Art history is the language of visual, historical and critical analysis across cultures, geographies and historic periods. Whether you want to work as a museum gallery curator, educator, arts administrator or intellectual property lawyer, art history provides a multidimensional view of the world.
Program Overview
Explore the world of visual art and the history of global cultures.
The arts have the unique ability to influence the history of societies and cultures worldwide. In the Art History & Theory program, you’ll learn how to seek answers to questions about the historical context of artwork, the biographical details of the artist, the artistic objects emphasized and everything in between.
The curriculum provides a strong foundation in western and worldly art history and theory, emphasizing the development of solid research, writing and presentation skills. Through dynamic courses that focus equally on visual art practices and history, you’ll gain the knowledge and experience necessary to be successful in your area of specialization.
Theory and history
The Art History & Theory emphasis provides a strong foundation in western and worldly art history and theory, focusing on the development of solid research, writing and presentation skills.
Program Requirements
At Western, course rotations are crafted to encompass a variety of subject fields for a comprehensive education and versatile degree. For required courses and degree plans, visit the official University Catalog. Below is a general overview of courses at Western Colorado University related to this area of study.
Program Requirements
A minimum of 57 credits is required, including the 27 credits of Art Foundation Courses, six credits of Art electives, six credits of non-art supporting courses selected in consultation with an Art History advisor:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Art Foundation Courses | ||
| ART 000 | Exhibition and Convocation Attendance (six semesters with “S” grade required) | 0 |
| ART 119 | Foundation Drawing I | 3 |
| ART 171 | Foundation Design: Two-Dimensional | 3 |
| ART 172 | Foundation Design: Three-Dimensional | 3 |
| ART 173 | Foundation Design: Digital Art and Design | 3 |
| ART 219 | Foundation Drawing II | 3 |
| ART 222 | Art History I | 3 |
| ART 223 | Art History II (GT-AH1) | 3 |
| ART 319 | Intermediate Drawing | 3 |
| ART 400 | Artist's Portfolio/Senior Exhibition | 3 |
| Total Credits | 27 | |
And the following 18 credits:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ART 321 | American Art: Colonial to Modern 1 | 3 |
| ART 324 | Art Criticism and Critical Theory in Contemporary Art | 3 |
| ART 325 | Women Artists 1 | 3 |
| ART 421 | Art of Mesoamerica and the Andean of South America 1 | 3 |
| ART 422 | Native American Art of North America 1 | 3 |
| ART 424 | Modern Art History, Aesthetics, Theory, and Criticism | 3 |
| Total Credits | 18 | |
- 1
Offered every other year.
| Year One | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| ART 000 | Exhibition and Convocation Attendance | 0 |
| ART 171 | Foundation Design: Two-Dimensional | 3 |
| ART 119 | Foundation Drawing I | 3 |
| HWTR 100 | First Year Seminar | 1 |
| ENG 102 | Writing and Rhetoric I (GT-CO1) | 3 |
| MATH 105 | Mathematics for the Liberal Arts (GT-MA1) | 3 |
| Gen Ed | General Education | 3 |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| ART 000 | Exhibition and Convocation Attendance | 0 |
| ART 172 | Foundation Design: Three-Dimensional | 3 |
| ART 173 | Foundation Design: Digital Art and Design | 3 |
| ENG 103 | Writing and Rhetoric II (GT-CO2) | 3 |
OR |
||
Gen Ed | General Education |
|
| Gen Ed | General Education | 3 |
| Gen Ed | General Education | 3 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Year Two | ||
| Fall | ||
| ART 000 | Exhibition and Convocation Attendance | 0 |
| ART 222 | Art History I | 3 |
| ART | Intro Art Elective | 3 |
| ART 219 | Foundation Drawing II | 3 |
OR |
||
Gen Ed | General Education |
|
| Gen Ed | General Education | 6 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| ART 000 | Exhibition and Convocation Attendance | 0 |
| ART 223 | Art History II (GT-AH1) | 3 |
| ART 319 | Intermediate Drawing | 3 |
| ART 219 | Foundation Drawing II | 3 |
OR |
||
Gen Ed | General Education |
|
| Gen Ed | General Education | 6 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Year Three | ||
| Fall | ||
| ART 000 | Exhibition and Convocation Attendance | 0 |
| ART 324 | Art Criticism and Critical Theory in Contemporary Art | 3 |
| ART 421 or ART 422 |
Art of Mesoamerica and the Andean of South America or Native American Art of North America |
3 |
| ART | Intro Art Elective | 3 |
| ART/Minor | ART or Minor related Elective | 6 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| ART 000 | Exhibition and Convocation Attendance | 0 |
| ART 424 | Modern Art History, Aesthetics, Theory, and Criticism | 3 |
| ART 321 or ART 325 |
American Art: Colonial to Modern or Women Artists |
3 |
| Elective | Non ART Elective | 3 |
| ART/Minor | ART or Minor related Elective | 6 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Year Four | ||
| Fall | ||
| ART 000 | Exhibition and Convocation Attendance | 0 |
| ART 400 | Artist's Portfolio/Senior Exhibition | 3 |
| ART 421 or ART 422 |
Art of Mesoamerica and the Andean of South America or Native American Art of North America |
3 |
| Elective | Non ART Elective | 3 |
| ART/Minor | ART or Minor related Elective | 6 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| ART 000 | Exhibition and Convocation Attendance | 0 |
| ART 422 or ART 421 |
Native American Art of North America or Art of Mesoamerica and the Andean of South America |
3 |
| ART/Minor | ART or Minor related Elective | 12 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Total Credits | 121 | |
Courses listed in the Fall are only offered in Fall. Courses listed in the Spring are only offered in the Spring. With the exception of ART 286 Introduction to Watercolor, and ART 271 Typography and their Intermediate counterparts, Intro classes are exclusively offered in the Fall and Intermediate courses are offered exclusively in the Spring. Advanced offerings are available for all disciplines every semester.
ART 000 Exhibition and Convocation Attendance and ART 319 Intermediate Drawing are offered in both the Fall and the Spring.
Careers
Take the first steps toward your dream career.
Career preparation is the primary focus of every academic program at Western. Our professors and Office of Career Services will help you identify your strengths, hone your skills, define your goals, and prepare for a fulfilling role in hundreds of professional fields after graduation.
The data is automatically collected by Lightcast, a firm that sources job market data. The statistics illustrate general trends in U.S. careers, but do not precisely represent every job and salary.
Scholarships
Western’s Scholarship Application portal allows you to search for, apply to and manage your scholarship opportunities. This platform houses over 300+ departmental and privately funded scholarship opportunities available to both new and returning students. Through the scholarship portal, students may identify scholarship opportunities based on academic program, campus involvement, academic standing, specific keywords and more. Students may click below to begin learning about what scholarship opportunities are available to them.
Please check individual scholarship opportunity start dates and deadlines as there are exceptions.
Find your scholarships!Western’s Scholarship Application portal allows you to search for, apply to and manage your scholarship opportunities. This platform houses over 300+ departmental and privately funded scholarship opportunities available to both new and returning students. Through the scholarship portal, students may identify scholarship opportunities based on academic program, campus involvement, academic standing, specific keywords and more. Students may click below to begin learning about what scholarship opportunities are available to them.
Please check individual scholarship opportunity start dates and deadlines as there are exceptions.
Find your scholarships!Alumni Association Future Alumni Scholarship
The Alumni Association Scholarship is a one-time scholarship of $1,000 and is applicable for the student’s junior or senior year at Western.
Any child or grandchild of an alumni is eligible to receive the Future Alumni Scholarship.
- This is a one-time non-renewable scholarship of $1,000.
- Only one Future Alumni Scholarship will be awarded per academic year.
- GPA must be 3.2 or above (college).
Due date has been extended to April 30 for 2024. An Alumni selection committee, appointed by the Alumni Advisory Council, will review applicants and select awardee by June 1.
Alumni Legacy Scholarship
The Alumni Legacy Scholarship is a one-time non-renewable scholarship and is only applicable for the student’s first year at Western (incoming freshman or new transfer students are eligible).
Do you have a son or daughter looking at college? Have they considered attending Western? As an alumni, your son, daughter and/or grandchildren are eligible for certain benefits distributed through this scholarship, as follows:
- This is a one-time scholarship of $1,000.
- Nominee must be an incoming first-year student or new transfer.
- The cost of orientation is reduced by half (a $45 value).
- The admission application fee is waived (a $30 value).
- GPA must be 2.5 or above (high school or college of transfer).
The applicant must fill out the application form found below. Application forms are accepted year-round. If the applicant meets the GPA guidelines, the scholarship will be awarded.
Mountaineer Alumni Recommendation Scholarship
The Mountaineer Alumni Recommendation Scholarship is a one-time non-renewable scholarship and is only applicable for the student’s first year at Western. This scholarship is not available to midyear transfers or students beginning in the spring semester.
Are you an alumni or employee of Western and know a prospective (or incoming) student who would be a great fit at Western? A recommendation from alumni and employees can support any new student and provide them a $500 scholarship their first year. (Western employees may not recommend a spouse or dependent receiving tuition benefits).
- Any Western alumni/employee may nominate only one student per academic year to receive the $500 scholarship (distributed $250 per semester).
- The scholarship is good for the first year only and is non-renewable.
- The recommended student must be a full-time undergraduate student, attending Western for the first time.
The applicant must fill out the application form found here. The nominating alumni/employee must fill out the application form and submit the required documents by June 1. The recommended student must meet university admissions acceptance standards and complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
The Presidential Promise is guaranteed to students who have received a scholarship through the Denver Scholarship Foundation (DSF) and/or GearUp—and are eligible for a Pell Grant.
For students who meet these criteria, Western will cover the cost of tuition and fees through the combination of federal, state and institutional aid. For more information on the Presidential Promise, visit our scholarships page.
Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) or Central Plains (CP) tuition represents a substantial savings relative to normal, out-of-state tuition. Students eligible for the WUE or CP program will be charged 150% of Western’s total in-state tuition. For 2018-19, total in-state tuition was $8,934. WUE/CP tuition was $13,401. The WUE/CP discount is valued at $4,695.
For more information about the WUE and CP geography-based programs, visit Western’s Tuition Discount Programs Page.
Immediately upon acceptance at Western, every student is considered for a merit scholarship worth between $2,500-$4,500 per year for in-state students and $8,000-$10,000 for out-of-state students. The amount is based on the student’s GPA and ACT/SAT scores. Visit our Net Price Calculator at western.edu/cost to determine whether you qualify for a merit scholarship.
For more information about merit scholarships at Western, visit our scholarships page.
Get Involved
Take advantage of everything Western has to offer.
A college education is more than just taking courses. Meet new people, apply your skills and stretch beyond your comfort zone. Make your education an experience.
- Gallery Exhibits: Students have opportunities to display their work in numerous shows, exhibits, convocations and galas—on campus and in the community.
- Pathfinder Magazine: An annual publication for student creative work.
- Student Art League: A branch of the Council for Creative expression, the Student Art League is dedicated to providing visual arts, experiences, professional development, educational opportunities, and outreach for art students.
A step into the past
Students Madeline and Carly look at a piece of work in the “Linking Asia: Art, Trade, and Devotion” exhibit.
News & Research
Department Information
Art and Design Department
Department Chairperson
Tina Butterfield, MFAProfessor of Art; Art and Design Department Chair
Administrative Assistant
Autumn ColemanAdministrative Assistant II
Campus Location
Western Colorado University
Quigley Hall 202
1 Western Way
Gunnison, CO 81231
