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B.A. Major & Minor Requirements

Bachelor of Arts in the College of Liberal Arts

Using a wide variety of methodological approaches, the art history faculty develop in students an awareness, knowledge, and appreciation of the visual environment from all periods of history.

All 1xxx level courses and most 3xxx level courses do not have prerequisites and are intended for general audiences. Students who intend to apply for graduate school are strongly encouraged to take as many 5xxx-level courses from as many different professors as possible. In addition to the B.A., the department offers the M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in art history.

Major in Art History (All courses must be taken A-F.)

Lower Division Requirement

Art Practice, (4 credits; consult the Director of Undergraduate Studies)

Upper Division Requirements (Minimum of 25 credits)

• At least five 3xxx level Art History lecture or Junior-Senior Seminar courses.
• At Least two 5xxx level Art History lecture courses.
• ArtH 3971W Major Project or ArtH 3971V Honors: Major Project (1 credit; see below for further information)

ArtH 3933 and ArtH 5993 Directed Studies, ArtH 5994 Directed Research, ArtH 3975 Directed Museum Experience, and S/N credits may not be used to fulfill major requirements.

Major Project

1. No later than the end of the junior year, the student selects any 5xxx-level Art History course or ArtH 3930 Junior-Senior Seminar (or ArtH 3930V Honors: Junior-Senior Seminar) or an 8xxx-level seminar (permission of instructor and DUGS required) or a University of Minnesota study abroad Art History course (permission of instructor and DUGS required). to be designated as the "Project Course".
2. The student obtains permission from the instructor of the proposed "Project Course" who signs a copy of the Art History Major Form.
3. The student delivers a copy of the signed approval to the Director of Undergraduate Studies.
4. The student completes a research paper for the "Project Course" as a part of the usual course requirements. It is graded and becomes a part of the course grade which is submitted at the end of the semester.
5. The following semester, the student registers in ArtH 3971W Major Project or ArtH 3971V Honors: Major Project (note special requirements for honors). Course entry approval codes are available for both from the Director of Undergraduate Studies. This is not a lecture course; rather, the student arranges for individual appointments with the instructor of the "Project Course." Under the supervision of the instructor, the student develops the research paper of the "Project Course" into the Major Project.

Honors in Art History

Courses

• ArtH 1016V Honors: Introduction to Asian Art
• ArtH 3930V Honors: Junior-Senior Seminar
• ArtH 3971V Honors: Major Project

Requirements

• At least a 3.5 GPA in all credits earned after completion of the 60th semester credit.
• At least 4 honors opportunities after completion of the 60th semester credit. (At least 2 of the 4 must be honors classroom experiences. All courses used to satisfy honors requirements must be at the 3xxx level or higher.)

1. At least 1 honors opportunity must be outside Art History. Recommended is a College Honors Seminar (HSem).
2. At least 1 of the 4 must be from the following:
   1. An Art History honors course: ArtH 3930V Honors: Junior-Senior Seminar or, with an honors contract which requires the permission of the instructor, any 3xxx or 5xxx level Art History lecture course.
   2. ArtH 3993 or ArtH 5993 Directed Studies or ArtH 5994 Directed Research, of at least 3 credits (which may not be used to count toward the major requirements; requires instructor and departmental approval.)
   3. A graduate seminar (8xxx level; requires special permission from the instructor and the Director of Graduate Studies).
3. ArtH 3971V Honors: Major Project

   The resulting research paper (about 15 pages in length) of a candidate for the degree cum laude and magna cum laude must demonstrate the ability to accomplish independent or original work as evaluated by the faculty advisor. A candidate for the degree suma cum laude must write an acceptable thesis (usually a minimum of 20 pages) which is approved unanimously by a committee of three faculty members from the Art History department and one from a department outside the major.

4. An additional honors opportunity, either within art history, or not.

For additional information, please see the College of Liberal Arts Honors web site.

Minor in Art History (All courses must be taken A/F)

Requirements (Minimum of 14 credits, upper division)

1. At least three 3xxx level Art History lecture or Junior-Senior seminar courses. One 1xxx level art history course may be substituted for one of these 3xxx level courses
2. At least one 5xxx level Art History lecture course.

ArtH 3993 and ArtH 5993 Directed Studies, ArtH 5994 Directed Research, ArtH 3975 Directed Museum Experience, and S/N credits may not be used to fulfill minor requirements.

Additional Notes

• For many students, especially Studio Art majors, only two more courses than those required for the minor are required for a second major in Art History. Double majors write the Major Project in only one major.
• Some courses in American Indian Studies, Afro-American Studies, American Studies, Architecture, Classical Civilization, Classical and Near Eastern Studies, East Asian Studies, and Medieval Studies may be applied toward the major or minor. Consult the Director of Undergraduate Studies.
• "Career Alternatives for Art Historians" is a very interesting web page.
• The Art History Undergraduate Association (AHUGA), 374 Heller Hall, meets regularly and plans various activities. Membership is open to students majoring or minoring in Art History, or to others interested in the history of art. The organization elects representatives with full voting rights to the departmental meetings and to various committees.
• Annually, several students are nominated by the Department of Art History for the competition in CLA for various types of scholarships. In addition, every other year, some scholarship aid is available for undergraduate majors in support of travel abroad for research and study.
• Students are strongly encouraged to consider studying in a foreign country. Credit for appropriate course work may be applied to either the major or minor in Art History with the approval of the Director of Undergraduate Studies.
• Although they may not be applied to either the major or minor in Art History, the department offers the possibility of independent and directed study. Museum and gallery internships are also available for credit.

Director of Undergraduate Studies

Robert Silberman Associate Professor
Director of Undergraduate Studies
Department of Art History
University of Minnesota
310 Heller Hall
271 - 19th Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55455-0121
E-mail: arthist@umn.edu
Phone: (612) 624-4500

For additional information, please visit the Art History Degree Requirements in the University of Minnesota Catalogs On-Line.

Site last modified on February 29, 2008

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