Art History BA

Major: Art History
Degree Awarded: Bachelor of Arts (BA) 
Calendar Type: Quarter
Minimum Required Credits: 181.0
Co-op Options: One Co-op (Four years)
Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code: 50.0703
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code: 25-4011

About the Program

The history of art explores the meanings, values, and purposes of the visual arts within the historical cultures that create them. Works of fine and applied arts are understood not merely as aesthetic forms, but as expressions of the social, economic, scientific, religious, and political contexts that gave rise to them. The study of art history thus effectively serves the high purposes of a liberal education by equipping students with an understanding of world cultures and their histories from multiple disciplinary perspectives, and by encouraging the development of critical thinking, reading, research, and writing skills.  

The art history program has a uniquely flexible curricular design in that it permits students to pursue art history as either a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science degree. The BA degree is intended for students wishing to become professional art historians or who wish to supplement the art history curriculum with other courses leading to a specific career path. The BS degree is designed to allow students to combine the art history major with another major or to tailor the curriculum to their specific interests and aspirations. Both the BA and BS degrees require a total of 181.0 credit hours.

Bachelor of Arts

The BA degree requires 60.0 credit hours of art history, 75.0 credit hours of General Education courses, and 46.0 credit hours of Free Electives. The BA degree requires a strong component of Arts and Humanities courses in order to prepare students to enter the professional world of art historians by exposing them to critical reasoning, philosophy, anthropology, literature, world cultures, and foreign languages. The 46.0 credit hours of Free Electives can be used under faculty advisement to take additional art history courses, develop special competencies and areas of interest (e.g., race and gender studies; the histories of technology, science and philosophy; Asian or Africana studies; writing, literature, and criticism; design history; museum studies, etc.), or gain competencies in various applied or technical areas. This BA program requires two 3-month co-ops.

Additional Information

More information about the Art History program is available.

Degree Requirements (BA)

Writing-Intensive Course Requirements

In order to graduate, all students must pass three writing-intensive courses after their freshman year. Two writing-intensive courses must be in a student's major. The third can be in any discipline. Students are advised to take one writing-intensive class each year, beginning with the sophomore year, and to avoid “clustering” these courses near the end of their matriculation. Transfer students need to meet with an academic advisor to review the number of writing-intensive courses required to graduate.

A "WI" next to a course in this catalog may indicate that this course can fulfill a writing-intensive requirement. For the most up-to-date list of writing-intensive courses being offered, students should check the Writing Intensive Course List at the University Writing Program. Students scheduling their courses can also conduct a search for courses with the attribute "WI" to bring up a list of all writing-intensive courses available that term.

Sample Plan of Study (BA)

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COOP 101 registration is determined by the co-op cycle assigned and may be scheduled in a different term. Select students may be eligible to take COOP 001 in place of COOP 101.

Co-op/Career Opportunities

Co-op Opportunities

Drexel's enviable geographical location in the northeast corridor of the United States provides a distinct advantage for an art history program because of the proximity of many important Museums, galleries, and auction houses. The Philadelphia Museum of Art, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Barnes Foundation, Rodin Museum, Institute of Contemporary Art, and the Penn Museum of Archeology and Anthropology are all local and easily accessible. Museums, galleries and auction houses in New York, Washington, Baltimore and other east coast centers are all within a reasonable distance by train, bus, or car. These institutions will offer students an abundance of opportunities for first-hand study of the major collections of art, architecture, and design. Proximity to these institutions can also provide for many choice opportunities for cooperative education experiences.

Some possibilities include:

• Barnes  Foundation
• Philadelphia Museum of Art
• Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
• American Philosophical Society
• Moderne Gallery
• Calderwood Gallery
• RagoArts Auction House, Lambertville, NJ
• Asian Arts Initiative
• Twelve Gates Gallery for Contemporary South Asian Art
• Newark Museum, NJ
• Metropolitan Museum of Art
• Brooklyn Museum
• Mural Arts Program
• Asia Society NY
• Christie's NY

Career Opportunities

A major in art history can prepare students for a wide variety of careers, as well as preparation for graduate school.

Possible career paths:

• Museum Administrator
• Gallery Director
• Curator
• Museum Registrar
• Museum Educator
• Art Consultant
• Art Librarian
• Editor
• Art and/or Intellectual Property Law
• Artist Representative
• Non-profit and governmental organizations
• Teacher (K-12)
• Teacher/Researcher (college and university)

As a particularly broad humanities discipline, art history serves as an outstanding pre-professional degree, providing excellent preparation for a wide variety of professions, such as law, medicine, education and library science.

Visit the Drexel Steinbright Career Development Center page for more detailed information on co-op and post-graduate opportunities.

Program Level Outcomes

Art History Faculty