Studying Art History will do more than help you get more out of your next visit to a museum — it will reveal the role art has played in cultures around the globe and across time.

You’ll develop a discerning eye for art and make connections between the past and present. This minor requires 18 total hours with at least 9 hours of upper-division coursework + 9 credits not applied to other majors or minors.

Then, take your knowledge to the next level by studying censorship, the art market and the role of museums. Pair your Art History minor with a major in another area of Visual Studies or a subject like Business or Communication, and turn your passion for art into a career as a gallery director, curator, museum administrator or public-art program coordinator.

For more information on the Art History minor, please contact Mary Brantl, associate professor of Art History. The Art History minor is part of the Department of Visual Studies.

 

Required Courses

Students who wish to earn an Art History minor must take the following coursework, totaling 18 hours, with at least 9 hours of upper-division coursework*. This includes three required courses: 

  • Art History I
  • Art History II
  • Modernists + Others –or– Topics in Contemporary Art

Students select three elective courses from among Topics in Art History (repeatable), History of Photography, PHIL 3310 (Aesthetics), and either Modernists & Others –or– Topics in Contemporary Art (whichever not taken for the required 9 credits).

Are you a current student? Contact your advisor for next steps on declaring your major or minor. 

*Art Majors (already taking 12 of these credits for the major) must take an additional 3 credits in electives to fulfill University requirements for Minors.

Outcomes

Past Art History minors have pursued careers as gallery directors, curators, or in roles at non-profit art organizations. Many have gone on to pursue Master's degrees in Art History, Curatorial Studies, Arts Administration, and other related degrees.