Art History, Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)

The B.A. in Art History is a liberal arts program composed of an academic course of study exposing the student to the scholarship, theoretical perspectives and research methods of not only the history of art, but related disciplines in the humanities. Courses focus on cultures, historical periods and regions. The program also includes possibilities for directed research projects as well as museum internships. This curriculum provides students the best possible background for future graduate work in art history.

What follows is a sample plan that meets the prescribed requirements within a four-year course of study at VCU. Please contact your adviser before beginning course work toward a degree.

Freshman year
Fall semester		Hours
ARTH 103	Survey of Art I	3
FREN 101 or GRMN 101 or ITAL 101 or SPAN 101	Beginning French I (or elective if language requirement met) or Beginning German I or Beginning Italian I or Beginning Spanish I	3
UNIV 111 Play course video for Introduction to Focused Inquiry: Investigation and Communication	Introduction to Focused Inquiry: Investigation and Communication (satisfies general education UNIV foundations)	3
HIST 3XX (any 300-level course)		3
General education course		3
	Term Hours:	15
Spring semester
ARTH 104	Survey of Art II	3
FREN 102 or GRMN 102 or ITAL 102 or SPAN 102	Beginning French II (or elective if language requirement met) or Beginning German II or Beginning Italian II or Beginning Spanish II	3
UNIV 112 Play course video for Focused Inquiry II	Focused Inquiry II (satisfies general education UNIV foundations)	3
HIST 3XX (any 300-level course)		3
General education course		3
	Term Hours:	15
Sophomore year
Fall semester
FREN 201 or GRMN 201 or ITAL 201 or SPAN 201	Intermediate French (or elective if language requirement met) or Intermediate German I or Intermediate Italian I or Intermediate Spanish I	3
UNIV 200	Advanced Focused Inquiry: Literacies, Research and Communication (satisfies general education UNIV foundations)	3
ARTH major electives 1		3
General education course		3
General education course		3
	Term Hours:	15
Spring semester
ARTH 292	Writing for Art History	4
ARTH 293	Professional Practices for Art History	2
FREN 202 or GRMN 202 or ITAL 202 or SPAN 202	French for Careers (or elective if language requirement met) or Intermediate German II or Intermediate Italian II or Intermediate Spanish II	3
HIST 3XX (any 300-level course)		3
General education course		3
	Term Hours:	15
Junior year
Fall semester
ARTH 390	Art Historical Methods	4
ARTH major electives 1		3
HIST 3XX (any 300-level course)		3
Fine arts studio (CRAF, SCPT, PAPR or PHTO)		3
Humanities 3XX (300-level AFAM, ANTH, RELS, GSWS, ENGL, PHIL or WRLD)		3
	Term Hours:	16
Spring semester
ARTH 302	Introduction to Museums	3
ARTH major electives 1		3
General education course		3
Humanities 3XX (300-level AFAM, ANTH, RELS, GSWS, ENGL, PHIL or WRLD)		3
Open elective		3
	Term Hours:	15
Senior year
Fall semester
ARTH 490	Senior Seminar in Art History (capstone)	4
ARTH major elective 1		6
Humanities 3XX (300-level AFAM, ANTH, RELS, GSWS, ENGL, PHIL or WRLD)		3
Open electives		2
	Term Hours:	15
Spring semester
ARTH major electives 1		6
General education course		3
Open electives		5
	Term Hours:	14
	Total Hours:	120

The minimum number of credit hours required for this degree is 120.

Accelerated B.A. and M.A.

The accelerated B.A. and M.A. program allows academically talented students to earn both the B.A. and M.A. in Art History in a minimum of five years by completing approved graduate courses during the senior year of their undergraduate program. The accelerated program may be undertaken in either concentration. Students in the program may count up to 12 hours of graduate courses toward both the B.A. and M.A. degrees. Thus, the two degrees may be earned with a minimum of 138 credits rather than the 150 credits necessary if the two degrees are pursued separately.

This option offers students a faster and more cost-effective path to professional success by making them more competitive for jobs in the field immediately following graduation and for admission to doctoral programs in art history. Students holding these degrees will attain the skills considered critical to success in the field and continued advanced study in art history, including the ability to apply critical and analytical concepts, frameworks and methods; the ability to contextualize scholarship in relationship to existing art historical/museological knowledge, discourse and/or debate; the ability to translate art historical scholarship written in a language or languages relevant to their research; and the ability to conduct scholarly inquiry that makes a scholarly professional contribution.

Entrance to the accelerated program

Interested undergraduate students should consult with their adviser as early as possible to receive specific information about the accelerated program, determine academic eligibility and submit (no later than two semesters prior to graduating with a baccalaureate degree, that is, before the end of the spring semester of their junior year) an Accelerated Program Declaration Form to be approved by the graduate program director. Limited spaces may be available in the accelerated program. Academically qualified students may not receive approval if capacity has been reached.

Minimum qualifications for entrance to this accelerated program include completion of 54 undergraduate credit hours, including a minimum of 21 credits of art history course work (may include AP and transfer courses); an overall GPA of 3.0; and a GPA of 3.5 in art history course work. Applicants should have completed or be enrolled in ARTH 390. Additionally, students must provide the names of two art history faculty who can provide recommendations as well as a statement of interest and a writing sample that demonstrates an aptitude for research. Students who are interested in the accelerated program should consult with the faculty adviser to the art history master’s program before they have completed 84 credits. Successful applicants would enter the program in the fall semester of their senior year.

Once enrolled in the accelerated program, students must meet the standards of performance applicable to graduate students as described in the “Satisfactory academic progress” section of the Graduate Bulletin, including maintaining a 3.0 GPA. Guidance to students admitted to the accelerated program is provided by both the undergraduate art history adviser and the faculty adviser to the graduate program.

Admission to the graduate program

Entrance to the accelerated program enables the student to take the approved shared courses that will apply to the undergraduate and graduate degrees. However, entry into an accelerated program via an approved Accelerated Program Declaration Form does not constitute application or admission into the graduate program. Admission to the graduate program requires a separate step that occurs through a formal application to the master’s program, which is submitted through Graduate Admissions no later than a semester prior to graduation with the baccalaureate degree, that is, before the end of the fall semester of the senior year. In order to continue pursuing the master’s degree after the baccalaureate degree is conferred, accelerated students must follow the admission to graduate study requirements outlined in the VCU Bulletin

Degree requirements

The Bachelor of Arts in Art History degree will be awarded upon completion of a minimum of 120 credits and the satisfactory completion of all undergraduate degree requirements as stated in the Undergraduate Bulletin.

A maximum of 12 graduate credits may be taken prior to completion of the baccalaureate degree. These graduate credits will substitute for required open elective credits for the undergraduate degree. These courses are shared credits with the graduate program, meaning that they will be applied to both undergraduate and graduate degree requirements.

The graduate art history courses that may be taken as an undergraduate, once a student is admitted to the program, are listed below.

Recommended course sequence/plan of study

What follows is the recommended plan of study for students interested in the accelerated program beginning in the fall of the junior year prior to admission to the accelerated program in the senior year.

Art historical concentration

Museum studies concentration