People who are successful in the art history program have both visual and verbal learning styles. Art history is important to students who are passionate about art, enjoy learning, and believe in the value of a broad humanistic education. They study of the lives of and works of artists and designers and deal with questions about the forms, traditions, meanings and cultural context of works of art, architecture and design of both present and past.

Career Possibilities:

Art history students can prepare for employment as teachers, museum curators, commercial art gallery proprietors or staff, art conservators, art librarians, photographers, journalists, advertising professionals, television and film producers, and many other art-related occupations. Graduate study is necessary to advance in most of these fields. College teachers are usually expected to earn a doctoral degree. This requires five to seven years of graduate study in order to acquire both a comprehensive knowledge of art history and a highly developed specialization.

Many art history students enter graduate school immediately after graduation, while others enroll after some work experience has led to specialization in a particular area. As curators in museums, art historians are responsible for entire areas of a museum collection, including selection and maintenance of works of art, cataloging, exhibiting and publishing. Art historians are often the directors of educational programs in museums.