The art history certificate requires four courses and is open to any undergraduate major.
The certificate is designed to meet twenty-first-century needs by promoting visual literacy in an increasingly visual world. Our classes teach critical and creative approaches to analysis, problem-solving, writing, and visual communication using a variety of artistic media, including painting, sculpture, architecture, photography, prints, ephemera, and the decorative arts.
Students earning the certificate will hone skills in visual analysis and interpretation that make them more competitive in a variety of today’s fields of employment, including (but not limited to) professions in the arts, in social sciences, and in physical sciences — all of which require the skills taught in our courses.
Important Notes
- Students who are thinking about declaring the Art History Certificate as well as the Material Culture Certificate: Undergraduate students may request permission to complete both the Art History Certificate and the Material Culture Certificate but only one course may overlap between the two certificates. Please consult with the undergraduate advisor, Teddy Kaul (ejkaul@wisc.edu), with any questions.
- Only one transfer course from another institution may be counted toward the Art History Certificate. (This does not include UW–Madison study abroad programs for which courses taken in these programs are considered "in residence.")
- AP credits may count toward the “Electives” course requirement for the Art History Certificate.
How to Get in
Students are eligible to declare the certificate at any point in their studies. We encourage students to declare as early as possible in order to plan their required coursework. Students should contact the undergraduate advisor to declare the certificate.
Students thinking about declaring the Art History Certificate as well as the Material Culture Certificate: Undergraduate students may request permission to complete both the Art History Certificate and the Material Culture Certificate but only one course can overlap between the two certificates. Please consult with the undergraduate advisor with any questions.
Students declared in the Art History major may not declare the Certificate.
Requirements
Four courses and 12 credits are required, as follows:
Intermediate Survey Course
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Complete one: | ||
| ART HIST/CLASSICS 300 | The Art and Archaeology of Ancient Greece | 3-4 |
| ART HIST 301 | Myths, Loves, and Lives in Greek Vases | 3-4 |
| ART HIST 302 | Greek Sculpture | 3-4 |
| ART HIST 303 | Topics in Art History | 3 |
| ART HIST/CLASSICS 304 | The Art and Archaeology of Ancient Rome | 3-4 |
| ART HIST 305 | History of Islamic Art and Architecture | 3 |
| ART HIST 307 | From Tomb to Temple: Ancient Chinese Art and Religion in Transition | 3 |
| ART HIST 308 | The Tastes of Scholars and Emperors: Chinese Art in the Later Periods | 3 |
| ART HIST 310 | Icons, Religion, and Empire: Early Christian and Byzantine Art, ca. 200-1453 | 3 |
| ART HIST 318 | Romanesque and Gothic Art and Architecture | 3-4 |
| ART HIST 320 | Italian Renaissance Art | 3-4 |
| ART HIST 323 | From Michelangelo & Raphael to Titian: The Arts in 16th Century Italy | 3-4 |
| ART HIST 331 | Angels, Demons, and Nudes: Early Netherlandish Painting from Bosch to Bruegel | 3-4 |
| ART HIST 335 | Study Abroad in Ancient/Medieval Art | 1-6 |
| ART HIST 336 | Study Abroad in Renaissance/Baroque/Northern Art | 1-6 |
| ART HIST 337 | Study Abroad in 18th-20th Century Art | 1-6 |
| ART HIST 338 | Study Abroad in African/Asian Art | 1-6 |
| ART HIST 341 | Italian Baroque Art | 3-4 |
| ART HIST 346 | British Art and Society from the Eighteenth Century to the Present | 3-4 |
| ART HIST 350 | 19th Century Painting in Europe | 3-4 |
| ART HIST 354 | Cross-Cultural Arts Around the Atlantic Rim: 1800 to the Present | 3-4 |
| ART HIST 355 | History of Photography | 3 |
| ART HIST 357 | History of Wisconsin Architecture, 1800-present | 3 |
| ART HIST 360 | Gore Luxury Identity Mimesis: Northern Renaissance | 3 |
| ART HIST/DS 363 | American Decorative Arts and Interiors: 1620-1840 | 3-4 |
| ART HIST 364 | History of American Art: Art, Material Culture, and Constructions of Identity, 1607-present | 3-4 |
| ART HIST 365 | The Concept of Contemporary Art | 3-4 |
| ART HIST/RELIG ST 373 | Great Cities of Islam | 3 |
| ART HIST/ASIAN 379 | Cities of Asia | 3 |
Area Focus
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Complete one: | ||
| ART HIST 403 | Topics in Art History | 3 |
| ART HIST 405 | Cities and Sanctuaries of Ancient Greece | 3 |
| ART HIST 407 | Topics in Nineteenth Century Art | 3-4 |
| ART HIST 408 | Topics in Twentieth-Century Art | 3-4 |
| ART HIST 409 | Topics in Contemporary Art | 3 |
| ART HIST 411 | Topics in Asian Art | 3-4 |
| ART HIST 412 | Topics in African and African Diaspora Art History | 3-4 |
| ART HIST 413 | Art and Architecture in the Age of the Caliphs | 3 |
| ART HIST/MEDIEVAL 415 | Topics in Medieval Art | 3 |
| ART HIST 420 | Topics in Italian Renaissance Art | 3 |
| ART HIST/ASIAN 428 | Visual Cultures of India | 3 |
| ART HIST 430 | Topics in Visual Culture | 3 |
| ART HIST 431 | Topics in Theory | 3 |
| ART HIST 435 | Study Abroad in Ancient/Medieval Art | 1-6 |
| ART HIST 436 | Study Abroad in Renaissance/Baroque/Northern Art | 1-6 |
| ART HIST 437 | Study Abroad in 18th-20th Century Art | 1-6 |
| ART HIST 438 | Study Abroad in African/Asian Art | 1-6 |
| ART HIST 440 | Art and Power in the Arab World | 3 |
| ART HIST 454 | Art in Germany, 1900-1945 | 3-4 |
| ART HIST 457 | History of American Vernacular Architecture and Landscapes | 3 |
| ART HIST 468 | Frank Lloyd Wright | 3-4 |
| ART HIST 469 | Interdisciplinary Studies in the Arts | 1-4 |
| ART HIST 475 | Japanese Ceramics and Allied Arts | 3 |
| ART HIST/RELIG ST 478 | Art and Religious Practice in Medieval Japan | 3 |
| ART HIST 479 | Art and History in Africa | 3-4 |
| ART HIST 600 | Special Topics in Art History | 3 |
| ART HIST 601 | Introduction to Museum Studies I | 3 |
| ART HIST 602 | Introduction to Museum Studies II | 3 |
| ART HIST 603 | Curatorial Studies Colloquium | 3 |
| ART HIST/ASIAN 621 | Mapping, Making, and Representing Colonial Spaces | 3 |
| ART HIST/HISTORY/JOURN/L I S 650 | History of Books and Print Culture in Europe and North America | 3 |
Proseminar
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Complete one: | ||
| ART HIST 500 | Proseminar: Special Topics in Art History | 3 |
| ART HIST 505 | Proseminar in Ancient Art | 3 |
| ART HIST 506 | Curatorial Studies Exhibition Practice | 3 |
| ART HIST 510 | Proseminar in Islamic Art and Architecture | 3 |
| ART HIST 515 | Proseminar in Medieval Art | 3 |
| ART HIST 525 | Proseminar in Italian Renaissance Art | 3 |
| ART HIST 535 | Proseminar in Northern European Painting | 3 |
| ART HIST 555 | Proseminar in 19th Century European Art | 3 |
| ART HIST 556 | Proseminar in 20th Century European Art | 3 |
| ART HIST 567 | Proseminar in American Architecture | 3 |
| ART HIST 575 | Proseminar in Japanese Art | 3 |
| ART HIST 576 | Proseminar in Chinese Art | 3 |
| ART HIST 579 | Proseminar in African Art | 3 |
Electives
To attain the minimum 4 courses and 12 credits, complete any course listed above not needed for the area requirements, or any of the courses in the list below. AP credits may count toward the “Electives” course requirement for the Art History Certificate.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ART HIST 102 | Seeing Through Conspiracy Theories | 3 |
| ART HIST 103 | Topics in Art History | 3-4 |
| ART HIST 104 | The Art of Diversity: Race and Representation in the Art and Visual Culture of the United States | 3-4 |
| ART HIST 105 | Introductory Topics in Art History | 3 |
| ART HIST 106 | Have Brush, Will Travel: The Italian Renaissance from Florence to Rome | 3 |
| ART HIST 107 | The Body, Sex, & Health in Art | 3 |
| ART HIST 130 | Seeing Race: Anti-Racism and Visual Culture | 3 |
| ART HIST 201 | History of Western Art I: From Pyramids to Cathedrals | 4 |
| ART HIST 202 | History of Western Art II: From Renaissance to Contemporary | 4 |
| ART HIST 203 | Survey of Asian Art | 3-4 |
| ART HIST 205 | Global Arts | 4 |
| ART HIST 206 | Survey of Photography: 1839 to 1989 | 3-4 |
| ART HIST 210 | A History of the World in 20 Buildings | 3 |
| ART HIST 227 | The Modernist Revolution | 4 |
| ART HIST/ENVIR ST/GEOG/HISTORY/LAND ARC 239 | Making the American Landscape | 3-4 |
| ART HIST/AFROAMER 241 | Introduction to African Art and Architecture | 3 |
| ART HIST/AFROAMER 242 | Introduction to Afro-American Art | 3 |
| ART HIST 681 | Senior Honors Thesis | 3 |
| ART HIST 682 | Senior Honors Thesis | 3 |
| ART HIST 691 | Senior Thesis | 3-6 |
| ART HIST 692 | Senior Thesis | 3-6 |
| ART HIST 697 | Undergraduate Curatorial Studies Internship (Directed Study) | 1-3 |
| ART HIST 698 | Directed Study | 2-3 |
| ART HIST 699 | Directed Study | 1-3 |
Residence and Quality of Work
- At least 6 Certificate credits must be earned in residence
- A 2.000 GPA is required in all courses approved for the certificate
Certificate Completion Requirement
This undergraduate certificate must be completed concurrently with the student’s undergraduate degree. Students cannot delay degree completion to complete the certificate.
Learning Outcomes
- Describe objects and images accurately; identify different stylistic characteristics and media; recall artists and art movements; analyze images.
- Interpret art in context of deeper historical knowledge of specific cultures, acquire critical reading skills, integrate research.
- Apply critical reading and writing skills, produce original interpretations, make plausible arguments based on visual and historical evidence, acquire sophisticated research abilities; formal oral presentation skills.
Advising and Careers
Advising questions may be directed to the undergraduate advisor, Teddy Kaul (ejkaul@wisc.edu), or the director of undergraduate studies in the department.
Each fall, the department hosts an Art History Majors and Career Fair for majors and certificate students as well as anyone interested in the field. We discuss course opportunities and internships on campus and in the community. We also invite alumni to speak about their career paths. Our director of undergraduate studies also hosts a workshop on “How to Apply to Graduate School” each fall. We also work with SuccessWorks to organize events for our students.
L&S Career Resources
Every L&S major opens a world of possibilities. SuccessWorks at the College of Letters & Science helps students turn the academic skills learned in their major, certificates, and other coursework into fulfilling lives after graduation, whether that means jobs, public service, graduate school or other career pursuits.
In addition to providing basic support like resume reviews and interview practice, SuccessWorks offers ways to explore interests and build career skills from their very first semester/term at UW all the way through graduation and beyond.
Students can explore careers in one-on-one advising, try out different career paths, complete internships, prepare for the job search and/or graduate school applications, and connect with supportive alumni and even employers in the fields that inspire them.
- SuccessWorks
- Set up a career advising appointment
- Enroll in a Career Course - a great idea for first- and second-year students:
- INTER-LS 210 L&S Career Development: Taking Initiative (1 credit)
- INTER-LS 215 Communicating About Careers (3 credits, fulfills Comm B General Education Requirement)
- Learn about internships and internship funding
- INTER-LS 260 Internship in the Liberal Arts and Sciences
- Activate your Handshake account to apply for jobs and internships from 200,000+ employers recruiting UW-Madison students
- Learn about the impact SuccessWorks has on students' lives
People
Professors Andrzejewski, Cahill, Casid, Chopra, Dale, Marshall, Rosenblum (chair)
Associate Professors Li, Phillips-Court, Pruitt
Assistant Professors Nelson, Spaulding
Affiliate Professors Aylward, Clark, Kern, Moskowitz, Nadler, Wolf
Affiliate Associate Professor Abdu’Allah
Affiliate Assistant Professors Campbell, Carter