Art History, BA

Location(s): WWU - Bellingham

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Department of Art and Art History, College of Fine and Performing Arts

68 credits

Introduction

Art History examines the histories of art in cultural context, visual communication in the world today, and the impact of visual technology in the future. The Art History major gives students the opportunity to address social, cultural and transnational issues through an engagement with visual culture objects, images and ideas and to imagine critical intersections in the arts, humanities, and sciences by means of innovative course instruction. Art History classes are catalysts through which students make cross-connections between their major areas of study and the diverse perspectives found in visual forms of communication.

Why Consider an Art History Major?

Are you interested in the visual language of culture and systems of representation? In studying Art History, you will learn to interpret and analyze art and visual culture. A degree in Art History will prepare you for a future as teacher, museum educator, gallery curator, visual resource librarian, art critic, scholar, and other careers that require creative problem solving and knowledge of visual language.

Contact Information

Department Chair
Lisa Turner
Fine Arts 212
360-650-3666
turnerl5@wwu.edu

Art Major Information
Fine Arts 116
360-650-3660
ArtInfo@wwu.edu

Sample Careers

Major/Career Resources

careercenter.wwu.edu/connectmajorcareer

How to Declare (Admission and Declaration Process):

How to apply: To apply to the Art History major, students must have taken, or be currently enrolled in, A/HI 275 and two 200-level art history surveys, or pre-approved equivalent courses. Students must have a B average or higher in these classes to be considered for the Art History program.

Application deadlines: Application deadlines for the Art History major are October 15 and January 31. Completed forms must be received in the Department of Art and Art History by those dates.

Advising Tips: Students are expected to follow all prerequisite requirements for courses and seek early departmental advisement. As students enter the program, they will be assigned an advisor to develop an individualized course of study. This plan becomes an outline of the degree requirements but should be revised yearly in consultation with an advisor.

Grade Requirements

A grade of C- or better is required for a student’s major or minor courses, and supporting courses for majors and minors.

Requirements

❑ A/HI 275 - Introduction to Writing and Critical Thinking Credits: 5
❑ A/HI 375 - Methods in Art History Credits: 5
❑ A/HI 475 - Senior Projects/Practicum Credits: 5
(the above courses must be taken in sequence)
❑ One 100-level course (5 credits) from:
ART 110 - View and Gesture Credits: 5
ART 120 - Surface and Color Credits: 5
❑ One course (3 credits) from:
A/HI 210 - History of Architecture Credits: 3
A/HI 211 - History of Western Art I: Prehistory to the Middle Ages Credits: 3
A/HI 212 - History of Western Art II: Renaissance to Modernity Credits: 3
❑ One course (3 credits) from:
A/HI 240 - Visual Culture in Western Europe in the 19th Century Credits: 3
A/HI 241 - Visual Culture in Western Europe and America in the 20th Century Credits: 3
A/HI 261 - Introduction to Latin American Visual Culture after 1900 Credits: 3
❑ One course (3 credits) from:
A/HI 245 - African American Art Credits: 3
A/HI 250 - Arts of Africa pre-1900 Credits: 3
A/HI 251 - Arts of Africa after 1900 Credits: 3
❑ One course (3 credits) from:
A/HI 270 - Visual Culture in South and Southeast Asia Credits: 3
A/HI 271 - Visual Culture in East Asia Credits: 3
or EAST 271 - Visual Culture in East Asia Credits: 3
A/HI 272 - Contemporary Art in Asia Credits: 3
❑ Two additional courses from:

A/HI 210 - History of Architecture

A/HI 211 - History of Western Art I: Prehistory to the Middle Ages

A/HI 212 - History of Western Art II: Renaissance to Modernity

A/HI 240 - Visual Culture in Western Europe in the 19th Century

A/HI 241 - Visual Culture in Western Europe and America in the 20th Century

A/HI 245 - African American Art

A/HI 250 - Arts of Africa pre-1900

A/HI 251 - Arts of Africa after 1900

A/HI 261 - Introduction to Latin American Visual Culture after 1900

A/HI 270 - Visual Culture in South and Southeast Asia

A/HI 271 - Visual Culture in East Asia

EAST 271 - Visual Culture in East Asia

A/HI 272 - Contemporary Art in Asia
❑ Choose 30 credits of 300-or 400-level art history courses from the following list of courses. A minimum of 10 credits at the 400 level is required. (A/HI 300, 302, 305 and 306 are not accepted toward the major.)
A/HI 301 - Modern Art and Modernism Credits: 5
A/HI 308 - Visual Arts in the Community Credits: 5
A/HI 310 - Indigenous Arts of the Pacific Northwest Credits: 5
A/HI 313 - Art and Technology Credits: 5
A/HI 315 - Early Modern Civic Identity: Special Topics Credits: 5
A/HI 316 - Land and Landscape Credits: 5
A/HI 330 - Art and Texts of the Sacred Credits: 5
A/HI 335 - Visual Arts in the Age of Contact, Exploration, and Colonization Credits: 5
A/HI 336 - Visual Arts of Medieval Iberia and Early Modern Spain Credits: 5
A/HI 348 - Art and Ecology Credits: 5
A/HI 358 - Postwar Art and Culture Credits: 5
A/HI 360 - Nationalism and Cultural Identity, 19th and 20th Centuries Credits: 5
A/HI 368 - Pacific Arts and Visual Culture Credits: 5
A/HI 370 - Islamic Visual Cultures Credits: 5
A/HI 371 - Transforming Traditions: Art and Visual Culture in Japan Credits: 5
or EAST 371 - Transforming Traditions: Art and Visual Culture in Japan Credits: 5
A/HI 397 courses
A/HI 381 - African Art and Politics Credits: 5
A/HI 383 - Contemporary Art of the African Diaspora (WWII to present) Credits: 5
A/HI 391 - Topics in Art History Credits: 5
A/HI 401 - Contemporary Issues and Post-Modern Critiques Credits: 5
A/HI 411 - Contemporary Japanese Visual Culture Credits: 5
or EAST 411 - Contemporary Japanese Visual Culture Credits: 5
A/HI 413 - Space and Representation Credits: 5
A/HI 415 - Space and the Urban Environment Credits: 5
A/HI 416 - Topics in Global Borders and Contested Terrains Credits: 5
A/HI 430 - European Sacred Art and Theological Aesthetics Credits: 5
A/HI 431 - Popular Culture, Tourism and Leisure Credits: 5
A/HI 438 - Art, Gender, and Sexuality Credits: 5
A/HI 440 - New Media and Digital Art Credits: 5
A/HI 446 - Aesthetics and Art Theory Credits: 5
A/HI 447 - Art in the Public Sphere: Laws, Markets, Policy Credits: 5
A/HI 450 - Decolonizing Visual Culture Credits: 5
A/HI 489 - Architecture and Museums Credits: 5
A/HI 490 - Seminar: Exhibition Theory and Practice Credits: 5
A/HI 491 - Advanced Topics in Art History Credits: 5
A/HI 497 courses
Students are strongly encouraged to take courses outside of the art history area, such as computer technologies, languages, literatures and cultures, anthropology, film, communication or other classes to complement their studies and provide better preparation for the diversity of careers that employ skills with visual language.

Departmental Honors

In addition to the general requirements for all honors students, an art major who wishes to graduate with honors must complete an honors senior project in art.

University Graduation Requirements

General University Requirements 2024-25
Writing Proficiency Requirement (WP)
180 Minimum Total Credits
60 Minimum Upper Division Credits
Residency Requirement
Minimum Grade Requirements
Final Quarter Requirement