The Art History program offers the student practical, critical and historical studies in architecture, sculpture, painting, the decorative arts, printmaking, and photography. Each of these arts comes out of a creative process which, like language, has developed as an expression of human ideas, emotions, and life conditions. The history of these arts is a visual record of the evolution of human societies, and gives a valuable introduction to different world civilizations. Art History courses train students how to be educated and critical consumers of visual culture, which is a crucial skill in our image-saturated world. Images have meaning going back to historical and cultural precedents and values, and shape how people think about their world. Students who major in art history learn how to do research, to synthesize and analyze information, and to write about concepts and ideas. These critical thinking skills are crucial to today's workforce, and give students flexibility to move across many industries such as marketing, information and library science, and museum work. Internship opportunities are available for Art History students. Past placements include the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Toledo Museum of Art, Cranbrook Museum of Art, the Henry Ford Museum and Estate, and at other major arts institutions and galleries. This program offers professional experience in the field of Art History and Museum Studies.
Our program not only focuses on enriching your understanding of art, but also prepares you for the real world. It teaches you how to perform multidisciplinary research, synthesize information, conduct deep analysis, and communicate with diverse audiences. These critical thinking skills are crucial to today's workforce, and prepare you for careers in areas such as museum work, marketing, and information and library science, among others. Many of our students also choose to further their studies and research in graduate programs.
