Art History Major

The history of art focuses upon the study of works of fine and applied arts and forms of mass communication in their aesthetic, social, economic, religious and political contexts. It explores the meanings and purposes of the visual arts, their historical development, their role in society, and their relationships to other disciplines. The study of art history encourages the development of critical observation and visual analysis; it introduces scholarly research and provides a working knowledge of a variety of monuments. As the field of art history is inherently cross-cultural and interdisciplinary, its study illuminates the diverse and global world we inhabit and makes apparent the integral relationships between art and culture.

The Art History Major is based on a thorough curriculum in the history of art and is very flexible to enable students to tailor their coursework to fit their personal career aspirations. The program incorporates Drexel's nationally known co-op experience through which students, while pursuing their degree, can work for six months in relevant professional contexts such as museums, galleries, auction houses, and publishers. The goal of the Art History major is to provide an excellent interdisciplinary liberal arts education with a sound foundation in the history of visual arts and a strong competence in writing, research and critical thinking. The major will foster a hands-on approach, and will involve students in the close study of art objects from many museums in Philadelphia and from our own Drexel collection of art and artifacts, the well-known Fox Historic Costume Collection, and the rotating exhibitions in the Leonard Pearlstein Gallery.

Art History as a Major - BA

This undergraduate degree prepares students for a variety of art related careers, graduate studies in the humanities and professional programs such as law, architecture or medicine. The BA degree requires a strong component of Arts and Humanities courses in order to prepare students to enter the professional world of art historians by exposing them to critical reasoning, philosophy, anthropology, literature, world cultures, and foreign languages.

Art History as a dual Major - BS

This undergraduate degree prepares students for a variety of art related careers and professional programs such as law, architecture or medicine. The curriculum is designed with great flexibility to enable students to pursue an additional degree in one of the University's more than 80 majors without extending their time at the University.

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