Bachelor of Arts
Stephen Clancy, Professor and Chair
The Department of Art History believes in the importance of visual knowledge and visual experience as a means to historical awareness and cultural literacy. The programs in art history are designed to develop both specific areas of knowledge about the style, meaning, history, and context of art and architecture, and a broader foundation of reasoning, analytical thinking, and critical written and verbal communication. Courses in the department offer a variety of approaches to the study of art and architecture, including the study of thematic development, theory and criticism, and media and techniques.
The study of art and architectural history will serve several objectives:
The department offers three major programs: the B.A. in art history, the B.A. in art history with concentration in architecture, and the B.A. in architectural studies. The B.A. in art history curriculum will prepare students interested in pursuing careers in the arts or further study at the graduate level in the humanities. This major will also appeal to students who wish to study visual culture, human expression, or ideas through history. In addition to fulfilling core requirements for the major, students with a particular interest in the history of architecture may elect to complete a concentration in architecture. The concentration complements the broad coverage of the major requirements by providing interested students with in-depth exposure to architectural history and theory.
The B.A. in architectural studies curriculum provides preprofessional training for students interested in careers and master's-level study in the design professions. This program combines coursework in architectural history and theory, sustainability studies, math, and physics with studio experiences in both art and architectural design to lay the groundwork for professional training and practice in architectural design, landscape architecture, historic preservation, urban design, and city planning.
The minor in art history complements studies in a wide variety of majors, among them studio art, cinema and photography, communications, literature, cultures, and languages.
The honors program in art history offers stimulating, advanced undergraduate training for art history majors who show particular promise in the field. Students interested in entering the program should apply to the chair of the department during their junior year. After consultation with other faculty members and evaluation of the student's ability to meet the requirements outlined below, the chair will give written notification of acceptance to the program.
Upon acceptance, the student agrees to do a 3-credit honors tutorial or honors independent study course during the fall semester of the senior year, under the guidance of one or more art history faculty members. (The honors course must be completed during the fall semester so that the decision regarding honors can be made in time to be included in graduation announcements.) Research done in this course culminates in an honors thesis, which is evaluated and graded by the faculty members who have agreed to work with the student. Honors are granted only to those students who receive a B or better on this project.
Students interested in applying for honors in art history must meet the following requirements:
Art History, B.A.
Art History, B.A. with Architecture Concentration
Architectural Studies, B.A.
Minor in Art History
No more than four courses at level 1.
A minimum of two courses at level 3, and at least six additional credits at level 3 or above. Of these 12 credits, at least 6 must be in courses designated as LA.
| ARTH 20100 | Practicing Art History | 3 |
Select two of the following:
| ARTH 11100 | Episodes in Western Art (3) | |
| ARTH 13500 | Introduction to Visual Culture (3) | |
| ARTH 16000 | Art across Cultures (3) | 6 |
Select one of the following:
| ARTH 11300 | Elements of Architecture (3) | |
| ARTH 11400 | Architecture across Cultures (3) | 3 |
| Total, foundational courses | 12 |
Students are required to complete an additional 24 credits of electives in the Department of Art History.
These 24 art history elective credits must include the following:
If a course satisfies one of these chronological requirements, it will be indicated in the course description. CNPH 24000 History of Photography may be substituted for one of the art history electives.
| Total, art history electives | 24 |
Select one of the following, to be completed in the senior year or during the summer preceding the senior year (or as approved by the department chair):
| ARTH 49000 | Seminar (3) | |
| ARTH 49200 | Tutorial (3) | |
| ARTH 49600 | Senior Internship (3) | |
| ARTH 49700 | Independent Study (for department honors thesis only) (3) | 3 |
| Total, credits in art history | 39 |
Majors who meet the prerequisite may take a seminar, tutorial, internship, or independent study before the summer preceding their senior year, but it will not count toward the "senior experience requirement." Majors must indicate their senior-year activities before the end of the second semester of their junior year by submitting a "senior experience plan form" (available from the department chair).
| Art | Any course in the art department |
|
| Language | All art history majors are required to complete a foreign language through level 2 in the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures, or demonstrate equivalent proficiency as part of their major requirements. | 0-12 |
| Total, courses outside the department | 3-15 | |
| Electives | 66-78 | |
| Total, B.A. in art history | 120 |
No more than four courses at level 1
A minimum of two courses at level 3, and at least six additional credits at level 3 or above
| ARTH 11300 | Elements of Architecture | 3 |
| ARTH 11400 | Architecture across Cultures | 3 |
| ARTH 20100 | Practicing Art History | 3 |
| ARTH 11100 | Episodes in Western Art or | |
| ARTH 13500 | Introduction to Visual Culture or | |
| ARTH 16000 | Art across Cultures | 3 |
| Total, foundational courses | 12 |
Select at least 12 credits from the following:
| ARTH 20900 | Introduction to the Roman World (3) | |
| ARTH 22200 | Architecture from Catacombs to Cathedrals (3) | |
| ARTH 23200 | Architecture from Renaissance to Revolution (3) | |
| ARTH 23300 | Great Spaces: An Introduction to Urban Design (3) | |
| ARTH 24000 | Nineteenth- and Twentieth-Century Architecture (3) | |
| ARTH 31800 | Memorable Cities (3) | |
| ARTH 35800 | Form, Function, and Fantasy: Architecture since 1945 (3) | |
| ARTH 38000 | Studies in Architectural History and Theory (3) | 12 |
| Total, art history restricted electives | 12 |
Students are required to complete an additional 12 credits of free electives in the Department of Art History.
| Total, art history free electives | 12 |
These 24 art history elective credits must include the following:
a minimum of one course focusing on art, visual culture, or architecture before the year 1400,
a minimum of one course focusing on art, visual culture, or architecture from the years 1400 to 1750, and
a minimum of one course focusing on art, visual culture, or architecture after the year 1750.
If a course satisfies one of these chronological requirements, it will be indicated in the course description. CNPH 24000 History of Photography may be substituted for one of the art history electives.
Select one of the following, to be completed in the senior year or during the summer preceding the senior year (or as approved by the department chair):
| ARTH 49000 | Seminar: Architecture Topic (3) | |
| ARTH 49200 | Tutorial: Architecture Topic (3) | |
| ARTH 49600 | Senior Internship: Architecture Focus (3) | |
| ARTH 49700 | Independent Study (architecture topic -- for department honors thesis only) (3) | |
| Total, senior experience | 3 |
Courses within the concentration may be used to satisfy the "senior experience" requirements of the major and may also count toward the electives required within the major. Majors who meet the prerequisites may take a seminar, tutorial, internship, or independent study before the summer preceding the senior year, but it will not count toward the "senior experience" requirement. Majors must indicate the senior-year activities before the end of the second semester of their junior year by submitting a "senior experience plan form" (available from the department chair).
| Total, credits in art history | 39 |
| Art | Any course in the art department (CNPH 14100 Introduction to Photography may be used as a substitute for a course in the art department.) | 3 |
| Language | All art history majors are required to complete a foreign language through level 2 in the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures, or demonstrate equivalent proficiency as part of their major requirements. | 0-12 |
| Total, courses outside the department | 3-15 | |
| Electives | 66-78 | |
| Total, B.A. in art history with architecture concentration | 120 |
Note: This new program is pending New York State Education Department approval.
| ARTH 11300 | Elements of Architecture | 3 |
| ARTH 11400 | Architecture across Cultures | 3 |
| ARTH 23300 | Great Spaces: An Introduction to Urban Design | 3 |
| ARTH 30100 | Architectural Studio I: Fundamentals of Architectural Design and Drawing | 4 |
| ARTH 30200 | Architectural Studio II: Environmental Design and Digital Representation | 4 |
| ARTH 48000 | Portfolio in Architectural Studies | 1 |
Select four courses (12 credits) from the following, two from each category:
| ARTH 20900 | Introduction to the Roman World | 3 |
| ARTH 22200 | Architecture from Catacombs to Cathedrals | 3 |
| ARTH 23200 | Architecture from Renaissance to Revolution | 3 |
| ARTH 24000 | Nineteenth- and 20th-Century Architecture | 3 |
| ARTH 31800 | Memorable Cities | 3 |
| ARTH 33100-33199 | Studies in Art from Ancient to Renaissance (topic to include substantial architecture content) | 3 |
| ARTH 35800 | Form, Function, and Fantasy | 3 |
| ARTH 38000-38099 | Studies in Architectural History and Theory | 3 |
Select one course (3 credits) from the following:
| ARTH 49000 | Seminar in Art History (architecture topic) | 3 |
| ARTH 49200 | Tutorial in Art History (architecture topic) | 3 |
| ARTH 49400 | Internship: Art History (architecture placement) | 3 |
| Minimum of two level-1 or level-2 nonarchitecture courses in art history, with at least one at level 2 | 6 |
| Total, department courses | 39 |
| PHYS 11700 | Principles of Physics I | 4 |
| MATH 10800 | Calculus for Decision Making or | |
| MATH 11100 | Calculus I | 4 |
Select two courses (6 credits), one from each category below:
| ENVS 12000 | Environmental Sentinels | 3 |
| ENVS 12100 | Environmental Science and Technology | 3 |
| ENVS 20200 | Topics in Sustainability | 3 |
| CHEM 10500 | Energy and the Environment | 3 |
| PHYS 11800 | Principles of Physics II | 3 |
| POLT 36600 | Environmental Politics | 3 |
| HIST 27000 | History of American Environmental Thought | 3 |
| HIST 24300 | The City in U.S. History | 3 |
| PHIL 25000 | Environmental Ethics | 3 |
| SOCI 20600 | Urban Sociology | 3 |
| ART 13000 | Introduction to Drawing | 3 |
| ART 12000 | Two-Dimensional Design or | |
| ART 12100 | Three-Dimensional Design | 3 |
| Total, credits outside the department | 20 |
| Total, credits within the department | 39 |
| Total, credits outside the department | 20 |
| Electives | 61 |
| Total, B.A. in architectural studies | 120 |
Eighteen credits in art history courses, with no more than 6 credits in level 1 courses and at least 3 credits in courses at level 3 or above. Internships or independent studies may not count toward the requirement of at least 3 credits in courses at level 3 or above. Three credits of one of the following may be substituted for 3 credits of art history: any course in the art department (except in the case of art majors), and CNPH 24000 History of Photography or CNPH 14100 Introduction to Photography (except for majors in the Department of Cinema, Photography, and Media Arts).