Bachelor of Arts in Art History
“The only true voyage of discovery would be to possess other eyes, to behold the universe through the eye of a hundred others, to behold the hundred universes that each of them beholds.”
The BA in Art History introduces global culture through the lens of art and architecture. You will encounter extraordinary works of art while cultivating skills that prepare you for careers across the art industry. From the Royal Cemetery of Ur in Ancient Mesopotamia to the Templo Mayor at the heart of Mexico City to El Anatsui’s Old Man’s Cloth at UF’s Harn Museum, students learn to interrogate art’s role in society, culture, politics, and the economy across time and the world.
You’ll develop tools to analyze, research, and interpret visual works to produce your own scholarship and art criticism. We embrace an interdisciplinary approach that draws on history, archaeology, anthropology, religion, literature, and other disciplines to understand and interpret visual culture. Many faculty and students choose Art History because they enjoy both the visual world and studying a discipline that touches so many other fields.
You will be mentored by faculty who are actively engaged in international research that frequently guides the direction of the field and informs contemporary debate. Through our HESCAH lecture series, you will meet leading scholars from around the world who come to UF every year to present the latest art historical research. Courses regularly visit UF’s Harn Museum and the University Galleries to learn from artworks in their exhibitions.
Graduates of the program pursue careers in Florida and nationally in museums, galleries, cultural organizations, auction houses, and universities. Often, they pursue graduate degrees and gain acceptance at top programs.
In this program, you will:
- Establish your foundations with introductory surveys of the Art of Africa, Art of Asia, Art of ancient to medieval Europe and the Near East, Art of Renaissance to modern Europe and the United States, and the Art of Latin America.
- Dive into advanced electives on art from Ancient Rome, Ancient Mesoamerica, Renaissance Italy, the Viceroyalty of Peru, Rococo France, modern Mozambique, contemporary Korea, and more.
- Interpret works of art from the ancient past to the present and explain their historical and cultural context.
- Develop research skills to conduct your own scholarship and hone your ability to express your ideas through writing and speaking.
- Build visual literacy and critical thinking.
- Culminate your experience with a capstone thesis paper created in a small-group Senior Seminar led by core research faculty and supported by your strong peer community.
See full details in the UF Undergraduate Catalog.
The quote at the top of the page is lightly condensed from volume 5, The Captive of Marcel Proust, Remembrance of Things Past, 1923.