Major Requirements

In consultation with the Director of Undergraduate Studies and other faculty, each student develops a course of study tailored to his or her interests, building a Special Field shaped by geographical, chronological, or thematic questions.

Major in Art History

The BA in art history furnishes students with a broad knowledge of art, including architecture, even as it provides an opportunity for the complementary, intensive study of an area of special interest. The basic components of the concentration are: a Special Field, devised in consultation with departmental instructors and the Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUS); a distribution of courses outside the special field; at least two research papers in art history (emerging from ordinary course work in the department); and a seminar on art-historical methods and issues. Fourth-year students who wish to pursue honors in the major conduct independent research on a topic of their own devising, producing a BA Paper with the guidance of a faculty member and a graduate preceptor.

Program Requirements

All art history majors are encouraged to take one course in art history at the 10000-level to fulfill their general education requirement in the arts. Students can count an additional two courses at the 10000-level for the major. These courses are useful preliminaries to advanced work, and it is therefore strongly recommended that students take 10000-level courses as early as possible in their undergraduate careers. Note: Students who have formally declared the major in art history are guaranteed admission to 10000-level courses by notifying the instructor in advance and before registration.

The Standard Curriculum

Ten courses are required for the art history major. The ten courses can include two at the 10000-level. The rest should be at the 20000-level or above. The standard formula for requirements in the major goes by the sobriquet “4-3-2-1.” All art history majors must complete the following:

  • Four courses to meet a distribution requirement within the department. Questions about distribution requirements should be brought to the Director of Undergraduate Studies. Courses should be selected for maximal geographical, chronological, cultural, and methodological diversity, and for minimal overlap with the Special Field.
  • Three courses in a Special Field. Students develop the Special Field in consultation with departmental instructors and the Director of Undergraduate Studies. Because Special Fields reflect the interests of individual students, they range widely in topic, approach, and scope. Reading courses with art history faculty may be used to pursue specific questions within a Special Field. For more on the Special Field, see Special Field below.
  • Two courses as free electives. Courses outside the Department of Art History that relate directly to the Special Field are eligible to meet this requirement by petition to the Director of Undergraduate Studies.
  • One methods seminar: ARTH 29600 Doing Art History. Students are expected to take this course in their second or third year.

Two research papers of 10–15 pages, are also required for the art history major. See Research Papers below.

In all of the above cases, except for the methods seminar, graduate seminars at the 40000-level may count toward requirements in the major. Students are advised, however, that such courses impose special burdens of time and expertise, and admission to them is typically only by explicit approval of the instructor and may involve various prerequisites.

Students wishing to pursue honors in the major have additional requirements, described below under Honors.

The Special Field

The Special Field is developed by the student in consultation with instructors and the Director of Undergraduate Studies, and may take various forms. It may be defined with reference to a civilization, a chronological period, a nation-state, a cultural institution, or a suitable combination; it may be conceptual in character (e.g., art and the history of science, urban history, geography, gender and sexuality studies); it may combine historical, critical, and theoretical perspectives (e.g., politics and visual art in the twentieth century); it may be based in a particular medium or class of object (e.g., the built environment, tomb assemblages, or prints); it may combine historical and studio-practice courses (e.g., DoVA, CMST, TAPS, Music) to explore interrelations (e.g., art and dance). In many cases, courses outside the Department of Art History will be directly relevant to the Special Field; up to two such courses may be counted toward the major as free electives to complement the Special Field.

For those writing a BA Paper, the topic normally develops from the Special Field and allows for further study in the Special Field through independent research and writing.

A proposal for the Special Field, in the form of a written petition, must be received by the Director of Undergraduate Studies and approved no later than the end of a student's third year. It is strongly recommended that students complete at least two courses in their Special Field by the end of their third year. The Special Field Declaration Form is available on the Department of Art History website.

Doing Art History 

ARTH 29600 Doing Art History is designed to introduce the methods of art historical research. It is required of art history majors; if they wish, minors may take the course to satisfy a 20000-level course requirement. The course is open to both second and third year art history majors.

Research Papers

All art history majors write at least two research papers of 10–15 pages. Students who wish to write a BA Paper should complete this requirement before the beginning of their fourth year. A research paper can be:

  • a paper written to fulfill a course assignment,
  • the extension of a shorter course paper (either during the course or after its completion) to meet the page requirement, or
  • a new paper on a topic chosen in consultation with the instructor.

The paper should include an analysis of existing scholarship and other relevant source materials. The paper should also draw on that scholarship and evidence to shape and support a thesis or argument of the student's own devising. Formal analyses of works of art and analytic papers on materials assembled by the instructor do not qualify. Upon completion of the paper, students should submit the research paper completion form to the Director of Undergraduate Studies.

Honors

Art history majors who wish to pursue a BA with honors must complete the following requirements in addition to the standard curriculum. Students interested in pursuing honors must file a petition with the Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Spring Quarter of the third year. These students must register for the BA Paper writing seminar (ARTH 29800 Senior Thesis Workshop) in Autumn Quarter of the fourth year. Writing the BAPaper is a process that usually takes more than two quarters. Each student must secure the consent of an art history faculty member who will serve as his or her adviser. As students are expected to do research for the BA Paper during the summer, students are strongly encouraged to secure an advisor in the Spring Quarter of their third year. Working with a preceptor, students must then complete a BA Paper by the second week of Spring Quarter of the fourth year. The BA Paper is typically a 20- to 30-page research paper of original work that grows out of the Special Field. For more information, see BA Paper and Seminar.

To be eligible for honors in the major, students must complete both the BA seminar and the BA Paper, and must have earned a major GPA of at least 3.5 and cumulative GPA of 3.3 at the time of graduation. Please note that completion of the BA Paper does not, in itself, guarantee honors in the major. Honors are awarded by the College on the basis of a departmental nomination of exceptional BA Papers.

BA Paper and Seminar 

ARTH 29800 Senior Thesis Workshop is a workshop course offered in Autumn Quarter designed to assist students in writing and researching their BA Papers. Students typically take the seminar in Autumn Quarter before graduating in Spring Quarter; students graduating in Autumn or Winter Quarter should take the course in the previous academic year. In the closing sessions of the seminar, students present their work-in-progress for the BA Paper. They continue their research on the paper during the following quarters, meeting at intervals with their faculty BA advisor. Students have the option of taking ARTH 29900 Preparation for the BA Paper in Autumn or Winter Quarter to afford additional time for research or writing; this course is taught by arrangement between a student and his or her advisor. This course would be in addition to the 11 courses for the major with honors.

A polished draft of the BA Paper is due by Friday of ninth week of the quarter preceding graduation; the final version of the BA Paper is due Monday of second week of the quarter of graduation. Both the draft and final version of the BA Paper must be submitted in duplicate: one copy to the faculty advisor and the second to the Department of Art History. Because individual projects vary, no specific requirements for the BA Paper have been set. Essays typically range in length from 20 to 30 pages, but there is no minimum or maximum. Students should consult their BA advisor regarding all details, including optimal length, of the BA Paper.

The BA Paper is a substantial research paper that presents an original argument or develops original evidence about an intellectual problem. The paper should demonstrate the student’s capacity to formulate a serious research problem, develop a clear thesis, and substantiate the thesis on the basis of careful analysis of relevant evidence and measured consideration of competing views. The originality of the BA Paper may lie in the discovery of evidence, a new, critical analysis of familiar claims, or the synthesis of materials. In keeping with guidelines set by the College, the Department of Art History only recommends papers that have earned the highest grade to the master of the Humanities Collegiate Division for consideration of departmental honors.

Double Majors and the BA Paper

Whether or not a single BA Paper can satisfy requirements for a double major in art history and another program is decided by the department on a case-by-case basis. Students should consult with the Director of Undergraduate Studies. The criteria on which the decision is based include:

  • the degree to which the resulting thesis is likely to speak from and to art history, even as it necessarily speaks from and to another field;
  • the feasibility of the proposed advising arrangements for the proposed joint thesis;
  • and the department's estimation of the student's track record for independent work that bodes well for writing a successful thesis while navigating between two majors.

Transferring Credit

No credit from Advanced Placement (AP) exams can be used in the major. Up to four courses taken outside the University of Chicago may be counted towards the art history major, contingent on approval by the College and Director of Undergraduate Studies. Students planning to take courses outside the University are urged to consult with the Director of Undergraduate Studies as they formulate their plans. Students should also consult with their College adviser to be sure that they understand the University’s procedures for transfer credit. Refer to Transfer Credit for more information.

While studying abroad, students are encouraged to keep excellent records: they will be required to submit the syllabus and all written work for each course in order to be considered for credit. Please note that some courses may be approved by the College but not by the major.

Students first apply for transfer credit from the College, and credit for courses taken as part of a University of Chicago–affiliated direct enrollment program is vetted by Study Abroad. When the credit has been approved, students petition the Director of Undergraduate Studies in writing for credit for the major. The petition must include a cover letter with the title and description of the course, as well as the name and location of the institution. To the cover letter should be attached a syllabus and a written record of the work the student did for the course. The Director of Undergraduate Studies will review the work for each course individually, determine if the course is applicable for credit in the major, and, if so, where that credit should be applied.

Summary of Requirements for the Major

MAJOR: Standard Curriculum  
Four (4) courses approved to meet the distribution requirement * 400
Three (3) courses approved in a special field * 300
Two (2) courses approved as electives * 200
ARTH 29600: Doing Art History 100
Two (2) 10- to 15-page research papers  
Total Units 1000

*Two 10000-level art history courses can count towards the total of ten required for the major. The rest should be at the 20000-level or higher.

MAJOR: Honors Curriculum  
Four (4) courses approved to meet the distribution requirement * 400
Three (3) courses approved in a special field * 300
Two (2) courses approved as electives * 200
ARTH 29600: Doing Art History 100
Two (2) 10- to 15-page research papers  
ARTH 29800 Senior Thesis Workshop 100
BA Paper **  
Total Units 1100

*Two 10000-level art history courses can count towards the total of ten required for the major. The rest should be at the 20000-level or higher.

**Some students register for ARTH 29900 Preparation for the BA Paper in Autumn or Winter Quarter to afford additional time for research or writing. This course would be taken in addition to the 11 courses in the major with honors.

Advising

Art history majors should see the Director of Undergraduate Studies no less than once a year for consultation and guidance in planning a special field, in selecting courses, and in choosing a topic for the BA Paper if pursuing honors, as well as for help with any academic problems within the major. When choosing courses, students should refer to the worksheet available on the Art History website. This form helps each student and the Director of Undergraduate Studies monitor the student's progress in the program.

In order to keep an accurate record of students' progress to graduation, students will need to regularly provide a copy of the updated major worksheet to their College adviser for processing.

Recommendations for Art History Majors

Qualified undergraduate students in art history may, with the express permission of the instructor, enroll in graduate seminars in the department. (These seminars are also open to non-majors with the same proviso.) For students interested in graduate study in art history, it is advantageous to have performed well in a graduate seminar while completing the BA.

Students are urged to also pursue upper-level language courses. If a language course is relevant to a student's Special Field, the student may petition the Director of Undergraduate Studies to count it toward electives.

Those planning to continue their study of art history at the graduate level are advised to achieve language competency equal to at least two years of college study in French or German, or in the language(s) relevant for the geographic region that corresponds to their primary area of interest.

Grading

Art history majors must receive quality grades in courses taken for the major. ARTH 29900 Preparation for the BA Paper is open for Pass/Fail grading with consent of the instructor. Art history courses elected beyond program requirements may be taken for P/F grading with consent of the instructor. All courses taken to satisfy the general education requirement in the arts must receive quality grades. Non-majors may select the P/F grading option with consent of the instructor if they are taking an art history course that is not satisfying a general education requirement. A Pass grade is given only for work of C– quality or higher.