Art History

Bachelor of Arts in Art History

Intro: Art History teaches the essential skills of critical analysis, research, and communication through examination of the social context in which art was historically - and continues to be - created. The Art History faculty offer a broad field of study ranging from ancient Greece, through Medieval and Renaissance Europe, to the beginnings of modernity and the most current movements in American art.

Overview Art history is as an interdisciplinary field. We incorporate essential skills from a variety of humanities disciplines such as history, philosophy, theology, or economics and analyze artworks and the societies that made them. Our students take advantage of the active arts community at the University and in the Saint Louis area. Students meet with the faculty at informal ¿Art and Coffee¿ sessions at a local museum or one of our four on-campus art galleries to discuss current exhibitions and to develop close working relationships. Students are encouraged to participate in our successful internship program. Interns participate in the organization and realization of exhibitions and special events and may even have the opportunity to publish in a gallery catalog.

Careers in the Field: Many SLU graduates work in art-related institutions such as galleries, auction houses, and museums, while others have continued their studies in internationally recognized graduate programs. All have developed skills in critical thinking and communication that aid them in pursuing the career of their choice.

About the Faculty: Faculty teach general and specialty courses. Fr. Terrence Dempsey teaches courses in the spiritual in contemporary art. Dr. Cynthia Stollhans specializes in teaching Italian Renaissance and Ancient Art. Dr. Michael Yonan focuses on art from the 18th through the 20th centuries while Dr. Maureen Quigley teaches a variety of courses in the art of the Middle Ages. All faculty hold a Ph.D.

Internship Opportunities: Art History students have great opportunities, both on and off campus, for a variety of Internships at Cupples House, Saint Louis University Museum of Art, the Missouri Historical Society, and the Saint Louis Art Museum. SLU students have also held internships in Washington, D.C., at the National Gallery of Art and at the Smithsonian. Research opportunities exist at major libraries and archives.

Saint Louis University, Madrid Campus is designed to fulfill the first two years of undergraduate study in traditional university degree programs. Most of our students finish the last two years of their degrees in the U.S. at our main campus in Missouri (or at another U.S. university in the world).

As such, the Madrid Campus cannot accept transfer students with more than 45 credit hours, with the exception of Spanish and International Business majors, who can now spend all four years in Madrid, and graduate with a bachelor's degree from Saint Louis University.