Art History

Career potential

When you attend an exhibition at an art museum, you'll find the work of art historians in the labels near each artwork, as well as in the catalog. Art historians research and write information that helps the public understand art and its place within culture. They also work to ensure that art is preserved so that the actual pieces can be enjoyed by future generations.

Pursuing a bachelor's degree in art history at the University of North Texas will prepare you for a variety of careers within the field of art history and beyond. It will also provide a solid foundation for further work toward a master of arts degree with a major in art history and eventually a doctorate. Most art historians hold graduate degrees. With an advanced degree, you can pursue a career as a museum professional, gallery worker or a writer or editor for an art publication. With a Ph.D., you can conduct your own research about art and teach at the university level.

UNT's Career Center can help you prepare to pursue your career. The center has information about jobs and employers. The staff can help you with resume and letter writing, job search strategies and interview preparation.

Majoring in art history

UNT's College of Visual Arts & Design (Formerly School of Visual Arts) is one of the nation's most comprehensive visual arts schools at a public university, and it is considered one of the best in the Southwest. UNT has a complete program of study in art history, offering a bachelor of arts degree. The degree requires courses in art appreciation and a foreign language related to your specific area of interest in art history, in addition to the required university core curriculum and your major core of advanced-level art history courses.

The art history faculty members have a wide range of specialties in art and architecture from different time periods and cultures, including African American, American, ancient, Asian, baroque, contemporary, Islamic, Latin American, medieval, modern and postmodern, neoclassical, pre-Colombian, renaissance and rococo. Additionally, the art history program offers opportunities to study abroad, allowing you to gain firsthand knowledge of some of the world's artistic masterpieces.

UNT's 90,000-square-foot Art Building includes classrooms, three computer labs, faculty offices, studios, a workshop, the UNT Art Gallery and a visual resources library. Four other campus buildings house additional classrooms and laboratories, as well as the Texas Fashion Collection - a unique museum-quality collection of more than 15,000 garments, which is available for student study - and the Cora Stafford Gallery, which is used for exhibiting student work.

Getting hands-on experience

You may gain hands-on experience in art history by working in the UNT Art Gallery. In addition, the university is within easy commuting distance of Dallas and Fort Worth, where major art museums such as the African American Museum, Amon Carter Museum, Dallas Museum of Art, Kimbell Art Museum, Meadows Museum, Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, The Women's Museum and numerous galleries provide valuable resources and experiences for art students.

Upon completion of 12 semester hours at UNT with at least a 2.5 GPA, you may work in a job related to your major through UNT's office of Cooperative Education and Internships. You may earn academic credit and money for your college expenses while gaining valuable work experience.

Preparing for UNT

If you are a high school student, we suggest you prepare for college by becoming computer proficient and taking:

• English … 4 years
• Math … 4 years
• Social science - economics, geography, government, history … 4 years
• Science … 3 years
• Foreign Language … 3 years
• Fine arts … 1 year

You will need to take courses in most of these subjects under the university core curriculum required of all undergraduates, in addition to your major courses. Talk with your high school counselor about preparing for college, including the entrance exams (SAT Reasoning Test or ACT) that you should take during your junior year.

If you're attending a Texas community college, you should consult the UNT Transfer Guide, the Undergraduate Catalog and an academic counselor to discuss your degree plan. Proper planning will help you receive the maximum amount of transfer credits.

Charting your path with academic advising

You must attend an orientation for the College of Visual Arts & Design (Formerly School of Visual Arts), held at about the same time as university orientation for new students or during registration at the start of each semester. Check with the university admissions office for a schedule of freshman and transfer student orientations.

Faculty members serve as the primary advisors to students. The College of Visual Arts & Design (Formerly School of Visual Arts) Student Services Office is in the Art Building, Room 111.

Curious about courses and other features of this major?
See the current catalog.