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Art History, B.A.

About the Program

National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) Accredited

The program in Art History trains students in the global history of art from antiquity to Contemporary Art. As one of the disciplines in the liberal arts, Art History is a foundation for graduate study and for careers in a wide variety of professions. Art history majors are prepared for graduate work in art history, arts administration, museum studies, arts librarianship, visual resource and archive curatorship, historic preservation and art conservation. Buffalo State art history majors who continue their studies on the graduate level may find employment in public and private agencies, libraries, galleries, museums, publishing houses, art dealerships, colleges, arts consultancies, commercial arts organizations and in tourism. It is strongly recommended that art history majors achieve basic reading knowledge in one foreign language before graduating. A minimum of two additional hours of course work outside of class for each credit granted for that class is expected each week.

Learning Outcomes

1. basic knowledge of the diversity of art history from the Paleolithic period through Contemporary art.
2. basic knowledge and understanding of materials and techniques in art.
3. basic ability to analyze works of art in terms of style and content and a resulting development of visual sensitivity.
4. an understanding of the distinct cultural and historical contexts of artistic production and reception.
5. basic understanding of creative processes.
6. basic ability to write about works of art of all periods and world cultures.
7. in-depth knowledge of specific periods of art.
8. the ability to articulate advanced ideas and concepts in art history, with an understanding of their interrelationships.
9. advanced knowledge of research methods in art history.
10. the ability to assemble critical bibliographies for specific periods and themes in art history.

Program Requirements

General Education 23 Requirements

33 credit hours 33

Art History Major Requirements (42 credit hours)
Required Courses (27 credit hours)
AAD 101 DRAWING I 3
AAD 150 THEMES AND ISSUES IN THE CONTEMPORARY ARTS 3
AAD 251 ART HISTORY I 3
AAD 252 ART HISTORY II 3

Select one Ancient Art course from the following: 3
FAR 351 ART OF THE ANCIENT WORLD
FAR 353 ART AND CULTURE OF EGYPT AND THE NEAR EAST
FAR 354 ART AND CULTURE OF GREECE
FAR 355 ART AND CULTURE OF ROME

Select one Medieval Art course from the following: 3
FAR 352 ART AND CULTURE OF ISLAM
FAR 356 EARLY MEDIEVAL ART
FAR 357 LATE MEDIEVAL ART
FAR 369 ART OF THE MIDDLE AGES

Select one Renaissance/Baroque Art course from the following: 3
FAR 358 ITALIAN RENAISSANCE ART, 1200-1480
FAR 359 HIGH RENAISSANCE AND MANNERISM
FAR 361 ITALIAN BAROQUE ART
FAR 367 NORTHERN EUROPEAN ART 1600-1750
FAR 373 VENETIAN ART, CULTURE AND ENVIRONMENT
FAR 469 ART AND ARCHITECTURE IN SIENA

Select one Modern/Contemporary Art course from the following: 3
FAR 325 HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY
FAR 362 NINETEENTH-CENTURY ART
FAR 363 TWENTIETH-CENTURY ART HISTORY
FAR 364 ART SINCE 1940
FAR 365 AMERICAN ART I

Select one Non-Western Art course from the following: 3
FAR 352 ART AND CULTURE OF ISLAM
FAR 353 ART AND CULTURE OF EGYPT AND THE NEAR EAST
FAR 375 ASIAN ART
FAR 376 INDIAN ART
FAR 377 ART OF CHINA AND JAPAN
FAR 380 ART OF AFRICA

Electives in Art History (15 credit hours)
Select three from the following: 15
FAR 325 HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY
FAR 351 ART OF THE ANCIENT WORLD
FAR 352 ART AND CULTURE OF ISLAM
FAR 353 ART AND CULTURE OF EGYPT AND THE NEAR EAST
FAR 354 ART AND CULTURE OF GREECE
FAR 355 ART AND CULTURE OF ROME
FAR 356 EARLY MEDIEVAL ART
FAR 357 LATE MEDIEVAL ART
FAR 358 ITALIAN RENAISSANCE ART, 1200-1480
FAR 359 HIGH RENAISSANCE AND MANNERISM
FAR 361 ITALIAN BAROQUE ART
FAR 362 NINETEENTH-CENTURY ART
FAR 363 TWENTIETH-CENTURY ART HISTORY
FAR 364 ART SINCE 1940
FAR 365 AMERICAN ART I
FAR 366 AFRICAN AMERICAN ART
FAR 367 NORTHERN EUROPEAN ART 1600-1750
FAR 369 ART OF THE MIDDLE AGES
FAR 371 ART CRITICISM AND THEORY
FAR 372 MASTERWORKS OF ARCHITECTURE
FAR 373 VENETIAN ART, CULTURE AND ENVIRONMENT
FAR 374 THE HISTORY AND CULTURE OF ART COLLECTING AND THE PUBLIC MUSEUM
FAR 375 ASIAN ART
FAR 376 INDIAN ART
FAR 377 ART OF CHINA AND JAPAN
FAR 380 ART OF AFRICA
FAR 382 MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY RUSSIAN ART
FAR 386 ART AND THE EARLY MODERN GLOBAL ENCOUNTER
FAR 389 TOPICS COURSE
FAR 471 SENIOR SEMINAR IN ART HISTORY
FAR 488 INTERNSHIP (1-15)
AAD 499 INDEPENDENT STUDY (3-12)

All College Electives
39-45 credit hours 39-45
Total Credit Hours 120

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Art & Design Department

1300 Elmwood Ave  •  Upton Hall 402 •  Buffalo, NY 14222
Phone: (716) 878-6032 •  Fax: (716) 878-4231   artdesign@buffalostate.edu