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 art, economic, political, religious, and social history. Students leave the program with increased sensitivity to art-related issues and the ability to think critically about art and art history. Knowledge of art history engenders a heightened understanding of history, a familiarity with the major issues in human cultural development, and exposure to the artistic expression of varied cultures and civilizations. This guided program assists students in developing specialized art theories necessary to apply and transfer to art programs at local universities.
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, corporate art advisor, museum docent, consultant on historical style for film and TV 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
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| English Proficiency | ||
| Select one of the following: | ||
| ENGL 1A | COMPOSITION & READING | 5 |
| ENGL 1AH | HONORS COMPOSITION & READING | 5 |
| ESLL 26 | ADVANCED COMPOSITION & READING | 5 |
| or equivalent | ||
| Mathematics Proficiency | ||
| College-level math course at or above the level of Intermediate Algebra | ||
A minimum of 90 units is required1 to include:
- Completion of one of the following general education patterns: Foothill General Education, CSU General Education Breadth Requirements or the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC)
- Core courses (27 units)
- Support courses (12.5-14.5 units)
- 1
Additional elective course work may be necessary to meet the 90-unit minimum requirement for the associate degree.
Note: All courses pertaining to the major must be taken for a letter grade. In addition, a grade of "C" or better is required for all core and support courses used for the degree or certificate.
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 CONTEMPORARY | 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 | ||
| 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 | |
| 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.