Bachelor's Art History Degrees

For those that have a passion for art flowing through their veins, deciding on a career can be a difficult choice to make. Perhaps you're not necessarily looking to become an artist, such as a painter, or sketch artist, but choose to keep those talents for your own pleasure in your leisure time. We made it easy to find the schools that offer bachelor degree programs in Art History. Check out the schools below to get started.

Or maybe you're not even an artist, per se', but simply have a vivid interest in the art world, and are having trouble finding a career to feed that hunger. Having your passion become your career is one of the most fulfilling things in the world a person can do with their lives. If you see yourself in the above paragraph, the Study of Art History may be exactly what you're looking for. Just as the name implies, Art History is not simply looking at different pieces of artwork, or learning about a certain form of artwork, it's also about many different cultures from many different lands and how the expression of their political, social, architectural, and economical lives is shown in their artwork.

A good bit of what we've learned about past cultures and about the lives of their people has been taught to us through the study of their art. For beginning Art History students, you will be studying the words and meanings of the "language of art" so that you'll be able to comprehend the words and descriptions of artistic works from the past, from different civilizations, time periods, and peoples.

Art History Schools

You'll also have the wonderful opportunity to study "hands on" pieces of artwork, and the different mediums, and styles of different lands and times. Touching, examining, and learning about a piece of history, and a unique form of art is a priceless event that most anyone would be thrilled to live! You will most likely also get a chance to do an internship at Estate Appraisals, Museum Work, Auctions, and many other thrilling events; an exciting way to get experience, and learn about your field of study.

This is a delightful field of study and can be an excellent foundation if your career choice is in the arts. Those graduating with an Art History degree will be eligible for jobs such as Art Teacher, Art Exhibitionist, Art and Estate Appraiser, Museum Curator, and many many other choices. An Art History degree will also give you the skills required for those jobs that involve being able to comprehend historical and visual cultures, knowledge of research work, and creative writing as well as critical analysis. The requirements to complete your study in Art History will vary from school to school, but will usually involve something similar to the following:

- Thirty credit hours, or ten to twelve courses in the field of Art History. Some suggestions for those who are majoring in Art History are six courses in Art History such as Medieval Art, Renaissance Art, Neoclassical Art, Ancient Art, Early Christian Art, etc.

- One or two from the following courses; Art Interpretation, Visual Arts, Ancient Art, Visual Arts-mainly Early American to present day. Modern Art and Architecture, Contemporary Art, and the study of certain artists, such as Rembrandt.

You should also have at least one of the following, but more may be a good idea; Basic Oil Painting, Drawing, Art Restoration, and Printmaking. So for an exciting career that will not only feed your hunger for art and its beauty, but will also give you a chance to touch history, and be a part of keeping it alive, perhaps you should consider a bachelor's degree in Art History as your major.

Next Steps in Finding an Art History School

Sometimes it is hard filter out all of the schools available so you can earn your Bachelor’s degree in art history. Once you find a school you are faced with lots of different choices and even curriculum options, not to mention the actual researching of the school to make sure it is right fit for you. Follow the below steps that will help you find the perfect art history school.

Step 1: Finding a School – We have taken the pain out of searching the web and researching 100’s of possible colleges that offer Bachelor’s degrees in Art History. Simply look at the below schools and find one close to where you work or your home. If one isn’t available near you then you can always look at online colleges as a possible option.

Step #2: Talk to Enrollment Representative – Once you request information from a school you’ll usually get called that day by an admissions representative who will guide you through what the next steps are in the enrollment process. Be sure to have a list of questions ready to ask as your phone call should be short as the next step will be to visit the campus directly.

Step #3: Tuition – You will want to go over financial aid and any available scholarships at this time with the financial aid department. You are not enrolled at this time and you are simply looking into the costs to determine if you can afford to go to school and what your financial obligations will be after you graduate.

Step #5: Start Dates – Go over with the school when they have their next start date. Typically schools have start dates monthly but some more specialized schools could only offer enrollment start dates twice per year.

Step #6 Enrolling – Once you feel comfortable with the school as well as the start date and tuition cost it is time for you to sign your enrollment papers and officially be accepted into the school Keep in mind that many online schools these days have an opt out clause where if you don’t like the school within the first 30 days you can drop out and only owe a little bit of the tuition on the first class.

Careers in Art History

In art history you have many career paths you can take after you earn your bachelor’s degree. Below are just some of the possibilities.

Art Researchers – You can work with museums on exhibits and presentations for guests.

Art Buyer – As an art buyer you can represent a company, firm or private individual who owns a collection and it looking for specific art pieces. You act as the buyer for these individuals since you are the subject matter expert.

Appraiser – You can work for an art appraiser, art auction house or act as your own appraiser for fine art. Focus your efforts in on an era and become a subject expert. Additional licensing regarding becoming an appraiser could be available.

Educator – As an educator you can stay in school and earn your teachers license and become an art history teacher. Also teachers or educators are needed at museums.

Museum Curators – Work on collection and securing exhibits for the public to see. Focus on purchasing as well as getting works of art to be donated to the museum and maintaining the pieces for future generations to enjoy.

Art History Curriculum Courses

When you enroll in an art history degree you will take courses with a strong emphasis on the arts. Some of the different topics and curriculum you’ll take include:

- Western Art
- Introduction of History of Art
- Sculptures and Paintings
- Renaissance Art Era
- European Art History Movement
- Anthropology
- 19th and 20th Century Art
- Philosophy
- Art and Religion
- Architectural Studies
- Visual Art