Art History Programs

<p>I'm a community college student, and I'm going to be applying to year year schools this fall. I'm pretty familiar with all of the California public universities, and chances are I will end up going to one of them.<br>
However, I might consider an out of state school if it has a good art history program and is reasonable on transfer admissions.<br>
What are some schools that fit this criteria?</p>

<p>I would think NYU is reasonable, but good luck on getting financial aid. I'm planning on transferring for art history myself. IN california, what city do you live in?</p>

<p>In general Williams College is known for their top art history programs, but of course admissions is less than 20 percent, as is with most top schools.</p>

<p>Thanks! I'll check them out. I reality though I'm likely not looking for top programs, just good ones.</p>

<p>Students enrolled at Haverford College can complete the Art History major at Bryn Mawr (from your screen name, I'm guessing you are a guy and so couldn't go to Bryn Mawr). I know Haverford is tough for freshman admissions, but I have no idea what it would be like for a transfer student. </p>

<p>I think you should take your case for transfer to the specific departments that you are interested in. If they really like you, they can be very helpful.</p>

<p>Wishing you all the best.</p>

<p>I don't mean to be negative about your plans, but how well have you researched the career options that an undergrad degree in art history gets you? My wife did this and now she works in student services. If you plan on attending graduate school in art history then by all means this could be a successful path, but be careful. Also, this can be a great major if it's paired with something else such as art history/business --> auction houses, art history/library science --> curator, art history/chemistry --> conservationist or restorer. Best of luck</p>

<p>i think like most humanities majors dont lead to anything specific, the point in majoring in a humanity goes beyond just seeking a job. if everyone wanted a job straight out of college they'd be engineer majors/finance majors, and in reality that just wont cut it.</p>

<p>just because one majors in something doesnt mean that's all that person is capable of doing. i can easily see how art history may translate to advertising, or working for a publisher/magazine, to being a critique, to becoming a lawyer(assuming one goes to law school afterwards).</p>

<p>I could not agree more.<br>
A lot of times people dis art history because it's not very career focused. However, I think you learn good analytical and writing skills through the study of art history and those basic skills could apply to almost anything.</p>

<p>Nathan, I certainly agree that among liberal arts disciplines (as opposed to vocational disciplines) art history is an excellent choice of majors, even if you don't choose an art driven career path. I wrote this on another thread and will repeat:</p>

<p>
[quote]
There's plenty that you can do with an art history degree even if you don't wish to use it for an art or museum specific career. Like many of the general humanities based liberal arts -- for example English, philosophy, history -- art history can provide a solid foundation for intellectual thought, analysis and evaluation, both written and oral.</p>

<p>Art history combines several disciplines art and history, obviously, plus an ample dose of religion, anthropology, psychology, philosophy. You can't understand any culture without understanding that culture's art which is what makes the study of art history so fascinating.</p>

<p>As you probably guessed I was an art history major myself. I never did fulfill my intention of pursuing a museum career path but in the decades since my graduation I've certainly used the skills I learned in looking, evaluating and describing -- both personally and professionally. I've been involved in international business my whole career and I can say emphatically that my art history training has really contributed to the way I look at foreign cultures and understand their nuances.</p>

<p>Many of the directors of the top museums these days are not PhDs (though curators are). The directors tend to be art lovers with backgrounds in complementary disciplines like studio art, architecture, business, law. The position involves a lot of fund raising and administrative skills as well as an understanding of art.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Without knowing your academic achievements it's difficult to recommend a college for you. Most large public universities have good art history deparments, the UCs included. Berkeley and UCLA are very good. Stanford, if you're in that ballpark, is excellent. Farther afield look at Michigan, Virginia, Johns Hopkins, NYU. All of the Ivy League, except Dartmouth.</p>

<p>Transferring into a small LAC as a sophomore isn't easy as they don't accept too many, but if you're interested in giving it a try, I'd recommend Williams, Wesleyan, Oberlin, Hamilton, Kenyon, Skidmore, Conn College. I'm assuming from your name you are male. If not, add Smith and Bryn Mawr.</p>