Capstone Program
The Art History major is a designated capstone program. Students have options for completing a senior honors thesis, a directed independent study, an advanced undergraduate seminar, a museum studies internship, a research assistantship, or a faculty-approved upper-division course that includes additional coursework culminating in the completion of a capstone paper. … For more content click the Read More button below.
The Art History major is a designated capstone program. Students have options for completing a senior honors thesis, a directed independent study, an advanced undergraduate seminar, a museum studies internship, a research assistantship, or a faculty-approved upper-division course that includes additional coursework culminating in the completion of a capstone paper. Through their capstone work, students are expected to conceive and execute a research or creative project; identify and evaluate documentation relevant to the discipline; develop an enhanced capacity for writing and research, critical and analytical thinking, and competent familiarity with art historical methodologies; and identify and articulate these arguments within art historical discourse and areas of specialization. The capstone experience also enables students to develop an enriched understanding of the foundations of the discipline, as well as the current landscape of the field.
Learning Outcomes
1.
Accurate identification of major works of art within periods, cultures, or genres comprising various art history subfields
2.
Analysis of individual works of art using appropriate art history terminology; and placement of them in their aesthetic, historical, and cultural contexts
3.
Identification and characterization of significant artistic traditions from chronologically and culturally disparate societies
4.
Conduct original research, employing appropriate art history theories and methods, and critical use of primary and secondary sources
5.
Formulation of effective and convincing written and oral arguments, and placement of them within the larger interpretive traditions of the field
Entry to the Major
Transfer Students
Transfer applicants to the Art History major with 90 or more units must complete as many of the following introductory courses as possible prior to admission to UCLA: two art history courses in ancient, Renaissance and baroque, medieval, or modern art and two courses in African, Asian, or pre-Columbian art.
Refer to the UCLA transfer admission guide for up-to-date information regarding transfer selection for admission.
Major Requirements
Preparation for the Major
Complete four courses. It is strongly recommended that the courses be taken prior to enrollment in upper-division courses. Some of these courses serve as requisites to certain upper-division courses.
Art History 20 through 32
Select four courses from:
The Major
Eleven upper-division art history courses as follows:
Historical Periods
Select one course from each of the following three historical periods:
Ancient/Medieval before 1400
Select one course from:
ART HIS M110A - Art and Architecture of Ancient Egypt, Predynastic Period to New KingdomART HIS M110B - Art and Architecture of Ancient Egypt, New Kingdom to Greco-Roman PeriodART HIS M110C - Ancient Egyptian Temple and City of ThebesART HIS M111 - Minoan Art and ArchaeologyART HIS M112A - Mycenaean Art and ArchaeologyART HIS M112B - Archaic Greek Art and ArchaeologyART HIS M112C - Classical Greek Art and ArchaeologyART HIS M112D - Hellenistic Greek Art and ArchaeologyART HIS M113A - Etruscan Art and ArchaeologyART HIS M113B - Roman Art and ArchaeologyART HIS M114A - Classical Archaeology: Greco-Roman ArchitectureART HIS M114B - Classical Archaeology: Greco-Roman SculptureART HIS M114C - Classical Archaeology: Greco-Roman PaintingART HIS C114D - Selected Topics in Ancient ArtART HIS CM115A - Late Antique Art and ArchitectureART HIS C115B - Early Medieval Art and ArchitectureART HIS 115C - Romanesque Art and ArchitectureART HIS C115D - Gothic Art and ArchitectureART HIS 115E - Late Gothic Art and ArchitectureART HIS C115F - Medieval ParisART HIS C116A - Middle Byzantine Art and ArchitectureART HIS C116B - Late Byzantine Art and ArchitectureART HIS C117A - Medieval ArchaeologyART HIS C117B - Selected Topics in Medieval ArtART HIS M118A - Medieval Armenian ArtART HIS 119A - Western Islamic ArtART HIS 119B - Eastern Islamic ArtART HIS CM139A - Maya Art and ArchitectureART HIS C148A - Art and Material Culture, Neolithic to 210 BCART HIS C148B - Art and Material Culture of Early Imperial China, 210 BC to AD 906ART HIS 154A - Early Art of India
Early Modern, 1400 to 1700
Select one course from:
ART HIS 121A - Italian Renaissance Art of 14th CenturyART HIS 121B - Italian Renaissance Art of 15th CenturyART HIS 121C - Italian Renaissance Art of 16th CenturyART HIS 121D - Late Renaissance Art: Counter-ReformationART HIS 124 - Northern Renaissance ArtART HIS C125A - Southern Baroque ArtART HIS 125B - Northern Baroque ArtART HIS C126 - Selected Topics in Early Modern ArtART HIS C139B - Aztec Art and ArchitectureART HIS C139C - Inca Art and ArchitectureART HIS CM141 - Colonial Latin American ArtART HIS C148C - Art and Material Culture of Late Imperial China, 906 to 1911ART HIS C148E - Art in Modern ChinaART HIS C152B - History of Korean PaintingART HIS C152C - History of Korean CeramicsART HIS 154B - Later Art of India
Modern/Contemporary, 1700 to Present
Select one course from:
ART HIS M118B - Armenian Painting, 17th to 20th CenturyART HIS 127A - European Art of 17th and 18th CenturiesART HIS 127B - European Art of 19th CenturyART HIS M127C - Cultural and Intellectual History of Modern Europe, 19th CenturyART HIS C128A - History of Photography, 1839 to 1910ART HIS C128B - History of Photography, 1910 to PresentART HIS C128C - History of Photography: Selected TopicsART HIS C129A - Modern Art, 1900 to 1950ART HIS C129B - Dada, 1915 to 1923ART HIS C129C - Surrealism, 1924 to 1939ART HIS 130 - Selected Topics in Modern ArtART HIS C131A - Contemporary Art, 1940s to 1950sART HIS C131B - Contemporary Art, 1960s to 1970sART HIS C131C - Contemporary Art, 1980s to 1990sART HIS 132 - Selected Topics in Contemporary ArtART HIS C133A - American Art before Civil WarART HIS C133B - American Art in Gilded Age, 1860 to 1900ART HIS C133C - American Art, 1900 to 1945ART HIS 133D - Architecture in U.S.ART HIS 133E - American HousesART HIS CM135A - African American Art before 1900ART HIS CM135B - African American Art, 1900 to 1963ART HIS C136A - Selected Topics in African American ArtART HIS C142A - Mexican Art in Modern AgeART HIS C142B - Latin American Art of 20th CenturyART HIS C145B - Contemporary Arts of AfricaART HIS C148D - Advanced Chinese ArtART HIS 154D - Modern and Contemporary South Asian ArtART HIS C160 - Art and EmpireART HIS C170A - Museum Studies
Geographic Regions
Select three courses from at least three of the following five geographic regions:
Africa
Asia
ART HIS C148A - Art and Material Culture, Neolithic to 210 BCART HIS C148B - Art and Material Culture of Early Imperial China, 210 BC to AD 906ART HIS C148C - Art and Material Culture of Late Imperial China, 906 to 1911ART HIS C148D - Advanced Chinese ArtART HIS C148E - Art in Modern ChinaART HIS C149 - Selected Topics in Chinese ArtART HIS 150A - Japanese ArtART HIS C150B - Advanced Japanese ArtART HIS C151 - Selected Topics in Japanese ArtART HIS 152A - Arts of KoreaART HIS C152B - History of Korean PaintingART HIS C152C - History of Korean CeramicsART HIS C152D - History of Korean Buddhist ArtART HIS C153 - Selected Topics in Korean ArtART HIS 154A - Early Art of IndiaART HIS 154B - Later Art of IndiaART HIS C154C - Advanced Indian ArtART HIS 154D - Modern and Contemporary South Asian ArtART HIS C155 - Selected Topics in South and Southeast Asian ArtART HIS 156 - Arts of Southeast AsiaART HIS C158A - Selected Topics in Asian Arts and Architecture
Europe and U.S.
ART HIS C115B - Early Medieval Art and ArchitectureART HIS 115C - Romanesque Art and ArchitectureART HIS C115D - Gothic Art and ArchitectureART HIS 115E - Late Gothic Art and ArchitectureART HIS C115F - Medieval ParisART HIS 121A - Italian Renaissance Art of 14th CenturyART HIS 121B - Italian Renaissance Art of 15th CenturyART HIS 121C - Italian Renaissance Art of 16th CenturyART HIS 121D - Late Renaissance Art: Counter-ReformationART HIS 124 - Northern Renaissance ArtART HIS C125A - Southern Baroque ArtART HIS 125B - Northern Baroque ArtART HIS C126 - Selected Topics in Early Modern ArtART HIS 127A - European Art of 17th and 18th CenturiesART HIS 127B - European Art of 19th CenturyART HIS M127C - Cultural and Intellectual History of Modern Europe, 19th CenturyART HIS C129A - Modern Art, 1900 to 1950ART HIS C129B - Dada, 1915 to 1923ART HIS C129C - Surrealism, 1924 to 1939ART HIS C131A - Contemporary Art, 1940s to 1950sART HIS C131B - Contemporary Art, 1960s to 1970sART HIS C131C - Contemporary Art, 1980s to 1990sART HIS C133A - American Art before Civil WarART HIS C133B - American Art in Gilded Age, 1860 to 1900ART HIS C133C - American Art, 1900 to 1945ART HIS 133D - Architecture in U.S.ART HIS 133E - American HousesART HIS CM135A - African American Art before 1900ART HIS CM135B - African American Art, 1900 to 1963ART HIS 137 - Arts of Native North AmericaART HIS C170A - Museum Studies
Latin America and Caribbean
ART HIS CM139A - Maya Art and ArchitectureART HIS C139B - Aztec Art and ArchitectureART HIS C139C - Inca Art and ArchitectureART HIS C140 - Selected Topics in Arts of Indigenous AmericasART HIS CM141 - Colonial Latin American ArtART HIS C142A - Mexican Art in Modern AgeART HIS C142B - Latin American Art of 20th CenturyART HIS 143 - Selected Topics in Latin American ArtART HIS 144 - Caribbean Art
Mediterranean, Middle East, and Near East
ART HIS M110A - Art and Architecture of Ancient Egypt, Predynastic Period to New KingdomART HIS M110B - Art and Architecture of Ancient Egypt, New Kingdom to Greco-Roman PeriodART HIS M110C - Ancient Egyptian Temple and City of ThebesART HIS M111 - Minoan Art and ArchaeologyART HIS M112A - Mycenaean Art and ArchaeologyART HIS M112B - Archaic Greek Art and ArchaeologyART HIS M112C - Classical Greek Art and ArchaeologyART HIS M112D - Hellenistic Greek Art and ArchaeologyART HIS M113A - Etruscan Art and ArchaeologyART HIS M113B - Roman Art and ArchaeologyART HIS M114A - Classical Archaeology: Greco-Roman ArchitectureART HIS M114B - Classical Archaeology: Greco-Roman SculptureART HIS M114C - Classical Archaeology: Greco-Roman PaintingART HIS CM115A - Late Antique Art and ArchitectureART HIS 119A - Western Islamic ArtART HIS 119B - Eastern Islamic Art
Art History Electives
Additional art history electives selected from courses 100 through 185 (20 units minimum). Courses 196, 197A, and 197B may also be included. With prior approval of the undergraduate adviser, one of these courses may be taken in another department.
ART HIS 196 - Research Apprenticeship in Art HistoryART HIS 197A - Individual Studies in Art HistoryART HIS 197B - Individual Capstone Studies
Art History 100 through 185
Language Training
While the department does not require language training beyond the College requirement, Art History majors, particularly those planning graduate work, are strongly encouraged to study foreign languages beyond what is required by the College.
Honors Program
The honors program is designed for Art History majors who are interested in carrying out an independent research project that culminates in a departmental honors thesis of approximately 30 pages. The program gives qualified students the opportunity to work closely with individual professors on an in-depth supervised research and writing project.
Complete the following courses with grades of A.
Policies
The Major Policies
Each course must be taken for a letter grade.
Honors Program
All senior Art History majors who have completed a minimum of six upper-division art history courses with a departmental grade-point average of 3.5 or better and an overall GPA of 3.0 or better are eligible to apply. Consult the art history student affairs officer no later than the beginning of fall quarter of the senior year.
To qualify for graduation with honors, students must (1) complete all requirements for the major, (2) have a cumulative grade-point average of 3.5 or better in upper-division courses in the department and an overall GPA of 3.0 or better, and (3) complete Art History 198A and 198B with grades of A– or better.
To qualify for graduation with highest honors students must (1) complete all requirements for the major, (2) have a cumulative GPA of 3.85 or better in upper-division courses in the department and an overall GPA of 3.65 or better, and (3) complete courses 198A and 198B with grades of A.