Mar 28, 2024  
2019-2020 University Catalog 
    
2019-2020 University Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Art History, BA


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About the Program

How do we interpret the narrative imagery of an Ancient Near Eastern sculptural relief? Why did the Spanish artist Salvador Dalí paint pictures in a dreamlike Surrealistic manner? These are examples of the types of questions art historians ask and try to answer by studying the visual arts of both the distant and more recent past. They seek to understand the cultural values expressed in a work of art, and to show how the latter fits into a larger context or tradition to which individual artists belong.  The result is that a painting, statue, building, or piece of jewelry comes to life and gives us a fresh insight into mankind’s ever-changing experience and ways of seeing the world.

Students are taught to think critically and do research, learn theoretical aspects of this field, and express themselves effectively in written and oral form.  Several of our courses contribute to interdisciplinary programs in Classical Studies, Latin American and Latino Studies, Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, and Italian Studies. Students with an undergraduate degree in Art History may go to graduate school to prepare for a future career in teaching, in the museum world, in art-dealing or in art journalism.  The major in Art History must be accompanied by a minor, which can be in any number of fields including fine arts, political and social history, literature, philosophy, anthropology, or a foreign language. It also is important to acquire a reading knowledge of German and/or French by the senior year, because of these languages’ value in any future art-historical study at the graduate level.

Please visit Art History for more information.

Degree Requirements


120 Credits Required

Liberal Arts Core Curriculum


Each liberal arts major is designed as a four-year plan of study and includes three types of courses: Major, Core, and Elective. Most students take five courses per semester, with some of each type.

Professional academic advisors meet individually with each of our students on a regular basis to help with course selection, academic planning, and career development, as well as to help students find additional resources on campus.

For the Liberal Arts Core Curriculum click here .

Departmental/Program Major Courses (33 credits)


A. A&D Courses (9 credits)


To be completed preferably by the end of the sophomore year.

1. General Surveys of the History of Art (6 credits)


2. Studio Art (3 credits)


B. Art History Selectives (24 credits)


 

Required Minor (12-15 credits)


This major requires a minor. 

It is strongly recommended that students select a minor in one of the following fields: History, Literature, Political Science, Philosophy, Anthropology, Art and Design Studio, or Art Education.

Undergraduate Minors  

Other Departmental/Program Course Requirements (57 credits)


  • Each liberal arts major is designed as a four-year plan of study and includes three types of courses: Major, Core, and Elective. Most students take five courses per semester, with some of each type.
  • Professional academic advisors meet individually with each of our students on a regular basis to help with course selection, academic planning, and career development, as well as to help students find additional resources on campus.
  • For the Liberal Arts Core Curriculum click here. 

Electives (15-24 credits)


  • Electives - Credit Hours: 15.00-24.00

University Core Requirements


  • Human Cultures Humanities
  • Human Cultures Behavioral/Social Science
  • Information Literacy
  • Science #1
  • Science #2
  • Science, Technology, and Society
  • Written Communication
  • Oral Communication
  • Quantitative Reasoning

For a complete listing of course selectives, visit the Provost’s Website.

Prerequisite Information:


For current pre-requisites for courses, click here.


 

Program Requirements


15-16 Credits


Spring 1st Year


15 Credits


Fall 2nd Year


  • REQ B - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Individual & Society - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Natural Science - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Foreign Language 20100 - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Elective - Credit Hours: 3.00

15 Credits


Spring 2nd Year


  • REQ B - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Gender Issues - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Natural Science Lab - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Foreign Language 20200 - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Minor - Credit Hours: 3.00

15 Credits


Fall 3rd Year


  • REQ B - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • United States Tradition - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Racial and Ethnic Diversity - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Elective - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Minor - Credit Hours: 3.00

15 Credits


Spring 3rd Year


  • REQ B - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • REQ B - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Western Heritage - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Elective - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Minor - Credit Hours: 3.00

15 Credits


Fall 4th Year


  • REQ B - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • REQ B - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Social Ethics - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Global Perspective - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Elective - Credit Hours: 3.00

15 Credits


Spring 4th Year


  • REQ B - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Other Cultures - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Minor - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Elective - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Aesthetic Awareness - Credit Hours: 3.00

15 Credits


Notes


  • It is also recommended that by the end of the senior year, a student majoring in Art History achieve a reading knowledge of both French and German.
  • 2.0 Graduation GPA required for Bachelor of Arts degree.
  • 32 credit hours at 30000 level or higher required for Bachelor of Arts degree.
  • Liberal Arts offers a streamlined plan of study for students pursuing a second degree outside CLA. Contact the CLA Advising Office for more information. 

Foreign Language Courses


Foreign Language proficiency requirements vary by program. 

For acceptable languages and proficiency levels, see your advisor: American Sign Language, Arabic, Chinese, French, German, (ancient) Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish

Critical Course


The ♦ course is considered critical.

In alignment with the Degree Map Guidance for Indiana’s Public Colleges and Universities, published by the Commission for Higher Education (pursuant to HEA 1348-2013), a Critical Course is identified as “one that a student must be able to pass to persist and succeed in a particular major.  Students who want to be nurses, for example, should know that they are expected to be proficient in courses like biology in order to be successful.  These would be identified by the institutions for each degree program”. 

Disclaimer


The student is ultimately responsible for knowing and completing all degree requirements.

The myPurduePlan powered by DegreeWorks is the knowledge source for specific requirements and completion.

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