Art History
B.A. Department of Art History · UC Irvine · 2026-2027 Catalog
Art History is the study of works of art and other visual artifacts from all regions of the world and all periods of history. Consequently, the undergraduate curriculum in Art History, with its global perspective, is one of the most diverse disciplines in the humanities. Through Art History, students learn how to describe and interpret a range of objects including sculpture, painting, photography, architecture, and “new media” such as video and performance art. These skills, along with the program’s intense focus on writing and verbal expression, prepare students to think critically and to express themselves clearly at a time when visual communication is becoming ever more important.
Because works of art are always created within a larger cultural context, Art History courses are a good way to understand what other places or times were like. Students may explore, for example, ancient Greece, 19th century Japan, or even the 21st century United States. Majors in Art History are encouraged to take related courses in other fields in the humanities and to pursue the study of language beyond the minimum requirements. Because of its international perspective, Art History is a particularly good major for students interested in studying abroad. There are many study centers throughout the world associated with the University’s Education Abroad Program that offer widely varied selections of Art History courses.
Requirements
All students must meet the University Requirements.
All students must meet the School Requirements.
14 courses (56 units) are required for the major.
Departmental Requirements for the Major
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| A. Select three of the following: | ||
| ART HIS 30 | Latin American Art and Architecture: 1492 to the Present | |
| ART HIS 40A | Ancient Greek and Roman Art, and Architecture | |
| ART HIS 40B | Arts of Europe: Medieval and Renaissance | |
| ART HIS 40C | Early Modern and Modern Art in Europe and America | |
| ART HIS 42B | History of Asian Art: Arts of China | |
| ART HIS 42C | History of Asian Art: Arts of Japan | |
| ART HIS 42D | History of Asian Art: Arts of Islam | |
| ART HIS 42F | Arts of Korea | |
| ART HIS 44 | Image Collision: A Multicultural Approach to Images and Their Users | |
| ART HIS 46 | Introduction to Ancient Egyptian Archaeology and Art | |
| ART HIS 55 | Disneyland | |
| B. Select eight upper-division Art History courses, with at least one course in three of the four following geographical regions: | ||
| Americas: Art History 140, 156, 163–167 | ||
| Europe: Art History 100, 103-140 | ||
| Asia: Art History 150–163 | ||
| Africa: Art History 101 | ||
| and at least one course in each of the following five historical periods: | ||
| Ancient: | ||
| Art History 100–107 | ||
| ART HIS 155A | Ancient India | |
| Medieval: | ||
| ART HIS 110 | Studies in Medieval Art | |
| ART HIS 114 | Studies in Western Medieval Art | |
| ART HIS 155B | Medieval India | |
| Early Modern: | ||
| Art History 120–128 | ||
| ART HIS 151B | Later Imperial China | |
| ART HIS 165A | Early American Art | |
| Modern: | ||
| ART HIS 134C | Modern European Art: From Impressionism to the Fauves | |
| ART HIS 134D | Modern European Art: From Cubism to Surrealism | |
| ART HIS 134E | Topics in Modern European Art | |
| ART HIS 145A | Studies in Modern Architecture | |
| ART HIS 151C | Modern China | |
| ART HIS 164A | Modern African American Art | |
| ART HIS 164E | African Americans and Photography | |
| ART HIS 165B | Nineteenth Century American Art | |
| ART HIS 165C | Modern American Art | |
| Contemporary: | ||
| ART HIS 140A | History of Contemporary Art | |
| ART HIS 140B | Topics in Contemporary Art | |
| ART HIS 145B | Studies in Architecture after 1945 | |
| ART HIS 162C | Contemporary Japan | |
| ART HIS 163 | Asian American Art, Contemporary | |
| ART HIS 164B | Contemporary African American Art | |
| ART HIS 164D | African American Women in Art | |
| C. Complete: | ||
| ART HIS 190W | Art History Methods | |
| D. Select one of the following options: | ||
| 1. Two quarters of: | ||
| ART HIS 198 | Advanced Seminar: Topics in Art History | |
| 2. Or one quarter of: | ||
| ART HIS 196 | Ethics, Law, and Art | |
| and | ||
| ART HIS 198 | Advanced Seminar: Topics in Art History | |
- NOTE: A course may apply as both one Geographical Region and one Historical Period, but no course may be used to satisfy more than one Geographical Region or more than one Historical Period.
- NOTE: Additional courses may be applied via petition with the approval of the Department Chair.
Students should enroll in ART HIS 190W (for upper-division writing) as early as possible in their junior year, after successfully completing UCI’s lower-division writing requirement. It is strongly recommended that students complete ART HIS 190W before taking ART HIS 198.
Residence Requirement for the Major: Five upper-division courses required for the major must be completed successfully at UCI.
Career Opportunities
Following their graduation, students with a B.A. in Art History have found employment in art galleries, auction houses, and museums, and they have entered graduate programs with a view to careers in university teaching, curatorial work, and art conservation. Moreover, with its strong emphasis on developing critical skills in writing, speaking, and analysis, Art History also provides an excellent preparation for many other careers. UCI graduates have pursued professional paths ranging from medicine and law, to business and education, to information technologies and architecture. As in the case of arts administration or intellectual property law, some of these professional pursuits have depended on and continue to make use of training in the arts.