Students interested in examining history through the lens of paintings, sculptures, film, architecture, graphics, and decorative arts will find Art History to be an ideal major. Throughout time, humans have expressed their emotions, beliefs, and ideals through these mediums, and today's students can use these objects to understand culture, society, politics, economies, and religions and apply the lessons learned to modern issues.
What can you do with an Art History major? The answer turns out to be quite a bit. Art History majors follow a variety of career paths, and their skills are applicable to many types of jobs. Popular careers include teacher or professor, museum or gallery curator, art dealer, arts administrator, art appraiser, and historic preservation consultant, some of which require education beyond a bachelor's degree. Other students choose to branch out into related fields that require a broad knowledge of culture and communication such as journalism, law, marketing, administration, interior design, photography, library science, and cultural/heritage studies. Much of what happens after college depends on what a student does during college. A student who wants to work in a gallery should ensure the s/he gains hands-on experience during college through internships, volunteer work, and part-time jobs. Experiential learning is critical - it grounds what a student learns in the classroom with the real world.
Students who are more interested in the production of art (such as becoming a film maker or artist) should explore the majors offered through UWM's Peck School of the Arts within the College of the Arts & Architecture.
Course of Study – Bachelor of Arts Degree
Complete 120 credits including 75 credits in the College of Letters & Science and with 36 of the 75 credits in L&S upper-level (numbered above 300) courses.
The College requires that students must complete in residence at UWM at least 15 credits in upper-division (numbered 300 or above) courses in their major. The College also requires that students complete at least 30 credits overall in residence at UWM. For additional residency and transfer credit limitations, see L&S Undergraduate Policies and Regulations.
Students are also required to complete University-wide General Education Requirements and the specific L&S requirements listed below.
To complete a major, students must satisfy all the requirements of the major as stated in this catalog. Students who declare their majors within five years of entering the UW System as a degree candidate may satisfy the requirements outlined in any catalog issued since the time they entered. Credits used to satisfy the major also may be used to satisfy other degree requirements.
University General Education Requirements (GER)
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Oral and Written Communication | ||
| Part A | ||
| Achieve a grade of C or better in the following course: | ||
| ENGLISH 102 | College Writing and Research (or equivalent) | |
| Part B | ||
| Course designated as OWC-B; may be completed through a major-specific course requirement | ||
| Quantitative Literacy | ||
| Part A | ||
| Earn at least 3 credits with a grade of C or higher in one of the following courses or an equivalent course, or achieve a placement code of at least 30 on the mathematics placement test (or other appropriate test, as determined by the Mathematical Sciences Department) | ||
| Mathematical Literacy for College Students II | ||
| Contemporary Applications of Mathematics | ||
| Introduction to College Algebra | ||
| Algebraic Literacy II | ||
| Introduction to Logic - Critical Reasoning 1 | ||
or PHILOS 111 | Introduction to Logic - Critical Reasoning | |
| College Algebra | ||
Or equivalent course | ||
| Part B | ||
| Course designated as QL-B; may be completed through a major-specific course requirement | ||
| Arts | ||
| Select 3 credits | 3 | |
| Humanities | ||
| Select 6 credits | 6 | |
| Social Sciences | ||
| Select 6 credits | 6 | |
| Natural Sciences | ||
| Select 6 credits (at least two courses including one lab) | 6 | |
| UWM Foreign Language Requirement | ||
| Complete Foreign Language Requirement through: | ||
Two years (high school) of a single foreign language | ||
Two semesters (college) of a single foreign language | ||
Or equivalent | ||
| UWM Cultural Diversity Requirement | ||
| One course from the Arts, Humanities, or Social Sciences must also satisfy UWM's Cultural Diversity requirement | ||
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Math 111 and Philosophy 111 are jointly offered and count as repeats of one another. Students cannot receive credit for both courses.
College of Letters & Science Requirements
The degree requirements in the College of Letters and Science build on the University General Education Requirements to provide a broad base of knowledge as well as an array of skills cited by employers as critical to professional success: critical thinking, problem solving, oral and written communication, ability to work well with others, and adaptability to change.
For the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), you must complete the UWM General Education Requirements as well as these L&S requirements: the International requirement, the Breadth requirement, and the Research requirement. The International requirement develops your potential for cross-cultural understanding in a globalizing world. The Breadth requirement ensures that you take classes in a wide variety of subjects, across humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences. The Research requirement calls for you to build your critical thinking and oral and written communication skills through conducting an independent research project, usually in your major.
For the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) you will also complete the Language other than English requirement, to further develop your understanding of cultures through language.
I. Total Credits and Upper-Division Courses Requirement
Students must complete 120 credits including 75 credits in the College of Letters & Science and with 36 of the 75 credits in L&S upper-level (numbered above 300) courses.
II. Language other than English Requirement
Students doing the BA must fulfill the language other than English requirement by either successfully completing the fourth semester of university work or equivalent in one language other than English, or by successfully completing the second semester of university work or equivalent in two languages other than English (including all world languages and American Sign Language).
Language courses (including American Sign Language) other than English taken in high school may be used to satisfy all or part of this requirement. One year of high school language equates to one semester of college work. Proficiency tests approved by the Languages faculty may be used to satisfy all or part of this requirement.
Completion of the L&S Language Requirement also satisfies the university-wide Language other than English GER, but not vice versa.
III. International Requirement
To meet the International Requirement, students must successfully complete some three course (minimum 9 credits) combination of
- language other than English (not including American Sign Language) at 3rd semester level or above, and/or
- non-language courses with L&S approved international content (see Courses Approved for the L&S International Requirement for course options).
IV. Breadth Requirement
In addition to completing the University General Education Requirements, L&S students must complete the Breadth requirement.
The L&S Breadth requirement calls for 6 credits each in L&S courses designated L&S Humanities, L&S Natural Sciences, and L&S Social Sciences breadth. One of the L&S Natural Science breadth courses must be a laboratory or fieldwork course. These courses must be beyond and in addition to courses in those areas used to satisfy General Education Requirements.
Please refer to the list of Courses Approved for the L&S Breadth Requirement.
V. The Major
The College of Letters and Science requires that students attain at least a 2.0 GPA in all credits in the major attempted at UWM. In addition, students must attain a 2.0 GPA on all major credits attempted, including any transfer work. Individual departments or programs may require higher GPAs for graduation. Some departmental majors require courses from other departments. Contact your major department for information on whether those credits will count as part of the major GPA. The College requires that students must complete in residence at UWM at least 15 credits in upper-division (numbered 300 or above) courses in their major.
Research Requirement
Within their majors, students must complete a research experience approved by the L&S faculty. A list of courses satisfying the research requirement in each major can be found here.
VI. The Minor
Students are encouraged to consider completing a minor, but it is not required. To complete a minor, the College of Letters and Science requires that students attain at least a 2.0 GPA in all credits in the minor attempted at UWM. In addition, students must attain a 2.0 GPA on all minor credits attempted, including any transfer work. The minor must contain at least 9 credits in upper-division (numbered 300 and above) courses.
Art History Major Requirements
The major in art history consists of 30 credits in the department. A minimum 2.0 GPA is required in all ARTHIST courses attempted at UWM. In addition, students must attain a 2.0 GPA on all major credits attempted, including any transfer work. Fifteen credits at the 300 level or above must be taken in residence at UWM.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required | ||
| ARTHIST 101 | Ancient and Medieval Art and Architecture | 3 |
| ARTHIST 102 | Renaissance to Modern Art and Architecture | 3 |
| ARTHIST 104 | African, New World and Oceanic Art and Architecture | 3 |
| or ARTHIST 105 | Asian Art and Architecture | |
| L&S research requirement | ||
| ARTHIST 501 | Colloquium in Method and Theory 1 | 3 |
| Distribution | ||
| 3 credits at the 300-level or above in each of the 4 Art Historical distribution areas: Ancient/Medieval; Renaissance/Baroque/18th Century; Modern/Contemporary; African, Asian, or Latin American. (See list below.) | 12 | |
| Electives | ||
| 6 credits. At least 3 of the elective credits must be at the 200 level or above. | 6 | |
| Total Credits | 30 | |
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Taken during their junior or senior year with permission from the instructor.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Art Historical Distribution Areas | ||
| Ancient/Medieval | ||
| ARTHIST 210 | The Art and Architecture of the First Cities: A Global Perspective | 3 |
| ARTHIST 220 | Introduction to Medieval Art and Architecture | 3 |
| ARTHIST 312 | Minoan and Mycenaean Art and Archaeology | 3 |
| ARTHIST 313 | Greek Art and Archaeology | 3 |
| ARTHIST 314 | Art and Archaeology of the Ancient Near East | 3 |
| ARTHIST 315 | Art and Archaeology of Ancient Egypt | 3 |
| ARTHIST 316 | Roman Art and Archaeology | 3 |
| ARTHIST 324 | Early Christian and Byzantine Art and Architecture | 3 |
| ARTHIST 325 | Early Medieval Art in the West | 3 |
| ARTHIST 326 | Chivalry and Spirituality: French Gothic Art and Architecture | 3 |
| ARTHIST 327 | Caliphs, Emirs, & Kings: Art & Architecture of Medieval Spain | 3 |
| ARTHIST 328 | Frankish Art of the Crusader Period in the Levant | 3 |
| ARTHIST 329 | Late Medieval Art and Architecture | 3 |
| ARTHIST 412 | Cities and Sanctuaries of Ancient Greece | 3 |
| ARTHIST 413 | Greek Sculpture | 3 |
| Renaissance/Baroque/18th Century | ||
| ARTHIST 237 | Northern Renaissance Art | 3 |
| ARTHIST 240 | Introduction to Prints and Printmaking: History and Techniques | 3 |
| ARTHIST 241 | Introduction to Baroque Art | 3 |
| ARTHIST 250 | Introduction to American Art | 3 |
| ARTHIST 255 | Survey of Italian Renaissance Painting and Sculpture | 3 |
| ARTHIST 323 | Age of Apocalypse: Western European Art after the First Millennium | 3 |
| ARTHIST 333 | High Renaissance Art in Italy | 3 |
| ARTHIST 342 | Art and Society in Renaissance Florence | 3 |
| ARTHIST 343 | Art and Culture of Spain and Latin America, 1500-1750 | 3 |
| ARTHIST 353 | American Art: Colonial Period - 1870 | 3 |
| ARTHIST 357 | Rococo to Revolution: European Art, 1750-1850 | 3 |
| ARTHIST 431 | Renaissance Architecture in Italy | 3 |
| Modern/Contemporary | ||
| ARTHIST 111 | Entertainment Arts: Film, Television, and the Internet | 3 |
| ARTHIST 205 | History of Film I: Development of an Art | 3 |
| ARTHIST 206 | History of Film II: Development of an Art | 3 |
| ARTHIST 261 | Modern Art | 3 |
| ARTHIST 307 | Film Directors: | 3 |
| ARTHIST 308 | Film Styles: | 3 |
| ARTHIST 349 | American Postmodernism 1960-2000 | 3 |
| ARTHIST 354 | American Art: 1870 - Present | 3 |
| ARTHIST 355 | American Folk Art | 3 |
| ARTHIST 358 | Realism to Post-Impressionism: European Art, 1850-1900 | 3 |
| ARTHIST 364 | Modernism and the Avant-Garde, 1900-1960 | 3 |
| ARTHIST 365 | History of Photography | 3 |
| ARTHIST 366 | German Painting, 1800-1933 | 3 |
| ARTHIST 367 | Latin American Modernisms | 3 |
| ARTHIST 368 | History of Modern Design | 3 |
| ARTHIST 369 | Introduction to Contemporary Art | 3 |
| ARTHIST 370 | Trends in Contemporary Architecture | 3 |
| ARTHIST 376 | History and Theory of New Media Art | 3 |
| ARTHIST 447 | Topics in Early Modern Art: | 3 |
| ARTHIST 458 | A Comparative History of Architecture and Urbanism: | 3 |
| ARTHIST 462 | Frank Lloyd Wright | 3 |
| ARTHIST 463 | Cubism and its Inheritance | 3 |
| ARTHIST 465 | Dada and Surrealist Art | 3 |
| ARTHIST 469 | American Artists Revealed: | 3 |
| ARTHIST 470 | Topics in American Art: | 3 |
| Asian, African, or Latin American | ||
| ARTHIST 105 | Asian Art and Architecture | 3 |
| ARTHIST 251 | Introduction to the Art and Architecture of Latin America | 3 |
| ARTHIST 270 | Pre-Columbian Art, Myth, and Legacy | 3 |
| ARTHIST 281 | Modern and Contemporary Chinese Art | 3 |
| ARTHIST 367 | Latin American Modernisms | 3 |
| ARTHIST 371 | African Art | 3 |
| ARTHIST 372 | Art of the Inca and their Ancestors | 3 |
| ARTHIST 373 | Art of Ancient Mexico and Central America | 3 |
| ARTHIST 375 | Art of the Aztec Empire | 3 |
| ARTHIST 380 | Chinese Painting | 3 |
| ARTHIST 382 | Chinese Art and Architecture | 3 |
| ARTHIST 383 | Japanese Art and Architecture | 3 |
| ARTHIST 384 | Art and Immortality in Ancient China | 3 |
| ARTHIST 386 | Art, Ritual, and Ethnicity of China | 3 |
| ARTHIST 387 | Buddhist Art and Architecture | 3 |
| ARTHIST 474 | Maya Art | 3 |
| ARTHIST 481 | Topics in Chinese Art: | 1-3 |
| ARTHIST 482 | Topics in Non-Western Art: | 3 |
The major is intended for students who are interested in obtaining a well-balanced approach to the study of art history. It provides an introduction to most major areas of inquiry in art history and to different scholarly approaches to study in this field. It is recommended especially for students who wish to continue into graduate studies in art history and to pursue careers in college teaching or museum or gallery work.
Art History BA Learning Outcomes
Students graduating from the Art History BA program will be able to:
- Critically examine and define the historical evolution of art in terms of material, form, use, symbolism, and cultural integration.
- Critically examine and define the historical evolution of global art traditions beyond Euro-centric viewpoints.
- Analyze works of art with due consideration to their facture, composition, style, and content.
- Compose written research that utilizes scholarly literature in identifying, accessing, and analyzing relevant documents;
- address an art historical subject, issue, or problem through systematic survey of the literature;
- distinguish between significant and insignificant data, and deal critically with contradictory evidence;
- draw reasonable conclusions and organize them into a coherent, properly documented structure.
- Produce a well-written, original, article-length scholarly paper.
Letters & Science Advising
During your time at UWM, you may have multiple members of your success team, including advisors, peer mentors and success coaches. Letters & Science students typically work with at least two different types of advisors as they pursue their degrees: professional college advisors and faculty advisors. L&S college advisors advise across your entire degree program while departmental faculty advisors focus on the major.
College advisors are located in Holton Hall (or virtually for online students) and serve as your primary advisor. They are your point person for your questions about navigating college and completing your degree. College advisors will:
- Assist you in defining your academic and life goals.
- Help you create an educational plan that is consistent with those goals.
- Assist you in understanding curriculum, major and degree requirements for graduation, as well as university policies and procedures.
- Provide you with information about campus and community resources and refer you to those resources as appropriate.
- Monitor your progress toward graduation and completion of requirements.
Faculty advisors mentor students in the major and assist them in maximizing their development in the program. You will begin working with a faculty advisor when you declare your major. Faculty advisors are an important partner and will:
- Help you understand major requirements and course offerings in the department.
- Explain opportunities for internships and undergraduate research and guide you in obtaining those experiences.
- Serve as an excellent resource as you consider potential graduate programs and career paths in your field.
Students are encouraged to meet with both their college advisor and faculty advisor at least once each semester. Appointments are available in-person, by phone or by video.
Currently enrolled students should use the Navigate360 website to make an appointment with your assigned advisor or call (414) 229-4654 if you do not currently have an assigned Letters & Science advisor. Prospective students who haven't enrolled in classes yet should call (414) 229-7711 or email let-sci@uwm.edu.
Accelerated Program Option
This program is offered as part of an accelerated graduate program. For more information, see Accelerated Graduate Degrees.
Honors in the Major
Art History majors who meet the following criteria are awarded honors in the major:
- 3.500 cumulative GPA in all UWM graded credits;
- 3.500 GPA in all credits that count toward the major;
- 3.500 GPA in all advanced credits that count toward the major;
- Completion of one of the following:
- Six credits of an art historical language, at 200 level or above, with grades of B or better. Art historical language must be approved by a relevant faculty member; or
- The Art History Department's translation exam with passing grade;
- Completion of ARTHIST 501 with grade of A- or better.
College of Letters and Science Dean's Honor List
GPA of 3.750 or above, earned on a full-time student's GPA on 12 or more graded credits in a given semester.
Honors College Degree and Honors College Degree with Distinction
Granted to graduating seniors who complete Honors College requirements, as listed in the Honors College section of this site.
Commencement Honors
Students with a cumulative GPA of 3.500 or above, based on a minimum of 40 graded UWM credits earned prior to the final semester, will receive all-university commencement honors and be awarded the traditional gold cord at the December or May Honors Convocation. Please note that for honors calculation, the GPA is not rounded and is truncated at the third decimal (e.g., 3.499).
Final Honors
Earned on a minimum of 60 graded UWM credits: Cum Laude - 3.500 or above; Magna Cum Laude - 3.650 or above; Summa Cum Laude - 3.800 or above.