Department of Art History

Note: Effective for Fall 2006, this degree program is not admitting any new students. Students interested in a bachelor’s degree in Art History should see the College of Architecture and the Arts section of the catalog.

B.A. with a Major in Art History

• Degree Requirements
• Recommended Plan of Study

302 Henry Hall (HH)
312–996–3303
http://www.uic.edu/depts/arch/ah
Administration: Chair, Robert Bruegmann
Director of Undergraduate Studies, Robert Munman

The Department of Art History offers a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in art history for students in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The program introduces the student to the study of both the built environment and the various forms of art: painting, sculpture, graphics, decorative arts, and design. A large selection of courses covers all periods of history and most of the world’s cultures. Various subjects and approaches are introduced: visual and stylistic analysis, criticism, iconography, historiography, and methodology. The architecture of Chicago and its suburbs and the many local museums and galleries are a living part of the general curriculum and are specific components in specialized courses.

While many art history graduates pursue graduate education toward scholarly careers in teaching and museum work, others are attracted to positions with foundations, architectural and art periodicals, or freelance research. Many students combine study in this discipline with graduate work in other fields, such as business administration, history, and urban planning; and still others find themselves in a variety of related professions such as editorial work and arts management. Students seeking admission to the Department of Art History must have a minimum transfer grade point average of 2.50/4.00 from any other program at UIC, or from any accredited community college or four-year college or university in order to be considered for admission. However, admission to the Department of Art History is selective and competitive and admissions standards are typically higher than the minimum.

For information on the Department of Art History at UIC, see the Web page http://www.uic.edu/depts/arch/ah.

B.A. with a Major in Art History

Degree Requirements

To earn a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts and Sciences degree from UIC, students need to complete University, college, and department degree requirements. The Department of Art History degree requirements are outlined below. Students should consult the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences section for additional degree requirements and college academic policies.

LAS Course Requirements

See Course Requirements in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences section for a list of courses to meet this requirement:

Foundation Courses

Major Courses

A minimum of 32 semester hours in art history courses at the 200-, 300-, and 400-levels, of which at least two courses (6 semester hours) must be at the 400-level. The major includes the following specific requirements.

^a AH 200 fulfills the Writing-in-the-Discipline requirement.

Electives

Recommended Plan of Study

To view a recommended plan of study for the major in Art History, please visit the LAS Web site http://www.uic.edu/las/college/info/fygp.

Minor in Art History

A minimum of 20 semester hours in art history courses distributed as follows. A minimum grade point average of 2.25/4.00 is required for the minor.

Distinction

Departmental Distinction. To be eligible for Departmental Distinction, a student must have:

1. Attended UIC for at least three semesters.
2. Attained a UIC cumulative GPA of 3.50/4.00.
3. Completed 21 semester hours at UIC in courses required for the major.
4. Attained a GPA of 3.75/4.00 in art history courses.
5. Written a thesis that either expands work represented in a seminar or which grows out of an AH 492—Readings in Art and Architecture History course.

Thesis Requirements.

• Applicants for graduation with Distinction must take AH 490—Honors Thesis for three hours of credit.
• Students must enroll in AH 490 in their penultimate semester of course work (in order to avoid time crunches and pressure to accept work that needs more attention).
• The completed thesis must be acceptable to a committee of two faculty members from the Art History Department.
• The grading of the thesis and the grade in the course will be either Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory. Students must receive a grade of Satisfactory in order to graduate with Distinction.
• The first thesis reader will be the faculty member for whom the student originally wrote the paper in a seminar or reading course. The second reader will be selected by the first reader with the concurrence of the department chairperson.
• Completion of AH 490 must be in addition to the 40 semester hours required for the foundation and major courses.