Basic Requirements

Majors in Art History and Archaeology must complete the following coursework with a grade no lower than C-. An overall GPA of 2.0 in the major is required for graduation.

• Three ARTH courses at the 200 level (9 credits), one of which may be an I-Series course. These courses include, but are not limited to, the following:
• ARTH 200: Art and Society in Ancient and Medieval Europe to the Mediterranean
• ARTH 201: Art and Society in the West from the Renaissance to the Present
• ARTH 221: Color: Art, Science, and Culture
• ARTH 230: Symbolic Images: The Theory and Practice of Iconography in European Art, 1400-1850
• ARTH 250: Art and Society in the Ancient American World
• ARTH 255: Art and Society in the Modern American World
• ARTH 275: Art and Society in Africa
• ARTH 290: Art and Society in Asia
• ARTH 292: Discovering Japan: How the Arts Shaped a Nation

• Seven ARTH courses at the 300-400 level (21 credits). Of those seven courses, at least one must be ARTH488 (Colloquium in Art History). Enrollment for ARTH 488 is limited to (a) majors with at least 60 total credits and at least 6 credits in ARTH at the 300 level, or (b) those given permission by the faculty/department.

• One course in Art Studio (ARTT) (3 credits). In order to ensure that our students understand some fundamental aspects of art making, we require that they take either ARTT 100 (Two-Dimensional Art Fundamentals) or ARTT 110 (Elements of Drawing).

• Three "Supporting Area" Courses (9 credits). These are courses taken in departments other than Art History and Archaeology. They should cohere around a broad area of study, and they must be related to the student’s studies in the department.  All supporting courses must be approved by an ARTH advisor.  In some cases, students will be asked to petition in writing for approval from the department’s Director of Undergraduate Studies. For more information about the "Supporting Area" requirement and to see examples of possible ways to satisfy this requirement, please download our "Supporting Area Guide."

Undergraduate Catalog

Other Requirements for the Major

In the Department of Art History and Archaeology, 300-level and 400-level courses are differentiated. 300-level courses focus on period or topical surveys and 400-level courses highlight content- or theme-based material. Majors should complete the 200-level surveys before they enroll in 300- or 400-level courses. Students are strongly encouraged to take supporting area courses that complement the art history major. No course with a grade lower than C- may be used to satisfy major or supporting area requirements.

Limit on Special Courses

A. No more than 3 credits total of 269 or 289 (i.e. no more than one 200-level study- abroad course or one 200-level transfer course in a topic that is not fundamentally equivalent to one of our courses).

B. No more than 6 credits of 369 (i.e. no more than two 300-level study abroad courses in topics that are not fundamentally equivalent to our 300-level courses).

C. No more than 6 credits of 389 (i.e. no more than two 300-level special courses, as transfer credit or here on campus, on topics outside our regularly offered, “hard-numbered” curriculum)