Santa Clara University

DEPARTMENT OF ART AND ART HISTORY

Professor Emerita: Brigid Barton
Professors: R. Kelly Detweiler (Department Chair), Samuel R. Hernandez
Associate Professors: Katherine Aoki, Blake de Maria, Kathleen Maxwell, Andrea Pappas
Assistant Professors: Karen Fraser, Don Fritz, Katherine L. Morris, Ryan Reynolds

The Department of Art and Art History offers a degree program leading to the Bachelor of Arts in two undergraduate majors, art history and studio art, with courses in both disciplines fostering a thorough understanding of the history and practice of art.

Department faculty encourages interdisciplinary connections with the Santa Clara community through course offerings that fulfill a wide range of College and University Core Curriculum requirements, as well as courses through the University Honors Program.

ART HISTORY

The art history major at Santa Clara is distinguished by excellent teaching and mentoring, challenging coursework, and opportunities for study abroad, peer educating, and student internships at local and Bay Area institutions. Moreover, we support, in conjunction with our fully accredited campus museum, Explore with Me, a docent-training program for our students. Advanced art history majors are encouraged to participate in our annual Art History Symposium and the Art History Research Paper Competition. The art history major features numerous opportunities for personal and professional growth to understand better the meanings and purposes of the visual arts, including their historic development, their roles in society, and their relationships to other fields in the humanities. Students learn to think critically and communicate clearly about works of art. The art history major develops the following skills: knowledge acquisition, critical thinking, analysis of visual and textual sources, advanced research and writing skills, and sophisticated oral presentations. These intellectual skills enable art history majors to pursue a diversity of interests in a wide spectrum of fields and professions, including graduate work in art history.

STUDIO ART

Studio art majors develop comprehensive skills that help prepare them for graduate study or careers in either the fine or commercial arts. Faculty members emphasize the development of conceptual and technical competence, as well as critical analysis of the student's own work and that of others. By graduation, every student develops a body of original artwork to be exhibited in a senior show in the department gallery. Students are required to articulate an artist's statement reflecting their own engagement with the creative process, in conjunction with their senior show.

Studio art majors take three sections of art history and are encouraged to take one or more courses in 20th-century or contemporary art. The studio seminar is highly recommended for all studio art majors and should be taken in the third year when possible. At the end of each year, students are encouraged to submit their work to the Annual Student Art Exhibit, which is judged by an outside professional in the field of art. The department also oversees merit-based scholarships, which are usually given to outstanding students with junior status.

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MAJORS

In addition to fulfilling the University Core Curriculum requirements for the Bachelor of Arts degree, students majoring in art history or studio art must complete the following departmental requirements:

Major in Art History

15 courses (13 ARTH and 2 ARTS):

• Four courses selected from the 20-series (ARTH 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
• ARTH 100 (preferably at the end of sophomore year)
• ARTH 196 (capstone seminar) is required in senior year
• Two studio ARTS courses (lower- or upper-division)
• Five upper-division ARTH courses (no more than three may be taken abroad)
• Two additional art history courses (lower- or upper-division)

Note: Only four units of ARTH 98/198 may count toward the major. ARTH 11A and 12A may fulfill up to two lower-division courses with your art history advisor's approval. The senior thesis is optional (requires grade point average in major of 3.5 or above and permission of supervising faculty member).

Major in Studio Art

Students must complete 15 courses (12 ARTS and 3 ARTH):

• ARTS 30
• One course from ARTS 35–57 or an approved equivalent upper-division course
• One course from ARTS 63, 64, 163, or 164
• Two lower-division art history courses (21–26 preferred)
• Nine additional approved studio art courses (upper-division preferred). Emphasis within department will determine the nine courses. ARTS 196 is recommended for junior year.
• One course from ARTH 101–199

Note: Studio art or art history courses taken during a term of study abroad normally may be applied to no more than half of the requirements, including no more than half of the upper-division units, for a major or minor in studio art or art history. Students who wish to receive credit toward a major or minor for studio art courses taken at affiliated study abroad programs must be able to document their work for review by members of the department's faculty.

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MINORS

Minor in Art History

Students must complete seven courses (6 ARTH and 1 ARTS):

• Two courses from ARTH 21–26
• One studio art course
• Three upper-division ARTH courses (at least two upper-division courses must be taken at Santa Clara)
• One additional lower or upper-division art history course

Note: Only four units of Art History 98/198 may count toward the minor. ARTH 11A and 12A may fulfill up to two lower-division courses with departmental approval.

Minor in Studio Art

Students must complete seven courses (5 ARTS, 1 ARTH, and 1 swing course):

• One course from ARTS 30–57 or approved upper-division equivalent
• One course from ARTS 63, 64, 163, 164
• Three additional approved ARTS courses (upper-division preferred)
• One ARTH course (lower- or upper-division)
• One additional upper-division ARTS or ARTH course

LOWER and UPPER DIVISION COURSE LISTINGS AVAILABLE in the Undergraduate Bulletin (PDF)