Art History & Curatorial Studies BA
Program Purpose
The Art History and Curatorial Studies undergraduate major aims to develop research, writing, and analytical skills as well as an understanding of the history of art with a primary focus on the grand continuum of art and architectural practices from the foundations of Western culture to the present. It serves students who plan to enter academia or follow a career path in the field of art, including, but not limited to, museums, galleries, and auction houses. It also prepares students interested in pursuing other careers that require strong writing and analytical and visual skills, as well as those who seek a liberal arts education primarily as a source of educational enrichment, life-long learning, and personal enjoyment.
Curricular Structure
Students are expected to move from general foundation courses (ARTHC 201/202) into more advanced and narrowly focused upper-division courses (300-level courses), in preparation for the capstone experience of writing a senior thesis (ARTHC 498). The senior thesis course enables students to bring together their knowledge and skills in the production of a substantial research paper and the delivery of a public presentation.
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Catalog Information
Major Academic Plan
Learning Outcomes
The Art History and Curatorial Studies undergraduate major aims to develop research, writing and analytical skills and an understanding of the history of art with a primary focus on the grand continuum of art and architectural practices from the foundations of Western culture to the present. It serves students who plan to enter academia or follow a career path in art museums and auction houses. It also prepares students interested in pursuing other careers that require strong writing and analytical skills, as well as those who seek a liberal arts education primarily as a source of educational enrichment and personal enjoyment.
Art History in the Western World
Students will acquire a solid foundation in the discipline of art history of the Western world.
Students will develop advanced art historical analytical and research skills.
Students will write engaging and sophisticated art historical research papers that demonstrate original thought.
This is an area to which we would like to direct our focus because we desperately need to cultivate better writers in our area.
Students will demonstrate their ability to effectively present their ideas through verbal expression.
One of the casualities of Covid was student presentations in person. We hope that this changes soon.
Students will visit and experience important works of art, as well as the institutions and/or professional venues where art history is practiced.
Evidence of Learning
Our program incorporates several forms of assessment, including written quizzes and exams, papers, and presentations. While much of this assessment is instructor-based, we also incorporate peer assessment into several of our courses.
In addition, we conduct exit interviews and alumni surveys, and keep in close connection with the professional development of our former students. Students are regularly accepted to national undergraduate art history symposia, win ORCA scholarships, and receive other recognition of merit. In addition, students from our program have been accepted into prestigious graduate programs, worked for auction houses, found employment in major art museums and galleries, among other post-university experiences. The success of our former students is a testimony to the high level of training they receive in our program.
Direct Measures
- Written quizzes and exams (ranging from multiple-choice to essay-based)
- Course assignments
- Papers: response, research, abstracts
- Oral presentations
- Capstone experience of senior thesis: paper and presentation
Indirect Measures
1. Incoming Major Surveys
2. Fall Assembly, a mandatory meeting for all majors.
3. Exit Interviews & Exit Survey
4. Student feedback in written evaluations and in group discussions
5. Acceptance to national undergraduate art history symposia
6. Alumni surveys
7. Placement in graduate schools, auction houses, museums, and other educational or employment venues
Learning and Teaching Assessment and Improvement
The faculty in Art History seeks to refine its curriculum, teaching strategies, and modes of assessment as it relates to the Art History and Curatorial undergraduate program. To that end, we are in regular conversation about the goals and outcomes of our various courses in faculty meetings, and frequently poll seniors on matters related to these objectives. Recently, several faculty members have participated in campus workshops aimed at deepening student learning and are incorporating these approaches into their courses.
Specifically, we are considering curriculum changes to better serve our students. We have worked to align our capstone experience, the senior thesis course, to the desired outcomes of both faculty and students. We are also responding to feedback indicating that more students would like access to a curatorial studies course that is now taught infrequently, and that students would actually prefer having more art history electives rather than university-wide cognate courses required for the completion of their degree. At present, at the behest of faculty and students alike, we are considering ways in which we can train students in art history methodologies earlier in their program of study.