Major in Art History
Requirements for the Major
Requirements for the Asian Option
Honors in the Major
Study Abroad
Graduate Program
Courses
232 Conrad A. Elvehjem Building, 800 University Avenue, Madison, WI 53706; 608-263-2340; arthistory@ls.wisc.edu; www.wisc.edu/arth
Professors Buenger, Cahill, Dale (chair), Drewal, Geiger, Hutchison, Menocal, Murray, Phillips; Associate Professors Andrzejewski, Casid, Marshall, Martin; Assistant Professor Mithlo; Adjunct Assistant Professor Lasser; Adjunct Lecturers Fuller, Panczenko, Vajracharya
Undergraduate advising in the major: Contact the department
The art history program offers a wide range of courses in the art of various periods and cultures. These serve majors in art history and almost all count toward the humanities requirements for the College of Letters and Science. Art history explores painting, sculpture, architecture, and the graphic and decorative arts, but is interdisciplinary by nature. It relates to the study of anthropology, history, history of science, literature, philosophy, religion, and language. To complement their study of art history, students are encouraged to elect courses in all these fields beyond the general L&S requirements. Art history students would also benefit from courses in studio art. Students unfamiliar with art history usually elect introductory courses. Art History 201, 202, 203, 206, 241, and 242 explore the principal developments in architecture, sculpture, painting, printmaking, and photography. Courses offered in the 300-699 group closely examine areas of art introduced and broadly treated in the survey courses.
Students considering art history as a major should come to the department for advising as early as possible in their undergraduate careers.
Students intending further study in graduate school toward the M.A. and Ph.D. (required for both academic and museum positions) should take programs that are rich in the humanities and in other areas related to their main fields of interest. They should also be aware that the advanced study of art history requires extensive language preparation, at least some of which should be completed as an undergraduate. The most important languages are: for ancient—Latin, Greek, and German; for western medieval and Renaissance—Latin, French, German, and Italian; for modern western—German and French; for African—French or Portuguese and appropriate African languages; and for East Asian—Chinese and Japanese (classical and modern).
An art history major with a good undergraduate record can move on to a number of professional and graduate opportunities both inside and outside the art world. A B.A. in art history may lead to employment in historic preservation, art-related publishing, television, film, or computer software production.
At least nine courses in art history, including:
Notes:
Proseminars generally do not fulfill distribution requirements.
Only two of the introductory surveys fulfill distribution requirements; 203 counts as a course in Asian and 241 counts as a course in African.
Courses identified as "Art Hist 600" Special Topics courses being offered for the first or only time may also satisfy area distribution requirements.
Students who wish to continue graduate studies in art history or related fields, or who simply desire more advanced work in art history, are strongly encouraged to pursue Honors in the Major. Students should begin to plan honors work in art history with their honors advisor as early as possible in their careers. To earn honors in art history students must:
Students of exceptional promise may be permitted to enroll in a graduate seminar. Students should check with the department honors advisor at least once a year to make sure that requirements have not been modified, as well as to seek guidance about planning the best possible Honors in the Major curriculum that reflects their special interests.
The department strongly encourages students considering a major in art history to include study in another country within their program. Students gain firsthand experience of another culture and language and have the opportunity to study major artistic monuments. Credit for appropriate course work can be applied toward the major after arrangements have been made with the pertinent offices: for University of Wisconsin Study Programs, through the Office of International Academic Programs (261 Bascom Hall); for all other programs, through the Office of Admissions (Armory & Gymnasium, 716 Langdon Street). Courses with no near equivalent in the department's program may be credited toward each of the four required areas through the assigned Study Abroad numbers: 335, 336, 337, 338, 435, 436, 437, 438.
The department offers the M.A. and Ph.D. in art history.