Program Description

The Art History program provides students with an awareness of how art relates to economic, political, religious, and social contexts. Our art history courses prepare students for transfer to upper division study by developing and improving research and writing skills, critical thinking skills, and visual and information literacy, and provide fundamental training in world art studies. Knowledge of art history engenders heightened understanding and empathy of history, a familiarity with the major issues in human cultural development, and exposure to the artistic expression of varied cultures and civilizations.

Students who complete the Associate in Arts in Art History for Transfer degree will be ensured preferential transfer status to CSUs for Art History majors and majors in related disciplines. The Associate in Arts in Art History for Transfer degree requirements will fulfill the lower division requirements at CSUs. Students are advised, however, to meet with a counselor to assess the course requirements for specific CSUs.

Learn more about the program on the Art History website.

Program Learning Outcomes

• Students will be able to collect and assess primary and secondary source information and successfully analyze and comment on that information.
• Students will be able to demonstrate in written form a strong awareness of the political, social, religious, and technological factors that influence cultures and change in those cultures.

Units Required

• Major: 30-38

Associate Degree Requirements

Associate in Arts in Art History for Transfer requires completion of a minimum of 90 units, including:

• Core and support courses for the major (30-38 units)¹
• Summer Session 2025 only–CSU General Education Breadth (CSU GE Breadth) or Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC)² (49-58 units) (full certification is required)
• Beginning Fall Quarter 2025–California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC)³ (45 units) (full certification is required)
• Transferable electives necessary to meet the 90-unit minimum requirement

¹

Some units from the core and support courses may be used to satisfy the GE requirement. Please see a counselor for more information.

²

Summer Session 2025 is the final term during which CSU GE Breadth and IGETC may be used. Please see a counselor for more information. Important Note: Although it is possible to fulfill the requirements for the Associate Degree for Transfer by completing the IGETC for UC pattern, admission to CSU requires completion of an Oral Communication course (IGETC Area 1C; CSU GE Area A-1); therefore, students who plan to transfer to CSU should complete this course as part of their GE or elective units.

³

Cal-GETC begins in Fall Quarter 2025. Please see a counselor for more information.

Note: All courses pertaining to the major must be completed with a grade of "C" (or "P") or better. In addition, the student must obtain a minimum GPA of 2.0.

Core and Support Courses

Course List

Code	Title	Units
Core Courses
ART 2B	HISTORY OF WESTERN ART FROM THE MIDDLE AGES TO THE RENAISSANCE	4.5
or ART 2BH	HONORS HISTORY OF WESTERN ART FROM THE MIDDLE AGES TO THE RENAISSANCE
ART 2C	HISTORY OF WESTERN ART FROM THE BAROQUE TO IMPRESSIONISM	4.5
ART 3	HISTORY OF MODERN ART FROM POST-IMPRESSIONISM TO THE PRESENT	4.5
ART 4A	FUNDAMENTALS IN DRAWING	4
Support Courses
Select one course each from List A, List B, and List C:		12.5-20.5
List A
ART 2D	AFRICAN, OCEANIC & NATIVE AMERICAN ART
ART 2E	A HISTORY OF WOMEN IN ART
ART 2F	INTRODUCTION TO ASIAN ART
ART 2G	INTRODUCTION TO ISLAMIC ART
ART 2J	AMERICAN ART
List B
ART 4B	INTERMEDIATE DRAWING
ART 4D & ART 4E	FIGURE DRAWING I and HEADS & HANDS DRAWING 1
ART 5A	2-D FOUNDATIONS
ART 5B	3-D FOUNDATIONS
ART 19A & ART 19B	OIL PAINTING I and ACRYLIC PAINTING I 1
ART 44	CERAMIC SCULPTURE
ART 45A	BEGINNING CERAMICS HANDBUILDING
or ART 45B	BEGINNING CERAMICS POTTER'S WHEEL
ART 47A	WATERCOLOR I
GID 41	DIGITAL ART & GRAPHICS
PHOT 5	INTRODUCTION TO PHOTOGRAPHY
PHOT 6A	PHOTOSHOP FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS I
List C
Any course not used in List A or List B, or any of the following:
ANTH 2A	CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY
or ANTH 2AH	HONORS CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY
ANTH 8	INTRODUCTION TO ARCHAEOLOGY
or ANTH 8H	HONORS INTRODUCTION TO ARCHAEOLOGY
ART 1	INTRODUCTION TO ART
ETHN 1	INTRODUCTION TO ETHNIC STUDIES
ETHN 2	INTRODUCTION TO AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES
ETHN 3	INTRODUCTION TO LATINX STUDIES
ETHN 4	INTRODUCTION TO NATIVE AMERICAN STUDIES
ETHN 5	INTRODUCTION TO ASIAN AMERICAN STUDIES
HIST 4A	HISTORY OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION TO 800 CE
HIST 4B	HISTORY OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION: 700-1800
HIST 4C	HISTORY OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION 1789-PRESENT
HIST 17A	HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES TO 1815
HIST 17B	HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES FROM 1812 TO 1914
HIST 17C	HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES FROM 1914 TO THE PRESENT
HUMN 1	CULTURES, CIVILIZATIONS & IDEAS: THE ANCIENT WORLD
or HUMN 1H	HONORS CULTURES, CIVILIZATIONS & IDEAS: THE ANCIENT WORLD
HUMN 2	CULTURES, CIVILIZATIONS & IDEAS: OF EMPIRES & CONFLICT
JAPN 4	INTERMEDIATE JAPANESE I
JAPN 5	INTERMEDIATE JAPANESE II
JAPN 6	INTERMEDIATE JAPANESE III
PHIL 24	COMPARATIVE WORLD RELIGIONS: EAST
PHIL 25	COMPARATIVE WORLD RELIGIONS: WEST
SPAN 4	INTERMEDIATE SPANISH I
SPAN 5	INTERMEDIATE SPANISH II
SPAN 6	INTERMEDIATE SPANISH III
WMN 5	INTRODUCTION TO WOMEN'S STUDIES
WMN 11	WOMEN IN GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE
Total Units		30-38

¹

Both courses must be completed to fulfill the requirement.