Art History opens your eyes. It teaches you to look deeply and searchingly. It explores the visual cultures of diverse peoples, places, and times. Emphasizing critical, historical, and linguistic skills, as well as creativity and innovation, Art History offers a bridge between traditional, language-based fields in the humanities and the creative worlds of art, architecture, and performance. The study of Art History will change the way you look not only at paintings and statues but also advertisements and any visual phenomenon. Art History is more than the History of Art. It’s a way to look at the world.

If you think you might like to major or minor in art history, your first step should be to speak to an Art History faculty member, either one of our designated faculty advisors or another professor with whom you are acquainted. You don’t need to wait until it is time to declare your major. It can be very beneficial to start thinking about all available opportunities as early as possible in your Dartmouth career. A faculty member can help you explore what areas of art history you might be interested in; plan a coherent program of study in the major or minor; consider the possibility of writing an honors thesis in the senior year; choose other college courses to intersect with your interests in art history; and think about language study, programs abroad, opportunities for research and travel, internships, fellowships, and art-related campus activities.