Department of Art History

Students may choose to minor in architectural studies because they are interested in analyzing the built environment—the inescapable setting of our lives—from a liberal arts perspective or because they are considering applying to graduate school in architecture or related fields. The minor could represent an interest distinct from the student's major or it could complement a major in the social sciences or humanities by exploring the material setting of history and social life or the context for works of literature, film, music, or drama. It could equally complement a major in the sciences, such as medical fields, ecology, geology, physics, or mathematics. 

Alternatively, students may major in Art History and select architecture as their focus.

Prospective minors should begin by filling out the online Architectural Studies Minor Interest Form, which will put them in touch with the Architectural Studies Advisor (currently Professor Niall Atkinson) for a preliminary meeting, to discuss their interests and course plans, and to obtain advice and enroll in the program. Ideally, this should be done before the end of the third year, but fourth years interested in adding the minor are also welcome to fill out the form and discuss their interest with the program advisor. After filling out the form, students retain the option to change their choice of courses, so long as they meet the minor requirements. (Many ARCH courses are not published more than a year in advance, so it may not be possible to fully plan out a minor program ahead of time, but students should select some potential courses on the form, and discuss a path through the minor at the preliminary meeting.)

A program worksheet tracks students' progress through the minor, and must be filled out and approved when the minor is completed.

The minor degree in Architectural Studies focuses on the built environment from a humanities perspective. It requires a total of six courses, which must consider aspects of the built environment (e.g. architecture, urban space, urban design, landscape architecture, architects, urban planning, etc.) with some attention to the details and material qualities of spaces or places. The six-course requirement is divided into three areas: two studio classes, two history/theory classes, and two electives.

All studio and history/theory classes must originate in the Department of Art History, while the two electives may be offered in other departments. However, elective courses must have an ARCH listing or be approved by the Architectural Studies program director upon petition by the student. Departments and programs that may offer relevant courses include but are not limited to the Committee on Environment, Geography, and Urbanization (CEGU), Chicago Studies, History, English Language and Literature, Anthropology, and Visual Arts. In addition to coursework, students also write one research paper of about 10 to 15 pages on a topic chosen with and guided by an instructor. Ideally, this paper should emerge from an ARCH-parented history or theory course offered by the Department of Art History. If, for some reason, a student wishes to use a paper from a different course or work with an instructor to produce a paper outside of regular coursework, they must seek prior approval from the Architectural Studies director and a commitment from a qualified instructor. (See also Research Papers below). 

All Architectural Studies students write at least one research paper of 10 to 15 pages. A research paper can be:

• a paper written to fulfill a course assignment in an ARCH-parented history or theory course,
• the extension of a shorter course paper (either during the course or after its completion) in such a course to meet the page and/or research requirement,
• a paper written to fulfill a course assignment in a different course (subject to prior approval by the Architectural Studies Advisor), or
• a new paper on a topic chosen in consultation with a suitable instructor (also subject to prior approval). 

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. On completing the research paper, students must submit a copy of the paper and their updated program worksheet to the Architectural Studies Advisor. 

The following faculty members in Art History specialize in architectural history: Niall Atkinson, Wei-Cheng Lin, Jacobé Huet, and Zihyan Yang. Luke Joyner regularly offers architectural and urban design studio courses, and co-coordinates the studio courses with Casey Breen. Many other faculty members in Art History have an interest in the built environment and may support students writing papers on architecture; students are welcome to ask their instructors and seek approval from the Architectural Studies Advisor. (Part-time or adjunct faculty should not be expected to advise minor papers, except in rare cases.)

(Note: starting in 2024-25, these requirements will be changing slightly. The minor, going forward, will require at least two history/theory courses parented in ARTH/ARCH and at least two studio courses parented in ARTH/ARCH – four ARTH/ARCH-parented courses total – with the remaining two courses open. This page will be updated soon to reflect these changes.)

* If the student so chooses, one of the courses may be ARTH 29600 Junior Seminar: Doing Art History, in which students in the minor would research and write an essay on a built environment topic of their choice. The paper requirement can also be completed in other courses, or outside a course, as stated above.

To discuss any aspect of the minor in Architectural Studies, please contact the Architectural Studies team with questions.