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Art History, B.A.

College of Arts and Sciences

Enlighten yourself about the history of art across different cultures around the world and through different movements.

In art history, you will develop skills such as close looking, contextual knowledge, research and writing. These skills will help enrich your general knowledge of history and culture, along with specialized abilities in visual studies and research that are applicable to many professions and experiences.

Program Highlights

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    Small Student Cohort

    Immerse yourself in a positive atmosphere and network of support and connections through your peers and our faculty.

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    Experiential Learning

    Enhance your education through internships and other hands-on opportunities.

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    Dedicated Faculty

    Be mentored by a faculty that places the field in larger humanistic, cultural, historical and political contexts.

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    Flexible Curriculum

    Supplement your education with a curriculum that works well with a second major and helps you meet your goals.

What You’ll Study

One of the most popular courses is American Architecture, where students research local buildings and give a tour at the end of the semester for the public. Some popular topics courses include art history in Germany and Japan, the African Diaspora and the Baroque movement. Many students choose to take art history as a second major.

Building Skills

Gain the professional and personal intelligence it takes to have a successful career.

  • Cultural Awareness

    Learning about and respecting diverse cultures and beliefs

    Visual Literacy

    Analyzing and understanding images, graphics and visual representations to extract meaning and communicate effectively

    Critical Thinking

    Analyzing and evaluating information to make informed decisions or judgments

  • Understand Complexity

    Analyzing and synthesizing information to identify patterns and connections

    Research

    Gathering and analyzing information to increase knowledge or solve problems

    Writing

    Creating professional written content for inclusion in scholarly journal articles, books and reports

Using your degree

Make your college experience the foundation for a successful future.

Learn how alumni use degrees with outcome data from Gamecock GradStats, a service of the University of South Carolina Career Center.

Potential Careers

  • Museum or Gallery Assistant
  • Curator
  • Grants Writer / Manager
  • Cultural Heritage Manager
  • Historic Preservationist
  • Editor / Publisher

Job Titles of Alumni

  • Collections Manager
  • Project Manager
  • Art Director
  • Community Manager
  • Foundation Director

Average Alumni Salary

Five to 10 years after graduation without additional education $61,962

Workplace Settings

  • Museums
  • Galleries
  • Nonprofits
  • Higher Education

Employers of Alumni

  • Historic Columbia
  • EdVenture Children's Museum
  • South Carolina State Museum
  • Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
  • Art Institute of Chicago

This program offers many opportunities to work with historians and galleries. I worked with a curator in our Department of Rare Books in the library on a collection of historical prints where I got an amazing work experience and built beneficial relationships.

Stephanie Roznowski
Portrait of Stephanie Roznowski

Is USC Right For You?

There are many reasons we could be your ideal university. There's the award-winning academics, the globally modeled student life, and abundance of study abroad and experiential learning options. Take a closer look at what USC could mean for you.

Degree content is provided for informational purposes only. The Academic Bulletin is the source of record for all degree information.
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