Art and Architecture History - Bachelor of Arts in Art and Architecture History
This major focuses on the different roles that art, architecture, and visual culture have played in human development across time and cultures. Emphasis is placed on how art reflects not only its specific history, but the aesthetic, social, philosophical, and religious values of the culture that produced it.
Students develop research and writing skills to better understand and critically evaluate the manifestations of the visual arts throughout the world. This program prepares students for careers in communications and publishing, at museums, galleries, and historical societies, as well as in corporations, education, and all areas of the visual arts, including arts administration.
Art and architecture history is an interdisciplinary major that includes the Departments of Art and Architecture + Interior Design, the program in Classical Studies, and the Richard and Carole Cocks Art Museum. For more information, contact the Department of Art, 124 Art Building, 513-529-2900, or the Department of Architecture + Interior Design,101 Alumni Hall, 513-529-7210.
Program Requirements
(42 credit hours)
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation Courses | ||
| Architectural History - select one of the following: | 3 | |
| History of Architecture I | ||
| History of Architecture II | ||
| Euro-American Art History - select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Art and Society: Prehistoric to Medieval | ||
| Art and Society: Renaissance to Modern | ||
| Global Art Histories - select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Arts of Africa, Oceania and Native America | ||
| History of Asian Art, China, Korea, and Japan | ||
| Advanced Writing | ||
| ART 285 | Writing and the Visual Arts | 3 |
| Studio Classes - any ARC or ART studio class | 3 | |
| Suggested courses: | ||
| Beginning Design Studio | ||
| Beginning Design Studio | ||
| Visual Fundamentals: Design and Composition | ||
| Observational Drawing | ||
| Painting I | ||
| Printmaking I | ||
| Photography | ||
| Ceramics I | ||
| Jewelry Design and Metals I | ||
| Sculpture I | ||
| Subject Area Courses | 24 | |
| Select eight of the following - at least one course from each group: 1, 2 | ||
| 1) Arts of Africa | ||
| Introduction to the Art of the Black Diaspora | ||
| The Arts of African Peoples | ||
| Arts of West Africa | ||
| 2) Arts of Asia | ||
| Chinese Painting History | ||
| Modern & Contemporary East Asian Art | ||
| 3) Ancient, Medieval and Early Modern | ||
| Chinese Painting History | ||
| The Renaissance in Italy | ||
| Art in the Age of Michelangelo | ||
| Baroque Art in Europe | ||
| The Arts of Colonial Latin America | ||
| Greek and Roman Sculpture | ||
| Greek and Roman Decorative Arts | ||
| Art in the Age of Revolution: 1789-1848 | ||
| Discoveries of Archaeology | ||
| Classical Mythology and the Arts | ||
| Antiquity Through a Lens | ||
| 4) Modern and Contemporary | ||
| History of Interiors | ||
| Seminar on Modern Architecture in Latin America | ||
| Architecture and Society | ||
| The American City Since 1940 | ||
| Contemporary Architectural Theory and Practice | ||
| Modern America | ||
| Modern & Contemporary East Asian Art | ||
| The History of Photography | ||
| Art Since 1980 | ||
| Moving Image Art | ||
| Art of the Early 20th Century | ||
| Postwar to Postmodern, 1945-1980 | ||
| 5) Interdisciplinary Inquiries | ||
| Seminars | ||
| Special Lecture Topics in Art History 2 | ||
| Introduction to the Art of the Black Diaspora | ||
| The Arts of Colonial Latin America | ||
| Moving Image Art | ||
| Seminar in Art History | ||
| Senior Capstone Seminar | ||
| ART 498 | History and Methods in Art and Architectural History 3 | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours | 42 | |
- 1
A single course may not be used in more than one area.
- 2
Certain ART 230 courses can count for any of the subject area categories in addition to Interdisciplinary Inquiries, depending on the topic. See advisor and/or course instructor.
- 3
Required during fall semester of senior year.
Note: All courses for the major must be taken for a grade, not credit/no credit. Students must also complete all Miami Plan requirements.
Pathways
Students hoping to pursue certain academic and/or career goals directly related to art history are encouraged to add the following curricular experiences. None are required, but are designed for certain students with certain academic and professional goals to augment the requirements for the Art and Architecture History major.
Academic Pathway (for students interested in graduate school):
-
Foreign Language up to 202 level (German and French are commonly required for graduate study in art history, but not exclusively; consult your advisor)
-
ART 480 seminar in Art History
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Honors Thesis (see Departmental Honors, below)
Museum/Curatorial Pathway (for students interested in working in a museum or gallery):
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Minor in Museums and Society
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ART 391 field study internship (see below)
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At least six (6) credits of studio (or Studio Art minor)
Business Pathway (for students interested in professional and administrative positions in arts institutions)
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Major or co-major in Arts Management & Arts Entrepreneurship
-
ART 230D: Art and Its Markets
Field Study for Miami Global Plan Experiential Learning
Students have the option of completing a “Field Study” in Art and Architecture History by completing an internship at a museum, gallery, cultural institution, or other appropriate venue (including the Miami University Art Museum). Students who choose to do so can then use that field study to fulfill the Miami Plan Experiential Learning requirement by being concurrently enrolled in ART 391. For more information contact your advisor.
Departmental Honors
To graduate with Departmental Honors, students must maintain a 3.5 grade point average in the major and complete an honors thesis. Thesis proposals are submitted during the junior year. Successful applicants earn six upper division hours* for research and writing (ART 477C), after which the thesis is submitted for approval to the Departmental Honors committee.
*These credit hours are in addition to the total credits required for the major.
Guidelines for the Research and Writing of the Honors Thesis
-
Students should choose their topic and advisor based upon their area of special interest and qualifications. Applicants should adhere to the proposed schedule of completing research during the fall and completing the writing of the honors thesis during the spring of their senior year unless their advisor agrees upon a different schedule. Students applying to graduate school may want to complete as much of the writing as possible during the fall so that they will have a writing sample to send in with their applications.
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Applicants should conduct original research on a topic that will demonstrate their knowledge of art history and reflect their personal interests.
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The honors thesis should investigate a subject in depth and result in an original conclusion. It will normally consist of about thirty pages and include illustrations.
Departmental Honors
To graduate with departmental honors in art and architecture history, students must maintain a 3.50 GPA in the major and complete an honors thesis. Thesis proposals are submitted during the junior year. Successful applicants earn six upper division hours1 for research and writing (ARC 477C), after which the thesis is submitted for approval to the Departmental Honors Committee.
- 1
These credit hours are in addition to the upper-division credits required for the major.