Degree: Bachelor of Arts
Contact: Director of Undergraduate Studies
Office: 317B Bartlett Hall
Phone: 545-3595
Website: www.umass.edu/arthist

The Field

The discipline of art history examines visual culture and the built environment within their social and historical contexts. The Art History major at the University provides students with a solid foundation in the history of western art and architecture from the ancient world to the present, as well as a background in non-Western artistic traditions. Students learn not only how to analyze works of art as objects or monuments in their own right, but also to understand and interpret them in relation to the historical circumstances, endeavors, and conflicts of the culture and region in which they were made.

Courses cover major fields of western European art and architecture: Ancient Greek and Roman, Medieval, Renaissance, and the seventeenth through twentieth centuries. Courses are also offered in American and Islamic Art and occasional undergraduate seminars address various topics. With the instructor’s consent, qualified undergraduates may enroll in graduate research seminars.

The Major

The major requires a minimum of 13 courses (39 credits) in Art History, distributed as follows:

Two out of the four survey courses:
100 Ancient to Renaissance
110 Baroque to Modern
115 Introduction to Art
191A Introduction to Architecture
(Majors are strongly encouraged to take 100 and 110)

One course at any level in each of the two areas: Non-Western, Architecture.

One upper-level course in each of the following five areas: Ancient, Medieval, Renaissance/ Baroque, Modern, American.

Three upper-level electives, all of which must be in Art History. Where appropriate, students will be encouraged to enroll in related courses in other departments as well.

A maximum of four courses taken outside the department may be counted toward the major.

All majors must take the departmental writing course, ART-HIST 370, in the fall semester of their junior year.

Courses in art history must be completed with a grade of C or above in order to be counted toward the major. All 300-level courses are open to undergraduates who have satisfied prerequisites.

Majors are encouraged to select courses in a wide range of media, historical periods, and geographical areas. They are also urged to gain a reading knowledge of at least two foreign languages; knowledge of languages is essential for further study, for research, and for many careers in the field.

For the degree with Departmental Honors, a student must meet the requirements for the major, maintain a high GPA, complete two honors courses in art history, and successfully complete a thesis or a two-semester-long independent study project.
Special Programs
Students are encouraged to enrich the required program of courses with study abroad and internships in related fields. A combination of practical, hands-on experience and rigorous academic study has contributed to the notable success enjoyed by majors continuing to work and study in the field after graduation.

Study Abroad: Many majors study abroad, especially in their junior year, either individually or in exchange programs sponsored by the University. International Programs, tel. 545-2710, has information about study in various programs outside the United States for one semester, for the year, or during the summer. Among the countries in which students have studied are Italy, France, England, Germany, and Turkey.

Internships: Dealing directly with works of art in museums or galleries, consulting special collections related to art history in libraries, or working in the field of historic preservation can be essential parts of an undergraduate education. Students in the department have recently interned at the Museum of Fine Arts and Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston, the Cloisters and Guggenheim Museum in New York, the Museum of Fine Arts in Springfield, and Historic Deerfield, as well as museums in cities far afield as Cincinnati and Indianapolis. Art History students should contact faculty members in particular fields, the Director of Undergraduate Studies, and the Field Experience Office for information about internships.

Career Opportunities

With its broad emphasis on culture and history and its focus on writing, analysis, and research, Art History is an excellent liberal arts major for students seeking flexible but rigorous training for a variety of careers.
The Art History major not only prepares students to work in arts-related fields, but also fosters the kinds of skills necessary in any profession involving visual culture in its broadest sense, historical and cultural understanding, critical analysis, persuasive argumentation, thorough research, and effective writing.

Among graduates of the program are college and high school teachers, an art therapist, an architectural historian specializing in historic preservation, an arts foundation consultant, numerous museum staff members, private art dealers, specialists at auction houses, slide librarians, art program officers at private charitable foundations, and arts administrators at state, local, and federal agencies. Art History majors have gone on to graduate study at Berkeley, Columbia, Delaware, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, New York University, Princeton, Rutgers, Virginia, and other universities. Their areas of specialization, aside from Art History, have included art education, anthropology, archaeology, sculpture, conservation, museum training, management, and library science. Students should consult their adviser and the Director of Undergraduate Studies for information on M.A. and Ph.D. programs in art history and such related areas as museology, conservation, archaeology, and arts management. All Ph.D. programs in Art History require reading knowledge of German and French.

Universitiesand Colleges offering Art History