Art History provides skills in analyzing and interpreting art in relation to its historical and cultural contexts. Students learn how art acquires and conveys meaning by exploring the interactions among artists, objects, patrons, and society at large across a broad spectrum of media, cultures, and periods. Unlike art history programs at other colleges, the curriculum at Columbia College emphasizes fields of study outside the traditional canon of western art history. Our students specialize in one of four areas – modern and contemporary art, history of design, history of photography, and non-western art. These areas provide exciting perspectives on our visual and cultural environment and reflect the inclusive and interdisciplinary nature of art and art history today.

In addition to courses in art history, students pursuing this B.A. take courses in the Art + Design Foundation, in order to gain a better understanding of the conceptual and technical skills needed by artists. They also take additional courses in Liberal Arts and Sciences, to deepen their understanding of the relationship between art and the world in which it is produced. The program culminates in a capstone course in which students engage in in-depth research on an art historical topic of their choice.

Training in art history prepares students for a wide variety of professional opportunities or for further graduate study. Graduates with a B.A. in Art History typically pursue art-related careers in museums and art galleries, as well as college-level teaching, art criticism and publishing, art conservation, historic preservation, arts management, and cultural advocacy.

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