Program Requirements, Art History

Art History Course Offerings

AP, Dual Enrollment, Transfer, and Study Abroad Credits


Majors

Students who major in the department can use a total of only three units of eligible transfer, dual enrollment, AP, and credits from study abroad combined to count toward their major, with approval of the department. Only two units from study abroad can be used toward the major.


Minors

Students who minor in Studio Art or Art History can use a total of two units of eligible transfer, dual enrollment, AP, and credits from study abroad combined to count toward their minor, with approval of the department. Only one unit from study abroad can be used toward the minor.

Requirements for the Art History Major

We recommend that students complete ARTH 160: Art, Power, and Society and the studio course requirement as soon as possible (ideally first year) and proceed to Breadth and Topics courses in the sophomore and junior years. ARTH 491 Ways of Seeing must be taken in the fall of the senior year, and the Art History SIP is conducted during the winter quarter of the senior year.

Most Breadth and Topics courses are offered at least once every three years. Some may be offered less frequently based on instructor availability. Art History courses ending in 95 are temporary courses that may be offered by visiting instructors. Students should consult with Art History faculty about whether a particular 95 course counts as Breadth or Topics.

Number of Units
Eight units are required. The SIP is not counted as part of the 8 units.

Required Courses

Take all 3 units from Required courses

  • ARTH 160 Art, Power, and Society (Spring of first or second year)
  • ARTX105, ARTX128, ARTX134 or ARTX234 (Studio Course)
  • ARTH 491 Ways of Seeing (Fall Senior Year)

Take 2 Units from Breadth

  • ARTH 145 Global Art Exchange 
  • ARTH 150 Understanding Abstraction 
  • ARTH 208 Intro to Greek Art and Archeology 
  • ARTH 209 Intro to Roman Art and Archeology 
  • ARTH 215 History of Photography 
  • ARTH 224 The 1960s 
  • ARTH 265 “Primitivism” to Surrealism

Take 3 Units from Topics

  • ARTH 206 Ceramics World Pottery (Sophomore Seminar) 
  • ARTH 210 New Media Art History  
  • ARTH 211 Architecture, Urbanism, Identity 
  • ARTH 225 Public Art and its Publics 
  • ARTH 227 Modern Art Museum 
  • ARTH/CLAS 229 Frozen in Time: the Ancient City of Pompeii 
  • ARTH/RELG 235 Devotional Stuff 
  • ARTH 290 Art and Gender 
  • ARTH 345 Performance Art 
  • ARTH 360 Queer Aesthetics 
  • ARTH 370 Global Souths and Others

Requirements for the Art History Minor

Number of Units
Six units are required. A SIP is not counted as part of the six units.

Required Courses
ARTX 160 Art, Power, and Society
ARTX 491 Ways of Seeing (Fall Senior Year)

Additional Courses
Four additional courses from Breadth and Topics in any combination.

Rising Junior Information

Visit the Rising Junior Information page to learn more.

Rising Senior Information

Visit the Rising Senior Information page to learn more.

To learn more about SIPs, visit Art History SIPS.