Art History (BA)
An art history major will help you to develop competence in visual literacy, analytical skills, communication skills, and cultural and historical awareness. Art history is a marketable major, and graduates make competitive candidates in museums, galleries, archives, and cultural institutions as well as business, education, law, private and nonprofit organizations, professional writing, and publishing.
Art history students explore global history, culture, and society through art and architecture from antiquity to the present day. Trained to celebrate cultural differences and the broad spectrum of human creativity and expression, art history students are natural ambassadors of pluralism and tolerance. As an art history student, you’ll develop skills in appreciating visual and material culture to help you become a true global citizen—ideally equipped to understand how historical events and concerns relate to important contemporary and international phenomena.
Program Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to:
- Identify themes, forms and structures of works of art, architecture and visual/material culture, using appropriate art historical terms.
- Connect features of works of art, architecture and visual/material culture to their appropriate historical and cultural contexts.
- Evaluate scholarly interpretations of works of art, architecture and visual/material culture.
- Present arguments related to works of art, architecture and visual/material culture in scholarly writing.
Bachelor of Arts Degree Requirements
Majors in art history are required to complete the language requirement as described under the university’s bachelor of arts requirements.
Because some languages are required for advanced research and graduate study in art history as well as other humanistic disciplines, majors are urged to choose one of them to satisfy the BA requirement. For example, Greek and Latin are the most commonly used languages in art-historical study about the Ancient Mediterranean; Chinese and Japanese are essential for most areas of East Asian art history; French, German, and Italian are the most commonly used languages in European art-historical research; and Portuguese and Spanish are the most commonly used languages in Latin American art-historical research. Substitution of other languages may be appropriate to a field of interest. Students are urged to consult with their advisors when selecting a language for study.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| General Requirements | ||
| Studio art (e.g., drawing, sculpture, or design) | 4 | |
| ARH 411 | Critical Approaches to Art Historical Study | 4 |
| Choose four of the following survey courses: | 16 | |
| Introduction to Visual Culture | ||
| History of Western Art I | ||
| History of Western Art II | ||
| History of Western Art III | ||
| History of Chinese Art | ||
| History of Japanese Art | ||
| Contemporary Asian Art and Architecture | ||
| Survey of Latin American Arts | ||
| History of World Architecture I | ||
| History of World Architecture II | ||
| Eight upper-division lecture and seminar courses 1 | 32 | |
| Total Credits | 56 | |
| 1 | Choose any 300- and 400-level courses with the exception of History of World Architecture I (ARH 314) and History of World Architecture II (ARH 315). Four of the eight courses must be at the 400 level. Of the eight required upper-division courses, two courses must be taken in any three of the following four chronological breadth areas: ancient, medieval, early modern, modern-contemporary. The remaining two courses are electives and may be taken in any area. At least four of the eight required upper-division courses must be taken in residence at the University of Oregon. |
Majors must take art history courses for letter grades and pass them with a C– or better.
Honors Program
Majors in the history of art and architecture department may enroll in the department’s honors essay program if they have
- completed two lower-division and four upper-division art history courses (one of which must be taken in residence at the University of Oregon)
- completed Critical Approaches to Art Historical Study (ARH 411) with a grade of A– or better
- an average GPA of 3.50 or higher in art history courses
- submitted the departmental honors enrollment form (available online) to the director of undergraduate studies, indicating the support of a faculty advisor
Students are urged to present a first draft of the essay to the faculty advisor six weeks before the end of the term, and a final draft must be submitted two weeks before the end of the same term.
The honors essay must demonstrate the student's ability to formulate a significant research problem. The essay should have approximately 20–25 pages of text, not including notes, bibliography, and illustrations. A copy of the honors essay is deposited in departmental files.
Honors candidates who maintain a 3.50 GPA in all courses required for the art history major are awarded departmental honors upon the approval of their essay by the faculty advisor.
Four-Year Degree Plan
The degree plan shown is only a sample of how students may complete their degrees in four years. There are alternative ways. Students should consult their advisor to determine the best path for them.
Bachelor of Arts in Art History
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Milestones | Credits | |
| WR 121Z | Composition I | 4 | |
| First term of first-year second-language sequence | 4 | ||
| Lower-division art history course (subject code ARH) | 4 | ||
| General-education course in social science (first subject) | 4 | ||
| Credits | 16 | ||
| Winter | |||
| WR 123 or WR 122Z |
College Composition III (recommended for art history majors) or Composition II |
4 | |
| Second term of first-year second-language sequence | 4 | ||
| General-education course in social science (first subject) | 4 | ||
| General-education course in science (first subject) | 4 | ||
| Credits | 16 | ||
| Spring | |||
| Third term of first-year second-language sequence | 4 | ||
| Lower-division ARH course | 4 | ||
| General-education course in social science (second subject) | 4 | ||
| General-education course in science (first subject) | 4 | ||
| Credits | 16 | ||
| Total Credits | 48 | ||
| Second Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Milestones | Credits | |
| First term of second-year second-language sequence | 4 | ||
| Lower-division ARH course | 4 | ||
| General-education course in social science (on any subject) | 4 | ||
| General-education course in science (second subject) | 4 | ||
| Credits | 16 | ||
| Winter | |||
| Second term of second-year second-language sequence | 4 | ||
| Lower-division ARH course | 4 | ||
| General-education course in arts and letters (first subject) | 4 | ||
| General-education course in science (on any subject) | 4 | ||
| Credits | 16 | ||
| Spring | |||
| Third term of second-year second-language sequence | Complete language requirement | 4 | |
| 300-level ARH course (except ARH 314 or 315) | 4 | ||
| General-education course in arts and letters (first subject) | 4 | ||
| General-education course in arts and letters (on any subject) | 4 | ||
| Apply for art history major at beginning of term; begin taking upper-division ARH courses; consider applying for Gloria Tovar Lee Scholarship | |||
| Credits | 16 | ||
| Total Credits | 48 | ||
| Third Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Milestones | Credits | |
| Art studio course | Complete art history studio requirement | 4 | |
| ARH 411 | Critical Approaches to Art Historical Study | 4 | |
| Upper-division elective course | 4 | ||
| Elective course | 4 | ||
| Credits | 16 | ||
| Winter | |||
| 400-level ARH course | 4 | ||
| Upper-division elective courses | 8 | ||
| Elective course | 4 | ||
| Credits | 16 | ||
| Spring | |||
| Upper-division elective course | 4 | ||
| 400-level ARH course | 4 | ||
| Upper-division elective course | 4 | ||
| Elective course | 4 | ||
| This term, consider applying for book prizes and/or Gloria Tovar Lee Scholarship; consider applying to honors program | |||
| Credits | 16 | ||
| Total Credits | 48 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Milestones | Credits | |
| 300- or 400-level ARH course | 4 | ||
| 400-level ARH course | 4 | ||
| Upper-division elective course | 4 | ||
| Elective course | 4 | ||
| This term, consider applying for travel-research awards; also consider applying for book prizes (spring deadline) | |||
| Credits | 16 | ||
| Winter | |||
| Upper-division ARH course | Complete upper-division requirement | 4 | |
| 400-level ARH course | Complete 400-level requirement | 4 | |
| Upper-division elective course | 4 | ||
| Elective course | 4 | ||
| Credits | 16 | ||
| Spring | |||
| Upper-division elective course | Complete 180 minimum credits and 62 upper-division credits; complete honors essay (if relevant) | 4 | |
| Credits | 4 | ||
| Total Credits | 36 | ||