Admission to the B.A. Art History
Applying to the Department
All students are encouraged to apply to the department in person as early as possible, preferably during the sophomore year.
To be admitted, students must be enrolled in or have completed any two of the three survey courses:
- AHI 101 Ancient to Renaissance Survey
- AHI 102 Renaissance to Modern Survey
- AHI 103 Non-Western Art Survey
Students must also have attained a minimum 2.0 QPA both in the department and overall at the University.
Transfer Students
After admission to the University at Buffalo, transfer students may immediately apply to major in art history. Students will ideally have taken two art history introductory survey courses, either at the University at Buffalo, or at their previous institutions. Transfer credit is generally issued for all art history courses taken earlier, if the department determines that previous course work is equivalent to courses offered here.
Requirements For Majors
In additions to general University requirements, students must complete four sequential semesters of language instruction (up to the second semester of the second year), and successfully complete 27 credits in Art History.
All majors must complete the following Art History courses:
- AHI 101 Ancient to Renaissance Survey
- AHI 102 Renaissance to Modern Survey
- AHI 103 Non-Western Art Survey
- AHI 490 Methods of Art History (during the first semester of the senior year)
In addition, majors must complete upper-level courses (above the 100 level) in five of the following six areas:
- Ancient Art
- Medieval Art
- Renaissance or Baroque Art
- Modern Art
- Architectural History
- Non-Western Art
Language Requirement (12 cr hrs.)
Students are required to have proficiency in one foreign language at the intermediate level (4th semester language). If in doubt as to the level in which you should enroll, see the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures for advisement. Students planning to attend graduate school should study at least two languages, preferably German, French, or Italian.
Requirements For Minors
Students with an interest in Art History who are majoring in another department are encouraged to consider an Art History minor. Minors are typically accepted after the completion of at least one of the 100-level survey courses. In addition to University requirements, and those of their major department, students are required to successfully complete 18 credits in Art History.
All minors must complete two of the three following Art History courses:
- AHI 101 Ancient to Renaissance Survey
AHI 102 Renaissance to Modern Survey
AHI 103 Non-Western Art Survey
In addition, minors must complete upper-level courses (above the 100 level) in four of the following six areas:
- Ancient Art
- Medieval Art
- Renaissance or Baroque Art
- Modern Art
- Architectural History
- Non-Western Art
