B.A. in Art History

The B.A. degree in art history helps students negotiate a world saturated with images. It challenges them to confront critically the issues posed by the visual culture that mediates their understanding of the past, present and future. Built on the fertile exchange between the arts and the humanities, art history at SMU subscribes to an interdisciplinary and intercultural approach to learning. Students are taught to think across current categories and boundaries and practice a socially responsible art history. In addition to developing acute visual sensibilities, students acquire the abillity evaluate and organize information, conduct scholarly research and articulate their ideas in both written and spoken language. Students completing this course of study are prepared for advanced training in the field of art history; museum and gallery professions; or work in a broad range of other fields, including publishing, arts administration, teaching and public policy.

Note: Only courses passed with a grade of C or better will count toward the major in art history. Courses passed with a grade of C- or less may count toward other, elective requirements in a student's degree plan.

	Credit Hours
General Education Curriculum	41
Department of Art History
ARHS 4399 Seminar in Research and Methods in Art History All students must enroll in the seminar in the first term offered after declaration of the art history major.	3
Introduction to Art History (ARHS 1303, 1304, 1308) The only 1000-level courses that count toward the art history major are 1303, 1304, and 1308. Two of these are required and should be taken during the first or sophomore year.	6
Upper-Level Required Art History Courses This requirement must be satisfied at the 3000 level or higher. At least one (3 hours) of the following area requirements or electives must be taken at the 4000 level. These hours are distributed as follows: One course (3 hours) in each of the following five areas: a. Ancient art. b. Medieval art. c. Renaissance and Baroque art. d. 19th- and 20th-century art. e. Non-Western art. Three electives (9 hours) in art history in any of the five areas. Architecture corequirement: discuss with adviser for appropriate course.	24
Studio Art	3
Foreign Language Students must have completed the intermediate level (12-16 hours) in one foreign language.	12
Meadows Elective (outside of major)	3
Free Electives Many art history majors use free elective hours to complete minors or second majors in anthropology, chemistry (for conservation), English, history, international business, international studies, languages and psychology.	30
Total Hours	122

Honors Program
The Art History Honors Program is available to students with an exceptional academic record who seek a greater intellectual challenge at the end of their four years at SMU. It is conducted as a two-term sequence (fall: ARHS 4391, and spring: ARHS 4392) during senior year, and culminates in a 30-page thesis and faculty review. Students should contact the art history undergraduate adviser for more information.