Art History Major

Students must also complete the Undergraduate Registration Requirement and the degree requirements of their home school.

NOTE: This Catalog describes Weinberg College BA requirements that pertain to students who matriculated at Northwestern after spring quarter 2023. Refer to the Archives if you are following BA requirements described in the 2018-2019 through 2022-2023 editions.

Course Title
Department Courses (12 units) 1
2 200-level courses
10 300-level courses including:
ART_HIST 391-0
Art Historical Methods Seminar 2
At least 1 Art History 390 or 395 seminar:
ART_HIST 390-0
Undergraduate Seminar
or ART_HIST 395-0
 Museums
At least 1 Art History course in each of the following three art historical periods: 1) pre-1400 CE; 2) 1400 CE-1800 CE; and 3) post-1800 CE
At least 2 Art History courses in Non-Euro-American art 3
Studio Course (1 unit)
1 course in art making, design, or other arts course approved by the director of undergraduate studies
1

One credit of Chicago Field Studies may be substituted for either a 200- or 300-level Art History course when the internship is conducted at an arts organization approved by the director of undergraduate studies. Students conducting honors may count one of the two required ART_HIST 399-0 courses towards the major.

2

Undergraduate methods seminar should ideally be taken in junior year, especially by students who want to write an honors thesis.

3

Defined as art made outside Europe and the continental USA or by diasporic communities in those regions.

Honors in Art History

Majors with strong academic records and an interest in pursuing honors must submit an application to write a senior honors thesis to the director of undergraduate studies by the end of junior year. The thesis is written in the senior year, and submitted for evaluation near Spring break. Honors also requires:

  • Successful completion of 2 independent study courses taken with the faculty thesis advisor, usually in fall and winter terms of senior year (ART_HIST 399-0 Independent Study)
  • Participation in the departmental senior thesis colloquium

Students whose theses and grades meet department criteria are recommended to the college for graduation with honors. For further information see the description of the honors program on the art history department website, contact the director of undergraduate studies, and see Honors in the Major.