Art History, BA
Expand your critical perspective while examining the past through art. The Bachelor of Arts degree in art history provides instruction in the global history of art, from the ancient period to the present, through a range of interpretive methods.
Program Overview
The Art History BA program explores artistic expression from various cultures, societies, and eras, equipping students with analytical and historical knowledge.
Our program prepares you to learn about artistic periods like medieval and early renaissance art, as well as the cultural art of America and the western and non-western hemispheres. With this knowledge, you’ll learn to make connections between art and contemporary everyday beliefs and values, all while honing your knowledge of artistic composition, style, and meaning.
Plus, with our museum and curatorial studies concentration, you’ll also have the opportunity to learn about the laws, criminalization, and history of artwork and museums, preparing you for diverse careers in the arts that fuel your curiosity.
Concentrations
Our current selection of concentrations includes:
- Art History, BA (general)
- Museum and Curatorial Studies concentration
While our general Art History BA equips students with historical and cultural knowledge of art through various time periods, our museum and curatorial studies concentration focuses on preparing students to work in galleries, museums, or cultural conservation organizations that value historical and legal knowledge of art.
Minors
Skills in the arts and knowledge of historical and cultural aspects of art can enhance any degree. If you’re interested in supplementing your primary field of study with knowledge of art, check out some of our minors below.
The School of Art offers the following minors:
- Art History Minor
- Cinema Studies Minor
- Studio Art Minor
- Museum and Curatorial Studies Minor
What Sets Us Apart
State-of-the-Art Facilities
Most of the UT School of Art’s facilities are located within the Art + Architecture Building, a 180,540-square-foot, light-filled building designed especially for UT’s Art and Architecture students. Since 1981, the building has evolved into a vibrant center for creative experimentation and inter-disciplinary exchange. With cutting-edge facilities, expansive studios, and shared spaces designed to foster collaboration, it supports ambitious work across all areas of art.
Creative and Passionate Faculty
At the heart of the University of Tennessee’s Art program is a faculty of internationally recognized artists and scholars who are not only at the forefront of their respective fields but are deeply committed to the success of their students.
Residences and Workshops
Our art students also benefit from opportunities to attend residences and workshops at various art centers across the country and the world. Recent students have completed summer workshops in local Tennessee areas such as the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg, Penland School of Crafts, and the Appalachian Center for Craft in Smithville, giving them next-level experiences.
Why Study Art History?
At the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, receiving a BA in art history means you’ll be part of an art program that is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).
Plus, in our program, you’ll also have access to exceptional internship opportunities with local Knoxville organizations—the Knoxville Museum of Art and UT’s McClung Museum of Natural History, to name a few. Some of our students have even interned nationally at museums in New York and Chicago, giving them next-level experiences that open a clear path forward in their professional endeavors.
And with opportunities to work in and showcase art in our student-run galleries, the Ewing Gallery of Art + Architecture and Gallery 1010, you’ll never be sitting on the sidelines!
What Can You Do with an BA in Art History After Graduation?
In the Art History program at UT, students are given an interdisciplinary education with study in traditional and professional settings, all a part of the interactive and hands-on education art students deserve. Students have the opportunity to learn in environments such as studios, galleries, and museums, while learning critical thinking and communication skills along the way.
Many graduates go on to pursue careers in academia, education, museums, galleries, restoration, law, and business.
In museums and galleries, many students go on to work in administration, public relations, or preservation, as archivist, exhibit designers, development coordinators, or collections managers. Employers like art galleries, auction houses, interior design firms, and private businesses look for those interested in gallery management, sales, or art authentication. In education, many graduates go on to become art history teachers, researchers, or program coordinators, at multiple levels of educational institutions.
Some graduates go into business within art management, market research, creative design, or the art economy. In media, graduates go on to work in publishing, editing, costuming, or set design; others work for the nonprofit sector as development officers or community outreach coordinator. Even government and the public sector has a place for art history graduates, as cultural affairs specialists, museum curators, or public affairs specialists.
Featured Courses
ARTH 452 Art of Italy, 1475-1600
This course surveys the height of the ‘re-birth’ of the visual arts and the revival of classical antiquity now known as the Italian Renaissance. The 15th and 16th centuries witnessed landmark artistic, intellectual, and technological innovations such as humanism, the development of printmaking, the rise of the artist as genius, and the discipline of art history itself. Artists include Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Michelangelo, Titian, and Palladio.
ARCH 213 Modern Architecture: Histories and Theories
Students will examine the history and theory of modern and contemporary architecture through broad-based examinations of the questions of modernity and specific case studies of buildings, projects, landscapes and theories.
ARTH 416 Chinese Art of the 20th and 21st Centuries
This course serves as a survey of Chinese art from the late 19th century through the present. Hong Kong, Taiwanese, and expatriate artists are also considered.
ARTH 483 History of Museums and Collections
This course will introduce students to the history of collections, exhibitions, and museums through the history of systems of collecting and display from antiquity to the present. Readings will confront theoretical and methodological issues related to historiography, ethnography, and ethics. In addition to covering the history of museums, the course will relate history and theory to the major concerns of contemporary institutions and galleries.
Complementary Majors, Minors, and Certificates
Looking to enhance your degree? Consider these programs as a complement to your primary major.
- Entrepreneurship minor
- History minor
- Digital Humanities minor
Looking For More Options?
The College of Arts and Sciences offers students the broadest range of academic programs and opportunities for research and creative activities at the University of Tennessee, powered by faculty expertise across every discipline.
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