Department Website
Program Description
Once described by New York Times art critic John Russell as the best undergraduate department of art history in the country, the art history program at NYU was established to provide a rigorous and wide-ranging education in the many facets of the history and theory of art, a mission that its faculty continues to enthusiastically embrace. Students become familiar with global art from antiquity to the present. The department offers courses in ancient, medieval, Renaissance, baroque, modern, contemporary, East Asian, South Asian, Islamic, Latin American, African, Oceanic, Pre-Columbian, and Native American art, treating not only painting, sculpture, architecture, and photography but also graphic media, manuscript illumination, the decorative arts, and aspects of urban design. The department is one of the few undergraduate programs in the country with extensive offerings in conservation and museology and also publishes its own student journal (Ink & Image). A myriad of museums, galleries, and local architectural sites make New York City the ideal place in which to study the visual arts on site and in the flesh. Beyond New York, art history courses are offered at NYU's study away sites, such as Berlin, Buenos Aires, Florence, London, Madrid, Paris, and Prague.
Minor Declaration
To request declaration of a minor, CAS students should visit the host department. To request declaration of a cross-school minor, CAS students should complete the online Minor Application available in their Albert Student Center. Students may also use the Minor Application in Albert to request cancellation of a CAS or cross-school minor.
Program Requirements
Art History may be taken as a minor in conjunction with another major. The minor consists of any four 4-credit courses (16 credits) offered by the department (and completed with a grade of C or better; courses graded Pass/Fail do not count) that focus on at least two distinct chronological periods and two distinct cultural traditions. (The chronological periods are ancient or medieval, early modern, and modern. The cultural traditions include Africa/the Near East, East Asia, South Asia, Europe/the Americas, Islamic, and Pre-Columbian/Native American/Oceanic, among others.) The usual requirements for prerequisites remain in place. Thus, students wishing to take advanced courses in most areas must first complete ARTH-UA 10 Foundations of Art History. A maximum of two minor courses can be taken while studying abroad. Art History courses taken at Steinhardt may not be counted for credit towards any art history major or minor.
Course List
Course |
Title |
Credits |
| | 4 |
| | 4 |
| | 4 |
| | 4 |
Total Credits | 16 |
Policies
Program Policies
Policies Applying to the Minor
- Credit toward the art history and urban design major or minor is granted only for courses completed with a grade of C or higher. Courses graded Pass/Fail do not count.
- Students cannot receive credit for both History of Western Art I (ARTH-UA 1) and Ancient Art (ARTH-UA 3) or Medieval Art (ARTH-UA 4); or for both History of Western Art II (ARTH-UA 2) and Renaissance and Baroque Art (ARTH-UA 5) or Modern Art (ARTH-UA 6), as their contents overlap.
- Art history courses taken in the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development may not be double-counted for credit toward an art history minor.
NYU Policies
University-wide policies can be found on the New York University Policy pages.
College of Arts and Science Policies
A full list of relevant academic policies can be found on the CAS Academic Policies page.