200,000+
Alumni from our Global Campuses
Art history explores the world and its cultures through artistic productions. It provides insight into the values and concerns of various peoples, the ways in which they interpreted and interacted with their environment, and helps to determine the impacts and outcomes of such outlooks on our future. Through such critical engagement with the past and present, the art history student becomes uniquely situated to help determine their community鈥檚 and culture鈥檚 identities and its decisions. In this, the Art History and Criticism program participates within 精东影业鈥檚 mission to create global citizens. The program鈥檚 close relationship with the Department鈥檚 studio programs lends a strong contemporary focus to the Department鈥檚 outlook, and the student鈥檚 studies, while a simultaneous focus on the foundations of contemporary culture provide historical groundwork.
Choose Webster for a BA in Art History and Criticism
Program Overview
The program balances a strong art historical foundation for further study with space for students to explore other interests whether specifically complementary or not. The diverse curricular offerings of the University complement the interdisciplinary nature of art history, allowing students to pursue interests in other disciplines that also assist in their art historical studies. After taking introductory courses in both areas, students take advanced courses in two major tracks 鈥� early modern art and modern/contemporary art. Additional offerings in non-western and ancient art round out the learning opportunities. As a final project, Art History and Criticism majors produce a thesis in an area of their choosing and present it at the annual Art History and Criticism Symposium.
Thesis and Symposium
The final project for the Art History and Criticism major is the senior thesis. A student chooses a paper written for an earlier ARHS course that they found of interest and want to develop the ideas further. Typically they work with the full-time faculty member for which they wrote that paper. The student applies in the fall semester of the senior year to do the senior thesis in the spring semester. During the Spring semester, they meet regularly with their thesis mentor, and also periodically with the senior thesis director and other students.
Art History and Criticism majors present their senior thesis to an audience in the Annual Art History Symposium. The symposium is modeled on professional art history conferences, to provide students with an introduction to the practices of the career. Each student presents a twenty-minute paper, and responds to questions from the audience.
BA in Art History and Criticism
Find out more about the overall curriculum, electives, learning outcomes and more.
Global Study Opportunities
Webster鈥檚 global focus provides art history students with several unique opportunities for expanding their studies. International campuses offer opportunities to pursue other interests or fulfill other requirements. The Department offers two alternating short-term study abroad trips to Venice for the Biennale and to Florence to study Renaissance art. At the same time, the Department has relationships with many local (St. Louis and Webster Groves) artistic institutions to enhance a student鈥檚 experiences, from internships at a museum or gallery, to networking with local professionals.
These relationships 鈥� local, national, and international 鈥� are sustained because the Art History and Criticism faculty are also active professionals in their field. They curate exhibitions in the Hunt Gallery, publish scholarship and criticism, and speak publicly on a regular basis. They bring that same professionalism to their courses and to their students. Although we firmly believe in the power and importance of art history as a liberal arts degree to empower an inquisitive and flexible mind to succeed in any situation, we also prepare students for work in the art world should they choose to continue in that career. This unique blend of local and global outlook, of professionalization and exploration, of art history and other fields, has enabled our students to successfully pursue paths to graduate school, museums, art foundations, galleries, academics, and ultimately to contribute to their community in whichever form and field they choose.
Transcript
[Music fades in with text appearing over a photo of the St. Louis Arch.]
Text on screen: Welcome to 精东影业
[Overhead shot of Webster Groves campus with fall leaves and students walking to class.]
Text on screen: and to our Global Campus Network
[A blue and black map of the world.]
Text on screen: 精东影业鈥檚 Study Abroad Locations
Text on screen: Athens, Greece, Geneva Switzerland, Leiden, the Netherlands, Vienna, Austria
[Various photos of students at a historical site in Athens, aesthetic plants and the beachfront.]
Text on screen: Athens, Greece
[Photos of Geneva campus with mountains in the background, the campus dorms and a group student photo.]
Text on screen: Geneva, Switzerland
[Video of the Webster Leiden campus: multiple white and red buildings, a Webster Leiden flag, and a moving photo of students posing.]
Text on screen: Leiden, the Netherlands
[A photo of the Vienna campus, a large white building. A timelapse of the bustling city and a photo of three diverse students hanging out.
Text on screen: Vienna, Austria
[There is big, bold text in the middle of a photo collage.]
Text on screen: A Leader in GLOBAL EDUCATION
[One of the pieces of the collage mentions Webster鈥檚 WINS program and the photos slide out of frame.]
Text on screen: 精东影业, WINS (Webster International Network of Schools)
[All text and photos disappeared and is replaced by text sliding into place.]
Text on screen: Webster鈥檚 Global Campuses EXPAND STUDY ABROAD for universities & students.
[The text is replaced by a fast-paced photo slideshow. The first photo is five students posing at the Athens campus, sitting on a railing with the sunset behind them. A student takes a photo with their camera phone.]
[A photo of six dance majors posing in the hallway with arms and legs outstretched. A student taking a photo of mountains and water, equipped with camera and hiking gear. A Vienna student bounces a ball on their knee.]
[A brief video of tourists and students at the Acropolis. A photo of a student posing with Greece behind them. A snippet of another video of a windmill in Leiden and cyclists crossing a bridge.]
[The photo slideshow continues. A photo of three students talking with old architecture behind them. A Gorlok poses with a student at an event.]
[Footage of a graduation ceremony at Webster Leiden. Students throw their caps in the air as the video fades to a blue screen.]
Text on screen: 精东影业
[Ending video footage of the St. Louis campus.]
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Call 314-246-7800 or 800-753-6765 or send an email to admit@webster.edu.