University of Massachusetts Amherst

Bachelor of Arts in History of Art and Architecture

With its broad emphasis on culture and history and its focus on writing, analysis, and research, history of art and architecture provides an excellent liberal arts degree for students seeking flexible but rigorous training for a variety of careers. A degree in history of art and architecture will not only prepare you to work in art-related fields, it will also help you develop the skills necessary in any profession involving visual culture in its broadest sense, historical and cultural understanding, critical analysis, persuasive argumentation, thorough research, and effective writing.

We encourage our majors to select courses in a wide range of media, historical periods, and geographical areas. You’ll take courses that cover the major fields of western European art and architecture: ancient Greek and Roman, medieval, Renaissance, and the seventeenth through the twenty-first centuries. You may also choose to take courses in art of the Americas, Africa, South Asia, East Asia, as well as Islamic art. Additionally, we encourage you to take related courses in fields such as studio art, anthropology, classics, film studies, history, and women, gender, sexuality studies.