The Department of Art History trains our students to think critically and engage aesthetically with a world saturated by images. They are prepared for a future in the arts through an expansive range of courses taught by tenure-track research faculty, spanning from Ancient Mesopotamia and Medieval Maps to Impressionist Painting and Afro-Futurism. Two tracks in the undergraduate major, Museum Studies and History of Architecture, provide specialized pre-career training and exclusive internship opportunities. Our graduate students, both M.A. and Ph.D., receive personalized mentorship, rigorous training in cutting-edge theory and substantial financial support from SMU. Our students and alumni have been widely successful in securing prestigious fellowships, teaching awards, internships, as well as job placements in museums, galleries, commercial art ventures and more after graduation.
The study of art history trains students to negotiate a world saturated with images. It challenges students to confront critically the issues posed by the visual culture that mediates their understanding of the past, present and future. Built on the fertile exchange between the arts and the humanities, art history at SMU subscribes to an interdisciplinary and intercultural approach to learning. Students are taught to think across current categories and boundaries and practice a socially responsible art history.
In addition to developing acute visual sensibilities, students acquire the ability to evaluate and organize information, conduct scholarly research and articulate their ideas in both written and spoken language. Students completing this course of study are prepared for advanced training in the field of art history; museum and gallery professions; or work in a broad range of other fields, including publishing, arts administration, teaching and public policy.