Academic Catalog 2024-2025

Art History

College of Arts & Humanities

Department of Arts and Design

Program Description and Features

The mission of the B.A. in Art History is to provide a comprehensive program of study in the history of Art. Students experience the opportunity to develop knowledge in the histories of art from several different regions of the world and time periods. Upon completion of the introductory survey courses, students pursue a set of Upper Division required courses that address periods in Western Art from the Renaissance to the Contemporary. Students are also required to take elective courses in New Western Art at the Upper Division level. A range of specialized Upper Division elective courses allow students to focus on particular interests including the histories of architecture and design.

The B.A. in Art History is intended to prepare the next generation of Art Historians who will serve as educators, researchers, and museum professionals. The pedagogical approach emphasizes critical thinking, writing, research, and oral presentation skills. In all courses, students gain experience analyzing problems in the field and learn to locate and evaluate a range of peer-reviewed sources and visual examples to support their inquiries and theses. Through the presentation of their findings to peers, they learn how to respond to questions and develop constructive feedback. In this manner, students emerge with skills necessary t perform key competencies required for work in the arts.

The Minor in Art History offers students a background in the history of Art and allows them a choice of three courses at the Upper Division level that my be of particular interest to them in any combination of traditional, modern, and non-Western Art. 

Academic Advisement

Advising for Art & Design majors and minors is done by Art and Design faculty members as well as the College of Arts and Humanities advisors. Students must stop by the Department of Art and Design to be assigned to an advisor. The advisor will facilitate the student's smooth passage through his/her educational experience. Students must consult their advisors each semester before registration to discuss their program. For General Education information and advisement, contact the College of Arts and Humanities Student Success Center in LIB 5515, (310) 243-3264.

Preparation

High school students planning to major in art and design at CSU Dominguez Hills will be best prepared by taking a maximum variety of art and/or design courses offered in their school, especially in traditional studio art areas, such as drawing, painting, ceramics, and 3-D studies, as well as an introduction to Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. In addition, they should have some general exposure to the history of art. It is assumed that students will have the necessary precollegiate academic skills of reading, writing, and mathematics.

Students entering the B.A. in Art History program must complete the following:

  1. Earn an overall grade point average of 2.0 or better in courses taken outside of the department.
  2. Earn a grade of “C” or better in each course taken within the department.
  3. Earn a grade of “C” or better in all direct and indirect prerequisite courses listed in the catalog before advancing to the next level course in a sequence for English, Mathematics, and Science courses. 

Student Organizations

Ceramics Guild, Jim Keville, Advisor

Arts Collective, Devon Tsuno, Advisor

Scholarships

For Information regarding Scholarships in the Art and Design department, please contact the department chair.

Graduation With Honors

Undergraduate students may be candidates for graduation with Honors in Art if they meet the following criteria:

  1. A minimum of 36 units in residence at CSU Dominguez Hills;
  2. A minimum grade point average of 3.5 in all courses used to satisfy the upper-division requirements for the Art major