Art History at Seattle University explores visual culture and the material environment within social and historical contexts, across a broad range of periods and societies. Students learn how to look at and write about art, especially in survey and foundational courses, and how to understand and interpret visual culture using a variety of disciplinary and inter-disciplinary methods.

Courses for both majors and non-majors are frequently designed in conjunction with museum exhibitions, gallery events and performances; whenever possible students experience works of art at first hand and participate in partnerships with local arts organizations, including internship opportunities. The B.A. in Art History offered by the Department of Fine Arts, with its focus on active looking, critical writing, research and experience, is an excellent preparation for a variety of careers or graduate programs in the arts, but also nurtures the types of skills essential for a richer encounter with our own visual and material culture.

Degree Programs in the Arts (PDF)