Art History
Studying Art History at the University of Miami provides students with the opportunity to engage with global, visual cultures under the direction of a dynamic group of faculty members and museum professionals.
Undergraduate students majoring in the BA in Art History begin their course of study with a comprehensive survey of world art, with an emphasis on the history of European visual culture. The first half of the survey investigates art from prehistoric times to the medieval era, while the second half of the survey covers European Renaissance to modern world art.
After completing their introductory studies, students enroll in upper-division art history classes that address a range of topics, across a variety of fields, including: African Art; African American and Afro-Caribbean Art; Post-Civil War American Art; Ancient Art; Contemporary Global Art; History of Graphic Design; Islamic Art; Latin American Art; Modern European Art; Nineteenth-Century European Art; Spanish Art; and Chinese Art.
Art History majors are additionally required to complete at least one seminar (400-level or greater), which is typically taken in their senior year. Seminars focus on specialized topics and combine lecture content with research and intensive, group discussions. These capstone courses allow students to hone their skills in critical thinking and writing, visual analysis, and conducting independent research.
Art History students are encouraged to explore the field of museum studies by completing local or national internships, or by participating in exhibition-related classes, such as the department's ArtLab @ Lowe. This course is taught each Spring semester in collaboration with UM’s Lowe Art Museum. In the ArtLab @ Lowe program, faculty members from a variety of disciplines mentor a small group of students as they co-curate an exhibition drawn from objects in the Museum’s permanent collection, or from private collections.
Museum and arts administration internships at local museums and institutions are available for credit, but by application only. Interested students should first secure an internship position, then complete the department application form (click here), which is subject to approval by art history faculty (Dr. Karen Mathews). In addition to completing their weekly duties, students are required keep a weekly journal of their activities, and then write a paper discussing their internship experience.
Possible internship sites include the Lowe, The Bass, Coral Gables Museum, HistoryMiami Museum, ICA Miami, MOCA North Miami, Norton Museum of Art, PAMM, and The Wolfsonian, to name only a few.
We look forward to teaching new and continuing students in each of our art history courses, and welcome majors and minors at any point in their academic careers!
Art History Faculty
