The Wellesley College website is currently in transition. This temporary site is for current Wellesley College community members. If you're a prospective student or employee, please go to our new site at www.wellesley.edu.

Major/Minor

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE ART HISTORY MAJOR
 

An Art History major consists of a minimum of ten units. Students considering a major in Art History should choose an adviser and devise a program of study with them. The minimum major must be constructed according to the following guidelines:

  • ARTH 100 or WRIT 107. Advanced Placement or transfer credit will not be accepted in fulfillment of this requirement.
  • One of the following courses in Studio Art: ARTS 105, 108/CAMS 138, 109, 112, 113, 165/CAMS 135.
  • A minimum of eight further units in Art History to make a total of ten units. At least two of the eight units must be 300-level courses. Students may elect to pursue a 350, but may not substitute this course for one of the 300-level courses. Among the eight units, a student must select the designated number of courses from each of the following five distribution areas:
  1. One course in the Americas: 206, 225, 231, 234, 236, 237, 245, 262, 267/ES 267, 292/AFR 292, 303, 309, 310, 314, 315, 316/AFR 316, 317, 318, 320, 321, 334, 336, 339, 345, 376
     
  2. One course in Africa, the Middle East, or Europe: 110Y, 203, 209, 212, 222/MAS 222, 224, 226/CAMS 207, 227, 228, 229, 235, 241, 242, 243, 244, 246, 247, 251, 256, 259, 264/AFR 264, 289, 290, 292/AFR 292, 299, 301, 303, 304, 309, 310, 312, 315, 321, 322, 323, 325, 326, 328, 330, 335, 336, 343, 347, 373/CLCV 373, 397, WRIT 149
     
  3. One course in Asia: 212, 229, 238, 239/SAS 239, 240, 248, 249, 255, 257, 337, 341, 346, 347, 397
     
  4. Three courses in the period before 1800: 110Y, 200, 203, 206, 209, 217, 222/MAS 222, 227, 229, 235, 236, 238, 239/SAS 239, 240, 241, 242, 243, 244, 245, 246, 247, 248, 249, 251, 256, 259, 290, 304, 323, 325, 326, 328, 330, 336, 337, 341, 343, 345, 346, 347, 373/CLCV 373
     
  5. One course in the period after 1800: 200, 206, 212, 224, 225, 226/CAMS 207, 228, 231, 234, 237, 245, 255, 262, 267/ES 267, 289, 292/AFR 292, 301, 303, 304, 309, 310, 312, 314, 315, 316/AFR 316, 317, 318, 320, 321, 322, 334, 335, 339, 345, 376, 377, 390, 391, 397
 
ARTH 100, the Studio course, and both 300-level courses must be taken at Wellesley. However, if pre-approved by the Registrar and the Department's Transfer Credit Adviser, a maximum of two 200-level courses taken at other institutions may be used to meet other major requirements.
 
The Department does not encourage over-specialization in any one area; requirements for the major and minor have been designed to encourage breadth and depth and expose students to art from as many times and places as possible. Students should work with their advisers to plan their curriculum, and expect to revise it regularly according to the specific courses offered each semester. Under exceptional circumstances, and only by petition to the ARTH program director, we may consider an alternative to a specific requirement, but there is no guarantee that petition will be successful. 
 

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE ART HISTORY MINOR

An Art History minor consists of a minimum of six units. Students considering a minor in Art History should choose an adviser and devise a program of study with them. The minimum minor must be constructed according to the following guidelines:

  • ARTH 100 or WRIT 107. Advanced Placement or transfer credit will not be accepted in fulfillment of this requirement.
  • A minimum of five further units above the 100-level to make a total of six units. At least two of the five units must be 300-level courses. Students may elect to pursue an ARTH 350, but may not substitute this course for one of the 300-level courses. The five units must be taken in each of the following five distribution areas:
  1. One course in the Americas: 206, 225, 231, 234, 236, 237, 245, 262, 267/ES 267, 292/AFR 292, 303, 309, 310, 314, 315, 316/AFR 316, 317, 318, 320, 321, 334, 336, 339, 345, 376
     
  1. One course in Africa, the Middle East, or Europe: 110Y, 203, 209, 212, 222/MAS 222, 224, 226/CAMS 207, 227, 228, 229, 235, 241, 242, 243, 244, 246, 247, 251, 256, 259, 264/AFR 264, 289, 290, 292/AFR 292, 299, 301, 303, 304, 309, 310, 312, 315, 321, 322, 323, 325, 326, 328, 330, 335, 336, 343, 347, 373/CLCV 373, 397
     
  1. One course in Asia: 212, 229, 238, 239/SAS 239, 240, 248, 249, 255, 257, 337, 341, 346, 347, 397
     
  1. One course in the period before 1800: 110Y, 200, 203, 206, 209, 217, 222/MAS 222, 227, 229, 235, 236, 238, 239/SAS 239, 240, 241, 242, 243, 244, 245, 246, 247, 248, 249, 251, 256, 259, 290, 304, 323, 325, 326, 328, 330, 336, 337, 341, 343, 345, 346, 347, 373/CLCV 373, 

     

  2. One course in the period after 1800: 200, 206, 212, 224, 225, 226/CAMS 207, 228, 231, 234, 237, 245, 255, 262, 267/ES 267, 289, 292/AFR 292, 301, 303, 304, 309, 310, 312, 314, 315, 316/AFR 316, 317, 318, 320, 321, 322, 334, 335, 339, 345, 376, 377, 390, 391, 397
 
ARTH 100 and both 300-level courses must be taken at Wellesley. However, if pre-approved by the Registrar and the Department's Transfer Credit Adviser, a maximum of two courses at the 200-level taken at other institutions may be used to meet the other minor requirements. 
 
The Department does not encourage over-specialization in any one area; requirements for the major and minor have been designed to encourage breadth and depth and expose students to art from as many times and places as possible. Students should work with their advisers to plan their curriculum, and expect to revise it regularly according to the specific courses offered each semester. Under exceptional circumstances, and only by petition to the ARTH program director, we may consider an alternative to a specific requirement, but there is no guarantee that petition will be successful. 
 

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE HISTORY OF ART/STUDIO ART DOUBLE MAJOR

A double major in Art History and Studio Art must elect ARTH 100 or WRIT 107, eight additional units in Studio Art (following the requirements for the Studio major) and eight additional units in Art History, for a total of seventeen units. A minimum of two courses must be taken at the 300-level in Art History, and a minimum of two courses must be taken at the 300-level in Studio. The Art History requirements for the double major follow the requirements of the Art History major with two exceptions: 1) two (instead of three) courses are required that focus on the period before 1800; 2) two (instead of one) courses are required in nineteenth- to twenty-first-century art. Therefore, the distribution is as follows:

  1. One course in the Americas
  2. One course in Africa, the Middle East, or Europe
  3. One course in Asia
  4. Two courses in the period before 1800
  5. Two courses in nineteenth- to twenty-first-century art: students should consult with their advisers to determine the courses best suited to fill these two units

 

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE HISTORY OF ART/MEDIA ARTS AND SCIENCES DOUBLE MAJOR

A double major in Art History and Media Arts and Sciences must elect ARTH 100 or WRIT 107, eight additional units in MAS and eight additional units in Art History, for a total of seventeen units. A minimum of two courses must be taken at the 300-level in each major; a 350 unit may not be substituted for one of these courses. The Art History requirements for the double major follow the requirements of the Art History major with two exceptions: 1) two (instead of three) courses are required that focus on the period before 1800; 2) two (instead of one) courses are required in nineteenth- to twenty-first-century art. Therefore, the distribution is as follows:

  1. One course in the Americas
  2. One course in Africa, the Middle East, or Europe
  3. One course in Asia
  4. Two courses in the period before 1800
  5. Two courses in nineteenth- to twenty-first-century art: students should consult with their advisers to determine the courses best suited to fill these two units

 

Page updated 3/7/23

 

Art History