ARTHS-BA - Art History (BA)

The department offers courses of study in:

• Art History

• Art Practice (studio)

• Film and Media Studies

• Film Production

This lead to the following degrees: BA degree in Art History; BA degree in Art Practice; BA degree in Film and Media Studies; MFA degree in Art Practice; MFA degree in Documentary Film and Video; PhD degree in Art History.

The undergraduate program is designed to help students think critically about the visual arts and visual culture. Courses focus on the meaning of images and media and their historical development, societal roles, and relationships to disciplines such as literature, music, and philosophy. Work performed in the classroom, studio, and screening room is designed to develop a student’s powers of perception, capacity for visual analysis, and knowledge of technical processes.

How to Declare the Major

Students who wish to major in Art History must meet with the Student Services Specialist. At that time, the student selects a faculty advisor, declares the major on Axess, and chooses a concentration.

Concentrations

The student’s principal advisor approves concentrations within the major; they are not declared on Axess and do not appear on the transcript or the diploma. Concentrations include:

• Topical concentrations: art and gender; art and race; art, science, and technology; urban studies

• Genre concentrations: painting; sculpture; architecture; prints and media; decorative arts and material culture

• Historical concentrations: ancient and medieval (prehistory - 1350), early modern and modern (1350 - 1850), and modern and contemporary (1850 - present)

• Geographical concentrations: Asia, Africa, Islamic, the Americas, Europe, and the Mediterranean

• Interdisciplinary concentrations: art and literature; art and religion; art and economics; art and medicine

Suggested Preparation for the Major

Students considering a major in art history should take ARTHIST 5 Art and Power.