Program Overview

Art History Degree

Program Overview

The Art History program at the University of North Texas offers a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree that prepares students for a variety of careers related to art history. The program seeks to enhance students' understanding of both contemporary and past visual art forms through innovative uses of technology, research, and teaching in the arts.

Program Details

• Program Type: Major
• Format: On Campus
• Estimated Time to Complete: 4 years
• Credit Hours: 120

Program Description

Art historians enhance our understanding of art and its place within society through their research. Studying the art, architecture, and material culture produced by diverse world cultures and periods, art historians examine the historical, social, and cultural significance art holds for its creators and users.

Competencies

Graduates of the program understand past and contemporary visual art forms and can demonstrate:

• Knowledge of key monuments and objects within a breadth of discrete periods and regions of artistic production
• Knowledge of the history and literature of methodologies employed in art history
• Conversance in the key discourses, themes, and issues associated with the global study of art history
• Ability to employ the specialized vocabulary of the discipline
• Ability to implement a successful research program/project analyzing works of art using one or more methodologies

Marketable Skills

• Oral and written communication
• Research source identification
• Research material analysis
• Contextual understanding of art works
• Visual literacy

Program Highlights

• Faculty-led study abroad courses are regularly available, and students are encouraged to pursue foreign study even when CVAD is not the sponsor.
• Students have ample opportunity to intern and volunteer at local museums and galleries and are encouraged to do so; these experiences can be used for academic credit.
• Under the leadership of faculty, students participate in local conferences that attract global audiences.
• Faculty present students with calls for papers, and several have presented conference papers and even published them under the mentorship of faculty members.
• Faculty members have a wide range of specializations, including art and material culture across ancient Mediterranean, Near Eastern, and South Asian geographies, art of the Americas, European art, architecture, and design, Islamic and Middle Eastern art, Modern and Contemporary art across the globe.
• The Art History program offers a graduate track pathway that allows selected art history majors to start graduate courses in the last year of undergraduate study.

Career Opportunities

A Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History from the University of North Texas will prepare you for a variety of careers related to art history. It'll also provide a solid foundation for further work toward a master's or doctorate degree. Most art historians hold graduate degrees. With an advanced degree, you can pursue a career as a(n):

• Art researcher
• Gallery worker
• Museum professional
• Teacher at the university level
• Writer or editor for an art publication

Sample Courses

• Topics in Asian Art (3 hrs)
• Topics in Latin American Art (3 hrs)
• History of Communication Design (3 hrs)
• Art of Ancient Rome (3 hrs)
• Topics in Islamic and/or Middle Eastern Cultures (3 hrs)
• Methodologies in the History of Art and Visual Culture (3 hrs)