Art History
Art history studies art, architecture, and visual and material culture, from prehistory up through the present day. Art history analyzes and interprets the artistic, historical, and political frameworks of artmaking and addresses global and local identities, historical and contemporary events, social and racial justice, and the role of digital media. It investigates such issues as the role of images and artworks in constructing identities, the political, social, and economic contexts and functions of the visual arts, and the ways architecture shapes our everyday lived experiences. An inherently interdisciplinary field that intersects with anthropology, communication, ethnic studies, history, and studio art, to name only a few, art history equips students to understand human creativity, past and current, and to be active participants in the creation of our global contemporary world.
The Art Department offers the following degrees in Art History:
- Bachelor of Arts Degree in Art History
- Minor in Art History
- Minor in Arts Management
Art history students develop widely applicable skills in visual observation, description, and analysis, in information literacy, in critical thinking, and in written and oral communication. As a lower unit major, Art History pairs well with minors in the humanities, social sciences, sciences, or professional fields; it is also an excellent second major for students who wish to broaden their cultural understandings. The Art History advisor can help you identify a minor that will support you in your chosen career path.
Careers
A B.A. in Art History prepares students for work in a variety of settings, as well as for graduate study. Art History majors and minors find careers in such sectors as research and education, arts and entertainment, travel and leisure, and marketing and advertising. Art History majors may also opt for further study to obtain teaching credentials, M.A. or Ph.D. degrees in art history, art education, museum studies, or other humanities fields, or professional degrees in library and information science, business, or law.
Program Learning Outcomes
Students graduating from the Art History program will be able to:
- Articulate the potential of art history as a tool for multicultural, interdisciplinary, international, and community-centered understandings of society historically and in the present day;
- Demonstrate visual literacy for our increasingly image-based society by critically analyzing and questioning diverse modes of visual expression;
- Select, analyze, and properly employ visual, textual, and on-line resources in the context of art historical research and critical writing;
- Express ideas clearly in written, oral, and other discipline-specific formats (e.g., exhibition, data visualization), supported by relevant visual and textual sources and appropriate documentation [GWAR];
- Accurately characterize and define significant artistic movements and traditions from chronologically and geographically distinct societies;
- Articulate and reflect on the role and impact of visual, physical, and spatial elements on our sensory, emotional, and intellectual responses to visual art and architecture;
- Explain the visual arts and architecture as central to the formation of human social identities, in the past and in the present;
- Successfully apply the diverse tools and methods of art history to the study of images, artworks, and architecture, demonstrating skills of critical thinking and analysis.
Summary of Units:
Special Grade Requirement:
All courses must be completed with a C- or better to apply toward the Art History major.
