Art History Major (AHIJ)

The Art History degree provides instruction in Art History and art criticism and is dedicated to a multi-cultural perspective. Course work is offered in Asian, African, Native American, and Western Art ranging from prehistoric to contemporary. The faculty combines expertise to ensure that students are broadly educated in a variety of art historical methods, including a traditional formalist approach, as well as more recent post-modern and post-colonial theories. The program, while housed in the Gwen Frostic School of Art, is interdisciplinary in nature and requires or encourages complementary course work in History, Anthropology, Languages, and other areas. Students receive a variety of classroom-related experiences, as well as opportunities for internships and study abroad. No minor required.

2000-Level Survey Requirement (9 hours)

Choose three:

ART 2200 - Caves to Cathedrals Credits: 3 hours
ART 2210 - Modern and Postmodern Credits: 3 hours
ART 2220 - Art of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas Credits: 3 hours
ART 2230 - Introduction to Asian Art History Credits: 3 hours

Baccalaureate-Level Writing Requirement (3 hours)

3000-4000 Level Requirement (15 hours)

Choose five:

ART 3210 - Topics in Art History: Variable Topics Credits: 3 hours
(Repeatable for different topics)
ART 3900 - Twentieth-Century Art: 1945 to Present Credits: 3 hours
HIST 4495 - Topics in European History and Culture Credits: 3 hours
Topic: Russian Art and Art Patronage

4000-5000-Level Requirement (7 hours)

Required Courses (4 hours)

ART 4990 - Senior Thesis Credits: 1 hour
ART 5270 - Art History Methods Credits: 3 hours

Choose One:

ART 5210 - Topics in Art History: Variable Topics Credits: 3 hours
ART 5230 - Topics in Modern Art Credits: 3 hours

Electives (with faculty approval)

Elective Requirement (9 hours)

Art History majors may fill the 9 hours of electives required in the major by taking course work in the following areas: Art History and Art Studio (major courses only), as well as courses numbered 3000 or above in the following departments: History; Comparative Religion; literature and creative writing courses in the Departments of English and of World Languages and Literatures; archaeology and cultural anthropology courses in the Department of Anthropology;

The following courses in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences:

FCS 3260 - History of Fashion Credits: 3 hours

The following course in the Department of Philosophy:

PHIL 3200 - Formal Logic Credits: 4 hours

Cognate: World Language Requirement (8 hours)

Eight hours of one language other than English are required. French and German are recommended as research languages; however, Spanish, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, or other languages approved by the Art History faculty can also be applied to the requirement. Students may test out of this requirement by placement in the 2000-level or above on a language proficiency examination. The language requirement credits are counted under Proficiency 4g of the General Education requirements.

Grading Requirement

Art majors and minors receiving a grade below a “C” in a required course must repeat the course.