Academic Programs

Undergraduate Programs

The history of art is the study of form and meaning in the visual arts from their beginnings to the present. The wide range of courses offered by the department aims to familiarize students with the significant traditions and themes in world art and visual culture. As a humanistic discipline, the history of art emphasizes scholarly investigation and critical analysis over technical training. However, majors are encouraged to take studio courses as part of their program and to take advantage of Tufts' affiliation with the School of the Museum of Fine Arts. Beyond courses at Tufts, art history majors have access to the rich artistic resources of the Boston area, including the Museum of Fine Arts, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, the Institute of Contemporary Art, and the art museums at Harvard, Wellesley, Brandeis, etc. Internship opportunities at these and other sites are available. Art history majors who do not choose to pursue careers in the field (in museums, teaching, publishing, and commercial galleries) find that the program provides an excellent foundation for a general liberal arts education. The Department has recently revised the Art History major to make it more accessible to those wishing to double major. Many of our students combine Art History with other subjects, including English, Engineering, languages, International Relations, Psychology, Economics. A Major's Handbook with further information is available upon request.

For the bachelor of arts degree in art history, ten courses are required for the major: Art History 1, 2, and 100; one non-Western course (Asian, African, Islamic, or Latin American); one course in each of the periods ancient/medieval, Renaissance/Baroque, and 19th-20th centuries; and three electives, two of which may be approved courses in a related field (e.g. history, literature, studio art.) Besides Art History 100, two other departmental courses must be taken at the 100 level or above. Concentrators are strongly encouraged to take an upper-level seminar (Art History 200-290) as one of their required 100 level courses, and a studio art class as related field course.
 

• Art History 001 and 002
• Art History 100
• One course in the Ancient or Medieval field
• One course in the Renaissance or Baroque field
• One course in the Modern field (19th-20th century)
• One course in the non-Western field
• Three electives (two may be approved related courses)

For inquiries about the Art History Major, please contact the Undergraduate Advisor, Associate Professor Eva Hoffman.

Joint B.A. or B.Sc. and B.F.A.: This five-year program may be entered in the freshman or sophomore year. Students have to meet the normal admission standards of the Museum School, and all requirements for both degrees.

Study Abroad: Students are encouraged to spend a semester or more in Europe, for example, in the Tufts programs in London, Madrid, Paris, or Tubingen; art history is offered in each of these programs. Credit can also be arranged in advance, and advice given, on courses in other programs (Florence or Rome, etc.)

For the minor in art history, five courses are required: Art History 1 and two courses in ancient to medieval art or Art History 2 and two courses in Renaissance to the present. One studio art course, Art as Process, is encouraged and one non-Western course is preferred but not required.

• Art History 1 and two courses in Ancient to Medieval Art
• Art History 2 and two courses in Renaissance to the present
• One Studio Art course
• One non-Western course

Studio Art Minor

A Studio Art Minor requires the equivalent of 5 Tufts courses (10 studio art periods=3 hour blocks), including Art as Process (required introduction to the creative process and to a range of media), one period of drawing (0.5 Tufts course), and 3.5 courses in closely related media.

Students should work with a studio faculty advisor to develop their own individual program. For further information, see Patrick Carter, Coordinator of Tufts studio courses, at 617-627-2014 or by email.

Architectural Studies

The Department of Art and Art History offers an interdisciplinary major
and minor in architectural studies for students interested in the study of architecture's history, theory and social practice. The major's core curriculum provides a foundation in art and architectural history and theory, in engineering and design, and in the humanistic and social science aspects of architecture. Architectural studies majors then design their own elective program of upper-level study form designated courses in architectural history, studio art, civil engineering, the humanities, and the social sciences. In spring of the senior year, all majors complete and integrative project, either as individual or honors study, or through an internship.

For more detailed information on the core curriculum please follow this link and scroll to page 84.

The architectural studies program is designed specifically to provide a broad-based liberal arts education in architecture. It may also help students prepare for graduate study and careers in architecture and other allied disciplines, such as landscape architecture, urban
planning, and historic preservation.

The faculty adviser for architectural studies for fall 2008 is Associate Professor Peter Probst.

B.S.E. Degree Program in Architectural Studies

A bachelor of science in engineering with a program in architectural studies is available for students interested in a professional career in architecture or in the historical, aesthetic, and engineering aspects of buildings and other structures. This program, offered jointly by the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Department of
Art and Art History, provides a solid foundation in both the technical aspects of structural systems and the aesthetic and functional characteristics of buildings from an architectural and art history point of view. The flexibility of the BSE degree allows greater concentrations
in both art history and studio courses than would otherwise be possible, while providing a coherent basis for graduate work in architecture or design. The faculty adviser for this program is Professor Masoud Sanayei. Minor in Architectural Studies for Engineering and Liberal Arts Students. Learn more >
 

Minor in Architecture Studies

The Department of Art and Art History is offering a minor in architectural studies that is open to students from both the School of Engineering and College of Liberal Arts. This minor is appropriate for both BSCE and BSE degrees. Learn more >

The art history department minor in Architectural Studies includes five courses as follows:

• FAH 001 or 002 Introduction to the History of Art
• Three upper-level courses in architectural history including cross-listed courses from Classics
• One studio course or an additional related elective course in the department

Multimedia Minor

For specific information about the policies governing requirements and electives, visit http://www.excollege.tufts.edu/mma.