BA in Art History
Minimum Grade Requirement
All lower division art history requirements and demonstrated writing proficiency as prescribed by California State University, Sacramento must be completed prior to enrollment in upper division courses. A minimum grade of “C” is required in all courses applied to the Art History concentration. Art History students are required to meet the Sacramento State Foreign Language Requirement by completing the second semester (1B) of a college-level foreign language course with a grade of C- or better (or equivalent foreign language study, as described in the current University catalog). Students who plan to pursue further graduate study in art history are encouraged to learn a foreign language relevant to their art historical interests through the second semester intermediate level (2B).
Units required for Major: 48
Program Description
The Art History BA provides a full range of courses in Western and non-Western art, criticism, and visual culture from pre-history to the present and from many perspectives. Lecture/discussion classes, seminars, independent studies, fieldwork, and studio courses produce college-level visual literacy, global perspectives, art historical skills, and understanding of curatorial and art-making practices. Students focus on one of four areas of interest: Early Modern European Art, Asian Art, Art of the Americas, or Modern and Contemporary Art. The art history degree affords a broad education as well as practical preparation for a range of vocations and advanced professional studies. Students who wish to pursue advanced degrees in Art History after finishing the Bachelor of Arts will benefit from the close supervision of a mentor-professor who helps prepare them for graduate studies.
Fieldwork experiences can be arranged with the Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission, and other public and private art institutions and galleries in the Capital region. Opportunities to study art history abroad are available through the Office of International Programs and Global Engagement at Sacramento State and the California State University International Program. University credit can be obtained for a semester to a year of study at college and international centers in Britain, Europe, Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Australia.
California State University, Sacramento is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).
Program Requirements
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Required Lower Division Core Courses (18 Units) | ||
| ART 1C | Global Modern and Contemporary Art 1 | 3 |
| ART 20A | Beginning Drawing 1 | 3 |
| Select one lower division course from Photography or Art Studio in a medium other than drawing. | 3 | |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Art, Religions, and Power before 1400 1 | ||
| Art, Empires, and Cross-Cultural Exchange, 1400-1800 1 | ||
| Select two of the following: | 6 | |
| History of Islamic Art 1 | ||
| Traditional Asian Art 1 | ||
| Modern and Contemporary Asian Art 1 | ||
| European Visual Traditions 1 | ||
| Art of the Americas 1 | ||
| Required Upper Division Core Courses (21 Units) | ||
| HIST 100 | Introduction to Historical Skills 2 | 3 |
| Select one from each of the following four groups, plus two additional courses from one group to form a specialization. | 18 | |
| Group 1 | ||
| Art of the Ancient Mediterranean | ||
| Medieval Art | ||
| Renaissance Art | ||
| Baroque and Rococo Art | ||
| Group 2 | ||
| Asian Art and Mythology | ||
| Art of India and Southeast Asia 1 | ||
| Art of China and Japan 1 | ||
| Art of Korea | ||
| Group 3 | ||
| Origins of American Indian Art | ||
| US and Caribbean Art: Race and Representation 1 | ||
| Latin American and Latino Art History 1 | ||
| California Architecture and Urban History | ||
| Public Art in the Americas 1, 3 | ||
| African American Art and Visual Culture | ||
| Group 4 4 | ||
| 19th Century Art | ||
| Modern Art | ||
| Contemporary Art | ||
| Photography, Inception to Mid-Century | ||
| Photography, a Social History | ||
| Upper Division Electives (3 Units) 5 | ||
| Select one elective from the following list. This course cannot be one that was used to satisfy any other Art History major requirement. | 3 | |
| Origins of American Indian Art | ||
| Themes in World Art and Visual Culture | ||
| Art of the Ancient Mediterranean | ||
| Medieval Art | ||
| Renaissance Art | ||
| Baroque and Rococo Art | ||
| 19th Century Art | ||
| Modern Art | ||
| US and Caribbean Art: Race and Representation | ||
| Latin American and Latino Art History | ||
| Contemporary Art | ||
| Asian Art and Mythology | ||
| Topics in Early Modern Art | ||
| Topics in Asian Art | ||
| Topics in Modern and Contemporary Art | ||
| Art of India and Southeast Asia | ||
| Art of China and Japan | ||
| Art of Korea | ||
| California Architecture and Urban History | ||
| Public Art in the Americas | ||
| Directed Research in Art History | ||
| African American Art and Visual Culture | ||
| Global Animation History | ||
| Curatorial Projects | ||
| Introduction to Curatorial Studies | ||
| Fieldwork | ||
| Special Problems | ||
| Art History Seminar (3 Units) 6 | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Topics in Early Modern Art | ||
| Topics in Asian Art | ||
| Topics in Modern and Contemporary Art | ||
| Senior Seminar (3 Units) | ||
| ART 192B | Senior Seminar in Art History 7 | 3 |
| Total Units | 48 | |
- 1
Course also satisfies General Education (GE)/Graduation Requirement.
- 2
This course should be taken in the second semester of the sophomore year or the first semester of the junior year for transfer students. Art History students are strongly advised to take 6 units of lower division Art History coursework and 6 units of lower division History coursework before taking HIST 100.
- 3
With the approval of an Art History faculty advisor, students may use ART 118C as a Group 4 course instead of Group 3.
- 4
Students may take either PHOT 101 or PHOT 102, but not both.
- 5
Independent study and supervisory courses in the major are limited to one (no more than 3 units), must be approved by an Art History faculty advisor, and may be applied only to the elective category.
- 6
With the approval of an Art History Seminar faculty advisor, students may satisfy the seminar requirement with a seminar in another liberal arts discipline.
- 7
Culminating course for students with senior status after completion of all lower division requirements. Prerequisites: completion of two semesters of a foreign language (1B or equivalent), the University's Graduation Writing Assessment requirement, HIST 100, and the art history seminar (item D).
General Education Requirements1
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Area A: Basic Subjects (9 Units) | ||
| A1 - Oral Communication | 3 | |
| A2 - Written Communication | 3 | |
| A3 - Critical Thinking | 3 | |
| Area B: Physical Universe and Its Life Forms (13 Units) | ||
| B1 - Physical Science | 3 | |
| B2 - Life Forms | 3 | |
| B3 - Lab (Note: Lab experience to be taken with one of the following: B1, B2 or B5 | 1 | |
| B4 - Math Concepts | 3 | |
| B5 - Additional Course (Any B to reach 12 units) - Take upper-division course to complete Area & upper division requirements. | 3 | |
| Area C: Arts and Humanities (6 Units) | ||
| C1 - Arts 2 | 0 | |
| C2 - Humanities | 3 | |
| C1/C2 - Area Course C 2 | 0 | |
| C1/C2 - Area C Course - Take upper-division course to complete Area & upper division requirements. | 3 | |
| Area D: The Individual and Society (12 Units) | ||
| Area D Course | 3 | |
| Area D Course | 3 | |
| Area D Course | 3 | |
| Area D Course - Take upper-division course to complete Area & upper division requirements. | 3 | |
| Area E: Understanding Personal Development (3 Units) | ||
| Area E Course | 3 | |
| Total Units | 43 | |
- 1
To help you complete your degree in a timely manner and not take more units than absolutely necessary, there are ways to use single courses to meet more than one requirement (overlap). For further information, please visit the General Education page.
Note: There is no way to list all possible overlaps so please consult with a professional advisor. The Academic Advising Center can be visited online, by phone (916) 278-1000, or email.
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Required in Major; also satisfies GE.
Graduation Requirements1
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Graduation Requirements (required by CSU) (9 Units) | ||
| American Institutions: U.S. History | 3 | |
| American Institutions: U.S. Constitution & CA Government | 3 | |
| Writing Intensive (WI) | 3 | |
| Graduation Requirements (required by Sacramento State) (12 Units) | ||
| English Composition II | 3 | |
| Race and Ethnicity in American Society (RE) | 3 | |
| Foreign Language Proficiency Requirement 2 | 6 | |
- 1
To help you complete your degree in a timely manner and not take more units than absolutely necessary, there are ways to use single courses to meet more than one requirement (overlap). For further information, please visit the General Education page.
Note: There is no way to list all possible overlaps so please consult with a professional advisor. The Academic Advising Center can be visited online, by phone (916) 278-1000, or email.
- 2
If not satisfied before entering Sacramento State, it may be satisfied in General Education Area C2 (Humanities). "C- or better required." The alternative methods for satisfying the Foreign Language Proficiency Requirement are described here: https://www.csus.edu/college/arts-letters/world-languages-literatures/foreign-language-requirement.htmlhttps://www.csus.edu/college/arts-letters/world-languages-literatures/foreign-language-requirement.html