The Art History program in Art, Architecture and Design provides students with an education in the history of art, architecture, and museum practice. Students begin their studies in the department’s introductory foundations course sequence and continue to intermediate, advanced, and elective courses of their choosing. In their junior and senior years, students take Capstone, Honors Project, and Fusion: Design Practice courses to advance their studies and pursue individual or collaborative research.
Students in the Art History major benefit from the extensive resources of the Lehigh University Libraries, Special Collections, and Lehigh University Art Galleries, which houses Lehigh University’s permanent art collection and hosts temporary exhibitions. Many art history students choose to also pursue a minor in our Museum Studies minor program.
The major consists of 11 courses. As learning outcomes, students in the major learn to master the key concepts and methodologies of art history; understand the social, cultural, and political conditions that shape artistic movements; observe works of art and architecture attentively and analyze them critically; understand the role of museums, collections, and exhibitions in shaping art and its history; recognize art history and museum practice as vehicles for social and civic engagement; and develop rigorous research and application skills in art and architectural history.
For a full list of major requirements and courses, please see the Lehigh course catalog.