Art History
Program Description
The Art History program offers an Associate in Arts degree and a Certificate of Achievement and provides students with an awareness of how art relates to economic, political, religious, and social contexts. 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 the history of humanity, a familiarity with the major issues in human cultural development, and exposure to the artistic expression of varied cultures and civilizations.
Learn more about the program on the Art History website.
Associate Degree for Transfer
This program also offers an Associate Degree for Transfer. Learn more and review the degree requirements on the Art History AA-T listing.
Program Learning Outcomes
- Students will be able to collect and assess primary and secondary source information and successfully analyze and comment on that information in the form of a reasoned term paper.
- 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.
Career Opportunities
Career opportunities include the following: college professor, teacher, arts administrator, museum/gallery curator, museum/gallery archivist, corporate art advisor, museum docent, consultant on historical style for film and media production, museum conservator, historical conservationist, art critic, tour guide, travel consultant, research assistant, and art dealer.
Award Type(s)
- AA = Associate in Arts Degree
- CA = Certificate of Achievement
Units Required
- Major: 39.5-41.5
- Certificate(s): 39.5-41.5
Associate Degree Requirements
A minimum of 90 units is required1 to complete the associate degree, including:
- Core and support courses for the major (39.5-41.5 units total)
- Completion of one of the following general education patterns:
- Foothill College General Education
- Summer Session 2025 only–CSU General Education Breadth (CSU GE Breadth)2
- Summer Session 2025 only–Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC)2
- Beginning Fall Quarter 2025–California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC)3
- 1
Additional elective course work may be necessary to meet the 90-unit minimum requirement for the associate degree.
- 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.
- 3
Cal-GETC begins in Fall Quarter 2025. Please see a counselor for more information.
Note: A grade of "C" (or "P") or better is required for all core and support courses used for the degree or certificate. In addition, the student must obtain a minimum GPA of 2.0.
Refer to the Associate in Arts & Associate in Science Degree Requirements page for complete information about graduation requirements and catalog rights.
Core and Support Courses
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | ||
| ART 1 | INTRODUCTION TO ART | 4.5 |
| ART 2A | HISTORY OF ART: HISTORY OF WESTERN ART FROM PREHISTORY THROUGH EARLY CHRISTIANITY | 4.5 |
| or ART 2AH | HONORS HISTORY OF ART: HISTORY OF WESTERN ART FROM PREHISTORY THROUGH EARLY CHRISTIANITY | |
| 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 2F | INTRODUCTION TO ASIAN ART | 4.5 |
| ART 3 | HISTORY OF MODERN ART FROM POST-IMPRESSIONISM TO THE PRESENT | 4.5 |
| Support Courses | ||
| Select one course each from List 1, List 2, and List 3: | 12.5-14.5 | |
| List 1 | ||
| AFRICAN, OCEANIC & NATIVE AMERICAN ART | ||
| A HISTORY OF WOMEN IN ART | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO ISLAMIC ART | ||
| AMERICAN ART | ||
| List 2 | ||
| CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY | ||
or ANTH 2AH | HONORS CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY | |
| HISTORY OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION TO 800 CE | ||
| HISTORY OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION: 700-1800 | ||
| HISTORY OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION 1789-PRESENT | ||
| CULTURES, CIVILIZATIONS & IDEAS: THE ANCIENT WORLD | ||
or HUMN 1H | HONORS CULTURES, CIVILIZATIONS & IDEAS: THE ANCIENT WORLD | |
| CULTURES, CIVILIZATIONS & IDEAS: OF EMPIRES & CONFLICT | ||
or HUMN 2H | HONORS CULTURES, CIVILIZATIONS & IDEAS: OF EMPIRES & CONFLICT | |
| INTERMEDIATE JAPANESE I 1 | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF ART & AESTHETICS | ||
| COMPARATIVE WORLD RELIGIONS: EAST | ||
| COMPARATIVE WORLD RELIGIONS: WEST | ||
| INTERMEDIATE SPANISH I 1 | ||
| List 3 | ||
| FUNDAMENTALS IN DRAWING | ||
| OIL PAINTING I | ||
or ART 19B | ACRYLIC PAINTING I | |
| BEGINNING CERAMICS HANDBUILDING | ||
or ART 45B | BEGINNING CERAMICS POTTER'S WHEEL | |
| INTRODUCTION TO PHOTOGRAPHY | ||
or PHOT 8 | PHOTOGRAPHY OF AMERICAN CULTURES | |
or PHOT 8H | HONORS PHOTOGRAPHY OF AMERICAN CULTURES | |
or PHOT 10 | HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY | |
or PHOT 10H | HONORS HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY | |
| INTRODUCTION TO FASHION HISTORY & COSTUME DESIGN | ||
| Total Units | 39.5-41.5 | |
- 1
Course recommended to become familiar with the language, criteria, contexts, and frameworks through which we write about and interpret art in an academic setting, and to gain exposure to the processes and methods of art production.
Certificate Requirements
Certificate of Achievement in Art History
- Units: 39.5-41.5
The certificate of achievement is awarded upon completion of the core and support courses. General education courses are not required.