Bachelor of Arts in Art History

Emphasis in Modern and Contemporary Art

Gain insight into the complex and dynamic relationship between art and the society that produces it.

Although the emphasis of the BA in Art History curriculum is on art of the last 150 years, you will achieve a thorough overview of the major periods and art works in the history of western art since the ancient world before engaging with the often-contentious roles of art and artists in the modern era.

Utilizing seminar style classes as well as lectures, you will gain a thorough grounding in theoretical and critical approaches to the study of art and will learn to discuss the subject cogently in written and oral presentations. In the final year you will have the opportunity to explore a topic in depth and to produce a thesis that meets the research, writing and documentation standards of the discipline.

Students who graduate with an undergraduate degree in Art History will be eligible to pursue graduate study in the discipline or to take entry-level positions in museums and galleries, art publishing and related careers. Moreover, the knowledge and insights that you will have gained should enrich your understanding and enjoyment of art, regardless of career path.

The Art History major will introduce you to the following:

A thorough overview of the major periods and art works in the history of western art since the ancient world.
A thorough grounding in theoretical and critical approaches to the study of art.
The vocabulary and concepts that will allow you to discuss art cogently in written and oral presentations.
The skills and knowledge necessary to explore a topic in depth and to produce a thesis that meets the research, writing, and documentation standards of the discipline.
The background to enable you to pursue graduate study in the discipline or to take entry-level positions in museums and galleries, art publishing, and related careers.
The knowledge and insights that should enrich your understanding and enjoyment of art, regardless of career path.

Art History graduates will be able to do the following:

Demonstrate through course assignments insights into the complex and dynamic relationship between art and the society that produces it, including the often contentious roles of art and artists in the modern era.
Demonstrate through course assignments their mastery of the vocabulary and concepts of critical analysis and a thorough grounding in theoretical and critical approaches to the study of art.
Through the process of producing a thesis that meets the research, writing and documentation standards of the discipline, demonstrate the skills and knowledge necessary to explore a topic in depth.
Demonstrate through course assignments and field-based experiences the background to enable them to pursue graduate study in the discipline or to take entry-level positions in museums and galleries, art publishing and related careers.

Featured Courses

IAHIS 1200 Art of the Western World I: 1300-1800

Semester begins with an introduction to the art of the Ancient World and the Middle Ages, and then explores European art from the time of Giotto until the beginning of the Romantic period in greater depth.

IAHIS 2300 Modernism

This course explores key movements and figures in art from c.1890 up to the outbreak of World War II, a time often known as the Modern period. Emphasis is on European painting and sculpture. We study artists such as Picasso, Matisse, Duchamp, Arp, Mondrian, and Brancusi, who questioned long-standing assumptions about the appearance and purpose of art and strove to forge radically new artistic languages to express their individual experiences of the rapidly changing modern world.