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2024-2025

Art History, Bachelor of Arts

VCU

Community college:
AA&S or AA in Liberal Arts (Virginia Community College System)
Virginia Community College System
Associate degree

Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts or Associate of Arts and Science in Liberal Arts

Completing the associate degree will waive VCU's general education requirements.

Program description

Art History is a liberal arts program composed of an academic course of study exposing students to the scholarship, theoretical perspectives, and research methods of not only the history of art, but related disciplines in the humanities. Courses focus on cultures, historical periods, and regions. The program also includes possibilities for directed research projects as well as museum internships. While providing students with the opportunity for a broad education on the liberal arts and humanities, the department also emphasizes a close bond with the studio and performing arts and enjoys a close relationship with the other departments in the School of the Arts. Art history students complete a Level 4 REAL experience as a part of the major capstone course. Overseas studies are available through university-sponsored programs abroad in Europe and Asia.

Career opportunities

This curriculum provides students the best possible background for future graduate work in art history.  Additionally, the study of art history prepares students with highly sought after skills in writing and communication, problem solving, critical thinking, creative expression,  cultural awareness, independent thought, organization and research,  and advocacy.  Current students take advantage of multiple internship opportunities in Richmond’s vibrant art community to gain practical experience, and alumni of the program may hold positions in the public and private art worlds, government, nonprofits, and businesses, depending upon their interests and expertise.

Bachelor-level job titles
  • Administrative Coordinator
  • Conservation Technician
  • Content Strategist
  • Donor Services Coordinator
  • Preservation Librarian
  • Program Coordinator
  • Project Manager
  • Gallery Host
Graduate and professional level job titles
  • Art Conservator
  • Curator
  • Librarian and Archives Manager
  • Museum Educator
Contact information

 

VCU Transfer Center

Telephone: (804) 827-1349

Email: transferinfo@vcu.edu

Transfer Advising Request

VCCS Transfer Planning Checklist


Office of Admissions

Telephone: (804) 828-1222 or (800) 841-3638

Email: ugrad@vcu.edu
Apply Here.

Guaranteed transfer admission requirements

Completion of associate degree
Minimum GPA of 2.5
All courses must be completed with a grade of "C" or better

Degree requirements in Bulletin
Plan of study in Bulletin
Requirements
Highest level of math required
  • Quantitative Foundations requirement only
Science required
  • Natural Sciences requirement only
Foreign language requirements
  • Yes
Additional tuition/fees
  • Yes
GPA requirements (to progress/graduate in the major)
  • 3.0+ cumulative GPA
VCU Major Maps

View VCU Major Map for Art History

Transfer major map
Visit majormaps.vcu.edu for the online version with links.
Sponsored by the Office of the Provost
Major map compass icon
2024-2025

Art History, Bachelor of Arts

Virginia Community College System (AA&S or AA in Liberal Arts)

MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
Explore Year 1
  • Schedule an appointment with your community college advisor to map out your associate degree course plan.
  • Complete your math and english requirements in your first year.
  • Be prepared for academic challenges and utilize tutoring resources to get ahead.
  • Explore community college financial aid resources and submit your FAFSA on time.
  • Start your world language sequence.
  • Enroll in the SDV student success course.
  • Explore the School of the Arts website.
  • Learn about the transfer admission process for VCU.
  • Get involved with student clubs and organizations at your community college.
  • Volunteer for community service projects.
  • Register to vote.
  • Attend diversity-focused events on your community college campus and in your community (e.g., international festival).
  • Identify a mentor in a diversity organization.
  • Make friends with people with diverse perspectives and join a cultural or identity-related student organization.
  • Create a weekly and monthly budget.
  • Prepare for a career after college by creating a brand for yourself.
  • Develop personal and career goals and create SMART steps for 2-3 "dream jobs."
  • Practice independent living skills such as money and time management, self-care, and personal responsibility.
Experience Year 2
  • Be prepared for academic challenges. Use tutoring resources to get ahead.
  • Be prepared: Once you enroll at VCU, your VCU GPA will be determined by your grades at VCU.
  • Meet with your community college advisor to finalize plans to complete your associate degree.
  • Research scholarship opportunities and explore your eligibility for the Two-Year College Transfer Grant.
  • Visit the Art History website to become familiar with upcoming course offerings, syllabi, and professors.
  • Submit the FAFSA on time.
  • Submit a transfer advising request to the VCU Transfer Center.
  • Explore the accelerated BA to MA Art History program.
  • Apply to VCU.
  • Visit the VCU campus and attend a transfer admission session.
  • Research housing options for next year.
  • Attend a talk or other event sponsored by the School of the Arts, consider joining a VCU club, or meeting with VCU students to make professional and personal connections.
  • Explore museums, parks, festivals, and cultural events in the region.
  • Check out the VCU Office of Multicultural Student Affairs (OMSA) and follow @vcuomsa.
  • Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options.
  • Attend VCU cultural events, including the monthly Global Café, VCU Diversity Scholars in Research week, or School of the Arts-related events.
  • Find out about VCU REAL and learn about VCU's REAL graduation requirement.
  • Attend Career & Internship Fairs throughout the year.
  • Acquire career related experience (e.g., job, internship, organization involvement).
  • If your GPA is 3.5 or higher, consider applying for the VCU Honors College.
  • Using LinkedIn, connect to at least 10 people. Check out the VCU alumni page in My Network.
  • Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of career interest.
  • Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
  • Explore the types of aid available at VCU.
  • Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.

Explore
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
  • Schedule an appointment with your community college advisor to map out your associate degree course plan.
  • Complete your math and english requirements in your first year.
  • Be prepared for academic challenges and utilize tutoring resources to get ahead.
  • Explore community college financial aid resources and submit your FAFSA on time.
  • Start your world language sequence.
  • Enroll in the SDV student success course.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
  • Explore the School of the Arts website.
  • Learn about the transfer admission process for VCU.
  • Get involved with student clubs and organizations at your community college.
  • Volunteer for community service projects.
  • Register to vote.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Attend diversity-focused events on your community college campus and in your community (e.g., international festival).
  • Identify a mentor in a diversity organization.
  • Make friends with people with diverse perspectives and join a cultural or identity-related student organization.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Create a weekly and monthly budget.
  • Prepare for a career after college by creating a brand for yourself.
  • Develop personal and career goals and create SMART steps for 2-3 "dream jobs."
  • Practice independent living skills such as money and time management, self-care, and personal responsibility.

Experience
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
  • Be prepared for academic challenges. Use tutoring resources to get ahead.
  • Be prepared: Once you enroll at VCU, your VCU GPA will be determined by your grades at VCU.
  • Meet with your community college advisor to finalize plans to complete your associate degree.
  • Research scholarship opportunities and explore your eligibility for the Two-Year College Transfer Grant.
  • Visit the Art History website to become familiar with upcoming course offerings, syllabi, and professors.
  • Submit the FAFSA on time.
  • Submit a transfer advising request to the VCU Transfer Center.
  • Explore the accelerated BA to MA Art History program.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
  • Apply to VCU.
  • Visit the VCU campus and attend a transfer admission session.
  • Research housing options for next year.
  • Attend a talk or other event sponsored by the School of the Arts, consider joining a VCU club, or meeting with VCU students to make professional and personal connections.
  • Explore museums, parks, festivals, and cultural events in the region.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Check out the VCU Office of Multicultural Student Affairs (OMSA) and follow @vcuomsa.
  • Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options.
  • Attend VCU cultural events, including the monthly Global Café, VCU Diversity Scholars in Research week, or School of the Arts-related events.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
  • Find out about VCU REAL and learn about VCU's REAL graduation requirement.
  • Attend Career & Internship Fairs throughout the year.
  • Acquire career related experience (e.g., job, internship, organization involvement).
  • If your GPA is 3.5 or higher, consider applying for the VCU Honors College.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Using LinkedIn, connect to at least 10 people. Check out the VCU alumni page in My Network.
  • Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of career interest.
  • Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
  • Explore the types of aid available at VCU.
  • Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.
Recommended courses
Major map compass icon
2024-2025

Art History, Bachelor of Arts

Virginia Community College System (AA&S or AA in Liberal Arts)

Virginia Community College System courses
Course Title Equivalent course Credits Requirements
SDV 100 or 101 College Success Skills UNIV 101 1 Elective
ENG 111 College Composition I Note: students with credit for AP English Language and Composition will only receive credit for UNIV 111 at VCU and should take ENG 112 to fulfill the VCU composition requirement. UNIV 111-112 3 General education
ENG 112 College Composition II UNIV 200 3 General education
MTH Any approved MTH course (MTH 154 or MTH 155 recommended) MATH 3 General education
ART 101 History of Art: Prehistoric to Gothic ARTH 103 3 Major
ART 102 History of Art: Renaissance to Modern ARTH 104 3 Major
Humanities or Literature Select one of the following (UCGS Block II): HUM 201, HUM 202, HUM 210, HUM 216, HUM 220, HUM 256, HUM 259, PHI 100, PHI 111, PHI 220, REL 100, REL 230, REL 237, REL 240, ENG 225, ENG 245, ENG 246, ENG 250, ENG 255, ENG 258, ENG 275 . VCU equivalent 3 General education
Social Science Select one of the following (UCGS Block III): ECO 150, ECO 201, ECO 202, GEO 210, GEO 220, PLS 135, PLS 140, PLS 241, PSY 200, SOC 200, SOC 211, SOC 268. VCU equivalent 3 General education
Lab Science Select one of the following (UCGS Block IV): BIO 101, BIO 102, BIO 106, CHM 101, CHM 111, CHM 112, ENV 121, ENV 122, GOL 105, GOL 106, GOL 110, PHY 100, PHY 201, PHY 202, PHY 241, PHY 242. VCU equivalent 4 General education
History Select one of the following (UCGS Block VI): HIS 101, HIS 102, HIS 111, HIS 112, HIS 121, HIS 122. VCU equivalent 3 General education
World Language World Language (101-level): French, German, Italian or Spanish (or elective if placed into higher level language) VCU equivalent 4 General education
World Language World Language (102-level): French, German, Italian or Spanish (or elective if placed into higher level language) VCU equivalent 4 General education
World Language World Language (201-level): French, German, Italian or Spanish VCU equivalent 3 Major (Ancillary)
World Language World Language (202-level): French, German, Italian or Spanish VCU equivalent 3 Major (Ancillary)
Complete requirements for associate degree VCU equivalents 17 Elective
Community college credits transferred to VCU 60
VCU courses
Course Title Credits Requirements
ARTH 292 Writing for Art History 4 Major
ARTH 293 Professional Practices for Art History 2 Major
ARTH 302 Introduction to Museums 3 Major
ARTH 390 Art Historical Methods 4 Major
ARTH 490 Senior Seminar in Art History 4 Major
ARTH Cluster A (select two courses; see VCU advisor for course options) 6 Major
ARTH Cluster B (select three courses; see VCU advisor for course options) 9 Major
ARTH Unrestricted ARTH electives (select any two additional ARTH courses) 6 Major
Fine Arts Studio Select 3 credits of fine arts studio (from CRAF, SCPT, PAPR or PHTO) 3 Major (Ancillary)
HIST Select 12 credits of upper-level (300-level) history 12 Major (Ancillary)
Humanities Select 9 credits of upper-level (300-level) humanities (from AFAM, ANTH, RELS, GSWS, ENGL, PHIL, WRLD) 9 Major (Ancillary)
REAL The REAL requirement may be satisfied by successfully completing a 300-level (or higher) course that has received a REAL attribute of Level 2, 3 or 4 or through an approved “REAL” co-curricular experience that has received a REAL attribute of Level 3 or 4. See VCU advisor for options. 0 Major
Credits completed at VCU 62
Minimum credits required for bachelor's degree 120
The accelerated B.A. and M.A. program allows academically talented students to earn both the B.A. and M.A. in Art History in a minimum of five years by completing approved graduate courses during the senior year of their undergraduate program. Minimum qualifications for entrance to this accelerated program include completion of 54 undergraduate credit hours, including a minimum of 21 credits of art history course work (may include AP and transfer courses); an overall GPA of 3.0; and a GPA of 3.5 in art history course work. Applicants should have completed or be enrolled in ARTH 390.