Bachelor of Arts in Art History

Many of the courses required for the degree have prerequisites. Consult course descriptions for details.

Degree Requirements
Type of Course Units
General education 51
Major core requirements 43
General electives 26
Total units needed for graduation 120

Note: Although the Art & Art History Department does not specify a unit requirement, reading comprehension of at least one foreign language is considered essential for students who plan to pursue master's or doctoral degrees in the field of art history. Such students are advised to develop competence in French, German, Italian and/or Spanish; however, the prospect of eventual specialization may make other languages advisable in particular instances. Art History majors are required to write at least two papers in upper-division courses before being admitted to the proseminar (490H).

Requirements for the Major

Foundation Courses / Freshman and Sophomore Years (12 units)

Art History (six lower-division units required)

ArtH 210: Introduction to Art History, Ancient to Medieval 3-4 units ArtH 211: Introduction to Art History, Renaissance to Modern 3-4 units

Studio Courses (five lower-division units required)

ArtS 101 or 102, Fundamentals
In addition, one course in drawing, a beginning course in any medium, or a second Fundamentals course.Minimum total lower-division units = 11

Core Courses / Junior and Senior Years (15 to 20 units)

A) Period Courses:

One course at the upper-division level in each of three of the following categories is required:
  • Ancient
  • Medieval
  • Renaissance/Baroque
  • 18th through 19th Centuries
  • Film
  • History of Photography

B) Modern/Contemporary:

One upper-division course

C) Non-Western:

One upper- or lower-division course.
With prior approval by the art history faculty and dept chair, this course may be taken in another department.

Recommended Electives for all Art History Majors (7 to 12 units)

In consultation with the advisor, the art history major will choose additional upper-division courses from any of the following:
  1. B and C above; and Gallery & Museum Methods (ArtH 494).
  2. Special topic courses (ArtH 480).
  3. One course in a related field outside the Art Department with approval of the faculty and the dept chair. Students with a special interest in film should choose the film emphasis, which has specific requirements (please see film history emphasis).

Senior Project (4 to 5 units)

All students must complete a senior project consisting of the following:
  1. ArtH 490H Pro-Seminar on Art Historical Method (3 units). Students must complete two papers in upper-division courses before being admitted to the proseminar.
  2. Senior Thesis: Submission of a scholarly paper overseen by two art history faculty is required in the senior year. The student receives assistance in preparing this paper by enrolling in one of the following courses:
    1. ArtH 491H Senior Thesis (1 unit). Student must enroll with two different advisors.
    2. ArtH 492 Honors Thesis (2 units), by consent of art history faculty. Students must enroll with two different advisors.
Total upper-division units = 32Total units in the major = 43

Sample Four-Year Program for Bachelor of Arts in Art History


Freshman Year: 31 Units
Fall Semester (16 units) Spring Semester (15 units)
ArtH 210 (3-4)* ArtH 211 (3-4)*
ArtS 101 or 102 (3) Any beginning Art Studio course (2)
GE courses (6), Elective (3) GE courses (9)
Sophomore Year: 32 Units
Fall Semester (16 units) Spring Semester (16 units)
Upper Division ArtH Period Course (3-4) ArtH Non-Western (3-4)
GE courses (12) GE courses (12)
Junior Year: 29 Units
Fall Semester (15 units) Spring Semester (14 units)
Upper-Division ArtH Period Course (3-4)*
Upper Division ArtH Period Course (3-4)
Upper ArtH Period Course (3-4)
Upper Division ArtH Elective (3-4)
Upper-Division GE (3)
Electives (3)
Upper-Division ArtH- Special Topic (2)
Upper-Division GE (3)
Elective (2)  
Senior Year: 28 Units
Fall Semester (14 units) Spring Semester (14 units)
ArtH 490H (3)
ArtH 491H or 492  (Advisor #1) (1-2)
Upper-Division ArtH Elective (4)
ArtH 491H or 492  (Advisor #2) (1-2)
Upper-Division ArtH Elective (4)
Upper-Division ArtH Elective (3-4)
Other Electives (3)
Upper-Division ArtH Elective (3-4)
 
Other Electives or Internships (5)

* also counts for GE requirements

TOTAL UNITS: 120

Course Rotation

Art History Foundation Courses
Courses Frequency
Introductory Surveys (210 & 211) All semesters
Period Courses in Ancient, Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Early Modern: (420, 422, 424, 430, 432, 440, 442, 444, 450, 454) At least one course per year from each period
Modern: Two courses (460, 464, 465, 466) All semesters
Non-Western: One course (470A&B, 474, 476) Every year, usually every semester
Gallery and Museum Methods (494) Fall semesters
Pro-Seminar in Methods (490H) Fall semesters
Senior Thesis All semesters

Note: Additional period courses and special topic courses will be offered each academic year to enable students to enrich their areas of interest and specialization.