The art history programs provide a unique opportunity to study the visual arts of world civilizations from prehistoric times to the present. Coursework prepares students to pursue a rich range of careers in museums, curation, galleries, historic homes, nonprofits, libraries, archives and auction houses.
The curriculum of the Department of Art and Art History:
- realizes the full potential in student artists, art historians, and preservationists;
- promotes originality in student undertakings;
- fosters strong work habits and life-long learning;
- and provides a collegial community of devoted students and faculty members.
To earn the bachelor’s degree in art history, students take a minimum of 17 courses (49 credits). Majors also complete an internship at an art museum, gallery, historic house or other cultural institution.
Required courses:
- ART091: Freshman Studio Seminar
- ART205: Art History Survey I: Prehistoric Through Gothic Art
- ART206: Art History Survey II: Renaissance Through Early 20th Century Art
- ART261: Photography I: A Mirror of Reality
- ART304: Design and the 20th Century
- ART308: Art Beyond the West
- ART309: Pollock to the Present: The Sixties, Postmodernism and Contemporary Art
- ART312: Art of the Classical World: Greece and Rome
- ART313: Medieval Art from Catacombs to Cathedrals
- ART314: Italian Renaissance Art
- ART441: Senior Thesis Research in Art History
- ART442: Senior Thesis Production in Art History
- ART474: Apprenticeship/Internship in the Visual Arts
- One studio art elective
Students also choose three of the following:
- ART301: American Architecture Survey
- ART302: American Decorative Arts
- ART303: American Art (1650-1950)
- ART305: Newport Through Its Architecture I: 1639 to 1860
- ART306: Newport Through Its Architecture II: 1860 to Present
- ART322: Gender and Sexuality in Art