Bachelor of Arts (Art History)

The mission of the B.A. program at Eastern Michigan University is to provide students with educational support in terms of knowledge and methodology, preparing them with a solid liberals arts training in critical reading, writing, and thinking skills. Upon completion of the program, students will be prepared to enter graduate programs or find work in private collections, museums and galleries, and community arts organizations. The B.A. in Art History offers a comprehensive array of classes in different formats on art across cultures and time periods. Faculty teaching in these programs pursue both excellence in teaching and an active agenda of basic research. It is hoped that students will leave the program with an understanding of why and how art is made, and how it visually expresses its cultural context, be it historical or current.

EMU's Art History program studies world cultures and their expressions in the visual arts. Students are encouraged to explore artworks as documents of particular times, places, societies, and individuals. Small upper-level classes allow for lively discussion and individual attention. With a major in art history, you'll find opportunities in community education, private collections, preservation agencies, and libraries. The major may also lead to graduate study in the field or in a related field such as archeology, museum studies or conservation.

Degree Requirements

Required Courses (18 hours)

  • ARTH 161 Survey of Non-Western History (3 hrs)
  • ARTH 162  (ART 107) Survey of Western Art I (3 hrs)
  • ARTH 263  (ART 108) Survey of Western Art II (3 hrs)
  • ARTS 121 (ART 122) Two-Dimensional Design (3 hrs)
  • ARTH 264  (ART 215) Survey of Western Art III (3 hrs)
  • ARTH 361W Art History Seminar (3 hrs)

Elective Courses (15 hours)

Pre-Renaissance Art

  • One course from the following:
  • ARTH 368 (ART 340) History of Classical Art (3 hrs)
  • ARTH 468 (ART 426) Medieval Art History (3 hrs)

Renaissance/Baroque Art

  • One course from the following:
  • ARTH 369 (ART 341) History of Renaissance Art (3 hrs)
  • ARTH 469 (ART 427) Baroque Art (3 hrs)

Modern and Contemporary Art

  • One course from the following:
  • ARTH 374 American Painting and Sculpture (3 hrs)
  • ARTH 472 History of American Architecture (3 hrs)
  • ARTH 473 Women in Art (3 hrs)
  • ARTH 475 Seminar in Modern and Contemporary Art (3 hrs)

Nonwestern or Women's Art

  • One course from the following:
  • ARTG 267 History of Asian Art (3 hrs)
  • ARTH 467 (ART 422) Art of East Asia (3 hrs)
  • ARTH 470 (ART 425) Arts of Africa (3 hrs)
  • ARTH 471 (ART 430) Mesoamerican Art (3 hrs)
  • ARTH 473 (ART 436) Women in Art (3 hrs)

Art History Elective (3 hours)

  • Any 300-level or higher art history course not taken to fulfill another requirement

Cognate (3 hours)

  • Chosen in consultation with an advisor. Please see catalog for eligible courses

Foreign Language Requirement (6-10 hours)

  • Any two sequential courses in a single foreign language

Minor Requirements (20 hours)