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

• A total of 120 credit hours 
• 6 credit hours of college writing 
• 3 credit hours of college mathematics or the equivalent by examination 

General Education Requirements

• A total of ten courses, consisting of one foundation course and one second-level course in an approved sequence from each of the five curricular areas 
• No more than 6 credit hours may be taken in the same discipline 

Major Requirements

• 54 credit hours with grades of C or better 

24 of the last 30 credit hours in the major program must be taken in residence, 18 credit hours of which must be in art history and 6 credit hours in related fields or studio. 

Internships in local agencies, museums, galleries, and libraries are permitted with departmental approval, but are limited to 3 credit hours unless taken as electives. 

Course Requirements

• ARTH-105 Art: The Historical Experience 1:1 (3) 
• ARTH-210 Modern Art: Nineteenth and Twentieth
      Centuries 1:2 (3) 
• ARTH-500 Approaches to Art History (3) 
• 3 credit hours in each of four periods: 

Ancient 

ARTH-396 Selected Topics (3) with permission of advisor 

ARTH-520 Seminar in Art History (3) (appropriate topic) 

ARTH-596 Selected Topics (3) with permission of advisor 

Medieval 

ARTH-303 Medieval Art (3) 

ARTH-308 Gothic Art (3) 

ARTH-396 Selected Topics (3) with permission of advisor 

ARTH-520 Seminar in Art History (3) (appropriate topic) 

ARTH-596 Selected Topics (3) with permission of advisor 

Renaissance 

ARTH-205Art of the Renaissance 2:2 (3) 

ARTH-396 Selected Topics (3) with permission of advisor 

ARTH-513 Italian Painting: Early Renaissance (3) 

ARTH-514 Italian Painting: High Renaissance (3) 

ARTH-514 Italian Painting: Late Renaissance (3) 

ARTH-520 Seminar in Art History (3) (appropriate topic) 

ARTH-596 Selected Topics (3) with permission of advisor 

Modern 

ARTH-331Visual Arts in the United States to 1890 (3) 

ARTH-332 Visual Arts in the United States:
1890 to 1935 (3) 

ARTH-333 Visual Arts in the United States:
1935 to 1970 (3) 

ARTH-334 Contemporary Visual Art and
Postmodernism (3) 

ARTH-396 Selected Topics (3) with permission of advisor 

ARTH-508 Painting: Rococo through Impressionism (3) 

ARTH-510 Painting: Post-Impressionism to Expressionism (3) 

ARTH-511 Painting: Cubism through Surrealism (3) 

ARTH-520 Seminar in Art History (3) (appropriate topic) 

ARTH-596 Selected Topics (3) with permission of advisor 

• 15 additional credit hours in art history with at least two courses at the 500 level 
• 6 credit hours in studio from the following: 

ARTS-100 Art: The Studio Experience 1:1 (3) 

ARTS-205 The Artist’s Perspective: Drawing 1:2 (3) 

ARTS-210 The Artist’s Perspective: Painting 1:2 (3) 

ARTS-215 The Artist’s Perspective: Sculpture 1:2 (3) 

ARTS-320 Painting Studio (3) 

ARTS-340 Sculpture Studio (3) 

ARTS-360 Drawing Studio (3) 

ARTS-363 Relief Printmaking Studio (3) 

• 12 credit hours at the 300 level or above from one of the following fields: American studies, anthropology, history, literature, music, or philosophy. Course selections must be related to the major and to each other and must be approved by the faculty. 

Note: Students contemplating graduate study in art history are advised to attain a reading knowledge of French, Italian, or German to the intermediate level (or equivalent of 12 credit hours at the college level). 

University Honors Program

All University Honors students must complete at least 12 credit hours of advanced-level (300-level and above) Honors courses including a 3 to 6 credit hour Honors Senior Capstone Project. Students may graduate with University Honors in the major if they complete at least 12 advanced-level Honors courses including the Senior Capstone Project in the department. Each department has three levels of University Honors requirements: Level I Options (100-200-level Honors classes); Level II Options (300-level and above Honors classes); and Level III Options (Honors Senior Capstone). The department Honors coordinator advises students in the University Honors Program regarding departmental options. For more information, go to www.american.edu/academic.depts/honors/ . 

Combined Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees

American University offers students the opportunity to earn both undergraduate and graduate degrees through its accelerated bachelor’s/master’s programs. Undergraduate students may complete up to 3 credits for every 9 credits required for the graduate degree that may be applied to the requirements for both degree programs.  The department that oversees the graduate program the student enters will determine if the courses the undergraduate student completes will satisfy master’s degree requirements. 

Bachelor’s/master’s students must complete at least 18 in-residence credit hours at the graduate level after the bachelor’s degree is earned and  maintain continuous, sequential enrollment in the two programs. Students must finish the master’s degree requirements within three years from the date of first enrollment in the master’s program.