Art & Art History Department

Undergraduate Curriculum

The Department of Art and Art History offers two programs: Art and Art History. In each program, the student is required to complete ART 211, 212 and ARTH 251 and 252. It is to the advantage of the student to complete these courses by the end of the sophomore year.

Requirements for Major in Art
The art program is designed to offer the major a variety of courses and the opportunity to work in depth at the advanced level. Majors in Art are required to take ART 211, 212, 460, ART 251, 252, and eight additional credits in upper level Art History courses and one art history course will be used to satisfy the major writing and computing requirement.

For those students who will focus their study in Two-Dimensional Art, they will be required to take 20 additional credits, of which ART 309, ART 311, and ART 315 or ART 316 are mandatory. Students focusing their study in Three-Dimensional Art will be required to take 20 additional Art credits, three of which must be in ART 319 or 320, and three additional credits in drawing courses: ART 309, 310, or 311. In addition, students focusing their study in printmaking will be required to take 20 additional credits of which ART 323 and ART 324 are mandatory.

Within the 20 additional credits, all Art majors must have at least six credits in 400 level Art courses. A minimum of 40 credits must be earned in the major; a maximum of 48 credits may be earned. There is an exception to this rule for students preparing for graduate study in art. Students seriously interested in graduate study have the opportunity to apply to take an additional 12 credits in art in order to develop the graduate application portfolio (information is available from the Chair). Application to the Department and then the Degrees Committee is usually made around the time of declaration of major and not later than the first semester of senior year.

All majors in Art are required to take ART 460, the Senior Student Exhibition at the end of their last semester. Majors must participate in a review of their work in order to show in the senior exhibition.

Majors are also responsible for completing the Major Computing Proficiency and Writing Requirement.

back to the top

Requirements for Major in Art History
Art History requirements are designed to give the student a satisfactory program having breadth, variety and a balance between lecture courses and seminars. A minimum of 40 credits in Art and Art History must be earned in the major; a maximum of 48 credits may be earned. Students majoring in Art History are required to take ART 211, 212 and ARTH 251, 252. In addition to these 12 hours, the student must choose four credits in each of the following five fields:

A. Medieval (ARTH 351, 352, 353)
B. Renaissance and Baroque (ARTH 360, 362, 363, 364, 365)
C. Modern (ARTH 370, 371, 372, 375)
D. American (ARTH 381, 383)
E. Non-Western (ARTH 392, 393, 394)

In addition, Methods in Art History (ARTH 480) and another 400-level course are required.

Majors are also responsible for completing the Major Computing Proficiency and Writing Requirement.

Area and Sequence Requirements: Area I in Art History may be satisfied by taking two courses of the following: ARTH 150, 251 or 252. A sequence in Art History may be satisfied by any two of the following courses: ARTH 352, 353, 360, 362, 363, 364, 370, 371, 372, 375, 381, 383, 392, 393, 394.

back to the top

Major Computing Proficiency (Art and Art History)
Computing Proficiency: The Major Computing Proficiency will be fulfilled during the completion of the Major Writing Requirement. In the process of writing their research papers, students will be expected to do research using all of the databases and library resources that are computer accessible (World Wide Web, On-Line Journals, and Bibliographic Sources such as Art Index, Art Abstracts, RILA, RRA, BHA, Art Bibliographies Modern etc.) as well as to find and assess specific web sites related to their topic.

Major Writing Requirement (Art and Art History)
Any one art history course at the 300 or 400 level (including Art History 490, if taken for 4 credits) will fulfill the requirement.

The Major Writing Requirement will be satisfied in the following way:

  1. When prospective majors, in consultation with their major advisor, fill the form required for a declaration of major, they will specify which two art history courses numbered three hundred or above in the chosen field are most appropriate to their area of special interest. These courses will satisfy the prospective major's Major Writing Requirement.
  2. 2. At the time of registration for the specified course, the student will consult with the instructor to make all necessary arrangements for a schedule that allows for the opportunity to go through the stages of writing and reqriting that is part of the requirement.
  3. 3. When the student has completed the courses with a grade of C or higher, the instructor will notify the department chair.

Requirements for the Minor in Art and Art History
A minor in Art and Art History can be achieved by following one of the three following programs:
  • Art: ART 211, 212 plus five 3-credit 300 or 400 level courses in Art.
  • Art History: ARTH 251, 252 plus four 4-credit 300 or 400 level courses in Art History.
  • Combined Art and Art History: ART 211, 212, ARTH 251, 252 plus three 300 or 400 level courses in any combination of Art, Art History or both.

back to the top