Temple University

Course Details

BA(Art History)

Course Description

The Department of Art History offers broad-ranging introductory surveys of art, from prehistoric times to the present, and more closely focused courses, treating limited segments of the vast historic panorama in both western and non-western art. Approximately sixty courses are offered over the span of a four-year period. Students majoring in art history should graduate with a thorough knowledge of the art historical traditions of each major period from ancient through postmodern art and with an understanding of the methods practiced in the discipline of art history. Students majoring in art history, especially those pursuing the advanced degree, should be qualified to teach at all levels of lower and higher education. They can also obtain jobs as museum curators, gallery directors, corporate art employees, researchers, and work in a variety of capacities for cultural associations. The Graduate Student Art History Association sponsors lectures and exhibition visits throughout the year.

Course Duration

NumberDuration
4year

Career outcomes

Tyler’s Art History program has a unique point of view. From its position in a University setting and in one of the country’s top art schools, its students have access to outstanding research resources, studio work, and travel opportunities that create a multidimensional undergraduate experience. There are other benefits as well; as Department Chair Dr. Gerald Silk points out, “We know our students well. They receive individual attention, and there’s a strong community spirit.” The Art History curriculum spans the global history of art from Ancient to Contemporary, though the Department is strongest in the Western tradition, with relatively equal distribution of focus on Ancient/Medieval, Renaissance/Baroque, and Modern/Contemporary. There are particular strengths in the study of art from the Mediterranean region, with specialists in Bronze Age Aegean, Ancient Roman, Medieval Byzantine and Coptic, Italian and Spanish Renaissance and Baroque, and Modern Italy and France, and in the study of modern and contemporary American art. In addition to taking courses at Temple’s Main Campus in Philadelphia, students are encouraged to study abroad, spending a semester or year at Temple’s campuses in either Tokyo or Rome. Several undergraduates are also often accepted into a summer excavation project in Italy. In addition to these opportunities, internships at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Fabric Workshop and Museum, the Print Center, and other local and regional cultural institutions provide hands-on learning experiences. The program is also known for its state-of-the-art digital resources. Pioneering the move to digitization, the department’s extensive slide library has been converted to a database of more than 35,000 digital images. This treasure trove is complemented by membership in the image library ARTstor, which provides students and faculty access to more than one million additional images, encompassing every period, genre, and category of world art. Instructors prepare lectures digitally and students can access them via Blackboard, an online course management resource, allowing students to learn and review class material anywhere, anytime.




BA(Art History) Temple University