Art History and Critical Studies

In the art history major, you will begin your artistic journey in the studio foundation program, along with the first-year students in the other majors. At the same time, introductory courses in the history of the principal periods of Western art will prepare you for advanced study in the discipline. A second year seminar will introduce art history majors to the key theoretical approaches to the study of the history of modern art, including iconographic, formal, social and political, psychoanalytical and semiological. You will then be able to pursue your interests in a wide variety of lecture and seminar courses.

In the final year, you will produce a thesis about a topic in art of the 20th or 21st century that will be submitted to a Thesis Committee for approval. To produce this thirty page polished critical paper you will work closely with a thesis advisor at all stages of the project, including developing a proposal. You will graduate from AIB with the art historical and critical tools and the studio skills to pursue graduate study or a career path in a variety of art-related professions.

Art History BFA
123 credits

First Semester
Visual Thinking (also known as Visual Principles)
Drawing Intensive
Conceptual Development I
Foundation Seminar Lecture I
Ancient and Medieval Art History
English Composition

Or:

Foundation Lecture / Lab I
Foundation Seminar I
Drawing Fundamentals
Ancient and Medieval Art History
English Composition

Second Semester
Conceptual Development II
Foundation Seminar Lecture II
Choice of Foundation Drawing Elective
First Major Elective
Digital Elective
Art of the Western World I
Writing & the Literary Arts

Or:

Foundation Lecture / Lab II
Foundation Seminar II
Foundation Studio Elective
Art of the Western World I
Writing & the Literary Arts

Third Semester
Studio Elective
Studio Elective
Studio Elective
Foreign Language
Art of the Western World II
Math Requirement

Fourth Semester
Studio Elective
Studio Elective
Foreign Language
Discipline Specific Art History Elective
Art Historical Theory and Methods Seminar

Fifth Semester
Studio Elective
Studio Elective
Non-Eurocentric Art History Elective
Art History Elective
Social Science Elective

Sixth Semester
Studio Elective
Studio Elective
Internship
Science Requirement
Liberal Arts Elective

Seventh Semester
Studio Elective
Studio Elective
Non-Eurocentric Art History Elective
Art History Elective
Liberal Arts Elective
Art History Thesis I

Eighth Semester
Studio Elective
Studio Elective
Art History Elective
Art History Senior Thesis II
Liberal Arts Elective

Art History Minor
21 credits

Art of the Western World I and II
Departmental Art History Course
Critical Theory
Non-Western Art History Elective
Advanced Art History Elective
Advanced Art History Elective

Open to all matriculated AIB students in the BFA degree program, regardless of major, the Art History Minor is designed to enrich the BFA degree by offering you the opportunity to enhance the training in your chosen artistic specialty with a more focused study of the history and theory of art. Many students will welcome the opportunity to delve more deeply into art of other eras and cultures and to further develop their critical and writing skills as a natural complement to their own art making. Because Art History is already a significant required component of all AIB students' education, the additional requirements for the Minor can easily be fulfilled. For information regarding the eligibility, application, and program requirements, contact Susan Ashbrook.

Current students may search course listings within the LOIS WebAdvisor system and visit Academic Advising to download program requirement worksheets.

Image Credits
All photography by Tia Renee Ryan, 2007 BFA Photography; images from top: Frida Kahlo; The Kiss, 2006; The Lovers; Mary Magdalene.    

[ back to top ]