Art History
Why pursue a degree in Art History at North Central College?
The art history program prepares students for 21st century careers that require careful analysis, interpretation, and communication of visual information. You will use visual analysis methodology to think critically about art from a range of historical periods and geographic regions, while conducting graduate-level research and critical reading of theory.
You can also enhance your studies with an additional major or minor, study abroad opportunities, and North Central’s proximity to world-class art institutions in Chicago.
Graduates pursue opportunities in areas such as archives and curatorship, art therapy, commercial design and digital communications, studio art, graphic design, education, arts administration, and historical preservation.
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN
- Traveling through time
- Experiencing the world
- Sharpening your communication and writing skills
then a degree in ART HISTORY might be for you.
Why study art history at North Central College?
In the Classroom
Coursework topics:
- African American Art
- American Art
- Chicago Art and Architecture
- Contemporary Art
- Latin American Art
- Modern Art
- Modern Industrial Design
- Museum Studies
- World Art Histories
Beyond the Classroom
As an art history major, you can:
- Intern at local museums, studios, galleries, auction houses and organizations
- Enroll in Chicago Term to experience living in the city while taking courses from North Central professors
- Conduct graduate-level research with an independent study, Honors Program thesis or a Richter Grant
- Access the University Partner Program offered by the Art Institute of Chicago:
- North Central students can gain admittance to the AIC free of charge with their North Central Student ID
- Experience lectures, educational programs, and other special events
Art History, B.A.
The art history program prepares students for twenty-first century careers that require careful analysis, interpretation, and communication of visual information. Using visual analysis research methodology, students learn to think critically about art from a range of historical periods and geographic regions. Students can enhance their studies with an additional major or minor, study abroad or Chicago term and internships. Graduates pursue opportunities in areas such as archives and curatorship, art therapy, commercial design and digital communications, education, arts administration and historic preservation. Students planning to pursue graduate study in art history should have at least one foreign language.
For additional programs and courses in this department, see Art and Design.
Art History Core Courses
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ARTH 100 - World Art Histories I
ARTH 100 - World Art Histories I
4.00 credit hours
Art history survey of visual art and architecture until 1400 CE. Geographic regions considered include the Mediterranean, Near East, Europe, Asia and Africa, emphasizing interactions between cultures.
-
ARTH 102 - World Art Histories II
ARTH 102 - World Art Histories II
4.00 credit hours
Art history survey of visual art and architecture from 1400 CE through today. Geographic regions considered include the Americas, Europe, Asia and Africa, emphasizing interactions between cultures.
-
ARTH 490 - Art History Seminar
ARTH 490 - Art History Seminar
4.00 credit hours
Historiography and theory of the discipline of art history serve as the foundation for intensive study of an individually selected topic using advanced research and writing methods.
One of the following:
-
ARTH 200 - Chicago Art and Architecture
ARTH 200 - Chicago Art and Architecture
4.00 credit hours
Development of the city of Chicago including architecture, public art and urban design. Emphasis on analysis of urban challenges and the application of design solutions. Field trips.
-
ARTH 202 - Museum Studies
ARTH 202 - Museum Studies
4.00 credit hours
Introduction to the history and methods of museum work from an interdisciplinary perspective. In addition to professions and standards of the field, emphasis on the theory and analysis of exhibitions and application of curatorial methods. Field trips.
Art History Electives
Twelve credits from the following, with no more than four credits from internships, practica or independent studies:
-
ARTH 300 - Art of the Nineteenth Century
ARTH 300 - Art of the Nineteenth Century
4.00 credit hours
History of nineteenth-century art and visual culture with an emphasis on Europe and its interaction with the broader world. Art production in conjunction with political and cultural debates regarding race, class and gender as they pertain to "the long nineteenth century."
-
ARTH 302 - Modern Art
ARTH 302 - Modern Art
4.00 credit hours
Historical development of modernism in the visual arts and architecture 1870-1970. Emphasis on theory, research and writing.
-
ARTH 304 - Contemporary Art
ARTH 304 - Contemporary Art
4.00 credit hours
Historical development of contemporary art internationally in the visual arts and architecture 1960-today. Emphasis on theory, research and writing.
-
ARTH 306 - History of Design
ARTH 306 - History of Design
4.00 credit hours
Art history of design from 1700 to the present. Consideration of the cultural role of major designers in finding creative solutions to human needs, such as shelter, clothing, utilitarian objects, visual communications, transportation and built environments in a variety of social contexts.
-
ARTH 310 - American Art
ARTH 310 - American Art
4.00 credit hours
History of art and visual culture of the United States from pre-contact through today. Emphasis on cross-cultural influences, international exchanges and representation of the landscape as the country seeks to define itself through visual media.
-
ARTH 312 - African American Art
ARTH 312 - African American Art
4.00 credit hours
History of African American art and visual culture from the colonial period through today. Emphasis on art production in conjunction with the political and cultural debates regarding race, class and gender as they pertain to the African American experience.
-
ARTH 314 - Latin American Art
ARTH 314 - Latin American Art
4.00 credit hours
History of Latin American art and visual culture from the twentieth century to today. Emphasis on art production and theory in conjunction with the political and cultural debates regarding class, gender, colonialism and immigration as they pertain to the Latin American experience.
-
ARTH 397 - Internship
ARTH 397 - Internship
0.00-12.00 credit hours
Valuable professional experiences supplement classroom instruction and allow students to apply theories and concepts to broader issues and system. Students explore career options within a specific area of study and critically reflect on the experience in a structured manner. May be repeated with different professional experience.
-
ARTH 399 - Independent Study
ARTH 399 - Independent Study
1.00-12.00 credit hours
Individual studies undertaken with guidance of a faculty member. May be repeated with different content.
-
ARTH 495 - Research Practicum
ARTH 495 - Research Practicum
1.00-4.00 credit hours
Students work in collaboration with faculty on ongoing research. Activities vary according to the project needs and student background, but may include data collection, data coding and entry, bibliographic construction, literature review, materials preparation, studio work or exhibition design. This course is graded pass/no pass.
-
ARTH 497 - Internship
ARTH 497 - Internship
0.00-12.00 credit hours
Valuable professional experiences supplement classroom instruction and allow students to apply theories and concepts to broader issues and system. Students explore career options within a specific area of study and critically reflect on the experience in a structured manner. May be repeated with different professional experience.
-
ARTH 499 - Independent Study
ARTH 499 - Independent Study
1.00-12.00 credit hours
Individual studies undertaken with guidance of a faculty member. May be repeated with different content.
Required Support Courses
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PHIL 270 - Aesthetics
PHIL 270 - Aesthetics
4.00 credit hours
An examination of aesthetic experience, the norms which govern aesthetc judgment and the significance of the idea of beauty in our experience of art and nature.
- One Studio Art course, excluding
One of the following:
-
ARTH 320 - Topics in Classical Art
ARTH 320 - Topics in Classical Art
4.00 credit hours
Selected study of Classical art from the Greek, Hellenistic or Roman period. Emphasis on the variety of ideologies and materials that characterize Classical art, how its development was influenced by earlier art traditions, and how the diverse strands of Classical art and culture are still recognizable in our contemporary world.
-
CLSS 250 - Classical Mythology
CLSS 250 - Classical Mythology
4.00 credit hours
A study of classical mythology based on ancient Greek and Roman sources, such as the epic poems of Homer. Course also considers theoretical definitions of myth; cross-cultural comparisons of mythological traditions, and post-classical reception of myths in art, literature and popular culture.
-
CLSS 255 - Greek and Roman History and Historians
CLSS 255 - Greek and Roman History and Historians
4.00 credit hours
Survey of major developments in Greek and Roman history from roughly 800 BCE–400 CE. In addition to understanding how societies in ancient Greece and Rome built, defended and lost their empires, the course also studies the social, cultural and environmental experiences of these complex civilizations. Students read modern historical interpretations as well as translated ancient historical sources of the period.
Students must demonstrate elementary competence in a foreign language. For more information, see the
Art History Minor
For additional programs and courses in this department, see Art and Design.
The minor in Art History requires 20 credit hours, including:
-
ARTH 102 - World Art Histories II
ARTH 102 - World Art Histories II
4.00 credit hours
Art history survey of visual art and architecture from 1400 CE through today. Geographic regions considered include the Americas, Europe, Asia and Africa, emphasizing interactions between cultures.
-
ARTH 490 - Art History Seminar
ARTH 490 - Art History Seminar
4.00 credit hours
Historiography and theory of the discipline of art history serve as the foundation for intensive study of an individually selected topic using advanced research and writing methods.
Electives
Eight credit hours from the following:
-
ARTH 100 - World Art Histories I
ARTH 100 - World Art Histories I
4.00 credit hours
Art history survey of visual art and architecture until 1400 CE. Geographic regions considered include the Mediterranean, Near East, Europe, Asia and Africa, emphasizing interactions between cultures.
-
ARTH 200 - Chicago Art and Architecture
ARTH 200 - Chicago Art and Architecture
4.00 credit hours
Development of the city of Chicago including architecture, public art and urban design. Emphasis on analysis of urban challenges and the application of design solutions. Field trips.
-
ARTH 202 - Museum Studies
ARTH 202 - Museum Studies
4.00 credit hours
Introduction to the history and methods of museum work from an interdisciplinary perspective. In addition to professions and standards of the field, emphasis on the theory and analysis of exhibitions and application of curatorial methods. Field trips.
-
ARTH 300 - Art of the Nineteenth Century
ARTH 300 - Art of the Nineteenth Century
4.00 credit hours
History of nineteenth-century art and visual culture with an emphasis on Europe and its interaction with the broader world. Art production in conjunction with political and cultural debates regarding race, class and gender as they pertain to "the long nineteenth century."
-
ARTH 302 - Modern Art
ARTH 302 - Modern Art
4.00 credit hours
Historical development of modernism in the visual arts and architecture 1870-1970. Emphasis on theory, research and writing.
-
ARTH 304 - Contemporary Art
ARTH 304 - Contemporary Art
4.00 credit hours
Historical development of contemporary art internationally in the visual arts and architecture 1960-today. Emphasis on theory, research and writing.
-
ARTH 306 - History of Design
ARTH 306 - History of Design
4.00 credit hours
Art history of design from 1700 to the present. Consideration of the cultural role of major designers in finding creative solutions to human needs, such as shelter, clothing, utilitarian objects, visual communications, transportation and built environments in a variety of social contexts.
-
ARTH 310 - American Art
ARTH 310 - American Art
4.00 credit hours
History of art and visual culture of the United States from pre-contact through today. Emphasis on cross-cultural influences, international exchanges and representation of the landscape as the country seeks to define itself through visual media.
-
ARTH 312 - African American Art
ARTH 312 - African American Art
4.00 credit hours
History of African American art and visual culture from the colonial period through today. Emphasis on art production in conjunction with the political and cultural debates regarding race, class and gender as they pertain to the African American experience.
-
ARTH 314 - Latin American Art
ARTH 314 - Latin American Art
4.00 credit hours
History of Latin American art and visual culture from the twentieth century to today. Emphasis on art production and theory in conjunction with the political and cultural debates regarding class, gender, colonialism and immigration as they pertain to the Latin American experience.
-
ARTH 320 - Topics in Classical Art
ARTH 320 - Topics in Classical Art
4.00 credit hours
Selected study of Classical art from the Greek, Hellenistic or Roman period. Emphasis on the variety of ideologies and materials that characterize Classical art, how its development was influenced by earlier art traditions, and how the diverse strands of Classical art and culture are still recognizable in our contemporary world.
Advanced Electives
Four credit hour of Art History at the 300-level or above.
Art History Internships and Jobs
A North Central education integrates career preparation with rich academic study. Our faculty encourages you to refine and apply your knowledge in an interconnected world. Here you'll learn to think independently and work globally to solve problems and lead.
Recent research, internships, and post-graduate study
- Richter grant to study art museums in Paris
- Study abroad semester in Japan
- Collections management intern, The Field Museum
- Education department intern, The Art Institute of Chicago
- MFA, University of Edinburgh Marketing intern, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago
- Marketing Intern, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago
Careers
Recent graduates in art history include:
- Museum curators
- Docents
- Gallery managers
- Publishers
- Graphic designers
- Architects
- Historic preservationist
- College professors
- Teachers
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