This degree is designed to give each student a broad but rigorous background in art history. It's intended as a program for those who wish to pursue careers in which training beyond the baccalaureate degree would be helpful—or as a foundation for those who wish to continue work towards a Ph.D. The curriculum consists of 30 hours of coursework in Art History; of these hours, 21 must be of seminar standing. The final six credits must be taken in the form of a major research paper, and each student must pass a foreign language translation exam related to the field of their particular concentration.

For a complete list of graduate courses in Art History, click here.