Bachelor of Arts (BA) Degree with a Major in Art History

Program Learning Outcomes for the BA Degree with a Major in Art History

Upon completing the BA degree with a major in Art History, students will be able to:

  1. Understand the historical, social, cultural and political contexts and traditions of art. Students will develop an understanding of the multiple contexts of art, including its relationship to religion, politics, gender and sexuality, urbanism, history, culture, and other domains of human social experience.
  2. Demonstrate effective use of specialized disciplinary vocabulary and appropriate methodologies to analyze works of art and communicate their form, function, and meaning orally and in writing.
  3. Demonstrate ability to perform comparative analyses of art works based on differences or similarities in cultural context, form, content, artist, materials, and time and place of production.
  4. Demonstrate specialized knowledge about, and be able to identify, art from specific geographical locations, periods, artists, and/or artistic movements.
  5. Evaluate and use primary and secondary sources to generate and answer original research questions and produce independent research.
  6. Understand major artistic movements, common themes, trends, and the styles of major artists. They will demonstrate generalized knowledge of major figures in art history, major art movements and traditions, and major artistic styles.

Requirements for the BA Degree with a Major in Art History

For general university requirements, see Graduation Requirements. Students pursuing the BA degree with a major in Art History must complete:

  • A minimum of 10 courses (30 credit hours) to satisfy major requirements.
  • A minimum of 120 credit hours to satisfy degree requirements.
  • A minimum of 5 courses (15 credit hours) taken at the 300-level or above.
  • A maximum of 4 courses (12 credit hours) from study abroad or transfer credit. For additional departmental guidelines regarding transfer credit, see the Policies tab. 
  • The requirements for one area of specialization (see below for areas of specialization). When students declare the major in Art History, students must additionally identify and declare one of two areas of specialization, either in:

It is possible for students to change their area of specialization at any time, even after initially declaring the major. To do so, please contact the Office of the Registrar.

The department of Art History also offers a Departmental Honors Program. For more information, including Honors Program requirements, see the Opportunities tab.

The courses listed below satisfy the requirements for this major. In certain instances, courses not on this official list may be substituted upon approval of the major’s academic advisor or, where applicable, the department's Director of Undergraduate Studies. (Course substitutions must be formally applied and entered into Degree Works by the major's Official Certifier.) Students and their academic advisors should identify and clearly document the courses to be taken.

Summary

Total Credit Hours Required for the Major in Art History30
Total Credit Hours Required for the BA Degree with a Major in Art History120

Degree Requirements

Area of Specialization
Select 1 from the following Areas of Specialization (see Areas of Specialization below):30
Art History
History of Architecture
Total Credit Hours Required for the Major in Art History30
Additional Credit Hours to Complete Degree Requirements *59
University Graduation Requirements *31
Total Credit Hours120

Footnotes and Additional Information

Areas of Specialization

Students must complete a total of 10 courses (30 credit hours) as listed in the requirements for one of the Art History areas of specialization. Note that the course lists to satisfy each requirement can be found below the specialization requirements.

Area of Specialization: Art History 

To satisfy the requirements for the Art History Specialization, Art History majors must complete 10 courses (30 credit hours) as listed below.

Chronological Breadth
Select a minimum of 1 course at the 200-level or above from each of the following 3 chronological areas (see below for course lists)9
Up to c. 1400 CE
c. 1400 to 1750 CE
c. 1750 CE to Present
Geographical Areas or Cultural Traditions Breadth
Select a minimum of 1 course at the 200-level or above from 3 of the following 7 geographical areas or cultural tradition areas (see below for course lists)9
Africa/African Diaspora/African American Cultures
Asia
Europe/Post-Colonization North America
Islamic Cultures
Latin America/the Caribbean
Global
Cultural Exchange
Seminars
Select a minimum of 2 courses (see below for course list)6
Elective Requirements
Select a minimum of 2 additional courses as Electives from departmental (HART) course offerings 16
Total Credit Hours30
 Footnotes and Additional Information

Area of Specialization: History of Architecture 

To satisfy the requirements for the History of Architecture Specialization, Art History majors must complete 10 courses (30 credit hours) as listed below.

Chronological Breadth
Select a minimum of 1 course at the 200-level or above from 2 of the following 3 chronological areas (see below for course lists)6
Up to c. 1400 CE
c. 1400 to 1750 CE
c. 1750 CE to Present
Geographical Areas or Cultural Traditions Breadth
Select a minimum of 1 course at the 200-level or above from 2 of the following 7 geographical areas or cultural tradition areas (see below for course lists)6
Africa/African Diaspora/African American Cultures
Asia
Europe/Post-Colonization North America
Islamic Cultures
Latin America/the Caribbean
Global
Cultural Exchange
Seminars
Select a minimum of 2 courses (see below for course list) 1, 26
History of Architecture
Select a minimum of 6 courses (see below for course list) 118
Total Credit Hours30
Footnotes and Additional Information 

Course Lists to Satisfy Requirements

Chronological Breadth - up to c. 1400 CE Courses

ASIA 214ART & WORLD CULTURAL HERITAGE SITES IN CHINA, JAPAN AND KOREA3
CLAS 225AUGUSTUS AND THE 'GOLDEN AGE' OF ROME3
HART 201ART AND ARCHITECTURE OF ANCIENT ROME3
HART 216 / CLAS 218CITIES, SANCTUARIES, CIVILIZATIONS: INTRODUCTION TO GREEK ART AND ARCHAEOLOGY3
HART 220INTRODUCTION TO MEDIEVAL ART AND ARCHITECTURE OF WESTERN EUROPE3
HART 221INTRODUCTION TO ISLAMIC ART AND ARCHITECTURE: CITIES, MOSQUES, PALACES3
HART 307WOMEN IN ANCIENT ART3
HART 312 / MUCH 308ADVANCED STUDY IN MUSEUMS AND HERITAGE: ARTS OF ANCIENT MEDITERRANEAN AT THE MENIL COLLECTION3
HART 316ART OF THE OBJECT: CRAFT, SENSORY EXPERIENCE, AND MATERIALITY IN ISLAMICATE LANDS3
HART 319ARCHITECTURE, TRADE, AND POWER IN EARLY MODERN ISLAMIC EMPIRES3
HART 320ART, SCIENCE, AND MAGIC IN THE MEDIEVAL WORLD3
HART 324PERSIANATE ARTS OF THE BOOK3
HART 330 / MDEM 330EARLY MEDIEVAL ART3
HART 332 / MDEM 332ART OF THE COURTS3
HART 337RADICAL BODIES IN MEDIEVAL ART3
HART 360FROM REPUBLIC TO EMPIRE: INVENTING ROMAN ART3
HART 372 / ASIA 372 / MDEM 373CHINESE ART AND THE WORLD3
HART 377 / MDEM 377MEDIEVAL MANUSCRIPTS3
HART 385ARCHITECTURE AND LITERATURE IN ISLAMIC CULTURES3
HART 395ROMAN ARCHAEOLOGY: FIELD SCHOOL3
HART 427VISUAL CULATURE OF MEDIEVAL PILGRIMAGE3
HART 433THE BAYEUX TAPESTRY AND THE ANGLO-NORMAN WORLD3

Chronological Breadth - c. 1400 to 1750 CE Courses

ASIA 214ART & WORLD CULTURAL HERITAGE SITES IN CHINA, JAPAN AND KOREA3
HART 206KEY ARTISTS AND WORKS OF ART OF THE WESTERN TRADITION3
HART 221INTRODUCTION TO ISLAMIC ART AND ARCHITECTURE: CITIES, MOSQUES, PALACES3
HART 241THE ARTS OF THE RENAISSANCE IN EUROPE3
HART 316ART OF THE OBJECT: CRAFT, SENSORY EXPERIENCE, AND MATERIALITY IN ISLAMICATE LANDS3
HART 319ARCHITECTURE, TRADE, AND POWER IN EARLY MODERN ISLAMIC EMPIRES3
HART 324PERSIANATE ARTS OF THE BOOK3
HART 339AMERICAN ART AND ARCHITECTURE I: 1620-18003
HART 341EARLY RENAISSANCE ART IN ITALY3
HART 342THE HIGH RENAISSANCE AND MANNERISM IN ITALY3
HART 343 / MDEM 343MASTERS OF THE BAROQUE ERA3
HART 345 / ARCH 345FOUNDATIONS IN THE HISTORY AND THEORY OF ARCHITECTURE I (1450-1850)3
HART 367ARCHITECTURES OF POWER, RESISTANCE, AND COEXISTENCE: A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE3
HART 372 / ASIA 372 / MDEM 373CHINESE ART AND THE WORLD3

Chronological Breadth - c. 1750 CE to Present Courses

CMST 201HISTORY OF CINEMA AND MEDIA I: INVENTION TO 19453
CMST 202HISTORY OF CINEMA AND MEDIA PART II: 1945-PRESENT3
CMST 203INTRODUCTION TO FILM AND MEDIA ANALYSIS3
CMST 204INTRODUCTION TO MEDIA STUDIES3
HART 202AVANT-GARDE AND AFTER: MODERN ART IN EUROPE, 1900-19453
HART 203GLOBAL MODERNISM: TWENTIETH AND TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY MODERNISM FROM AROUND THE WORLD3
HART 204 / AAAS 204INTRODUCTION TO BLACK ART IN AMERICA: 1900S TO TODAY3
HART 205ART SINCE 19453
HART 225 / ARCH 225INTRODUCTION TO ARCHITECTURAL THINKING3
HART 228INTRO. TO A HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE: IDEAL CITIES, CANONIC BUILDINGS, AND THEIR POLITICS3
HART 257ART AND ART HISTORY OF THE LONG NINETEENTH CENTURY3
HART 263 / FOTO 263EPISODES IN THE HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY: FROM INVENTION TO THE PRESENT3
HART 265A VISUAL CULTURE TRAVELOGUE: ART AND POLITICS IN MODERN LATIN AMERICA3
HART 280 / ARTS 280 / FILM 280HISTORY & AESTHETICS OF FILM4
HART 284 / FILM 284NONFICTION FILM4
HART 286 / ENGL 286CLASSICAL AND CONTEMPORARY FILM3
HART 302FROM THE SUBLIME TO THE SUSTAINABLE: ART, ARCHITECTURE AND NATURE3
HART 305POST WAR: ART IN EUROPE, 1945-20003
HART 306WHAT ARTISTS CITE: CORE TEACHINGS IN BLACK STUDIES3
HART 315ART AND ACTIVISM: CREATIVE PROTESTS IN THE 20TH CENTURY AMERICAS3
HART 317MODERN ART AND MONSTROSITY3
HART 318AFRICAN DIASPORA STUDIES: IMAGE & THEORY3
HART 321AMERICAN ART, 1800-19203
HART 325COFFEEHOUSES AND TEAHOUSES: A GLOBAL HISTORY3
HART 328 / RELI 375EPIPHANIES: SEEING IN A NEW LIGHT AND RECOGNIZING THE RADIANCE3
HART 329RACE AND ART IN MODERN LATIN AMERICA3
HART 331BRITISH ART AND AESTHETICS, 1700-19003
HART 334PICASSO, POLLOCK, WARHOL3
HART 336 / ASIA 355 / FILM 336CINEMA AND THE CITY3
HART 347 / RELI 343SEMINAR ON LOVE3
HART 349TRENDS IN CONTEMPORARY ART3
HART 352BLACK CONTEMPORARY ART : SPECULATIVE (UN)MAKINGS3
HART 354AGE OF ROMANTICISM IN EUROPE3
HART 358IMPRESSIONISM AND POST-IMPRESSIONISM3
HART 363SENSORIAL QUEERNESS : QUEERING THE SENSORIAL3
HART 364GENDER AND SEXUALITY IN FILM3
HART 365ART BETWEEN THE WARS: EUROPEAN MODERNISM, 1918-19403
HART 366RADICAL BLACK THOUGHT IN THE STUDIO: ARTISTS CITING BLACK STUDIES3
HART 367ARCHITECTURES OF POWER, RESISTANCE, AND COEXISTENCE: A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE3
HART 369STATE OF THE ART3
HART 374THE VISUAL CULTURE OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION3
HART 375 / ARCH 375LATIN-EUROPE/LATIN-AMERICA: THE AESTHETICS AND POLITICS OF MODERN CITIES3
HART 379THE AESTHETICS OF REALISM: FROM COURBET TO THE WIRE3
HART 380 / ENGL 373 / FILM 373SURVEY OF AMERICAN FILM AND CULTURE3
HART 381COLLAGE AND ITS HISTORIES3
HART 383 / FILM 383GLOBAL CINEMA4
HART 389JUSTICE AND CINEMA3
HART 390THINKING MODERN DRAWING: ON SITE AT THE MENIL DRAWING INSTITUTE3
HART 400BAYOU BEND UNDERGRADUATE INTERNSHIP I3
HART 401BAYOU BEND UNDERGRADUATE INTERNSHIP II3
HART 408EXTRACTIVE ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM IN LATIN AMERICA3
HART 451MODELS OF ABSTRACTION3
HART 452MANET(S) AND MODERNISM(S)3
HART 462THE WHITENESS OF GREEN: A HISTORY OF RACIALIZED LANDSCAPES3
HART 473EVOLUTION CUSTOM BUILT: ARCHITECTURE, GENETICS, AND THE ANTHROPOCENE3
HART 480 / ARTS 435 / FILM 435SEMINAR ON FILM AUTHORSHIP: THE NEW HOLLYWOOD4
HART 495READINGS IN MEDIA HISTORY AND THEORY3

Geographical Areas or Cultural Traditions Breadth - Africa/African Diaspora/African American Cultures Courses

HART 204 / AAAS 204INTRODUCTION TO BLACK ART IN AMERICA: 1900S TO TODAY3
HART 306WHAT ARTISTS CITE: CORE TEACHINGS IN BLACK STUDIES3
HART 318AFRICAN DIASPORA STUDIES: IMAGE & THEORY3
HART 352BLACK CONTEMPORARY ART : SPECULATIVE (UN)MAKINGS3
HART 363SENSORIAL QUEERNESS : QUEERING THE SENSORIAL3
HART 366RADICAL BLACK THOUGHT IN THE STUDIO: ARTISTS CITING BLACK STUDIES3

Geographical Areas or Cultural Traditions Breadth - Asia Courses

ASIA 214ART & WORLD CULTURAL HERITAGE SITES IN CHINA, JAPAN AND KOREA3
HART 323 / ASIA 323 / MDEM 323BUDDHIST AND DAOIST ART AND RITUAL3
HART 371 / ASIA 371HOW TO READ CHINESE PAINTING3
HART 372 / ASIA 372 / MDEM 373CHINESE ART AND THE WORLD3

Geographical Areas or Cultural Traditions Breadth - Europe/Post-Colonization North America Courses

CLAS 225AUGUSTUS AND THE 'GOLDEN AGE' OF ROME3
CMST 201 / GERM 280HISTORY OF CINEMA AND MEDIA I: INVENTION TO 19453
CMST 203INTRODUCTION TO FILM AND MEDIA ANALYSIS3
HART 201ART AND ARCHITECTURE OF ANCIENT ROME3
HART 202AVANT-GARDE AND AFTER: MODERN ART IN EUROPE, 1900-19453
HART 205ART SINCE 19453
HART 206KEY ARTISTS AND WORKS OF ART OF THE WESTERN TRADITION3
HART 216 / CLAS 218CITIES, SANCTUARIES, CIVILIZATIONS: INTRODUCTION TO GREEK ART AND ARCHAEOLOGY3
HART 220INTRODUCTION TO MEDIEVAL ART AND ARCHITECTURE OF WESTERN EUROPE3
HART 241THE ARTS OF THE RENAISSANCE IN EUROPE3
HART 257ART AND ART HISTORY OF THE LONG NINETEENTH CENTURY3
HART 263 / FOTO 263EPISODES IN THE HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY: FROM INVENTION TO THE PRESENT3
HART 305POST WAR: ART IN EUROPE, 1945-20003
HART 312 / MUCH 308ADVANCED STUDY IN MUSEUMS AND HERITAGE: ARTS OF ANCIENT MEDITERRANEAN AT THE MENIL COLLECTION3
HART 317MODERN ART AND MONSTROSITY3
HART 320ART, SCIENCE, AND MAGIC IN THE MEDIEVAL WORLD3
HART 321AMERICAN ART, 1800-19203
HART 328 / RELI 375EPIPHANIES: SEEING IN A NEW LIGHT AND RECOGNIZING THE RADIANCE3
HART 330 / MDEM 330EARLY MEDIEVAL ART3
HART 331BRITISH ART AND AESTHETICS, 1700-19003
HART 332 / MDEM 332ART OF THE COURTS3
HART 334PICASSO, POLLOCK, WARHOL3
HART 336 / ASIA 355 / FILM 336CINEMA AND THE CITY3
HART 337RADICAL BODIES IN MEDIEVAL ART3
HART 339AMERICAN ART AND ARCHITECTURE I: 1620-18003
HART 341EARLY RENAISSANCE ART IN ITALY3
HART 342THE HIGH RENAISSANCE AND MANNERISM IN ITALY3
HART 343 / MDEM 343MASTERS OF THE BAROQUE ERA3
HART 347 / RELI 343SEMINAR ON LOVE3
HART 349TRENDS IN CONTEMPORARY ART3
HART 354AGE OF ROMANTICISM IN EUROPE3
HART 358IMPRESSIONISM AND POST-IMPRESSIONISM3
HART 360FROM REPUBLIC TO EMPIRE: INVENTING ROMAN ART3
HART 364GENDER AND SEXUALITY IN FILM3
HART 365ART BETWEEN THE WARS: EUROPEAN MODERNISM, 1918-19403
HART 369STATE OF THE ART3
HART 374THE VISUAL CULTURE OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION3
HART 377 / MDEM 377MEDIEVAL MANUSCRIPTS3
HART 379THE AESTHETICS OF REALISM: FROM COURBET TO THE WIRE3
HART 380 / ENGL 373 / FILM 373SURVEY OF AMERICAN FILM AND CULTURE3
HART 381COLLAGE AND ITS HISTORIES3
HART 389JUSTICE AND CINEMA3
HART 390THINKING MODERN DRAWING: ON SITE AT THE MENIL DRAWING INSTITUTE3
HART 395ROMAN ARCHAEOLOGY: FIELD SCHOOL3
HART 400BAYOU BEND UNDERGRADUATE INTERNSHIP I3
HART 401BAYOU BEND UNDERGRADUATE INTERNSHIP II3
HART 427VISUAL CULATURE OF MEDIEVAL PILGRIMAGE3
HART 433THE BAYEUX TAPESTRY AND THE ANGLO-NORMAN WORLD3
HART 451MODELS OF ABSTRACTION3
HART 452MANET(S) AND MODERNISM(S)3
HART 480 / ARTS 435 / FILM 435SEMINAR ON FILM AUTHORSHIP: THE NEW HOLLYWOOD4
HART 495READINGS IN MEDIA HISTORY AND THEORY3

Geographical Areas or Cultural Traditions Breadth - Islamic Cultures Courses

HART 221INTRODUCTION TO ISLAMIC ART AND ARCHITECTURE: CITIES, MOSQUES, PALACES3
HART 316ART OF THE OBJECT: CRAFT, SENSORY EXPERIENCE, AND MATERIALITY IN ISLAMICATE LANDS3
HART 319ARCHITECTURE, TRADE, AND POWER IN EARLY MODERN ISLAMIC EMPIRES3
HART 324PERSIANATE ARTS OF THE BOOK3
HART 385ARCHITECTURE AND LITERATURE IN ISLAMIC CULTURES3

Geographical Areas or Cultural Traditions Breadth - Latin America/the Caribbean Courses

HART 265A VISUAL CULTURE TRAVELOGUE: ART AND POLITICS IN MODERN LATIN AMERICA3
HART 304 / FILM 339 / SPAN 392A REVOLUTION FROM WITHIN: TRENDS IN CONTEMPORARY CUBAN CULTURE3
HART 329RACE AND ART IN MODERN LATIN AMERICA3
HART 408EXTRACTIVE ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM IN LATIN AMERICA3

Geographical Areas or Cultural Traditions Breadth - Global Courses

CMST 202HISTORY OF CINEMA AND MEDIA PART II: 1945-PRESENT3
HART 203GLOBAL MODERNISM: TWENTIETH AND TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY MODERNISM FROM AROUND THE WORLD3
HART 228INTRO. TO A HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE: IDEAL CITIES, CANONIC BUILDINGS, AND THEIR POLITICS3
HART 280 / ARTS 280 / FILM 280HISTORY & AESTHETICS OF FILM4
HART 284 / FILM 284NONFICTION FILM4
HART 307WOMEN IN ANCIENT ART3
HART 325COFFEEHOUSES AND TEAHOUSES: A GLOBAL HISTORY3
HART 367ARCHITECTURES OF POWER, RESISTANCE, AND COEXISTENCE: A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE3
HART 383 / FILM 383GLOBAL CINEMA4

Geographical Areas or Cultural Traditions Breadth - Cultural Exchange Courses

HART 225 / ARCH 225INTRODUCTION TO ARCHITECTURAL THINKING3
HART 286 / ENGL 286CLASSICAL AND CONTEMPORARY FILM3
HART 302FROM THE SUBLIME TO THE SUSTAINABLE: ART, ARCHITECTURE AND NATURE3
HART 315ART AND ACTIVISM: CREATIVE PROTESTS IN THE 20TH CENTURY AMERICAS3
HART 345 / ARCH 345FOUNDATIONS IN THE HISTORY AND THEORY OF ARCHITECTURE I (1450-1850)3
HART 375 / ARCH 375LATIN-EUROPE/LATIN-AMERICA: THE AESTHETICS AND POLITICS OF MODERN CITIES3
HART 462THE WHITENESS OF GREEN: A HISTORY OF RACIALIZED LANDSCAPES3
HART 473EVOLUTION CUSTOM BUILT: ARCHITECTURE, GENETICS, AND THE ANTHROPOCENE3

Seminar Courses

CLAS 225AUGUSTUS AND THE 'GOLDEN AGE' OF ROME3
HART 302FROM THE SUBLIME TO THE SUSTAINABLE: ART, ARCHITECTURE AND NATURE3
HART 304 / FILM 339 / SPAN 392A REVOLUTION FROM WITHIN: TRENDS IN CONTEMPORARY CUBAN CULTURE3
HART 305POST WAR: ART IN EUROPE, 1945-20003
HART 306WHAT ARTISTS CITE: CORE TEACHINGS IN BLACK STUDIES3
HART 307WOMEN IN ANCIENT ART3
HART 312 / MUCH 308ADVANCED STUDY IN MUSEUMS AND HERITAGE: ARTS OF ANCIENT MEDITERRANEAN AT THE MENIL COLLECTION3
HART 315ART AND ACTIVISM: CREATIVE PROTESTS IN THE 20TH CENTURY AMERICAS3
HART 316ART OF THE OBJECT: CRAFT, SENSORY EXPERIENCE, AND MATERIALITY IN ISLAMICATE LANDS3
HART 317MODERN ART AND MONSTROSITY3
HART 318AFRICAN DIASPORA STUDIES: IMAGE & THEORY3
HART 319ARCHITECTURE, TRADE, AND POWER IN EARLY MODERN ISLAMIC EMPIRES3
HART 320ART, SCIENCE, AND MAGIC IN THE MEDIEVAL WORLD3
HART 323 / ASIA 323 / MDEM 323BUDDHIST AND DAOIST ART AND RITUAL3
HART 324PERSIANATE ARTS OF THE BOOK3
HART 328 / RELI 375EPIPHANIES: SEEING IN A NEW LIGHT AND RECOGNIZING THE RADIANCE3
HART 329RACE AND ART IN MODERN LATIN AMERICA3
HART 331BRITISH ART AND AESTHETICS, 1700-19003
HART 334PICASSO, POLLOCK, WARHOL3
HART 336 / ASIA 355 / FILM 336CINEMA AND THE CITY3
HART 338HART IN THE WORLD SPRING SEMINAR3
HART 347 / RELI 343SEMINAR ON LOVE3
HART 349TRENDS IN CONTEMPORARY ART3
HART 352BLACK CONTEMPORARY ART : SPECULATIVE (UN)MAKINGS3
HART 354AGE OF ROMANTICISM IN EUROPE3
HART 358IMPRESSIONISM AND POST-IMPRESSIONISM3
HART 363SENSORIAL QUEERNESS : QUEERING THE SENSORIAL3
HART 364GENDER AND SEXUALITY IN FILM3
HART 365ART BETWEEN THE WARS: EUROPEAN MODERNISM, 1918-19403
HART 366RADICAL BLACK THOUGHT IN THE STUDIO: ARTISTS CITING BLACK STUDIES3
HART 367ARCHITECTURES OF POWER, RESISTANCE, AND COEXISTENCE: A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE3
HART 369STATE OF THE ART3
HART 371 / ASIA 371HOW TO READ CHINESE PAINTING3
HART 374THE VISUAL CULTURE OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION3
HART 375 / ARCH 375LATIN-EUROPE/LATIN-AMERICA: THE AESTHETICS AND POLITICS OF MODERN CITIES3
HART 377 / MDEM 377MEDIEVAL MANUSCRIPTS3
HART 379THE AESTHETICS OF REALISM: FROM COURBET TO THE WIRE3
HART 380 / ENGL 373 / FILM 373SURVEY OF AMERICAN FILM AND CULTURE3
HART 381COLLAGE AND ITS HISTORIES3
HART 383 / FILM 383GLOBAL CINEMA4
HART 385ARCHITECTURE AND LITERATURE IN ISLAMIC CULTURES3
HART 389JUSTICE AND CINEMA3
HART 390THINKING MODERN DRAWING: ON SITE AT THE MENIL DRAWING INSTITUTE3
HART 408EXTRACTIVE ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM IN LATIN AMERICA3
HART 412 / ARCH 412ADVANCED SEMINAR IN ARCHITECTURE3
HART 427VISUAL CULATURE OF MEDIEVAL PILGRIMAGE3
HART 433THE BAYEUX TAPESTRY AND THE ANGLO-NORMAN WORLD3
HART 451MODELS OF ABSTRACTION3
HART 452MANET(S) AND MODERNISM(S)3
HART 462THE WHITENESS OF GREEN: A HISTORY OF RACIALIZED LANDSCAPES3
HART 473EVOLUTION CUSTOM BUILT: ARCHITECTURE, GENETICS, AND THE ANTHROPOCENE3
HART 480 / ARTS 435 / FILM 435SEMINAR ON FILM AUTHORSHIP: THE NEW HOLLYWOOD4
HART 495READINGS IN MEDIA HISTORY AND THEORY3
MUCH 200THE ARTS IN THE PROFESSIONAL WORLD3

History of Architecture Courses  

ASIA 214ART & WORLD CULTURAL HERITAGE SITES IN CHINA, JAPAN AND KOREA3
HART 101 / CLAS 102 / MDEM 111INTRODUCTION TO THE HISTORY OF ART I: ANCIENT TO MEDIEVAL3
HART 118A GLOBAL ARCHITECTURE HISTORY I3
HART 201ART AND ARCHITECTURE OF ANCIENT ROME3
HART 203GLOBAL MODERNISM: TWENTIETH AND TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY MODERNISM FROM AROUND THE WORLD3
HART 216 / CLAS 218CITIES, SANCTUARIES, CIVILIZATIONS: INTRODUCTION TO GREEK ART AND ARCHAEOLOGY3
HART 220INTRODUCTION TO MEDIEVAL ART AND ARCHITECTURE OF WESTERN EUROPE3
HART 221INTRODUCTION TO ISLAMIC ART AND ARCHITECTURE: CITIES, MOSQUES, PALACES3
HART 225 / ARCH 225INTRODUCTION TO ARCHITECTURAL THINKING3
HART 228INTRO. TO A HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE: IDEAL CITIES, CANONIC BUILDINGS, AND THEIR POLITICS3
HART 265A VISUAL CULTURE TRAVELOGUE: ART AND POLITICS IN MODERN LATIN AMERICA3
HART 302FROM THE SUBLIME TO THE SUSTAINABLE: ART, ARCHITECTURE AND NATURE3
HART 304 / FILM 339 / SPAN 392A REVOLUTION FROM WITHIN: TRENDS IN CONTEMPORARY CUBAN CULTURE3
HART 315ART AND ACTIVISM: CREATIVE PROTESTS IN THE 20TH CENTURY AMERICAS3
HART 319ARCHITECTURE, TRADE, AND POWER IN EARLY MODERN ISLAMIC EMPIRES3
HART 321AMERICAN ART, 1800-19203
HART 325COFFEEHOUSES AND TEAHOUSES: A GLOBAL HISTORY3
HART 330 / MDEM 330EARLY MEDIEVAL ART3
HART 332 / MDEM 332ART OF THE COURTS3
HART 339AMERICAN ART AND ARCHITECTURE I: 1620-18003
HART 345 / ARCH 345FOUNDATIONS IN THE HISTORY AND THEORY OF ARCHITECTURE I (1450-1850)3
HART 360FROM REPUBLIC TO EMPIRE: INVENTING ROMAN ART3
HART 367ARCHITECTURES OF POWER, RESISTANCE, AND COEXISTENCE: A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE3
HART 372 / ASIA 372 / MDEM 373CHINESE ART AND THE WORLD3
HART 375 / ARCH 375LATIN-EUROPE/LATIN-AMERICA: THE AESTHETICS AND POLITICS OF MODERN CITIES3
HART 385ARCHITECTURE AND LITERATURE IN ISLAMIC CULTURES3
HART 408EXTRACTIVE ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM IN LATIN AMERICA3
HART 412 / ARCH 412ADVANCED SEMINAR IN ARCHITECTURE3
HART 462THE WHITENESS OF GREEN: A HISTORY OF RACIALIZED LANDSCAPES3
HART 473EVOLUTION CUSTOM BUILT: ARCHITECTURE, GENETICS, AND THE ANTHROPOCENE3

Policies for the BA Degree with a Major in Art History

Program Restrictions and Exclusions

Students pursuing the major in Art History should be aware of the following program restriction:

Transfer Credit 

For Rice University’s policy regarding transfer credit, see Transfer Credit. Some departments and programs have additional restrictions on transfer credit. Requests for transfer credit must be approved for Rice equivalency by the designated transfer credit advisor for the appropriate academic department offering the Rice equivalent course (corresponding to the subject code of the course content). The Office of Academic Advising maintains the university’s official list of transfer credit advisors on their website: https://oaa.rice.edu. Students are encouraged to meet with the applicable transfer credit advisor as well as their academic program director when considering transfer credit possibilities. 

Departmental Transfer Credit Guidelines

Students pursuing the major in Art History should be aware of the following departmental transfer credit guidelines:

  • No more than 4 courses (12 credit hours) of transfer credit from U.S. or international universities of similar standing as Rice may apply towards the major.
  • Transfer credit received via the articulation of approved exam credit (HART 100), such as Advanced Placement (AP) credit, International Baccalaureate (IB) credit, or A-level credit will not be considered towards major requirements.

Distribution Credit Information

The determination of distribution credit eligibility is done initially as part of the new course creation process. Additionally, as part of an annual roll call coordinated each Spring by the Office of the Registrar, course distribution credit eligibility is routinely reviewed and reaffirmed by the Dean’s Offices of each of the academic schools.  

Faculty and leadership in the academic schools are responsible for ensuring that the courses identified as distribution-credit-eligible meet the criteria as set in the General Announcements. Students are responsible for ensuring that they meet graduation requirements by completing coursework designated as distribution-credit-eligible at the time of course registration. 

Distribution courses from Art History (HART) introduce students to fundamental historical and/or methodological concepts for the study of art, architecture, and material culture. They aim to develop key skills in looking at, writing about, and discussing works of art and their historical roles. These courses may introduce a broad historical overview (Renaissance to the present, etc.), a more specific historical period or concept (Baroque, modernism, ancient Rome, etc.), or a cultural idea or practice that has been important for art's history (pilgrimage, iconoclasm, etc.).

​Additional Information

For additional information, please see the Art History website: https://arthistory.rice.edu/.

Opportunities for the BA Degree with a Major in Art History

Academic Honors

The university recognizes academic excellence achieved over an undergraduate’s academic history at Rice. For information on university honors, please see Latin Honors (summa cum laude, magna cum laude, and cum laude) and Distinction in Research and Creative Work. Some departments have department-specific Honors awards or designations.

Departmental Honors Program in Art History

The departmental honors designation is reserved for those accepted into the Art History Honors Program. Students apply (via the departmental Director of Undergraduate Studies) no earlier than spring of the sophomore year and no later than spring of the junior year, and once accepted, they will be assigned to a faculty mentor. Financial assistance is available for honors students to conduct research between their junior and senior years. Students pursuing this opportunity will have a stronger engagement with art historical research to better prepare for a graduate degree in art history. 

To remain in the Honors Program, students must maintain an overall grade point average of 3.30 or higher and receive an A (4.00 grade points) or A- (3.67 grade points) in both semesters of the Honors Thesis (HART 402 and HART 403) taken in their senior year. Students who maintain a grade point average of 3.70 or higher and who receive an A (4.00 grade points) in both semesters of the Honors Thesis (HART 402 and HART 403) may be awarded high honors by vote of the department. If students are not able to maintain the requirements of the Departmental Honors Program, they can still graduate with the Art History major.

Departmental Honors Program Requirements

To satisfy the requirements for the Departmental Honors Program in Art History, Art History majors must complete 12 courses (36 credit hours) as listed below. A minimum of 6 courses (18 credit hours) must be taken at the 300-level or above. Note: please see the Requirements tab for course lists to satisfy each requirement listed below. 

Chronological Breadth
Select a minimum of 1 course at the 200-level or above from each of the following 3 chronological areas (see Requirements tab for course lists)9
Up to c. 1400 CE
c. 1400 to 1750 CE
c. 1750 CE to Present
Geographical Areas or Cultural Traditions Breadth
Select a minimum of 1 course at the 200-level or above from 3 of the following 7 geographical areas or cultural tradition areas (see Requirements tab for course lists)9
Africa/African Diaspora/African American Cultures
Asia
Europe/Post-Colonization North America
Islamic Cultures
Latin America/the Caribbean
Global
Cultural Exchange
Elective Requirements
Select a minimum of 2 additional courses as Electives from departmental (HART) course offerings6
Seminar 1
Select a minimum of 3 courses (see Requirements tab for course list)9
Honors Thesis 2
HART 402HONORS THESIS (Senior Year, Fall Semester)3
HART 403HONORS THESIS (Senior Year, Spring Semester)3
Total Credit Hours36

Footnotes and Additional Information 

It is strongly recommended that majors in Art History acquire proficiency in at least one foreign language.

In addition, Art History majors are encouraged to take advantage of the opportunities provided by museum internships, study abroad programs, and travel fellowships. 

​Additional Information

For additional information, please see the Art History website: https://arthistory.rice.edu/.