Art History

Recognizing why and how people have made art across time makes us aware of our own place within the world.  The study of art history provides students with tools to analyze the visual world.  Students learn the skills of the liberal arts, to think, write, analyze, and evaluate problems and ideas.  Students often combine the art history minor with majors across the spectrum of the arts and sciences. 

Art history draws from many disciplines, so that in addition to studying formal analysis, iconography, aesthetics, and other recent theoretical developments, students may draw from fields such as history, economics, philosophy, linguistics, archeology and anthropology. 

Students who minor in art history develop both a visual and cultural literacy that can lead to advanced studies in preparation for careers in the museum world, conservation, the art market, mass media, theater, education, and the fine arts.  Students interested in pursuing art history at the graduate level should consider taking additional foreign languages, especially German and French or Italian.

The art history minor requires 24 credits minimum with the following emphasis:

• Required:  6 credits, Survey of Art: Prehistoric through Medieval (ART 109) and Renaissance to Contemporary (ART 110)
• Electives:  15 credits, 300- or 400-level courses from each of the following areas: 
  
• Ancient
  
• Medieval
• Renaissance/Baroque
  
• Modern/Contemporary
  
• Non-Western
• Capstone Course:  A 3-credit  independent study with a faculty advisor producing a research paper in an agreed upon area.