Art History (BA)

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Offered by the Department of Art , College of Arts and Sciences .

Admission to the Program

Formal admission to the major requires satisfactory completion (grades of C or better) of 12 credit hours of art history courses and departmental approval.

University Requirements

120 credit hours with a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or better
Completion of college writing requirement
Completion of university mathematics requirement

General Education Requirements

A total of ten courses, consisting of two courses from each of the five foundational areas
At least one course from Area Five: The Natural and Mathematical Sciences must include a laboratory science component
No more than two courses may be taken in the same discipline

Major Requirements

39 credit hours with grades of C or better including a minimum of 24 credit hours at or above the 300-level and at least 20 credit hours taken in residence at American University.
- Art history majors are advised to take at least 12 credit hours in elective courses that complement their interests in art history from studio art, American studies, anthropology, history, literature, music, or philosophy, or a minor in one of these fields.
- With approval of the art history advisor, two 3-credit courses taken through AU Abroad may be counted toward the major requirements.

Course Requirements

Introductory (9 credit hours)

Complete 9 credit hours from the following:

Studio Art (3 credit hours)

Complete 3 credit hours from the following:

Intermediate (9 credit hours)

Complete 9 credit hours from the following:

Art History (3 credit hours)

ARTH-400 Approaches to Art History (3)

Upper-level Electives (15 credit hours)

Complete 15 credit hours in Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, modern European, contemporary, and/or Asian art history from the following or other special topics with permission of the program director:

Combined Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees

American University offers students the opportunity to earn both undergraduate and graduate degrees through its combined bachelor’s/master’s programs. See Combined Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees for more information.