Art History, B.A.
Study art across a wide range of media, cultures, and periods while you learn about the historical, social, and political contexts.
“The faculty help us gain valuable first-hand experience in the art history world. I am happy every day I walk into the department and surround myself with people who are always available to listen and help.”
Grace Moorman (B.A. in Art History, minor in Anthropology '20)
Collections Assistant, UM Museum and Historic Houses
Bachelor of Arts in Art History
The Department of Art & Art History in the College of Liberal Arts offers the B.A. in Art History. Students learn about monuments, significant artists, and artistic periods in Western and non-Western cultures. They gain art studio fundamentals, learn about art theory and criticism, conduct research, and discern the hidden and not-so-hidden ideas behind images.
Beyond the study of art styles and trends, our art history students are trained to communicate their own ideas about artwork and its various meanings.
The Value of an Art History Degree
By honing oral and written methods of analysis, their critical thinking skills can even be applied far beyond the field of art history. Art history students can bring this knowledge to an expansive array of careers, including arts administration, auction houses, art conservation, art criticism, education, archives, publishing, museums, galleries, historical societies, law, and marketing.
On this Page…
Program Information
Degree
B.A. in Art History
Required Credit Hours
120
Program Type
Major
Minor
Program Location
School
Duration
4 Years
Degree Requirements
Find out about credit hour and course requirements for the B.A. in Art History from the 2025-2026 catalog.
Students in the College of Liberal Arts earning the B.A. degree have a common set of 48-50 hours of general education. The specific courses taken to complete the categories of general education may differ between majors.
Categories of General Education:
- First Year Writing I, II
- English Literature Survey
- Modern or Ancient Language
- History
- Additional Humanities
- Fine or Performing Arts Appreciation
- Mathematics
- Social Sciences
- Natural Sciences
To see the details for these general education requirements, visit the UM online catalog or the degree sheet attached at the top of this webpage.
Students in the B.A. in Art History complete 36 credit hours of art history courses and 6 credit hours of art.
Required art history courses
- AH 201: History of Art I
- AH 202: History of Art II
- AH 355: 20th-Century Art OR AH 359: Contemporary Art
- AH 401: Research and Writing in Art
- AH 403: Art Theory and Criticism
- AH 499: Comprehensive Examination
1 Ancient art history course from
- AH 315: Egyptian Art and Archaeology
- AH 316: Bronze Age Aegean Art & Archaeology
- AH 317: Etruscan Art and Archaeology
- AH 318: Greek Vase Painting
- AH 319: Greek Sculpture
- AH 320: Greek Architecture
- AH 321: Greek Art and Archaeology
- AH 322: Roman Art and Archaeology
- AH 323: Art & Archaeology of Pompeii
- AH 327: Studying Ancient Artifacts
- AH 328: Ancient Art on Location
1 Medieval art history course from
- AH 330: Medieval Art
- AH 331: Art of the Silk Roads
- AH 332: Early Christian, Byzantine & Islamic Art
- AH 334: Early Medieval Art and Archaeology
- AH 336: Viking Art and Archaeology
- AH 338: Romanesque and Gothic Art
1 Non-Western art history course from
- AH 380: Asian Art
- AH 381: Art of China
- AH 382: Art of Japan
- AH 383: Art of South Asia
- AH 384: Art of Korea
- AH 386: African and African American Arts
- AH 388: African Art
- AH 394: Mesoamerican Art
1 Renaissance/Early Modern art history course from
- AH 341: Italian Renaissance Art
- AH 343: Northern Renaissance Art
- AH 344: Global Renaissance
- AH 345: Baroque & Rococo Art & Architecture
3 Additional art history courses at the 300 or 400 level.
2 Required art courses
- Art 101: Two-Dimensional Design
- 1 Art elective
A minor in art history is great for students majoring in history, anthropology, classics, or modern languages because of their similar emphasis in cultural studies.
Art History minors complete 18 credit hours of art history courses.
- AH 201: History of Art I
- AH 202: History of Art II
- 4 courses in art history at the 300-level or higher
Department Opportunities
Video: Get to Know the Department of Art and Art History
Hear firsthand from students and faculty about the Art History program.
Jobs in Art and Art History
- Associate Curator, Dixon Gallery and Gardens
- Creative Director, Ridge & Furrow Letterpress
- Director of Collections, Walter Anderson Museum
- Director of Learning & Innovation, Minneapolis Institute of Art
- Manager, Intrepid Sea, Air, & Space Museum
- Master Planner, Walt Disney Imagineering
- Owner, The French Potager
- Gallery Owner, Perry Nicole Fine Art
- Events Coordinator, National Museum of Women in the Arts
- Associate Attorney, Jones Walker
- Marketing Associate, Sysco
- Regional Sales Manager, Nespresso
- Faculty, Brevard Community College
- Communications Manager, Grand Biloxi
Welcome to the College of Liberal Arts
As Coordinator of Student Recruitment for the College of Liberal Arts, I work with students, and their parents, who are interested in attending UM for their undergraduate degrees. I coordinate personalized visits to our departments, answer questions about the majors and programs in the CLA and handle all recruitment communications from the CLA. Please feel free to send me any questions you may have. It is my job to make sure you have everything you need to make an informed decision on where to spend your college career, and I hope it will be with the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Mississippi!
Annabelle Harris
Admissions Counselor
Future CLA Students
College of Liberal Arts Undergraduate Students
We invite future undergraduates to learn about the College of Liberal Arts, the value of the liberal arts education, our programs, career opportunities, and resources to help you succeed. You can also request a personalized degree sheet.
Next Steps
Explore Affordability
We have a variety of scholarships and financial aid options to help make college more affordable for you and your family.
Apply to the University of Mississippi
Are you ready to take the next step toward building your legacy?