The art history program teaches students how to analyze art within many contexts, including historical, intellectual, cultural, political, social and stylistic. In addition to examining diverse methodologies, introductory and upper-division courses cover artistic production from a wide range of cultures and periods, including medieval art, early modern art, pre-Columbian art, Colonial Latin American art, Asian art, Native North American art, modern art and architecture, contemporary art, critical theory and museology.
Requirements
Students must complete the general requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences and the required courses listed below. A minimum of 33 credit hours are required for the major, 21 of which must be upper-division. Of those 21 upper-division credit hours at least 12 must be completed on the CU Boulder campus.
All required major courses must be passed with a C- or better and cannot be taken pass/fail. Students must have a GPA of at least 2.000 in the major in order to graduate and no more than 45 credits in ARTH may be applied to overall graduation requirements.
Required Courses
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Introductory Studio Art Sequence | ||
| ARTS 1010 & ARTS 1020 | Introduction to Studio Art and Introduction to Studio Art 2 | 6 |
| Introductory Art History Sequence | ||
| ARTH 1500 & ARTH 1600 | Global Art and Visual Culture and U.S. Art Across Cultures | 6 |
| Upper-division Art History Courses | ||
| 3000 or 4000-level art history courses | 9 | |
| 4000-level art history courses | 9 | |
| ARTH 4919 | Capstone Seminar: Topics in Art History (in addition to the 12 hours of 4000 level art history courses) | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours | 33 | |
Distribution Requirements
It is strongly recommended that students take classes in a wide variety of time periods and cultures. It is recommended that students complete at least three hours at the 3000- or 4000-level in at least three of the four following areas: Africa, Americas, Europe and Asia.
Recommended Four-Year Plan
Consult the Four-Year Guarantee Requirements for information on eligibility. The concept of "adequate progress" as it is used here only refers to maintaining eligibility for the four-year guarantee; it is not a requirement for the major. To maintain adequate progress toward a BA in art history, students should meet the following requirements:
- Declare the major by the beginning of the second semester.
- By the end of the third semester, complete lower-division studio courses, lower-division art history courses and two classes in upper-division art history.
- By the end of the sixth semester, complete up to 32 credits in the major.
Through the required coursework for the major, students will fulfill all 12 credits of the Arts & Humanities area of the Gen Ed Distribution Requirement.
| Year One | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Credit Hours | |
| ARTS 1010 | Introduction to Studio Art | 3 |
| ARTH 1500 | Global Art and Visual Culture | 3 |
| Gen. Ed. Skills course (example: QRMS) | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Skills course (example: Lower-division Written Communication) | 3 | |
| Elective/MAPS | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| ARTS 1020 | Introduction to Studio Art 2 | 3 |
| ARTH 1600 | U.S. Art Across Cultures | 3 |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Natural Sciences with Lab) | 4 | |
| Elective/MAPS | 3 | |
| Elective/MAPS | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Year Two | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| ARTH 3000 or 4000 course | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution/Diversity course (example: Social Sciences/US Perspective) | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Natural Sciences) | 3 | |
| Elective/MAPS | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| ARTH 3000 or 4000 course | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Natural Sciences) | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution/Diversity course (example: Social Sciences/Global Perspective) | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Year Three | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| ARTH 4000 level course | 3 | |
| Upper-Division Elective | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Natural Sciences) | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Skills course (example: Upper-division Written Communication) | 3 | |
| Upper-Division Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| ARTH 4000 level course | 3 | |
| ARTH 3000 or 4000 level course | 3 | |
| Upper-Division Elective | 3 | |
| Elective or Upper-Division Elective (if needed) | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Year Four | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| ARTH 4000 level course | 3 | |
| Upper-Division Elective | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Social Sciences) | 3 | |
| Upper-Division Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| ARTH 4919 | Capstone Seminar: Topics in Art History | 3 |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Social Sciences) | 3 | |
| Upper-Division Elective | 3 | |
| Upper-Division Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 121 | |
Learning Outcomes
The undergraduate degree in art history emphasizes knowledge and awareness of:
- The major artistic traditions of the world in a historical and theoretical context.
- Varied methodologies used to study art historically.
- Artistic media and techniques.
In addition, students completing the degree in art history are expected to:
- Think and write critically about art in its cultural and historical contexts.
- Interpret historical and critical information about works of art, artists and related issues.
- Know the methods by which art can be evaluated.
- Carry out scholarly research on art historical topics.
Bachelor's–Accelerated Master's Degree Program(s)
The bachelor's–accelerated master's (BAM) degree program options offer currently enrolled CU Boulder undergraduate students the opportunity to receive a bachelor's and master's degree in a shorter period of time. Students receive the bachelor's degree first but begin taking graduate coursework as undergraduates (typically in their senior year).
Because some courses are allowed to double count for both the bachelor's and the master's degrees, students receive a master's degree in less time and at a lower cost than if they were to enroll in a stand-alone master's degree program after completion of their baccalaureate degree. In addition, staying at CU Boulder to pursue a bachelor's–accelerated master's program enables students to continue working with their established faculty mentors.
BA and MA in Art History
The BAM program in art history is a demanding, accelerated program aimed primarily at our best undergraduates who are planning to pursue a PhD. The typical student will be a student writing an honors thesis who will use that project as the basis for developing the MA thesis. It is expected that the BAM program be completed within five years. For details about admission into the program and degree requirements, visit the department's BAM webpage.
Admission Requirements
In order to gain admission to the BAM program, a student must meet the following criteria:
- Secure a faculty sponsor from the Department of Art and Art History.
- Have a GPA of 3.6 or higher in the art history major, with a cumulative GPA of 3.3 or higher.
- If a transfer student, have completed a minimum of 24 credit hours at CU Boulder.
- Have completed all MAPS deficiencies (students admitted to CU Boulder prior to Summer 2023 only).
Program Requirements
Students may take up to and including 12 hours while in the undergraduate program which can later be used toward the master's degree. However, only 6 credits may be double counted toward the bachelor's degree and the master's degree. Students must apply to graduate with the bachelor's degree, and apply to continue with the master's degree, early in the semester in which the undergraduate requirements will be completed.
If you are interested in the BAM degree program, please contact the graduate program coordinator for the Department of Art and Art History at art.grad@colorado.edu.