Mar 28, 2024  
Undergraduate Record 2016-2017 
    
Undergraduate Record 2016-2017 [ARCHIVED RECORD]

History of Art


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Requirements for Major


There are no prerequisites for entry into the department, but most students declare a major in art history after taking one or both of the department’s introductory survey courses (ARTH 1051 and 1052). While these courses are not required for majors, credit toward the major may be granted for one class at the 1000-level.

For a degree in art history, students must complete 11 courses in the department, 10 of which must be above the 1000 level. Courses taken at any time during the student’s career can be counted, including those earned while studying abroad, in summer session or in architectural history. By graduation, a student must have achieved a minimum GPA of 2.000 in major courses. (A student who does not maintain an average of 2.000 or better in departmental courses will be put on probation, and may be dropped from the program.) No course graded below C- may count for major credit.

Distribution Requirements At least one course at the 2000 level or above in each of five areas (Ancient, Medieval, Renaissance/Baroque, Modern, Non-Western); a minimum of two 4000 level seminars (either one ARTH 4051 and one ARTH 4591, or two ARTH 4591); and four electives within the department. One class at the 1000-level may be counted as elective credit. At least two of the non-seminar courses must be at the 3000 or 5000 level. Requirements may be fulfilled by appropriate courses in Architectural History at the 2000 level or above. One course in Arts Administration (ARAD) and one course in Studio Art at the 1000 level or above may count as electives.

Distinguished Majors Program in Art History


The Department’s Distinguished Majors Program (DMP) is an opportunity for qualified undergraduates to undertake substantial, independent research projects while working closely with department faculty. Participants are prepared for advanced independent research and analysis by a required seminar in art historical theory, methods, and historiography. The program culminates in the submission of a DMP thesis, a significant piece of original scholarship between fifty and ninety pages in length. Students who successfully complete the program receive departmental honors, with a degree of Distinction, High Distinction, or Highest Distinction in art history. Students should ordinarily declare their intention to apply for admission to the program by the end of the fall semester of their third year. In the spring of their third year, prospective program participants should enroll in ARTH 4051. Formal application for admission to the program is submitted in the spring of the third year. A formal application for admission to the program should be submitted to the director of the Distinguished Majors Program in the spring of the third year. To apply, students must have the approval of a faculty member who has agreed to direct their research. A GPA of at least 3.4 in the major and an overall GPA of at least 3.4 are required for admission. In their fourth year, students in the program are required to enroll in six credits of Undergraduate Thesis coursework with their faculty advisor. ARTH 4998 is taken in the Fall semester and ARTH 4999 in the Spring semester. Once theses are submitted, a committee of department faculty determines degrees of distinction. This evaluation depends above all on the level of accomplishment the thesis has attained, considered in tandem with the students’ overall performance in the major. In the case that a thesis fails to meet departmental standards, a determination of no distinction may be made. The committee passes on its recommendations to the Committee on Special Programs.

Requirements for the Minor


There are no prerequisites for a minor in art history. A student must complete 15 credits in the department, beyond the 1000 level. Courses taken at any time during the student’s career may be counted toward the minor, including those earned while studying abroad or in summer session. At the time of graduation, a student must have achieved a minimum GPA of 2.000 in the minor courses.

Minors must take at least one course in four of the five areas: Ancient, Medieval, Renaissance/Baroque, Modern, and non-Western. The fifth course may be in any field of Art History.  At least one of the five courses must be at the 3000-level, or above. One of the requirements may be fulfilled by an appropriate course in Architectural History at the 2000-level or above.

Additional Information


For more information, contact the Director of the Undergraduate Program, McIntire Department of Art, P.O. Box 400130, Charlottesville, VA 22904-4130; (434) 924- 6123; Fax: (434) 924-3647; www.virginia.edu/art.

Course Descriptions


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