Art History

The Department of Art and Art History offers an A.B. degree in Art History and a minor in Art History.  

For information on the major and minor in ART please go to the Art page of this bulletin. 

Major in Art History

A major in Art History consists of ten courses (30 credits): nine courses in Art History and one course in Studio Art. No more than two courses taken outside the Department of Art and Art History (e.g., cross-listed courses, study abroad courses, and courses transferred from other institutions) may count toward the major in Art History. Courses must meet the following criteria, though the Director of Undergraduate Studies may make exceptions in some cases.

Requirements for the A.B. in Art History

  • Five courses at the distribution level (1000-2000) that address at least three of the following areas of temporal focus: Ancient World; Late Antiquity/Medieval; Renaissance/Early Modern; 19th c. to Contemporary. At least two of these courses must be centered either on transregional or regional foci beyond the U.S./Europe or on Indigenous cultures.
  • One studio (ARTS) course, taken at GU (or elsewhere with pre-approval of the Director of Undergraduate Studies, ARTS)
  • Four courses at the advanced level (3000 and above), which may comprise:
    • At least two 4000-level seminars at Georgetown, with an emphasis on advanced writing and research. Note that these are mandatory for all majors and this requirement is not met by the thesis course.
    • 3000 or 4000-level elective courses
    • One 4000-level thesis/directed study (ARTH 4998)
    • One pre-approved and graded fieldwork/internship (ARTH 4950)
    • One graduate-level course (5000 and above, with special permission of Director of Undergraduate Studies and Graduate Instructor)

Up to two courses may be taken abroad or in other departments (with permission of the Director of Undergraduate Studies), but not applied toward the 4000-level requirements.

Integrated Writing

Writing is essential to art history. While 1000-level courses tend to emphasize familiarity with key concepts and case studies from the discipline, shorter-form and more expressive/analytic writing occurs in many of the distribution-level courses. Students will complete longer-form writing with increasing emphasis on original thinking, research methods, and cogent presentation of findings for a broader readership at the advanced level, including at least two research-paper-focused seminars at the 4000-level. Some students will also elect to write a substantive, written thesis project. While many genres of writing are introduced and cultivated throughout the program in Art History, the Integrated Writing Requirement is met, in the main, by the four advanced-level courses.

Minor in Art History

A minor in Art History consists of six courses in the discipline, with the following guidelines:

  • At least three courses at the distribution (1000-2000) level
  • One each in courses that focus primarily on the period before 1600 CE and after 1600 CE, regardless of the level
  • It is possible to major in Art and minor in Art History or vice versa. Minors who are not majors in either Art or Art History may take one course at Georgetown in the other discipline for credit toward the minor
  • One course may be taken abroad with prior approval
  • Internships do not apply to the minor, though some courses taught in non-ARTH departments may, with approval of the Director of Undergraduate Studies

For course listings for Art and Art History see Schedule of Classes.