Program Overview

Some people who thrive in a visual arts career aren’t necessarily skilled painters, sculptors or photographers. They have discovered their passion for examining and illuminating art and culture—and find it rewarding to share their knowledge and perspective with others.

In AUM’s interdisciplinary BA with a concentration in Art History, you’ll be introduced to the fascinating history of art through images, artifacts, buildings, and works of art. Our concentration offers courses on art from the ancient world to the contemporary. You’ll be trained in highly desirable, transferable skills prized by employers, such as visual literacy, critical thinking, primary research, and effective written and oral communication skills.

At AUM, small classes foster long term relationships with your professors and free-thinkers like yourself. Attend lectures by visiting art historians or partner with more than 15 area cultural sites as an intern. Study abroad to enrich your educational experience.

You can put your BA with a concentration in Art History to work in a variety of ways. Art historians are needed in museums, art galleries, auction houses, private and corporate art collections, art foundations, and nonprofit or government organizations. You might research or coordinate exhibitions for museums, write grants for an arts-based organization, manage a collection or archive,  or devise public arts programming. Of course, our concentration will also prepare you for graduate school.

Overall employment of archivists, curators, and museum staff is projected to grow 19 percent from now to 2030, much faster than the average growth for all occupations. Regarding American museums, they attract over 850 million visitors per year—more than attendees of all major sporting events and theme parks combined—and employ over 400,000 people nationwide. Employers trust graduates with a formal education in art history to understand and address the public’s interest in science, art, and history.