Bachelor of Arts in Art History

The  program in Art History combines the comparative method and critical approach typical of American curricula with an intense immersion in one of the greatest art centers in the world, the city of Rome. Courses at all levels emphasize on-site observation and analysis and the use of Rome’s unique resources for individual study and research. Students develop skills of visual analysis, connoisseurship, oral and written articulation of visual patterns and phenomena, the ability to read and to make use of advanced scholarship in the discipline, and the ability to conduct independent research. Art history majors are prepared to live and work in a world in which visual images are ubiquitous, the ability to analyze them is essential, and the preservation of material heritage requires a citizenry informed by knowledge of history and aesthetic value. Students who complete the major in Art History will have the following core competencies:

• high-level skills of empirical observation and analysis, especially of manmade objects and environments
• The ability to recognize and appreciate artworks and buildings of historic cultural and aesthetic value and to articulate their worth
• Command of a range of theoretical tools for analyzing and interpreting visual signs and objects, both historical and contemporary
• High-level verbal (oral and written) skills and the ability to mediate verbal and visual communication
• The ability to conduct independent research and to utilize the specialized resources demanded by the topic.

The Bachelor of Arts in Art History requires successful completion of 120 credits made up of a  43-credit General Education requirement, a 37 to 40 credit major and 37 to 40 credits of free electives. Students must achieve a cumulative grade point average of no less than a 2.00 on a 4.00 scale with no grades of D and no more than one grade of C- in core courses required for the major (19 credits).

Requirements for the Degree

A. The Proficiency in English, Mathematics and Italian Language

A note on proficiency requirements and placement examinations: All new first-year students are required to take placement examinations in mathematics and English. New transfer students are exempt from taking the examinations only if transfer credits in mathematics and/or English have been accepted by AUR. Italian language tests are given for students wishing to register for a course above ITL 101 (optional). The tests are given during orientation week preceding the start of each semester. The scores obtained will be used for English, mathematics and Italian placement.

B. General Education

1. Foundational Skills: First Year Seminar; Writing Skills; Quantitative and Scientific Reasoning; Italian language; IT skills; Information Literacy; Oral Presentation Skills
2. The Individual in a Multicultural Society; Three courses from a list in the Catalog
3. United States Government and Society; One course from a list in the Catalog
4. Roma Caput Mundi; One course from a list in the Catalog

C. Core Courses

• AHAR 101 Arts of Antiquity
• AH 102 Arts of Renaissance and Baroque
• AH 103 Arts of Modernity
• AH 105 Arts of the Middle Ages
• Ah 299 Methods and Theory of Art History
• AH 498 Capstone Experience (Seminar)
• AH 499 Capstone Experience (Thesis)

Art History Electives

Chosen from a list in the catalog. The number of credits varies depending upon whether students major in: Art History or Art History with Art Business.

Free Electives

Free electives can be used towards satisfying a minor, to supplement a major or to explore other academic areas. The number of free electives can vary according to the choices made but they should be sufficient to give a total of 120 credits.